23: Plan of Attack
“Remember: No Mase until I can find some dirt on Tracy,” Scarlett said, standing to leave.
“Are you sure there’s even dirt to find on the head Barbie?” I let out a long breath, running my hands through my hair.
“Trust me. Their lives aren’t as flawless as all the make-up they cake onto their faces. Just give me a few days to dig. But for now, keep up the act with Mase,” she said, winking before turning to leave.
I sighed. That was the biggest problem. Avoiding Mase when he slept just down the hall from me. When he was already holding on to so much of me, making it impossible to pull away. An ache formed at the pit of my stomach knowing that this could change what I had with Mase. Even if we got Tracy back, the damage may have already been done.
Scarlett opened my bedroom door to leave and as I went to follow her out, I saw Mase standing in my doorway. His one hand was shoved in his pocket and the other was raised in a fist, getting ready to knock.
“Hey, Scarlett. How are you?” Mase asked, dropping his hand to his side.
Scarlett turned towards me, raising her eyebrows at me before looking at Mase again. “I’m good, thanks. I’m just heading out. I’ll see you around,” she said, stepping past him.
He nodded towards her before turning to face me again. I dropped my gaze and pulled at the hem of my shirt.
“What happened earlier today?” he asked, walking into my room and closing the door behind him.
“You heard what I said, Mase. Please don’t make me repeat it again,” I said, shaking my head. He stood just inches from me, his sweet cologne playing in the air between us.
“Why not? Because you and I both know it’s not true?” he asked, his fingers catching my jaw before I could turn away.
“I wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t true. I don’t need you, Mase. Just please go,” I whispered, closing my eyes to avoid his gaze. That was twice that I’d hurt him. Three strikes and I’m out.
“You can’t even look me in the eyes, Lyla. I don’t believe you,” he said, cupping my face in his palms and leaning his forehead against mine.
“Believe it or not Mase, I’m asking you to leave. So please, just respect that and go,” I said, pulling away from the warmth of his hands and turning my back on him.
He let out a sigh and hesitated, not making a move. “Okay, I’ll go. But I’m right down the hall if you need me,” he whispered, before leaving my room. I heard the door open then shut again with a soft click. And when I sat on the edge of my bed, holding my head in my hands, I tried imagining my life without Mase. The thought itself sent a cold chill through my bones. I couldn’t lose him, too. Not when I’d already lost so much.
***
“How much longer do you need?” I asked Scarlett, cramming my cell between my shoulder and ear. It’d been a week since Tracy threatened me and Scarlett was still working on her plan to get revenge.
“Look, I know ignoring Mase is hard. But it’ll be worth it. I found some dirt on Tracy, but just need some evidence to back it up,” she said through the phone.
“What exactly did you find? And how?” I asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Apparently Mr. Hamilton has a mistress. And she’s not much older than us,” Scarlett said with a chuckle.
My eyes went wide as I nearly dropped my phone. “Holy shit, Scar. That’s huge,” I said, running a hand through my hair.
“I know. It’s just what we needed to shut her up. But we need to expose her in front of an audience. I’m thinking Prom. What do you think?” Scarlett asked.
I let out a long breath, rubbing my face with my hands. “Maybe it’s too much. That’ll completely ruin her,” I said. Not only her, but it’ll ruin her family as well.
“That’s the point. The Queen Barbie needs a reality check. Her family’s not as perfect as she makes them seem,” she said.
“All right, we’ll see. Get the hard evidence and we’ll decide what to do with it from there,” I said. “I gotta head down for dinner though, so I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”
I hung up the phone with Scarlett and laid back in bed for a moment, thinking about Tracy. I felt uneasy about the whole thing, but she was willing to expose me in front of the whole school. So I shouldn’t feel so bad about beating her to the punch.
I sighed, thinking back to the week without Mase. Dinners were awkward and tense. The paralyzing nightmares came every night now. And every other moment seemed empty, like my insides had been carved out to leave a vacant silhouette. All because of Tracy Hamilton and her threats.
I stood, fixing my shorts and tank top before heading downstairs. I got to the dining room and saw an empty spot at the table, between Mase and my father. I could feel my father and Ruth watching Mase and me, confused expressions playing on their faces. The same expressions they wore this whole week after seeing the drift between us.
I felt Mase’s eyes on me as I walked past him. I kept my gaze fixated in front of me, watching as the disappointment filled his expression when I didn’t acknowledge him. The way his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth turned down at the edges, caused an ache in my chest.
It was then that I made the decision. I’d do anything to get Tracy back for this. Even if it meant ruining her family. Because she was the reason I was losing Mase Dean. She was the reason he was hurting too.
Author's Note: Um.. HI! Okay, so I'm so so so so so sorry for not uploading these past couple of months! But I met this guy, and we got engaged. :) So I've been kind of obsessed with him. But I still love Mase and I still love my fans so I'm offically back! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter even though not much happens and it's super short. :/ Let me know what you think<3 Also, check out the book trailer for The Chord just to the right>>>>
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The Chord to my Heart
Teen Fiction"When Lyla Carter comes home to find that her mother has committed suicide, she's forced to live with her father who she's conveniently avoided since he left them seven years ago. Lyla does her best to keep everyone at arms length until she meets Ma...
