Broken Promises

19 | blake

"Boo," a deep voice murmurs in my ear as I close my locker. I'm startled so badly I flinch, barely containing a squeal.

"Sorry, love," Mason chuckles as he appraises me, leaning against the locker beside mine. "Didn't mean to scare you."

I don't point out that scaring me was obviously his intention, as he had said "boo". Instead, I inhale a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I know the way my heart is pounding has nothing to do with the scare I just had and instead everything to do with the fact that Mason is standing in front of me.

It's not the way he should have my heart fluttering, either. My heart beats as if I'm terrified, my hands becoming clammy, throat constricting. This often happens to me in Mason's presence. It's like he lives to hurt me over and over again, refusing to leave me alone.

I force a smile as I glance up at him. "Hi, Mason. Do you need something?"

"Do I have to need something to see my favorite girl?" Mason chides, poking my side playfully.

Favorite girl. Right. That's why he did what he did to me. I'm his favorite girl, yet he never loved me the way I loved him. In fact, I doubt he loved me at all. I was never enough for him.

"I have to get to class, Mason," I say stiffly. As time goes on, it becomes harder to pretend that I don't have a problem with Mason. Jess was right—the longer I'm polite to him, the more he'll stomp all over me. I just don't know how to make him go away.

"Your class will still be there in a few minutes, right?"

"I really—" My words are cut short when Mason abruptly raises a finger to my lips, shushing me. His touch burns my skin, though not in a good way. My flesh feels like it's flaming, and it takes all my strength not to flinch away.

"I always loved your hair like this," Mason murmurs, twirling a strand of my hair around his fingertip. My chest heaves like I'm not getting any air. My eyes prickle with oncoming tears. I hate this. I don't want Mason to touch me. Yet I can't push him away, feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

"You're so beautiful, Blake," Mason whispers, running the side of his finger across my cheekbone. "I feel like I didn't tell you that enough."

Yet I was never beautiful enough to keep his eyes off of other girls. I was never beautiful enough to be the only girl he called the word. How many other girls did he touch like this; talk to like this? I knew I was never the only girl, and I know I won't be the last.

"Mason, please," I plead. If this doesn't stop, I know I'll start crying. I refuse to break down in front of the same boy who makes me unravel. I refuse to give Mason any further power to hurt me.

"I never should have let you go." Mason grips my face in his hand, and I want to tell him that he's hurting me but can't seem to form the words.

From the corner of my eye, I notice a presence approaching. I want to turn my head to glance in the direction, but I can't because Mason is still grasping my face.

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice questions. Mason looks up, unfortunately keeping me locked in his hold.

"I'm sorry," Mason says, "is what's going on here any of your business?"

"Take your hands off of her," the voice remarks, not bothering to sound friendly.

Just like that, Mason releases me. I feel like I can breathe again, glancing over my shoulder to find Noah Reed. I don't know why I'm shocked to see him or why I'm more shocked by how angered he looks.

He's angry on my behalf, and I don't know what that could possibly mean.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Mason questions. I can sense that this won't end well if I don't put a stop to it, but I feel frozen.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Noah shoots back, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "You should keep your hands to yourself unless you have consent. Some people don't want to be touched."

"I wasn't touching you, was I?" Mason retorts, glancing at me as if asking for my help explaining himself.

"No, you weren't," Noah admits. "You were touching a girl who clearly doesn't want to be touched, and without her consent. So, if you want to keep that hand of yours, I'd go now."

Mason shoots me a questioning glance that I don't return. Instead, I let my gaze fall to the floor, my hair falling into my face. My skin still burns where Mason touched me, making me feel uncomfortable and dirty. I want to go home and get into the shower and scrub my skin raw until I can wash the feeling away.

"You should get to class, Mason," I finally manage to choke out.

"Okay." Mason shoots a glare at Noah before his fiery eyes settle on me. "Fine. See you around, Blake." With that, Mason walks off as if he'd never been here at all. However, his touch lingering on my skin proves otherwise.

Noah faces me, eyes full of concern and wearing an expression to match. I've never seen him show as much emotion as he does now, the thought having my heart racing almost as much as Mason's hands on me did.

"Hey," Noah says softly, glancing down at me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I mumble, trying and failing to force a smile. I should be thanking Noah for what he did, but I can't seem to form the words.

Noah starts to speak, but I don't let get the words out.

"Thanks for your help. I have to get to class now." I don't meet Noah's gaze as I walk past him hurriedly, unable to look at him. Then he would see the tears welling in my eyes, and I don't want him to see that I'm not as okay as I pretend to be.

I don't want him to see that I'm really not okay at all.

____

a/n: dua lipa's new album is amazing and everyone should listen to it. just saying.