Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“I’ve got you.”
“One more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re moving to Pop’s.”
Oni
I chew on my lip as I watch Rico walk out of my room. I think he’s a little pissed off about Mason calling, but this is new. I’ve known Mason almost all my life.
He’s my friend and no threat to Rico at all. While I know Mason had feelings for me before, I also know I’ve told him I don’t see him that way. I made that clear after he tried to kiss me. We’ve been cool and in the friend zone since.
“Hello,” I say into the phone as I finally answer Mason’s call.
My stomach twists in knots. Rico isn’t the only reason for me not wanting to answer his call. All of this is becoming more complicated by the day.
“Oni, where the hell are you? I went by your place, and your mom said you went away and you’re not coming back? What’s going on?”
I frown. I should have known Mom was going to do her best to shut all the doors she could while I’m gone. I got the feeling the other night that she wasn’t going to allow me to come back home. I’m going away to school in the fall if it’s the last thing she does.
“Relax, Mase. I’m fine. I’m just taking a break from New York to get my head on straight. I needed to take a step back from everything,” I reply.
“And you didn’t think to tell me or Emory? Your own cousin doesn’t know anything. What the hell?”
I roll my eyes. Where I’m not interested in Mason, my cousin has had a crush on him for forever. I’m sure she fell all over herself to tell him everything she knew.
Which is why I didn’t tell her anything about where I was going or why. In fact, I told Megan nothing at all.
“Megan is too caught up in herself to worry about me. Besides, I needed to do this. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into my mess,” I say, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
“Mess? What mess?”
“Nothing. Forget I said anything,” I murmur into the phone as I continue to empty my shopping bags into the suitcase Rico gave me.
Mason curses on the other end then sighs. “Just confirm one thing for me. You didn’t show up that night after that thing.
“Please tell me you didn’t run into any trouble. What happened to the whip? Did Larry take it off your hands?”
I drop the dress from my hands into the suitcase and turn to flop on the side of the bed. I think over what’s been happening since he dared me to take that car. Glancing toward the door, I think of Rico.
My gut is telling me it’s not such a good idea to tell him about the drugs, the truck, or Rico. If I tell him about one, he will have questions about the other. I should be pissed at him for daring me to take that car in the first place.
“I didn’t get it. The owner showed up right after you guys took off. I went home,” I lie.
“Fuck, I knew I should have waited until you were inside. I’m sorry, Oni. That shit was stupid.
“I don’t know what I was thinking. You could have gotten into some real shit out there.”
“Mason … did you know who that truck belonged to?”
“Huh? Did you know them? Did you see the owner’s face?”
“Um, no. I only saw his back. I walked past him but didn’t get a good look at his face.”
“Oh, okay. So this isn’t about any of that?”
My thoughts are spinning as I think fast. Mason is smart. If I’m not careful, he’ll catch me in my lies. I don’t want any tension between us.
“No, I told you, I needed to get away and get my head on straight. Mom was upset because I came in so late, and she flipped on me.
“It took forever to get home because I had to take the subway. It was bad. She had a bus ticket for me a few days later.”
“That’s why you weren’t answering our calls. You were grounded?”
“Yeah, bro. You know Mom. You and Emory are too close to all the shit she wants me away from. She’s terrified I’m going to fall in with your dad and all that.”
“Fuck. Damn, Oni. This is all my fault. Where did she send you?”
“I’m in—”
“Shit, I have to go. I’ll call you back.”
“Mason, I won’t be able to answer. I’ll be in touch when the summer is over, and Mom cools down.”
“Okay, I get it. Text me if you can. I’m going to miss you, babe.”
I blow out a breath as he hangs up before I can reply. Dropping my phone on the bed, I rub my temples. If I could turn back time, I never would have gotten out of that car.