I've been laying on the bed for the longest while. Just laying there and wincing at the memories of last night.

After the kiss Mason and I shared, he dismissed his friends - the friends I don't have a clue as to how he made. And then we left the party because I was too drunk to stand on my feet. The last thing I remember is passing out in the back of his car.

I tilted my head sideways and stared deeply at Mason's sleeping figure.

I remember asking him to stay with me when he placed me on the bed last night because for some reason I didn't want to sleep alone. God, why did I ask him to stay with me!?

I let my eyes linger away from his face and onto his shoulder tattoo.

It was a tattoo of a woman, a man and a child holding each other's hands as they walk down a dark road into the sunset.

I didn't know what the tattoo meant, why he had it, but I'm sure it means something to him.

I hesitantly raised my hand and traced it over his shoulder, then trailed it down to the butterfly tattoo sitting below his chest, and then my eyes flickered to the rose tattoo just below his armpit. The thorn branches ran all the way down to his hip, and I feared that I would tickle him.

He had a lot of tattoos for a seventeen-year-old.

I mean, his entire body was covered in them.

I retracted my hands from his hip just in time for his eyes to flicker open. I gasped, and he flashed me a smile. "Morning doll face," his voice was groggy but raspy and I squirmed at how attractive he sounded.

"Morning?"

"How'd you sleep?" He asked, a concerned look etched on his face.

As if he caught himself slipping, his features hardened, and I frowned deeply, wondering why he thought masking his concern was doing him any justice. I knew he was, even if he may try not to show it.

"I slept well, actually." I smiled in content as I pushed myself upright, my hand still in his grasp.

I had no nightmares last night, none what so ever, and I didn't even take my pills. That was either the result of alcohol or sleeping next to Mason. "Good." He smiled as he let go of my hand and rolled off the bed.

His back was towards me as he grabbed his phone off the nightstand and unlocked it. I sat there staring at him, perplexed. I wondered to myself how one guy who was such an asshole to me the first time we ever met can be so attractive right now.

"Why are you staring at me?" He suddenly asked, his brows arched upward as he stared back at me.

"Don't flatter yourself, I was staring at your tattoo, not you specifically." I huffed out. I actually was - it was a tattoo of a tree that took up his entire back. Its dark branches stretched out of his back, leaving little space to even fit another one in, and I wondered to myself if that actually hurt.

He frowned deeply and averted his gaze from me, "I better go get ready for the day." He exclaimed as he hopped off the bed and stalked into the bathroom linked to his room.

What the hell did I say that changed his entire demeanor!? I mean, did I hurt his ego or something?

I groaned as I flew my legs over the bed and hightailed out of his room and into my room down the hallway. When I made it to my room, I found myself standing in front of my mirror and I gasped when I realized I wasn't wearing my outfit from last night.

Did that a- hole change me?

Pervert!

I shuddered at the thought of Mason seeing me half naked and washed away the feeling as I took a warm bath. When I was done, I dressed, grabbed my school necessities and found my way into the kitchen.

"Hey hun!" My mom chirped as I entered the kitchen where dad and Mason were too engrossed in a conversation to realize I entered.

"Morning mum." I chirped as I sat down onto the stool. She placed a plate of eggs and sausages with toast on a side before me and I smiled. "Hmmm, this looks great mom." Without saying another word, I dug into my breakfast and couldn't miss the brief stares from Mason as I ate.

Sometimes he even gave me what appeared to be a smile.

I'm starting to wonder if Mason is aware of how much he snaps in between moods.

"Well. . ." My father exclaimed as he hopped off the stool, "today I have a meeting with the governor so no one call me." He said as he planted a kiss against my mother's temple and tumbled out of the kitchen.

"I'm visiting your nana today, Michelle. So I'm just gonna get ready, I'll see you later?" My mother said as she removed her apron and planted a kiss on my head .

"K mom."

"See you later, Mason." She said as she exited the kitchen.

Silence fell between Mason and I and I stared at my plate in uneasiness as he flickered his eyes towards me, then suddenly smirked.

"What!?" I snapped.

"You can dance." He winked.

"Well, I've had a bit of practice so what can I say?" I shrugged nonchalantly, although I was internally screaming.

He hopped off the stool, pushed it under the island table and strolled towards me slowly.

He lowered his head to my ears and asked, "are we not going to talk about that kiss or?"

Well, that was one of the best kisses I've had in a long time. And it made me feel things that I didn't want to feel. Things that I thought I'd never feel again. But was I going to tell him that? No, I wasn't.

"About that. . ." I trailed off with a nervous chuckle.

He arched his brow as if silently telling me to proceed, and I cleared my throat.

"That was the best kiss I've ever had." I whispered. God damn you tongue! I said I wasn't gonna tell him that. "But!" I started as I pressed my hand against his chest and pushed him back lightly.

"This cannot escalate. Look, Mason. I've had my fair share with guys who play girls. And you can't say that you don't because I saw you making out with that girl and then you still made out with me after that. Right now, I'm not looking to get hurt."

He lowered his hand to his side and ran his tongue over his lips as a chuckle escaped them. "You know, Michelle. I'm not the cliche bad boy who sleeps with every girl in town because he got his heart broken by one girl," he spat.

Yeah, maybe you're just a player who plays girls for the thrill of it.

But still. . .

"I'm sorry I just assumed–"

His humorless chuckle cut through my words and I clasped my lips shut as I stared at him in disbelief. "By assuming you're making an ass of you and me." He snapped, and I watched, flabbergasted, as his eyes darkened.

I parted my lips to reply, but once again he cut me off as he raised his hands in surrender, "you know what? It's whatever. I was gonna give you the benefit of the doubt, but you're exactly how I thought you'd be," he said.

Before I could stop him, he stormed out of the kitchen and barrelled up the stairs.

What the hell just happened?

"Mason." I groaned loudly as I pushed myself off the stool and headed for the stairs, but before I could reach halfway up, the sound of my front door slamming shut caused me to pivot on my heels too quickly and somehow they intertwined with one another and I lost my balance.

For a moment I thought I was gonna slip and roll down the stairs, but a pair of strong arms snaked around my waist and caught my fall. "I'd love to see you fall on your face, but I'm not that cruel." Mason whispered into my ear.

"Michelle!" A familiar annoying voice shrieked down the hallway. Mason flinched and narrowed his lips to my ear once again, whispering, "who was that?" I didn't have time to reply before she appeared before us, her eyes glued to our position.

I slapped Mason's hands away quickly and stood upright.

"Oh, hi!" She chirped loudly.

Sasha strolled behind her, her hands folded over her chest as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. You and I both sis.

"Is that Mason?" Kayla squealed as she ran up the stairs and before I could comprehend what was happening she suddenly shoved me out of the way which resulted in me slipping down one step and crashing onto it with a loud thud.

Mason's eyes immediately met mine, then fell back onto Kayla's. But before her hands could wrap around his neck for an oh so friendly hug, he pushed her away from him and trekked down to the stairs towards me.

placing both hands under my arms, he lifted me up swiftly to his side and grabbed my waist to support me from falling once again.

"Woah!" Kayla backed up slightly, her eyes never leaving his hands on me. "So you basically pushed your friend out of the way to hug a complete stranger? Wow, what kind of friend are you?" He inquired.

After a moment of silence and Kayla stammering like a fish, he chuckled deeply, "you must be the special kind."

Kayla suddenly scowled deeply and glared daggers at his face. "Excuse me! All the guys want me and all girls wanna be me, and I know you didn't just shove me away for that — that bitch!" She shrieked down at him, her glare flickering towards me.

"Kayla don't!" Sasha warned her. "No!" She chuckled humourlessly as she took a step closer towards me, her eyes cold and harsh. "Are you afraid I sleep with your boy toy, Michelle?" She pouted tauntingly.

"Kayla!" Sasha shouted as she walked up the stairs and grabbed Kayla by the hand harshly but she brushed it away quickly and kept her gaze locked on me, never tearing it away as she stared at me with such hatred it felt as if my head was gonna suddenly blow off.

But Kayla didn't know who the hell she was messing with. She didn't know the thoughts that lurked in my mind, how I desperately wanted to smash her head into the stairs and watch her bleed out!

"I can take this fool away from you anytime I want!" She exclaimed loudly, her gaze lingering on Mason who stood there just as shocked as I did.

His grip on my waist tightened, and he narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head with a loud scoff. "Sorry! I don't go for used and abused."

Her eyes widened in shock and I snorted at the astonished look on her face. She scoffed and parted her lips, then clasped them shut as if not knowing exactly what to say.

I have never seen someone shut this girl up so many times in one conversation before.

Guess she met her match.

"Kayla I think we should go." Sasha smiled apologetically as she gripped Kayla's hand, tugging her down the step. "And you know what." I finally found the words after moments of silence. I tumbled down the stairs towards her and stepped in front of her face, my fist clenched on my side tightly.

"I dare you to step foot inside my house one more time. And the moment you do, so help me god Kayla, I will kill you." My voice seethed through my teeth, so venomously even I'd be afraid of myself.

"You don't mean that." She chuckled nervously, her pompous demeanour now nowhere to be seen. I shook my head slowly, threateningly, making sure that she saw the empty void in my eyes as I hissed at her face like a serpent.

"I don't make empty threats Kayla, mark my words. If you ever speak to me again, you breathe the same air I breathe and even look at me." I chuckled softly as I raised my fist and made sure her eyes followed it.

I shook it lightly, my eyebrow perked upwards as a smirk slid onto my lips.

"This will be the last thing you'll remember before you meet your maker."

"Kayla!" Sasha snapped as she grabbed a stunned Kayla's hand and dragged her off the stairs and down the hallway.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and spun on my heels, only to be met by Mason's shocked gaze.

"Damn, feisty girl! I've heard about you before, but I've never seen you live in action." He chuckled in awe, his head shaking lightly.

"What?"

All the colour drained from his face as if he just realized what he just said.

Did he just say he's heard about me? He's never met my friends, and no one in this town except for those closest to me knows me, ie; my friends.

So what is he talking about?

"What do you know about me Mason and what do you really want here?"