I strolled into the family room and slumped down on the sofa with a satisfied humph. Today we were allowed to stay home to pack up our luggage and get ready for the camp, which starts in approximately an hour.

What the hell am I supposed to do in an hour? No one is home today.

Mom is still at Nana's, Dad is somewhere out making his billions of dollars and Mason just disappeared without a trace. Again.

He literally went AWOL. He left me confused and flustered with the kiss he planted on me yesterday. He literally kissed me and said he liked me but then ignored me when we came back home, I tried talking to him again yesterday.

But guess what.

He shut me out again! I guess that kiss was just in the moment because I basically called him out for saying that I'm not flattered by him and he tried to prove a point. I'll never understand boys, they say girls are complicated but I proved that that isn't necessarily true.

I sighed deeply when the annoying harsh hammering of my heart began again. God, he reminds me so damn much of Kaleb. It was the same case scenario with him, the bad boy who trapped me in his arms with one kiss and corrupted my mind. I loved him and I'm afraid I'll love Mason as well.

What the hell is wrong with me! I'm supposed to be the good girl everyone thinks I am and I'm here falling for a bad boy I've only known for three weeks! Three goddamn weeks.

I brushed the feeling off and looked for something constructive to do.

I grabbed the remote and flicked through the channels on the television. There was literally nothing to watch as all the programs were deathly boring so I switched it off and made my way back upstairs.

Before I could step foot inside my room, a loud knock on the door stopped me dead in my tracks. I spun around on my heels and stalked back down the hallway and down the stairs.

When I gazed through the peephole I saw Tristan standing there looking back at me although he didn't necessarily know that I was there. I smiled and opened the door, greeting him. "Hey, Trist."

"Hey." He smiled as he stepped inside before closing the door behind him.

We walked up the marbled stairs and immediately made our way towards my room. "What's up?" I asked, flopping down onto my bed and patting the spot beside me. He lowered himself down and shrugged.

"Just wanted to see how you were holding up with Mason." He mumbled softly.

"Tristan is there something you want to tell me?" I asked as I wrapped my hand around his shoulder and pulled him closer towards me. I toyed with him a little, knowing damn well he'll never confess his feelings towards me.

"Nah there's nothing." He sighed as he tangled his fingers with mine. "Are you sure?" I trailed off, he shrugged once again, flickered his eyes shut and sucked in a harsh breath.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He mumbled. I tangled my fingers through his hair then dipped my head down to give him a kiss on the cheek. I mean that's the best I can do seeing as I have no feelings for him what so ever.

And I know Tristan won't try to make a move on me. He respects people and their boundaries and that's what I love about him. He won't just kiss me out of the blue then apologize or confess his undying love for me.

He's not that cliché.

"So what's up with you and Kayla? I heard you guys split up. . . Again."

I chuckled humourlessly, my eyes fixated on the blank wall. "She's just being a bitch again but this time she took it too far."

"Didn't she take it too far when she slept with your boyfriend?" He asked in utter confusion as he gazed at me in question. "I mean yeah but now she's just. . .Ugh I don't know!" I groaned deeply.

He let out a throaty chuckle and shook his head lightly. "Girls, I'll never understand them." I'll never understand us either, I've already made the mistake of forgiving her for the worst thing you could do to your best friend.

But I won't forgive her for basically treating me like dirt just because she believes I can't do her anything. When really I'm having the urge to rip her head off her body and stuff it into a freezer.

"Let's not talk about that mutt." I grimaced disgustingly. Tristan gazed down at me for a moment before both of us burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

The laughter soon died down and now the room settled into a comfortable silence.

"So. . ." He trailed off.

He's gonna ask something pertaining to Mason I know it for a fact. He's worried that Mason might be a competition for him. Or he's just threatened that I'd be with Mason or he's planning my murder.

"Where's Mason? I didn't see him or hear from him when I came in." He mumbled almost distractedly or at least that's what he wanted me to think.

"I don't know where he is–" I paused as I took a deep breath in and tried to convince myself of the one thing I should be saying to myself and not the other way around. "–And neither do I care."

Tristan stared back at me for a few minutes, knowing that I've been lying to myself. There was an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

Do I really care where he is?

Nah I don't. He probably isn't even thinking about me right now and I'm here stressing over the fact that he's out. And I haven't seen him for the entire day. Oh my god, what if something happened to him!? what if he died.

What if he–

"Michelle," Tristan called out, snapping me out of my frantic thoughts as he clapped his hands in front of my face vigorously. "Hmm, mmhmm." I hummed as I gazed up at him. He sighed before giving me a lopsided smile. "You should stay away from Mason, he seems like bad news."

Stay away from Mason.

That's like asking me to kill my mother, It's freaking impossible but yet still possible. "Uhm and who are you to tell me who to hang out with?" I chuckled humorlessly.

"I'm a concerned best friend who loves and wants what's best for you. I know the kind of guy Mason is Michelle, he's basically another version of Kaleb." He mumbled, an edginess behind his voice as he spoke and then he clamped a hand over his mouth and widened his eyes when he realized what he had just said.

"He's not another Kaleb, Kaleb is a scumbag who cheated on me and murdered my sister, Mason would never do such!" I snapped, widening my eyes in anger before I flickered them shut tightly.

He chuckled humourlessly and began to shake his head in disbelief, a scoff escaping his lips. "And how would you possibly know?" I frowned, I was expecting him to apologize for bringing up Kaleb but instead he says this.

But In all honesty. . . I didn't.

And that scared the hell out of me.

Before I could answer the sound of footsteps outside my door put my words to a halt. After a while of staring at the door, awaiting a ghost or burglar to pop up and scream boo, Mason casually strolled by with an annoyed expression lingering on his face.

He barrelled down the hallway and seconds later stalked back up before he halted beside my door and snapped his head towards us, his features still visibly angry but slightly amused.

Uhm?

"Hi, guys." He smiled as he stepped into my room, Tristan's body tensed up beside me when Mason's cold stare diverted to him. "Who's this?" He spat coldly, flickering his eyes to me then to Tristan

Why is he acting like this is the first time he's ever seen Tristan?

"I'm Michelle's best friend Tristan, Tristan Hart, you've probably heard about me." He smiled but I knew Tristan all too well to know that he was forcing it.

"Never heard of you." Mason shrugged nonchalantly as he took a step closer into the room and my eyes widened at his words and actions. Well then that was rude.

"Oh well. . .ugh." Tristan chuckled nervously as he scooted closer to me like I was going to protect him. . . very funny. I can't even protect myself!

"Are you that cliché type of best friend that's been in love with the girl all his life but he's afraid that if he confesses his undying love for her she'll reject him?" Mason suddenly blurted out.

Tristan furrowed his eyebrows then snapped his apologetic eyes towards me. He untangled our fingers then rolled off the bed and dusted off his shirt.

"It was nice meeting you again Mason. I'll text you later Michelle. Tell me how the trip goes." He frowned deeply and flashed me a halfhearted smile.

My respect for Tristan grew excessively more. Although he knows damn well he's already met Mason he still went with the flow of Mason being an asshole and jerk.

Mason moved out of the way as Tristan kept his gaze locked on the floor and silently he strolled out of the room. His eyes followed Tristan's body until he was out of sight. Mason snapped his gaze away from the door and let his eyes settle on my body with his annoyingly creepy smirk.

"What the hell was that for dude?!" I snapped loudly.

"So he does have a massive crush on you but you don't want him. That's just wack." He chuckled bitterly as he shoved his hands into his front pockets and bounced on his heels childishly.

"We were having a decent conversation and you just scared him away!"

"What?. . .Him saying I'm a bad guy and you should stay away from me because I'm another Kaleb is a decent conversation?" He scoffed.

He shook his head in disbelief then averted eye contact with me. "You know I just hate it when people assume shit about me, it infuriates me."

"Mason I–"

"Nah, I don't need your explanation." His signature smirk stretched out on his face once again but this time it wasn't a bit creepy, it kind of seemed genuine.

"I heard how you stuck up for me, that was cool of you, it even took me by surprise!" He chuckled.

Once again I was mere seconds away from answering but as usual, he always had to hit me with the reminder; "but don't flatter yourself. Still keep your distance from me." His facade slipped back onto his features once more before he pivoted on his heels and ambled out of the room.

That asshole!

Why does he keep doing that to me?

•••

"Kaden!"

"Hot and ready!" He shouted from the back of the line, I snickered softly and pursed my lips tightly as Mrs. Santos shot me a glare.

She pressed her lips in a straight line before shaking her head and checking his name off the list. "Teenagers and their raging hormones. Michelle!" She called out, her eyes flickering towards me as I mumbled here.

"Great that's all, everyone's here so you can all board the bus and you have to sit next to your assigned partner."

"Mrs. Santos can you stop being a bitch for once and let us choose the people we prefer to sit beside!?" Sebastian exclaimed loudly and she glared at him as she jutted out a finger and motioned towards the bus.

"On the bus next to your assigned partner now!" She grumbled loudly. Geez, I take back what I said, I'd hate to see this woman upset.

I flopped down onto a seat further in the back and Mason followed in tow, his lips turned up in a sneer. "Can't believe I have to sit with you." He groaned as he lowered himself down beside me.

"Deal with it lover boy" I winked. He flashed me a sarcastic smile before rolling his eyes and plugging in his headphones, probably preparing to ignore me the entire ride.

"Hey, babe. If that idiot doesn't want to talk to you then I can make your time worthwhile." Kaden winked as he peered over his seat and set his lustful eyes on me. I smirked and blew him a kiss to which he responded with a kiss as well.

"Hey, fuckboy." Mason hissed as he thumped his Kaden on the forehead hardly. "Ouch, dude! What the hell have I told you about doing that?" Kaden cried out as he rubbed his forehead with a pout.

I peered up at Mason who scowled deeply and there was a glint in his eyes as he glared at Kaden with an unamused scowl. And then the next words he said hit me like a wrecking ball and shoved me off the edges of the cliff I held onto so tightly.

The balance that kept me upright for the past few days suddenly came crashing down.

"Stay away from Michelle, she's mine."