If worrying was a person, it would be me. I never expected Mason to revert to his old habits, especially after what happened on the weekend at the cabin. Ever since we began dating, he would open up more and not disappear as he used to when we first met one another.

But I haven't seen him for over two days. No contact, nothing. . .not after that encounter with Kaleb. I was reluctant to go back into the cafe because I knew Kaleb was up to no good. He said something to really set Mason off if he just disappeared like this.

Mason only disappeared to get far away from his problems rather than solving it. And after that big speech he gave me at the cafe, I knew whatever he and Kaleb spoke about was serious. "What's wrong babe?" Sebastian asked, his arms circling around my shoulders as he peered down at me.

"It's Mason, he's been awol for two days and I'm worried," I muttered softly. Sasha peered up from her plate, "you should ask Kaden, Mason is basically his man." She scoffed in disgust before returning back to her food, "but I'm sure he's okay, maybe he's ripping out people's throats."

"Sash he apologized for that, just drop it already."

She sighed deeply and mumbled a quiet sorry. Sebastian flashed me a sad smile, "just ask Kaden, and to tell if he's lying just look at his eyebrows, they tend to perk upwards whenever he tells a lie." Sebastian exclaimed. A part of me wanted to ask how he knew that but knowing Sebastian it had to be something disturbing.

"Thanks, Seb, that information will be very handy," I chuckled softly. After lunch was done, I threw away the scraps of my food and bid Sebastian and Sasha goodbye. I just needed to find Kaden because something in my gut is telling me he knows where Mason is.

I stumbled into the hallway and immediately made my way towards Kaden's locker. I didn't want to see his face, not after what he did to Sasha but I knew I couldn't be upset with him for much longer or else I'd just be hypocritical.

When I made it to his locker I was lucky enough to catch him before he disappeared in the mass of students. "Kaden!" I shouted as I approached him. He flickered his eyes towards me and pushed himself off the lockers, his eyes scanning me suspiciously.

"What do you want?" He inquired.

"Where's Mason?" I went straight to the point. I had no time to waste, the feeling in my gut was just growing more excessively. "I-I don't know, I'm not his keeper, Michelle. You're his girlfriend you should know," he said. And as Sebastian suggested I did look forward to that arch of his brows and would you be surprised when it actually happened.

"You're basically his boyfriend, Kaden. Now cut the crap and tell me where he is, I don't have time to play games. Unless you want me to file a missing person's report and get the cops involved. I doubt you nor Mason would want that and you know I don't bluff so spit it out!"

By the expression on his face, I could tell that he realized I wasn't fooling around. And if I did go to the cops it wouldn't end good for either one of them, but if he didn't fess up I'll have no choice but to.

"You're a very demanding and scary person you know? If you can handcuff and torture me like a mad man then I can't put anything past you." He exclaimed, "sorry Mason but I value my life," he whispered to himself before his eyes flickered towards me.

"Promise me when we get there you'll be understanding. You know Mason and you know he doesn't disappear and distance himself from people for just any reason. Just. . .don't hate him after this," he said.

"Okay, just spit it out."

"He's at my place. But we can't go there now because if my sponsored family finds out I'm skipping school they might not keep me anymore, it's a whole thing. But he's at my house, we'll go after school. Can you wait till then?"

I was reluctant at first, I needed to know he's okay, especially after what Kaden just said. But I also didn't want to get him into any trouble so I agreed. Hoping that this day would not end on a horrible note.

...

After school rolled by and I was leaned against Kaden's car, waiting for him impatiently. After some time waiting, he toppled out of the front door and sauntered towards me, his lips pulled into a thin line. When he finally approached me, he motioned at the car and unlocked it.

I slipped inside and slammed the door shut. Kaden rounded the car and got in beside me, still appearing as tense as he was in the hallway. Something is definitely up, and I have a feeling I won't like what I'm about to find out.

"Can you tell me what's going on, Kaden?" I asked as he pulled out of the driveway and rolled onto the road. "That's for you and Mason to discuss. The same way he tries to stay out of my personal business is the same way I try to stay out of his. We may be best friends but there's still boundaries, Michelle."

I sighed in defeat and leaned my head against the window, gazing outside silently. I just hope he's okay, at this point I don't even care if the night ends badly I just want to know he's not hurt and that he isn't angry with me in any way.

After what seemed like hours of driving, we got to Kaden's house. He pulled up into the driveway and turned the car off. I glanced at him, realizing that he didn't unbuckle his seatbelt, "what are you doing?"

"I'm not going in there, he's in the basement. It's the second door to your left down the hallway. And Michelle you're not gonna like what you're about to see. But just, I don't know, just don't lose it." He said before handing me the keys to the door. I took it from his grasp and nervously slipped out of the car.

I made it to the door in no time and unlocked it. I glanced back at Kaden who flashed me a thumbs up. Shaking my head slowly I slipped into the house and closed the door behind me. I located the door to the basement and slowly opened it.

Even though the flight of stairs placed some distance between where I stood and the basement itself, the strong scent of marijuana and alcohol wafted across my face as if a fan were placed directly in front of it.

I knew automatically that this was a bad sign. He was smoking and drinking? What the hell happened Mason?

I descended the stairs hastily and tumbled into the room when I made it to the last step. The room was dark, and a small luminescent bulb hung in the middle, barely illuminating the musty basement. The smell of alcohol and marijuana grew so strong to the point where I needed to cover my nose with my shirt as I tried locating Mason in the dimly lit room.

And I did; he was laid back on a lazy boy, staring blankly at the wall peeling off before him. A joint was perched between his middle and index finger and he took a long drag from it. I sauntered towards him and snatched it from his grip.

He tilted his head towards me slowly and squinted his eyes as if trying to put a name to my face. When he realized it was me his brows perked upwards and he cracked me a smile, "d-dollface! What are y-you doing here?" He chuckled.

"Mason, what the hell is this!? I was worried sick about you, I haven't seen you in two days and I find out you're down here high off your ass and drunk. What is wrong? Are you okay, talk to me." He shook his head slowly and for a moment it seemed as if he suddenly sobered up.

He flickered his eyes away from me and shook his head. "You shouldn't have c-come here. I'm g-gonna kill Kaden, that bastard." He spat, and then his eyes flickered towards my hand, "give me my shit b-back, Michelle."

Michelle. . .he only ever calls me Michelle when he's annoyed or angry at me.

"What's wrong with you, what did Kaleb tell you two days ago, Mason!?"

"He told me a lot of s-shit okay! A fucking lot!"

"About what?!"

"ABOUT YOU, NOW GIVE ME MY SHIT BACK!" He shouted as he rose up from the chair, towering dangerously above me. I shot my hand back and shook my head vigorously as I peered up at him, "I'm not giving you anything until you talk to me."

"FUCKING HELL, MICHELLE! Now this, t-this is why we're in the s-shit storm that is our freaking lives! Because yo-you're stubborn and you refuse to just listen for one goddamn moment! You just couldn't help but fall for th-the bad booysss right? Just couldn't be a good fucking model student!

This shit- this relationship is g-gonna kill you! Because yo-you want what Michelle wants, you can't settle for normal! Well, what's this for normal!? I don't fucking love you, Michelle, I never did and I never will because you know what? You're annoying, selfish, manipulative and just utterly stupid and gullible! Now give me my shit back."

I was stunned. Stunned by the livid expression on his face, by the nasty words that escaped his lips, the same lips I kissed every day with so much love. I was peering up at the guy who two days ago was begging for my forgiveness. And now he suddenly doesn't love me?

Bullshit.

"I don't wanna hear it, Mason. You're obviously saying all of this to push me away because you're scared of something," I replied. I didn't realize I was crying until his eyes had suddenly begun to trail down my cheek. And I could feel the tears hitting my chest as I stared up at him.

"Yeah I am scared of something, and that's finishing you off. This r-relationship is toxic! And you know it. F-from the very beginning, you knew we were bad for one another and we were just feeding the darkness inside of us. Well, I can't keep feeding the darkness in you because it'll kill you one day. . .no it'll kill you sooner than later."

"We're not bad for each-"

"WE ARE! DON'T BULLSHIT ME! I made you cry more times than I can count! And I'm not proud to say that! You've p-pissed me off as equally as the a-amount of times I've made you cry and g-god dammit Michelle we're destroying one another! I don't want to be with you anymore, get that through your thick SKULL!"

"I DON'T BELIEVE THAT!"

"WELL BELIEVE IT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE DONE!" Silence enveloped us through my blurry vision I could see him take a step back, his hands rummaging through his hair as he shook his head vigorously. "We're done, I-I'm done with you."

"M-Mason-"

"Don't Michelle, just don't."

And then I couldn't help but break into pieces. Everything holding me together had suddenly shattered right in the palm of my hands and I could no longer keep those pieces steady. Between my sobbing, I could hear him mutter something but I was too hysterical to hear it the first time until he spoke louder.

"Give me the ring." He said in monotone.

"W-what?"

"The ring, dol- M-Michelle. It has no meaning now so give it to me. It'll just be a painful reminder of everything wrong between us." He said and if I wasn't completely shattered before this definitely finished the job. I never felt such pain, not since Deborah's death.

It's like my heart was healed a bit when Mason came into my life after her death, and now it was crushed again, left to wither under what was left of me. And in those minutes I went through a multitude of phases; despair, denial, acceptance and then anger.

Without responding I pivoted on my heels and rushed up the flight of stairs. I could hear Mason's footsteps behind me and I was hoping he did follow me as I pushed the door open and tumbled into the hallway.

I quickly made it out of the house, past Kaden's car and onto the streets. Then I flung the ring as far as I could and watched it disappear from my view. After a few seconds of registering what I just did, I snapped my head towards Mason, "you want y-your stupid ring? The painful reminder of what's wrong in our relationship? WELL, I HOPE YOU GET HIT BY A CAR LOOKING FOR IT!"

His face remained passive and I watched in disbelief as he lowered his gaze down onto his wrist, "do you want the bracelet?" He inquired nonchalantly. And then I was snapped back into grief as I sauntered towards him in long strides, "why are you doing this, Mason?" I croaked out, hoping to get any emotion other than a stoic expression from him.

And then for a second, it seemed as if his facade had cracked and his eyes had suddenly glossed over, but the tears never came. He cleared his throat and slipped the bracelet off. I watched silently as he took my hand in his grasp softly, placed the bracelet into my palm and curled my fingers around it, his eyes cast down onto the ground.

"We're done."