Her head tilts to the side as she studies me. “What do you mean?”
“Oh.” I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering why I felt the need to say that aloud. “I mean, Wes and I are no longer…” I hesitate, searching for the right term. “Seeing each other,” is what I settle on.
Audrey’s eyes widen at my admission before turning sympathetic. “Oh, Ivy. I had no idea. He was talking about you a couple weeks ago. I’m sorry, I just assumed…”
Her response is so heartfelt, so unexpected, that my throat thickens. I swallow, but before I can respond, a commotion outside draws our attention. Our heads snap toward the window to see that some (probably drunk) guy knocked over one of the deck chairs.
Audrey snorts. “It’s a little early in the night to be destroying property, don’t you think?”
“Understatement,” I say, watching the guy try to right the outdoor furniture. I’m about to look away when he raises his head, giving me a clear view of his face.
The air drains from my lungs.
The room tilts.
The last person I expected to find standing on Wes’s back deck isMason Bryce.
Anger sears through my chest, uncontrollable and violent, because how could Wes not warn me he was coming? How could he invite him here? How could he do this to me again?
The questions assault my mind, one after another, as panic rises in my chest. I grip the counter so hard my knuckles turn white and focus on my breathing until I calm myself down enough to see reason. Wes did nothing wrong. He can’t protect me from something he doesn’t realize is a threat. He can’t warn me about something he doesn’t know is a problem.
And that’s on me. That’s one hundred percentmyfault.
“W-When—” I snap my mouth shut as my stutter prohibits me from speaking. My heart slams against the wall of my chest as I attempt to ask the question again. “When didheget here?” I manage, my eyes still locked on the man outside the window.
Audrey follows my line of sight. “Who? Mason?”
I nod, my grip tightening on the countertop. “I didn’t see him at the presentation.”
“Ugh, don’t get me started on that guy. I told Wes not to invite him.”
My brows shoot up at her unexpected response. “You…you did?”
“Oh yeah. Mason Bryce is the most unreliable friend on the planet. By the time he showed up to the stadium, everyone was packing up their stuff. It’s not surprising, but still rude.” She shakes her head and takes a sip of her drink, wincing at the taste. “Wes gives him too many chances to be a good friend. If it were me, I would have cut him off ages ago.”
I blink at her, processing this information. “So…you’ve known him for a long time, then?”
Audrey rolls her eyes. “Unfortunately. He was always over at our house growing up, and he was the biggest instigator. Tried to rope Wes into all kinds of bullshit. Thankfully, Mom and Dad put Wes in a sport for every season, and we saw less and less of him. I had kind of hoped their friendship fizzled out, but clearly not.”
“What sort of things did he, um, instigate?”
“When they were kids?” she asks, and I nod. “Oh, you know. Stupid, dangerous bullshit. Pranks. Lies. Stealing shit from the neighbors. Throwing rocks at cars. Spying on the girl who lived across the street. Annoying the shit out of me and my friends. Honestly, I don’t think he’s changed much. Mom told me he got into some trouble at Harrington, which isn’t exactly surprising to me. He has to repeat senior year if he wants to graduate with a degree.”
“Wow. Really?”
“Yup. I have a feeling he’s gonna be one of those guys who takes six years just to do their undergrad.” She snickers a little, finding the idea amusing. “When did you meet Mason, anyway?”
“Th-the spring break trip,” I force out, stumbling over the lie. “I didn’t get the best vibe from him.”
Her brows pull together. “Really? Why? Did something happen with him?”
My mouth pops open, but it takes some time for me to formulate a response. “What…what do you mean?”
“I’m not sure,” she says slowly. “But he just seems like the kind of guy where anything is possible, you know?”
Boy, do I know.
Some guys cheer outside, and I glance out the window again. Mason’s nowhere to be seen, and I have a sudden gut feeling that I shouldn’t be at this party any longer. “Well, it was nice, um, talking to you,” I say. “I think I’ll try to find Wes and then head home.”
