Chapter 21
Mason
Itook him to the diner for dinner. There weren’t a lot of options in town, and it seemed like the best choice since it was pretty much the only place with table service. Jodie was working, and she looked positively elated to see Elijah and me walk in together. I had no desire to play it cool. I slid into the booth right beside him, so close our legs were touching, and he gave a surprised chuckle but didn’t mention his personal space. We were getting plenty of looks that were trying to be subtle from the crowded restaurant, but I ignored them. In fact, I welcomed them. If I was going to protect him, I needed to draw them out somehow. I’d be the bait that stood in front of him, and he didn’t need to know. I just smiled at him and opened the menu.
Jodie grinned the entire time she was taking our orders. “It’s nice to see the two of you getting along again.” She winked at us as she headed back behind the counter. She remembered us coming in for milkshakes and fries together,alwaystogether, as kids.Everyoneremembered when we were enemies. Since the whole town followed the sports teams, when a player hadgotten in trouble for beating up a gay kid during practice, word got around town quickly. Some people were upset with me, but honestly, they were probably the minority. A lot of them stuck up for me, even though that hurt me more internally than the ones who’d gotten angry. I guessed they’d all figure out soon that I’d been lying to everyone back then when I said I hated Elijah for liking me.
I sat back in the booth and looked at him. Nothing in this place had changed, and the soft lighting against the dark of twilight at the window was familiar and comforting. He sat there like he had so many times in the past and memories came flooding back.
He looked over at me and gave me a smile, and for a moment I caught a glimpse of him from back then. For a moment I could pretend like I hadn’t fucked it all up, that we were still young and innocent, with our hopes and dreams, our whole lives ahead of us. That we weren’t all used up by life and with a serial killer on our heels. If Elijah wasn’t so damn adamant that death was coming for him and I couldn’t stop it, I might be able to relax knowing we still had a chance at a life together. He was such a downer.
The diner got even more crowded, and we ate our food with what seemed like the entire town watching us. We ignored them. We talked quietly enough no one could hear, laughing at our own little jokes that no one would understand anyway. He was probably used to the stares, though I was sure the current duo they were watching came as a shock to most of them. I didn’t care about the eyes on us, but I was aware of my surroundings in case we were pissing off the right person by being here together.
I knew the looks would have been harder for me to handle as a teenager, but I still wished I could go back and do it all over. So many things in so many lives might be different. We finished our food and I insisted on paying. “It’s adate, andIaskedyou,” I said when he tried to argue, and I said it loud enough for the people around me to hear it. He could suck up his pride for onedamn night and let me be a fucking gentleman. When the bill was paid, I stood up and held out my hand to him. He glanced around but took it, and we walked past all of them hand in hand.
???
We didn’t have a choice of the movie, and it wasn’t something I wanted to see, even if it was rated R and not PG. Elijah watched me with narrowed eyes as I picked a seat in the back row.ObviouslyI had dubious intentions.
Once the movie started I tried to fool around with him, but he wouldn’t let me, because the theater was crowded. They weren’t looking at us, though, and it was too dark for anyone to really see, but he said something about someone calling the cops. It would honestly be hilarious if Chris showed up to that call and it was us, but whatever. I sighed and sat through the boring movie while he ate candy and foiled every new advance I tried to make.
We ended up at the bar afterwards. It was the only place to end up in town unless you wanted to go home early. Honestly, that might have been better, but I’d promised him a date. I wanted to get him a little drunk so he’d forget everything for a while, and he was sitting down a little gingerly anyway, so he probably wasn’t in the mood to go home and fool around.
Elijah ordered a drink at the bar, I ordered a soda, then he saw his friends and headed over to talk to them. I trailed along behind him, not sure I’d really be welcome, since they were all classmates from high school. I was pretty sure Rory had talked to them already, because they all greeted me with smiles, even if they were reluctant. They were looking at me like I was the latest in a trail of detestable men Elijah had hopped into bed with. I deserved that.
I just stayed behind him with my soda while they all stood around a table, moving to the music as they recounted their weeks with laughter. He’d lightened up a little more with each part of our date, and I smiled as I watched him talking to hisfriends and relaxing a little instead of dwelling on the problems that seemed to be closing in on us. I glanced around, but we hadn’t drawn a lot of attention yet. I’d change that shortly.
I noticed Elijah’s drink was empty, so I told him I’d get him another one. He smiled at me, but grabbed my hand right before I walked away, for just a second. There was something in his eyes that I wanted to decipher but was afraid to, because I didn’t want to be too optimistic about the depth of his feelings and risk being wrong. I wasn’t sure where any of it was going when all was said and done, and I had to focus on theright now. Elijah just said, “Thanks,” and let go, turning back to his friends.
I’d placed the order and was waiting for the drink when someone clapped me on the back. “What are you doing here?” Derrick asked me when I turned to him, then he raised an eyebrow as the bartender slid the drink to me.
I paid and added a good tip before I grinned at him. “It’s not for me, I swear.” I glanced around. “And I’m here because it’s the only place in this damn town to end up when you take someone on a date.”
He returned my smile. “Oh, I see. You’re on a date.” He looked around, eyes resting on Elijah at the table with his friends. Derrick’s forehead wrinkled. “Does he know that?”
I shrugged. “Sure. He just saw his friends when we got here. He’s allowed to talk to them. We already had dinner and saw a movie.”
Derrick elbowed me comically. “But how are you going to get laid if he’s hanging out with his friends all night?”
I smirked and picked up the drink. “Already been there, done that today, my friend.” I gave him a nod as he laughed and I headed back to Elijah.
I glanced back once to see who Derrick was with, because I knew Chris was working and I had no idea who he hung out with anymore. There were two guys at the table. It took a second to recognize Chase, because I hadn’t seen him recently even though I knew he worked with Chris. Derrick had always been fairly close to him, so it didn’t surprise me that they were still friends. Iwasn’t sure how my date would go over with him, since he’d not only been directly involved in bringing Elijah to me in the gym, but had also been there when he’d been arrested the last time. The other guy was Danny, Derrick’s cousin. Derrick had probably worked with him that afternoon. They were all talking and paying no attention to me.
I glanced around as I took a sip of my soda. I noticed Tanner and Jaron in their usual spot near the door. They were looking in our direction, and Jaron sneered when I caught his eye. I just rolled mine and turned back to the table.
“Sorry.” Elijah’s voice cut through my thoughts.
I looked at him. “For what?”
“I know we’re on a date. I should have just said hi to them and got a table with you. Do you want to dance?”
I didn’t take the time to overanalyze why he thought he should apologize, because I already knew his ex had been garbage who didn’t want him to have friends. I gave him a slow smile instead. “You can hang out with your friends anytime you want to,” I said, but leaning forward I dropped my voice. “I know you’remylittle cockslut. You can still have your own life. But yeah, I’ll dance with you if you want to.” He laughed a little, but he gave me that look again.
His friends were already filtering out to the dance floor, since the DJ had started one of the songs the old-timers liked to complain about. There were a few other couples out there already. Elijah and I found a spot on the edge of the floor, just in the shadows but still in view of the entire bar. We started swaying to the music. He didn’t know I could dance, though, and his eyes widened slightly when I really started to get down and dirty. My first grind up on him pushed us into the lights and made him laugh a little, but I relished his gasp as I whirled him around and snapped his back to my front.
“Mason, are you sure you want to do thishere?” He was speaking quietly over his shoulder but I heard him even over the music. It seemed I hadn’t made it fully clear that I was done hiding. I hadn’t hidden in Chicago, and I didn’t give a rat’s ass whatanyone in Brooks Glen thought about me anymore. If they didn’t like me for who I was, fuck them. I’d wanted Elijah my entire youth. Now I finally had him, and I was going to make sure they all knew it.
Even Rory was staring with her mouth slightly open. She glanced at the drink in my hand like she thought alcohol was making my decisions for me. “It’s just soda,” I said with a laugh. I wasn’t sure she could hear me over the music as I grinded on Elijah like we were about to film a porno on the dance floor. I spared a sly glance at Tanner and Jaron. They were looking in our direction but whispering to each other.Bring it, fools.
