Page 134 of Bang

"Maybe. But if you can't, and break your neck on the way down, it'll be a shitty Christmas for Willow."

And me.

But I didn't say it. Because the thought of anything bad happening to Cami was impossible to bear – and not only because Willow would be devastated.

I'd be devastated, too.

With the box in-hand, I turned and left her bedroom. Over my shoulder, I said, "I'll load it in the back. If you want to move it later, be my guest."

Chapter 48

Cami

A thousand dollars.That was the amount of my Christmas bonus. The envelope had contained ten crisp hundred-dollar bills,brand newbills from the look and feel of them.

And of course, I felt awful. After Mason had left my bedroom and loaded up the box, I never saw him again – not that night nor the next morning.

And now I felt guilty for not getting him a Christmas present at all. Yes, I realized that he'd made a point to inform me that the bonus wasn't a gift.But wasn't it standard procedure to get your boss at least something in return?

It was mid-morning, and I was still trying to decide when Arden called to say, "Hey, I'm going to the mall for some last-minute things. Do you and Willow want to come?"

I hadn't planned on it. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and snow had been falling all morning – not enough to be dangerous, but enough to make me glad that I'd be leaving for Petoskey in just a few hours.

Tonight, the weather was supposed to take a serious turn for the worse, and I had a three-hour drive ahead of me. My vehicle was already loaded, which meant that I could leave town the moment Mason returned home to watch Willow.

As I glanced out the window, I tried not to worry. Given our recent hostilities, Mason might even decide to work late, which would leave me stuck driving through a nighttime blizzard.

Or more likely, he'd tell me that I had to wait until the snow cleared – not for my own safety, but for the safety of his vehicle and to prevent Willow from being sad if I wrapped myself around a telephone pole.

But would Mason be sad?

Not hardly.

Other than his concern for his family, he was the coldest person I'd ever met. And yet, I swear, I'd seen glimpses of true warmth under his icy exterior, like there was another version of himself just dying to come out.

Regardless, he was driving me insane, even now.

Unable to resist, I took Arden up on her offer and met her at the mall, where I explained how crazy Mason was making me.

As Willow played in the kiddie area, I even confessed that I'd slept with him over a month ago.

But as it turned out, Arden already knew.

I asked, "But how?" And then I paused. "Oh, my God. Did Mason tell Brody?"

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "That guy's more tight-lipped than anyone I know – meaning Mason of course." She gave me a sympathetic smile. "No. I figured it out on my own."

"How?" I asked yet again.

"It wasn't that hard," she said. "I'm just embarrassed I didn't see it sooner."

I tried to smile. "Actually, there wasn’t much to see. I mean, it was just the one time."

But already, Arden was shaking her head. "No. I don't think so."

"But it was," I insisted.

"I'm not talking about the sex," she said. "You really like him. And if you don't mind me saying…" She cringed. "…I think you might be in love with him, at least a little."