Page 25 of The Boy I Loved (Eternal Hell #1)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HAZEL

Unease trickled through my veins, my mind torn between accepting his offer and making a run for it. It wasn’t like I needed a ride—the walk back home wasn’t far away—but I couldn’t help but feel a little … on edge tonight.

Mason flashed me a dazzling white smile, his teeth shining through the darkness. “Don’t worry, H. I won’t bite.” He paused. “Unless you want me to.”

A chill swept down my spine, one that had nothing to do with the cool breeze. Goosebumps erupted along my arms, and I absently rubbed them, tearing my gaze away from the boy in the car and glancing around at my surroundings.

“I should be getting back home,” I murmured.

“You sure?” he countered. “There’s a small party taking place at Rodney’s.”

Rodney? I hadn’t even realized they knew each other, not like that at least. Why would Rodney invite me to be his date at a completely different event, but not at the one he was hosting?

When I didn’t respond, Mason continued. “Dom will be there, too. Nicholas is on the way to go wake his ass up now. It was kind of a last-minute thing.” The way he spoke was so casual, so at ease, and completely unlike the feelings warring through me.

I’d be lying if I said that the mention of Dom’s name didn’t appeal to me. My heart flipped in my chest but instantly plummeted when I recalled the things he’d told me earlier.

“I’m not really dressed for a party,” I muttered.

“It’s not that kind of party—just a small get-together.”

Why would Rodney be having a small get-together with Mason, Dom, Nicholas, and who knew who else? I’d never so much as seen them interact. Hell, Dom was at boot camp when Rodney moved here.

Against my better judgment, I took a cautious step forward. The only sign that Mason noticed was the slight arch of his eyebrow. His posture remained relaxed, his hands resting along the top of the steering wheel.

Everything inside of me was screaming at me, telling me to go home—to not go to this party tonight. But Tory’s words echoed through my skull as they had been frequently. She’d want me to do this, even if it was only to show Dominic that he couldn’t bring me down.

I wrenched open the passenger side door and ducked inside, settling against the warm leather seat. My breathing was unsteady as I reached for the seatbelt and tugged it across my chest, clicking it into place.

“Relax,” he said simply. “You’re a friend of Dom’s, which makes you a friend of mine.”

Had Dominic not told him that we were no longer friends?

Confusion pummeled through me. For someone who didn’t want anyone around us to know we’d ever shared a connection, that struck me as odd.

Before I could correct him, Mason reached across the console, lowering his hand to my thigh.

The heat from his palm seared through my leggings, erupting down my leg .

Mason was attractive. Even I wasn’t immune to his charm. But Dominic was the only one I’d ever wanted.

Despite the conflicting feelings churning through my head, I didn’t protest to his touch. It was oddly … grounding.

“I didn’t know you were friends with Rodney,” I commented, turning to glance out the window.

He was silent for a few moments, his hand inching upwards just slightly—enough for me to notice it. “I’m not really. We’re cordial.” As he continued his descent between my thighs, I slapped my hand on top of his, heat spreading through every inch of my body.

His lips twitched into a faint smirk, his blue eyes drifting over to me momentarily.

Tory hated Mason. She said he was a playboy who committed illegal acts. I wasn’t sure I was too fond of him either—not when he was the reason Dominic got into the things he did. He was bad news; they all were.

The drive to Rodney’s was shorter than expected.

There were a few cars parked out front, but I only recognized Dominic’s, Rodney’s, and Tory’s.

It didn’t come as much of a surprise to me that my best friend was here.

If there was a party, she would most likely be attending.

It also didn’t surprise me that she hadn’t tried to tell me about it, especially if it was as last minute of a thing as Mason stated.

He pulled up to the curb and put the vehicle in park, withdrawing his hand from my leg. With the absence of his touch, oxygen came more easily.

“Ready?” he asked, reaching for the key and tugging it from the ignition.

Instead of answering, I reached for the handle on the door and pushed, propping it open. Once I was safely outside, I turned, peering up at the large house looming only feet away.

Mason waited for me to round his vehicle before he snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me against him. My entire body tensed up immediately, the sudden contact catching me off guard.

“Relax,” he murmured again, repeating what he’d told me in the car. His body was warm against mine, and it was oddly comforting, even if he wasn’t the one I wished were holding me.

“People might get the wrong idea,” I told him, attempting to keep my voice level despite the nerves erupting through my veins.

His grip tightened around me, and since I had nowhere to put my arms, I wound the one closest to him around his waist. “Let them.”

My heart hammered painfully within my chest. What was I even doing? Why was I here with Mason of all people? God … I truly must have been a glutton for punishment.

When we reached the door, Mason didn’t even bother to knock, instead twisting the knob and stepping inside with me in tow.

The scent of weed hit my nostrils instantly, making me scrunch up my nose from the foul odor.

Voices rang out from the living room, followed by laughter, and someone shouting about doing shots.

Once we reached the living room, my stomach curled into itself.

Dominic was seated on the sofa with a blonde in his lap.

His focus was on the blunt he’d just accepted.

As he tugged it to his lips, his gray eyes flicked to me and a flicker of surprise entered his gaze.

It only took him a moment to notice who I’d entered with.

Dominic clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around the blonde’s waist as he took a long pull of the blunt.

“Yo, Hazel.” Rodney intersected us, a grin tugging at his mouth. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I … didn’t expect to come,” I admitted, unable to hide the nervous edge to my voice.

Rodney glanced over at Mason, a crease forming between his brows. I could see the question in his eyes before he ever asked it. “And you came with Mason.” Was it just me, or did he sound less than thrilled about that prospect ?

Mason’s eyes shifted toward Dominic, almost as if he wanted him to hear what he said next. “Yeah. Found her walking on a darkened backroad and offered her a ride.”

I shifted uncomfortably at his side, not liking all of the eyes on me. Mason moved his arm to drape it around my shoulders, securing the invisible noose around my throat. His spicy cologne wafted from him, drifting into the atmosphere surrounding us.

“I see,” Rodney murmured, turning his attention back to me. “Well, there’s alcohol in the kitchen. I think Tory’s in there now.”

I glanced around the living room, my gaze stopping on where Nicholas and Vincent stood near the wall with a cup in hand as they assessed the crowd lurking in the living room. They were always watching, observing, even at their own events.

Mason forced me forward with a soft nudge, and I hesitantly followed his lead. The kitchen was large, made of white and gray granite. Bar stools surrounded the center island, and on the other end of the room was the fridge and snack bar.

I saw Tory before she spotted me. Her blonde hair was curled around her shoulders, and she was dressed in a tight, turquoise shirt with black leggings. As we approached, she turned around, her eyes widening instantly.

“Haz—” She began but stopped mid-sentence when she realized who I was with. “You came with the trash.”

Embarrassment pooled inside me, heating every crevice of my body. “He just offered me a ride,” I defended.

Despite the insult, Mason just grinned in that charming way he always did. It had to have been some kind of talent. He was always so at ease, so … unlike me.

“Now, now. No need to get hostile.” He smirked, dropping his arm from around my shoulders. A cool gust of air traveled up my spine from the loss of contact. “In fact, you should be thanking me.”

Tory scoffed. “Thanking you? ”

I wanted to tell her to chill out, that there was no reason to spend the night arguing, but the words didn’t make it past my lips. I was the furthest thing from confrontational.

Mason hummed in agreement. “Hazel wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”

“Are you kidding?” Tory snapped. “Y?—”

“Tory.” I sighed.

She pressed her lips into a tight line, but her narrowed eyes said a million different things.

Blowing out a small breath of relief, I drifted over to stand beside her, taking notice of the assortment of different alcohol products lining the counter beside the fridge.

Even though I was no longer paying any mind to my best friend, I knew she was still glaring at Mason; I could feel the hostility permeating off of her.

They could tear one another’s throats out for all I cared—as long as I was a safe distance away from them.

I grabbed a plastic cup and filled it three-fourths of the way with vodka before topping it with orange juice. I’d never been a big drinker but tonight seemed like it would be one of those nights, especially where Dominic was concerned.

Mason grabbed a beer from the fridge, and we all headed back to the living room where everyone else resided. Mason hadn’t been lying. There weren’t a lot of people here, and it was small. That put me somewhat at ease.

I intentionally avoided looking at Dominic, not wanting to see the girl on his lap, or how he spoke to her. My stomach twisted with unease. He was much nicer to her than he was with me.