Page 26 of The Boy I Loved (Eternal Hell #1)

Tory took a seat on the far side of the additional loveseat that was void of anyone.

Just as I moved with intent to take the spot beside her, Mason took the spot on the other end, pulling me into his lap.

My stomach dipped with nerves, a flush building along my skin.

At first, I thought he simply wanted me in his lap, but after a few seconds, I realized that wasn’t the case.

Nicholas and Vincent joined us moments later, filling the gap between me and Tory.

I cradled the drink in my hand, watching as the orange liquid swirled within the cup. One glance at Dominic had me tilting my chin and downing a quarter of its contents.

His hand was resting on the girl’s hip, his lips moving against her ear as he whispered sweet nothings that had her giggling.

I hated this.

I remembered how things used to be. How we’d curl up on the mattress in the treehouse and watch movies while eating our favorite snacks.

How we used to build these stupid forts in our bedrooms and sleep in them on the nights our parents permitted sleepovers.

I always knew he could do better than me. Maybe … he realized that, too.

Mason’s hand on my thigh drew me back to the present.

There was no sense in dwelling on the way things used to be.

One thing had become abundantly clear: we’d never have that again—we’d never be those two kids who found solace in one another.

Our friendship died in that treehouse, and so did the boy I loved.

The alcohol was strong, burning my throat as it lit a fire in its wake. The vodka dulled some of the ache, but it was still there, still present, just like the scars along my heart.

Vincent turned his head, trailing his dark blue eyes over me.

The corner of his lips twitched, something sinister entering his gaze.

He scared me the most. There was something unhinged about him.

Hell, there was something unhinged about all of them, but even more so when it came to Vincent Patterson.

I didn’t know much about the boy occupying my right. I’d heard rumors that he had a crazy older brother and a younger sister, and that they lived in another state. Aside from those vague details, the dude was a complete mystery to me.

Tearing my gaze away, I took another long drink of the alcohol resting between my fingers.

Something felt … wrong. Maybe it was be ing out in the middle of the night.

Maybe it had something to do with the boy holding me in his lap.

Hell, it could even be because Dominic was here, acting as cold and heartless as ever.

“Let’s play a game,” the girl in Dom’s lap suggested, her gaze drifting over the small crowd of people surrounding her.

My hand tightened around the plastic cup, causing it to crinkle at the sides. I didn’t want to play any games. I blew out a shaky breath, attempting to will my nerves to calm. This was why I didn’t go to parties. They always made me anxious.

“What kind of game?” Rodney asked, plopping down into one of the chairs parallel to the sofa.

The blonde’s lips stretched into a haughty grin. “Truth or Drink.”

A few groans sounded from around me, giving me a small amount of hope that no one else would want to play it either. I wanted to relax, then go back home to the comfort of my bed.

Unfortunately, the majority ruled, and they wanted to play.

Rodney headed to the kitchen with another guy I didn’t recognize, and they began making a variety of different shots.

A small tug on my hair had a surprised gasp expelling past my lips. Whipping my head around, my eyes narrowed at Mason. His cocky grin told me this was his way of flirting, so why didn’t I find it endearing?

Because he isn’t Dominic.

I officially hated my mind and heart in equal measures. Dominic moved on easily enough. He’d used me to get what he wanted and now, here he was, with another girl.

Mason could be a decent guy—well … he looked like one, anyway. Unlike Vincent, he had that boyish thing going on. He might have come with a harder edge, but he also knew how to turn it off and on. My parents would probably approve.

“Do you want to play the game?” he asked, his gaze dropping to my lips, giving it a completely different meaning .

No. I didn’t want to play. But I also wasn’t sure I wanted to sneak off with him either.

The alcohol was already seeping through my veins, making me feel a little bit bolder. I wasn’t drunk, or necessarily even tipsy, but it was something .

I glanced over at Dominic again. His gray eyes were pinned on me as he kissed along the side of the girl’s neck. At this point, it had become blatantly obvious that he was doing this shit on purpose. He might have been into her, but he was also taking advantage of my feelings for him.

Fuck that.

For years, all I could think about was my best friend—the boy who lived on the other side of the woods. I wanted him to be my first, and then he was. He made promises to me that he couldn’t keep, and now that he was back … he wasn’t the same person I’d fallen for all those years ago.

With a heavy heart, I turned back to Mason. “No. I don’t.”

His blue eyes became heated, igniting with a blazing fire of lust. “Do you want to go upstairs?”

Instead of answering, I rose on shaky legs. His lips twitched in response as he pulled himself up. I could feel Dom’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care, not when he was playing with my emotions the way he was.

Mason placed a hand against the small of my back and gently pushed me forward. My pulse thrummed violently within my neck as my nerves went haywire inside of me. I could do this. It was meaningless, casual sex. Dominic did it all the time. The blonde in his lap was proof enough of that.

The music grew faint when we started up the stairs, and suddenly, it felt like I was walking to my doom. My skin prickled with awareness, each step sending me more and more on edge.

When we made it to the top, Mason gripped my hand in his and pulled me toward the closest door.

As soon as we stepped inside, he flicked on the light and closed the door behind us with a soft click.

I glanced around, taking note of the room’s interior.

A queen-size bed was positioned at the center of the room with a small bedside table on either side.

Despite the house being huge, the room was oddly basic.

Mason moved to stand in front of me and didn’t bother wasting any time.

If I thought he was going to work his way up slowly, I was poorly mistaken.

He gripped the sides of my face between his hands and smashed his lips against mine in a sudden kiss.

I gasped against his mouth, giving him the response he’d wanted.

His tongue swept along my parted lips, gliding against my own with expert precision.

His fingers tangled through my hair, tugging at the loose strands.

My mind whirled, trying to keep up with the events happening around me.

I was in a stranger’s bedroom, making out with Mason Byers—the same boy who had always given me the creeps.

My stomach twisted with nausea, but I couldn’t pull away.

I needed to do this for myself. I needed to sever the tie that connected me to Dominic.

After this, he would no longer be my one and only.

Mason’s hand fell to my hip, his fingers biting into the flesh there, sending a spark of pain through my side with each tug. He was growing more frantic and desperate, his teeth grazing over my bottom lip.

“Fuck.” He groaned, tearing his lips away at last and leaving me breathless. His eyes had become three shades darker, searing right through me. “Let’s get this off of you.” He tugged at the hem of my shirt, lifting it in slow movements.

I blew out a nervous breath, leaning over to set my drink on the dresser.

Shaking, I slowly lifted my arms, giving him the access he needed. Once the shirt was pulled from my body, he discarded it on the floor. The cool air feathered over my bare skin, causing my nipples to harden .

Mason released a ragged breath, reaching forward to run his thumb over my pebbled nipple. I shuddered in response, torn between liking the sensation, and wanting to change my mind and bolt.

“You and Dom used to be close, right?” he asked suddenly in a low and raspy voice. Before I could respond, his lips descended on my neck, eliciting a pleasure-filled gasp from me.

“Yes.” I breathed out. “W-why?”

He began to trail his mouth down my chest until he reached my right nipple.

His lips circled around it, followed by the soft glide of his tongue.

Pleasure pooled in my abdomen, followed by sparks of electricity.

This did feel … good. Really good. But was it good enough to make me forget all about Dominic?

“Did he ever touch you like this?” he whispered against my sternum.

Alarm bells resounded within my skull. Why was he so concerned about my friendship with Dominic? Maybe I was just being paranoid, but there was something niggling at the back of my mind—something I couldn’t quite make sense of.

“Answer me, Hazel.” His voice was light and airy, brimming with desire. The hand on my hip drifted lower, his fingers toying with the waistband of my leggings. My thighs tightened with anticipation.

“I …” I trailed off, a stitch forming between my brows. “Why?”

He pushed his fingers downward, coming into contact with my panties. The heat from his hand seared through my skin, causing me to shudder in response.

“Just curious. You were close and then … you weren’t.”

The question sounded innocent enough. What could telling him really do? If he was such a horrible person, Dominic wouldn’t be friends with him, right?

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I nodded. “Once. Before he left. ”

Mason rolled his lower lip between his teeth, his jaw feathering with … annoyance? That couldn’t be right. “I’m going to make you feel really good now, okay?” he whispered.