If You Could Only See

Chapter 17

Shane~

If a paparazzo jumped out of the bushes to snap my picture, it wouldn't surprise me. Apparently, being Mason Buchanan's girlfriend came with superstar status.

Mason had spent the rest of Saturday texting me, and Sunday had been pretty much the same, except for a brief phone call in the evening. Everyone had been too busy trying to get all their last-minute things together for the start of school that I hadn't seen any Buchanans for the rest of the weekend.

However, that had all changed this morning when Mason had pulled up to my apartment to drive me to class. He knew-and I hadn't asked how-my school and work schedules, so he knew how limited my free time was, and his solution was to be my chauffeur. Since I still didn't have a car, I couldn't argue much, and if that was the only way that I could see him, then that worked for me because I really, really wanted to see him.

When my mind wasn't on work or school, I was thinking about Friday night. I'd never expected to lose my virginity to Mason, but now that I'd had and knew what he was capable of doing to my body...well, let's just say, it was everything that I could do not to jump him when he had knocked on my door this morning, and that was bad.

Very bad.

I was so close to getting my degree that I couldn't afford to let Mason Buchanan's body and magnificent penis deter me in any way. Also, it would seem that it wasn't just Mason that I had to compartmentalize. After that bizarre group phone call where I had assured them that I was fine, Mason's brothers had randomly texted me throughout the weekend as well. It was almost like...we were all friends.

Weird.

Now I had people eyeing me like a science experiment gone wrong. Mason was walking me to my first class of the day, and he was holding my hand for God and all to see. That one little boyfriend/girlfriend act was garnering looks left and right. It was...crazy.

"Mason, everyone is staring," I said, stating the obvious as we got closer to my class.

He just snorted, completely unaffected. "Fuck 'em," he so eloquently instructed.

"Mason..." I chastised.

He stopped me, then pulled me into a small alcove entering the east building. He caged me in between his arms, peering down at me. "I will only say this once, so I need you to listen and absorb what I'm saying, okay?" I nodded. "Anyone who didn't speak to you before Friday night but tries to speak to you now is a user and an opportunist, Shane. Do not, and I repeat, do not befriend them."

"Oh, really?" My sarcasm unmistakable, like I didn't already know that.

He tried but failed to hide the smile that crept on the edges of his lips. "Don't be a smartass, baby."

My body instantly warmed at his endearment. "Mason, I'm not stupid. I know who my real friends are...well, friend, and it's always just been Viola. Besides, between work and school, I don't have time for new friends."

"Aiden, Michael, and Gabriel."

"Huh?"

He leaned down, then kissed the tip of my nose. "Your friends are now made up of Viola, Aiden, Michael, and Gabriel, baby." Before I could reply to that, he pulled on my hand. "Come on, let's get you to class."

Mason walked me to the door of my first econ class of the day, then kissed my temple before ushering me into the classroom. I was very aware that every eye was on me as I made my way to a vacant seat, and it was the most uncomfortable that I'd ever been, and that was saying something, considering how many foster homes that I'd been shuffled through.