My brothers best friend

Chapter 35: A Dark Truth Revealed

Chapter 35

Mason's Point of View

The sunlight streaming through the blinds did little to ease the pounding in my head. Saturdays were usually my chance to sleep in, but my brain wasn't cooperating. Thoughts of last night swirled around, though it wasn't like anything noteworthy had happened—for me, at least.

I rubbed my eyes and stretched, still groggy when I heard a knock at my door. Before I could respond, it opened a crack, and Paige peeked in.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she said, stepping inside. Her smile was radiant as always, and it instantly made my day a little brighter.

"Hey," I said, sitting up and running a hand through my messy hair. "What's up? You're here early."

Paige walked over and perched on the edge of the bed, her hair falling in soft waves over her shoulder. She leaned in, giving me a quick kiss, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Missed you," she said simply, as if that explained everything.

"Missed you too." I pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. Her laugh was like music, light and carefree. Moments like this made everything else fade away—the tension with Jake, the mess with Valerie. None of it mattered when Paige was around.

We talked for a few minutes, mostly about nothing important. Paige told me about the coffee shop she'd visited that morning, and I teased her about her obsession with overpriced lattes. She retaliated by flicking my forehead, and we both dissolved into laughter.

Then her tone shifted.

"Mason, there's something I need to tell you," she said, her voice quieter now.

I tilted my head, noticing the way her hands fidgeted in her lap. "What's going on?"

"It's about last night," she started, biting her lip. "At the party."

I frowned. I hadn't gone—I'd needed some space to clear my head after the fight with Jake. "What happened?"

Paige hesitated, and for a moment, I thought she might not tell me. But then she took a deep breath and said, "It's Valerie."

"Valerie?" I straightened up, all the sleepiness gone. "What about her? Is she okay?"

"She's fine now," Paige assured me quickly, reaching for my hand. "But something... bad happened last night. This guy—Aaron, I think his name was—he showed up at the party. He... he tried to hurt her, Mason."

My stomach twisted at her words. "Hurt her? How? What are you talking about?"

"He cornered her," Paige explained, her voice shaky now. "In one of the upstairs rooms. Jake found her before anything worse could happen, but..." She trailed off, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Mason, it was bad."

For a second, I couldn't process what she was saying. Aaron? I didn't even know who that was, but the thought of someone hurting Valerie—it made my blood boil.

"Where is she now?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

"She's in her dorm," Paige said softly. "Jake and Viktoria stayed with her overnight to make sure she was okay."

I was already moving, grabbing a hoodie and slipping on my shoes. Paige watched me with wide eyes.

"Mason, what are you doing?"

"I need to see her," I said, already halfway out the door.

Valerie's dorm wasn't far, but the walk felt like it took forever. My mind raced with questions. Who was Aaron? What had happened between him and Valerie? And why hadn't I been there when she needed me?