Mardi Gras

IX

Marissa

  I froze. Here I was having my first kiss, and I was frozen. I wasn't kissing Mason back, I was just.. standing there in shock. Everything felt unreal, Mason's lush lips against mine, his breath mixing with mine, everything. I was soon taken out of my trance once Mason enveloped me in his warm arms. 

  I wrapped my arms around Mason's neck and kissed him back. I don't know what it was that drew me to this beautiful, stubborn man. But something about Mason made me feel... alive. It was as if he had woken something inside of me that had been dormant, until he came along. I didn't know if what I was doing was right, but at this point I didn't care. I didn't care. 

  Mason moaned, the sound vibrating through my lips, making this moment that much more surreal. I felt his arms tighten around me, as if to bring out bodies so close that there was no space in-between us.  The kiss wasn't soft, and Mason didn't treat me like I was delicate. The kiss was hot and passionate. Mason's arms pushed me into his body, consuming me.

  That's when it hit me.

  I was kissing a criminal. Someone I'm supposed to put behind bars not kiss. I'm FBI, he's the leader of a gang. I can't do this. I'm not supposed to do this. I'm supposed to be tracking down a killer, not locking lips with a gangster.

  I immediately pulled away from Mason. He immediately frowned. I took his arms away from me and backed away from him.

  "I'm sorry, I can't. I can't." I ramble, continuing to back away from Mason. He's face showed confusion as he started to walk towards me.

  "Al-"

  "No! I can't, I just can't." I say. I turn around and head towards the door. I hear Mason call out my name but I ignore him. Just keep running, keep running and don't look back. I don't stop running until I'm out of the car and driving away on my motorcycle. I faintly see Mason standing outside, my name being called from his lips. But I don't turn back, I can't. If I turn back, then there will be no way I would be able to resist Mason. I have to resist him, or I could lose my job and everything I had worked so hard for. I wouldn't give up everything I have for some man I just met, no matter what.

  As I drove home all I could think about was the kiss. Oh God, my first kiss. Did Mason like it? I immediately felt embarrassed. What if he didn't like it? We're partners, not two stupid teenagers who could ignore each other after a bad kiss. We have to deal with each other almost every day, and tonight just complicated things by a million. There was no way I could ignore him. Even more so now, if Mason kept hounding me about what I was doing outside the club.  What if he finds out who I am? If he found out who I really was... it would be catastrophic. I would lose this case in the blink of an eye. Mason would furious. I wouldn't put it past him if he killed me. I endangered his life, his job, and his reputation. He's supposed to kill me. It was a part of his job, after all. Kill the enemy and move on with life. 

  I was pulled out of my thoughts as I pulled into my driveway. I quickly turn my bike off, and practically run into the house.

  As I go into, I see Snow jump off the couch, bombarding me with questions.

  "Oh my God, you're hurt! What happened? Did someone hurt you? What's wrong?"

  "Snow!" I snap. Snow immediately shuts up, closing her mouth. I see hurt on her face. I sigh.

  "I'm sorry, I've had a long night, I'll tell you about it tomorrow alright?" I say. Snow nods, her face lighting up slightly.  I give her a quick smile and head into my room, plopping down on my bed once I walk in. Of course, that's when one of my phones start to ring. I realize it's my private phone, and I immediately light up, expecting to be Hudson.

  "Hudson?"

  "No dear, it's me." my mother says. Dread immediately fills me. I absolutely dread talking with my mother. Her endless criticism and her rudeness makes me want smack my head against a wall. My mother is the most unbearable woman I've ever known.

  "Mom, why are you calling me?" I ask through my gritted teeth, trying to sound happy.

  "Well, I heard that Mary Lou put her daughter on a diet, and I thought I should check on you. Are you taking the pills I gave you? I know that they'll work this time Melissa, I just know it." my mother says, her voice filled with hope. My mother had always thought that I needed to lose weight. I know that I have a curvy figure, but curvy was my mother's definition of fat.

  "Thanks for checking up on me mom, but I actually threw out the pills, I don't need them." I say, trying to sound polite. She's probably just going to send me more. Good thing I' m not home.

  "Sweetheart, you know just as well as I do that you indeed need those pills. I know it seems hopeless, but if you just try them-"

  "No, I don't." I say, my voice taking a quiet tone. "I'm fine just the way I am. I work out mom, I'm not lazy. Just accept that I'm not like you or Diana." my sister, Diana, is the favorite. She has my mother's body, followed my mother's life plan for her, and she's won more pageants than she count. Which probably isn't very much.

  "But don't you want to be? Your sister is so happy, I think Fred is going to propose soon!" my mother's enthusiasm did affect me. My sister's boyfriend, Fred, is an A-grade asshole. I've only met the man once, and that was enough. The man was arrogant, rude, and a total sexist. Fred was perfect for my sister.

  "I don't need someone like Fred to make me happy mom. I'm already happy with everything I have, I don't need some rich prat to mess things up for me." I say, wincing. I already regret my choice of words. Here it comes.

  "Watch your language young lady. No daughter of mine is going to be some old maid for the rest of her life. First it was the pageants, now this. This phase of yours has been going on for too long, Melissa. When are going to accept that I'm right. You need to lose weight, get a man, and make me proud mother. Call me when some sense gets knocked into you." There goes my self-esteem. My mother hangs up, the line going dead. 

  Did she just disown me as a daughter? I felt pain in chest, but not the physical kind. I always knew that my mother was never happy with me, but I was her daughter. Her first born. Who are you kidding, you knew she would do this someday.

  My mother always tried to turn me into "the perfect daughter". Putting me into every single pageant she could find, and always putting me on diet pills. As I went into high school, my mother always asked me if I got a boyfriend. Never, did you pass your test,  or how was finals? It was always boys. Once I quit the pageants and told my mom about working for the FBI, she just saw it as a phase. As if I would just wake up once day and realize that getting a job was a horrible idea. That's what mom seems to think.

  I decide to go to bed, just wanting the day to end. I quickly change and turn off the lights. As I climb into bed, I feel my bones groaning from today's activities. Just wait, until tomorrow. Tomorrow can be as bad as it was today.

  Or can it?

You Fall in Love With the Most Unexpected Person

At the Most Unexpected Time.

     -Anonymous

Hello Everyone! I know it's been a while! I'm sorry for the short filler, but the next few chapters are going to be lengthy, I promise!

Did you like the chapter? Please let me know in the comments and give this chapter a vote! It always brings a smile on my face whenever I see you guys comment. The comments really do help improve the book and make me happy.

Until next time,

Les.