Kid In Love

Chapter 24

That morning, I got called down to the police station.
I drove over nervously, a thousand thoughts racing through my head. When I finally got there, Betty was chewing nervously on her nails. 

"Mason!" She practically shouted. She ran up to me and threw her arms around me. "I'm so glad that your ok!" 

Her relief was only for a brief moment. She stood back from me and looked at me sternly.

"I'm glad that you turned out alright, but I need you to come with me for some questioning." 

I nodded. I could barely even process what happened last night. I shot a man. But there was no way that I could tell her that. I didn't want to end up in the prison cell next to Shawn with a death penalty to add to my list of things to worry about. 

So I had to lie. 

"What happened last night?" She asked firmly. 

I sighed and bit my lip, trying to think of a lie. "I couldn't sleep last night. Or- any of these past few nights, really. I've been having nightmares about Shawn. So I went for a late night drive around town to clear my mind. While I was driving, a guy started following me and he shot out my tires so I crashed into a pole. He got into the car and tried to take me, he choked me, abused me..." I shuddered, still feeling the ghost of his fingers around my neck. "But I escaped just in time before the car burst into flames," I choked out. It wasn't very far from the truth at all. 

Betty nodded. "I'm so sorry about all your going through. But your explanation leaves one question. Why were your fingerprints on the trigger and handle of this gun??" 

Betty threw a bag on the metal table and it landed with a thud. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "He threatened me with that gun. He threw it out before he came into the car to get me, and I picked it up. I just- I didn't want anyone to hurt me again. But I thought better of the decision and just left it lying in the grass," I lied. Betty nodded. 

"OK well, I'll report this to the rest. But, Mendes has requested to see you again." She added, "Just remember, sweetheart, you don't have to go at all. You can deny him." 

I nodded. "Thanks, Betty. But I want to see him. I need to get over my fear, and the more I see him behind bars the quicker I might be able to accept that he can't hurt me anymore," I said softly. 

Betty smiled and patted my hand. "You're a strong girl, Mason. I'm proud of you."

I gave her a weak smile. I sure didn't feel strong. I followed her through the office and into the jail cells. When we walked in, Shawn was sound asleep. I looked at him, so vulnerable in his sleep. His brows were furrowed, and he made a small whimpering sound. His arms were curled around his second pillow. 

Me, I thought. I remembered every night that we slept when he would hold me against his chest. Something tugged at my chest. Pain. Longing. Guilt. 

I shook my head. I couldn't let myself think like that. He hurt me. He killed my brother.

 He had dark bags underneath his eyes. So he wasn't getting much sleep either. 

"Mendes!" Betty barked. 

Shawn was instantly alert and sitting up on his bed. He groaned. "What, Betty?" 

She narrowed her eyes. "I brought company." 

"Mason?!" He asked eagerly, his eyes lighting up. She nodded. "Make it quick. You have 15 minutes." 

15 minutes? Last time I only had ten. I shrugged. I walked into  the light so Shawn could see me, and he smiled crookedly. 

"Macy! I miss you so much. I miss sleeping next to you." 

"Don't call me that. I don't miss you. And you have no idea how creepy that sounds," I muttered. 

"Come on. You've missed sleeping next to me too," He said. 

"No. I've been getting great sleep on my own," I lied. I didn't want to admit how safe he made me feel every night with his strong arms wrapped around me. I never had nightmares when he was there, which was a little ironic. 

Shawn just raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look like it." 

"At least I'm not in jail." 

Shawn laughed and shook his head. "I won't be in here for much longer."  

I felt my heart pound in fear against my chest, but I forced myself to look indifferent. "I highly doubt that," was all I said.

"So I hear you killed Will."

"Who?" 

"Will. My number two. He was supposed to get you," 

"Oh. Him," I simply muttered, peeling at the paint on the wall.

Shawn smiled. "Oh yes. Just him. Like you kill everyday," 

"It's number two on my To Do list after buying milk." 

Shawn laughed. 

"He obviously wasn't a very good number two," I added. 

"Why do you say that?" Shawn asked.

"Well, because I killed him," I answered simply. Shawn laughed bitterly. 

"I can't wait until I have you in my arms again, bunny," Shawn whispered. I grimaced.

 "I don't know why you keep saying that if its not going to happen." 

Shawn stepped to the bars keeping us apart in a few long strides. We were almost touching noses. He could reach out and touch me. 

"Just admit it, Mason. You need me. You want me. You feel so alone in your world. Your mom is dead. Your dad is gone. Your brother was shot in the head. You don't have any friends. You have no one left. Your by yourself, and you want someone, anyone, to fill the hole. You want me to want you. You want me to escape just so I can wrap my arms around you and tell you I'm sorry. And you don't care how much it hurts. You just want someone to love you. You want someone to want you, because nobody else does anymore." He snarled.                                                                               I clenched my fists and blinked back tears. "Your wrong," I whispered weaker than i wanted to. I wanted to mean it, I wanted to deny it, but I knew that part of me knew what he said was true. "I don't need you. I don't need anybody to be happy." 

Shawn just laughed bitterly. "Keep telling yourself lies, baby. But its one of many things you and I have in common. We are the same, you and me."

"I am nothing like you," I snapped. 

Shawn shook his head. He reached out and I felt his soft fingers on my cheek. Part of me wanted to scream. Part of me wanted to grab him by the throat and bang his head against the jail bars. But the other part of me wanted to lay my head in his grip, look into his gorgeous brown eyes and tell him to come for me, to take me away.  

"That's one thing I've always loved about you Mason," Shawn whispered. "You never give up." 

But I did. I wanted to give up. I wanted to tell him to take me away and to tell me he loves me and to forgive me and take me into his arms and kiss me. 

But I couldn't do that. He killed my brother. He took me away from everything. I wouldn't let him take the only part of me that I had left. 

"Get your hands off of me," I snarled. I looked him in the eye and spat on his face. Shawn scowled angrily. 

Betty rushed in the door. 

"Time's Up!" She shouted and grabbed my arm. And she pulled me away. Away from Shawn. Away from everything.