Ask Me How i Know

Date Night

SHANA'S POV

The day before. (the night of Corey and Shana's date)

Corey: cant 2nite sry

Me: Y?

Corey: hw

Me: rly? Or party later?

Corey: rly

Me: ok

Corey: C u l8r

Me: Later

Seriously again? Two nights in a row? This is freaking pathetic. Maybe Mason is free.

Me: Are you busy?

Mason: Nah

Me: wanna study now?

Mason: Corey's date?

Me: He's doin hw

Mason: can u be here by 4?

Me: y 4?

Mason: Dad's press dinner. Don't wanna b there.

Me: so ur using me?

Mason: NO!

Mason: I need you to help me study while dad's here, and when he's not, and when I'm lonely 😉

Me: never say anything like that EVER AGAIN.

Mason: my bad. It was a joke. I know. You and Corey are #goals

Me: I'll be there in a few. I'm on my way.

I write a note for mom and dad, telling them that I'll be out until eleven again. I'll probably be home before they are, per the usual. I apply some mascara and lip gloss, grab my purse and keys and head out the door.

I make it to Mason's house within minutes. I jog around to his "house", and as soon as I go to knock, he swings the door open. "Shana!" he cheers "Welcome. Me cass uh ess sue cass uh." Causing me to laugh, He tries so hard. "Come in, Shana." He motions me to the couch. "What did you want to talk about?" He asks.

"Corey cancelled on me again." I say quietly.

"Yeah. So I heard." He sits next to me on the couch, looking at me.

"You know if I cancelled on him, he wouldn't like it very much. Last night, after I went home, he was there. He wanted to know where I had been." I choke out. "He, um, he doesn't want us talking anymore. I told him I was tutoring you. I have to lie, just to leave my house." I cry, finally letting the emotions out. Mason doesn't say anything, just wraps me in a hug.

"Did he" he pauses "did he hurt you?" Mason pulls away and looks me in the eye "I swear to God Shana, if he even touched you last night, I will kill him." Causing me to cry even more. "Shana. Look at me." He lifts my chin, so he can look at me "You mean so much to so many people in this world, and you can't keep going back to him. Do you understand me?"

"Mason, he-he." I pause and take a deep breath "He didn't hurt me last night." He just looks at me intently as if he wants me to continue. "But he did the last time that he wanted to find me but couldn't. It was that time that Corey and me went to the party at Rylie's house..."

Flashback Two Weeks Ago *Some Content May Be Triggering- Domestic Violence*

"Corey!" I try to yell above the music. The whole house is shaking with the power of the bass. Some kids are dancing to Like I Would by ZAYN. I swear, parties disgust me. I come for Corey, and he disappears within, like, ten minutes. Ugh! I open a door, hoping not to see what I've seen in the last five, and to my surprise, there's Corey, arguing with Mason. They both pause when they see me walk in the room. "What's going on?" I question.

"Nothing much." Corey speaks first, walking over to snake his arm around my waist. "I've been looking for you." He snarls in my ear. His breath reeking of liquor. I try not to gag, forcefully smiling.

"I've been looking for you too, babe." I say sweetly "I bet that I went through at least seven or eight rooms before this one. Rylie texted and told me you were up here somewhere."

"Right," begins Mason "Isn't Rylie the best? That's why I love her so much." He says sarcastically. Dang, trouble in paradise I guess, just like the rest of us.

"Come on Shana." Corey says gripping my arm so hard that my hand starts turning white. "We need to get home." He pulls me out of the house and onto the front lawn. "You're driving." He throws me the keys. The ride back to my place is so tense that I feel like I can't even move. "Inside now!" He barks. I shakily unlock my door and turn on the lights. Jumping when I hear the slam of the door.

"Where the hell were you?" he screams, pushing me into the wall "being a little whore again?!?" the sting of the slap resonating through my whole body "Who was it this time? Trevor? Austin? Well maybe it was Jax." He pushes me back and I lose my balance, hitting my head on the table. "Get up!" he yells jerking my arm. "Let me make sure you're not pregnant." He punches me in the stomach over and over, my vision is getting black, but he's still yelling me. "Shana! Shana!"

*****************************

"Shana!" Mason is shaking me. "It's okay. It's over. I've got you." He whispers. Pulling me into his arms, but I shake him off, already feeling disgusted with myself. "Shana, it's okay. You can hug people." But I can't I really, honestly, can't "Please tell me why I can't even touch you without you flinching, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I can't cheat on Corey like that." I tell him, shaking my head. Why can't he just see that it's wrong?

"You shouldn't worry about cheating on Corey." Mason utters disgustedly. "He should worry about cheating on you."

"What are you talking about Mason?" I ask feeling faint, so I sit on the couch.

"He's been cheating on you with Rylie for a long time now. That's where he was at the party."