Free From Deities by Mary Ting Page A

reminding me of the ocean, gazed deeply into mine. “If I were your boyfriend, I would never let you out of my sight.”
    That was totally a pick up line. A dangerous wave of some kind of unexplained energy jolted through me. I recalled feeling the same way at the bar, when he tried to pick me up. Now, for some reason, I shuddered from this feeling. He hadn’t done anything to make me feel this way, so where did this energy come from?
    “I need to make a phone call. If you’ll excuse me,” I mumbled, frantically looking inside my purse again. Hoping he would get the clue, I turned away from him. Where was my phone!
    “Sky.”
    I heard my name and froze.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    I slowly twisted my neck to the door. “Mason?” I murmured under my breath. My eyes shifted to Ian then to Mason, hoping he wouldn’t think that something was going on between us, especially when Mason had seen Ian at the bar. Maybe he wouldn’t remember him? It was dark after all. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait too long. With his head down, Ian walked right out the door without a word.
    “It’s not what you think,” I said quickly. “He’s here for the party. He came up to see me. He’s in my statistics class.”
    “Uh huh…I’m sure he was.” Mason furrowed his brows. “I’m not mad.” In one fluid motion, he stood in front of me, wrapping one hand around my waist and the other lacing through my hair. “Maybe just a little jealous, but I’m confident enough to know I make you blush…make you dream about me and think of me…make you feel things when I’m not around.” The mini electric jolts he was eliciting were making me tingle in all the right places, blissfully warming me up.
    I was just about to say he was egotistical and arrogant, but I lost my train of thought due to his proximity and what he was doing. “You’re bad, Mason,” I said weakly, plopping on the bed to gather myself when he released me.
    Mason hovered over me with his elbows steadying him. After brushing strands of my hair away from my face, he caressed my cheeks. “I promise you, when I know it’s time, when we’re both ready, I’ll be the naughtiest boyfriend in existence. You are beautiful, intelligent, kind, and irresistible. I know guys will chase you and ask you out. And yes, there will be times when I get jealous, but I didn’t come here to check up on you. You left your phone at Subway.”
    “I’m so sorry, Mason.” I covered my eyes and guilt poured through the sound of my tone. It was no wonder I couldn’t find it in my purse. “I was looking for it. I guess I left it there after I texted Kayla back. You were worried and came right over. I feel so bad and irresponsible.”
    Gently removing my hand from my face, Mason pulled me to his side. “It’s okay, Sky. I’m just glad you’re alright. But please make sure you have it with you at all times.”
    “Okay,” I sighed.
    “It’s loud here. Do you want to go back to my house?”
    “No, it’ll be over soon. Besides, I have an early class tomorrow.”
    “Statistics?”
    “Yes. You remembered.”
    “I remember everything about you, Echo.”
    His words blissfully tugged at my heart.
    “Don’t let any guys sit next to you in class.”
    I didn’t know if he was being serious, but I brushed it off when he flashed an irresistible grin. “Possessive, aren’t we?”
    “I can be,” he chuckled lightly. “Just be careful. Guys can be tricky, conniving, with one thing on their mind. Remember, I am one of this notorious species. And I’m the only one who gets to stare at you.”
    I smiled while tracing my hand down his arm. “Don’t worry.”
    “By the way, we’re meeting up with your dad this Saturday. I think it’ll be good for us to meet the others so we’ll know who we can trust.”
    “Okay.” I let out a heavy sigh. It had been the first day I hadn’t thought about my dad. Sometimes it didn’t seem real that he was back in my life, not to mention what he was.