The Price of Mason (Forbidden Men 10)

Before I could come up with a plan, however, Reese did the most insane thing ever. She reached out and set her hand on my forearm that I had resting on the table. Her fingers were soft and warm and felt really good, but holy shit! What was she doing?

I glanced at her face, only to see her scowling slightly at Monica.

Holy fuck. I think she was trying to protect me, like she thought the professor was being all censorious because of my reputation, and she was either trying to reassure me that not everyone thought I was a shit stain piece of trash, or she wanted to show Dr. Janison that I wasn’t. Either way, it was sweet. Totally misguided, but so damn sweet.

And it ruined everything. Monica zeroed in on Reese’s hand and immediately glanced between us, connecting dots I never wanted her to know even existed.

“I found a pair of knock-off Jimmy Choos similar to that style online one time,” Reese went on, patting my arm in reassurance. “In a silver pump, and I wanted them so bad. But even the replicas were more than I could afford.”

Monica smirked, her expression so superior and smug I wanted to shove her away from us for even polluting the same air as Reese. “I do have expensive taste,” she said, glancing knowingly at me.

Jesus. Could this moment get any worse?

Yes, apparently, it could.

“Is our meeting to discuss your class schedule still on for next Thursday, Mr. Lowe?” Monica glanced toward Reese as she asked, with a glint in her eyes that chilled my skin.

That’s when I knew. She’d figured out this was the girl whose name I had cried out the night before. And she would use it to extort me into doing whatever she wanted.

If anything bad happened to Reese because of this, it would be my fault.

She was innocent, completely unaware of the danger I’d gotten her into. She didn’t deserve to be put into this situation.

I had to fix it.

So, I muttered, “Of course,” as I sent Monica a hard stare, unable to believe she was threatening an innocent girl just to get her selfish needs met.

“Good,” she said, beginning to smile. She flickered another glance at Reese. I wanted to snarl at her for looking anywhere near my friend. “I look forward to seeing you then.”

With that, she turned away and strutted off, making me loathe her with almost as much intensity as I hated her friend, Patricia.

Confession #12: Reese could distract me from pretty much everything.

Reese immediately turned to me, clearly not an idiot. “You don’t have any classes with her, do you?”

I gnashed my teeth, thinking up every curse word known to man. “No,” I admitted.

She suddenly moved her hand off my arm. “Oh.”

I felt rejected, exposed, and ashamed all in the same breath.

But what did I really expect? It wasn’t as if I’d taken the morally upright path in life. And that scared off certain kinds of people. Reese’s kind of people. I should’ve known better.

Damn, I had known better. I just… I hadn’t been able to help myself. I’d had to talk to her today as much as I’d needed air in my lungs.

Snagging my bag, I started to stand, calling myself an idiot. “This was a mistake,” I bit out. “I never should’ve sat beside you.”

Now Monica knew who she was, and I’d put Reese in danger. Plus, I’d probably just killed her reputation, too.

As I stood, Reese muttered, “Well, thanks a lot.

I had a sucktacular time talking to you too.”

Dammit.

“I didn’t…” I’d hurt her feelings. I hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. Closing my eyes, I fisted my hands and sat back down next to her. “Reese, I didn’t mean it that way. I swear.”

“Then how exactly did you mean it?” she said. “Because it sounded pretty rude from every angle I heard it.”