Broken

Chapter 2: The Water Tower

LILY

“I live two streets over.” He half-smiles as I open the door wider for him to come inside.

“Sooo…” I draw out as we sit next to each other at the counter, the pepperoni pizza between us.

“You feeling any better?” he asks, grabbing a slice.

“Yeah,” I answer honestly. Crying and sleep seemed to help.

“I’m more angry than sad now,” I add, taking a bite of my slice.

“You seemed pretty mad before.” He smiles down at me.

He has a nice smile, but it doesn’t reach his beautiful eyes.

“You seemed…sad,” I say.

“Is there something you want to talk about?”

“I’d rather just be distracted.” He sighs. He looks tired, and not just because it’s after midnight.

“Do you want to go swimming?” I ask, standing up as I finish my slice of pizza.

“I have a pool.”

“I didn’t bring swim trunks. Though you already know that’s not a problem for me,” he says with a grin.

“No, I guess it’s not…” I say, biting my lip nervously.

“So how about it, Princess?”

“Um… I’ve never been skinny-dipping,” I blurt, biting my lip nervously.

“You haven’t?” He gapes at me.

“All my friends have, but Olly always said it would make me seem like a slut,” I mumble, feeling myself blush.

“He’s an idiot.” Mason snorts, rolling his eyes.

“Come on then, princess.” He smiles, standing up.

“A-are you serious?” I ask, looking at him with wide eyes.

“I promise I won’t look.” He chuckles.

“Let’s live a little.”

Once we’re outside standing at the edge of the pool, my nerves nearly get the better of me.

“You really won’t look?”

“I made a promise, didn’t I?”

“You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?” I add, turning my head to look at him.

“What, say I went skinny-dipping with someone from Ridgewood? That’d be social suicide, and I actually want to enjoy my senior year.”

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as I reach for the zipper on the back of my dress.

I struggle to reach it and huff. I’m about to just pull it over my head, but instead I feel Mason’s fingers brush my bare skin softly, then he slowly unzips my dress.

I let it drop to the ground and pool at my feet. Mason’s hands touch the middle of my back, giving me goosebumps, then I realize he’s undoing my barely-there strapless bra.

Once my bra has joined my dress, I take another deep breath and slide my panties off.

I look to my left to be greeted by Mason’s bare, chiseled chest. And those abs… What kind of killer workout routine does he have?

He must feel my eyes on him, because he chuckles.

“You’re looking.”

My eyes shoot back up to his face as my own turns red as a tomato.

“I never promised not to.”

“Touché.” True to his word, his eyes are focused on the pool in front of us, but his smile finally looks real.

“Ready, princess?” he asks.

“Ready,” I say and grab his hand.

“Three, two, one,” he counts down quietly before we jump into the cool water.

The moonlight reflects on the pool’s surface and the water is warm against my skin.

“So, how does it feel doing something that Kingsley never let you do?” Mason asks. He’s floating a few feet away, his curly hair clinging to his forehead.

“Good,” I say. Though that’s actually an understatement.

Being naked in a pool with a hot boy who I one hundred percent should not be talking to in the first place is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in months.

“What else wouldn’t Kingsley let you do?” he asks.

“It’s stupid, but I always wanted to climb the water tower,” I say with a small laugh.

“You’ve never climbed the water tower?” he asks, drifting closer to me.

“What was his excuse for that?”

“That it’s immature and pointless,” I say as I lean against the side of the pool.

“The more you talk about him, the dumber I think he is,” Mason says.

“And I already thought he was pretty dumb.”

He’s only a couple feet away from me now.

Did he just try to sneak a peek? I’m surprised to find I don’t mind.

“Guess he’s not holding me back anymore,” I say, feeling both happy and sad about that.

“I finally have my freedom, but the summer’s almost over.”

“We still have a month left of summer.”

“Think I can pack everything he wouldn’t let me do into one month?” I ask.

“Just how long is this list?” he says with a laugh.

He leans against the wall next to me.

His shoulder brushes mine, sending an electric shock through my body.

I can’t believe I didn’t even know him this morning and now his naked body is inches from mine.

Before I overthink it, I blurt out, “Want to help me?”

“Do the list?”

“Yeah? Be my list buddy.”

“I’ll be your list buddy, sure,” he says, nodding.

“We’ll do every single thing that the Neanderthal said no to before the end of the summer.”

I can’t help but smile at his determination.

But then a thought hits me, and my cheeks warm.

“Um, almost everything,” I correct.

“Why not everything?” Mason frowns.

“There are things on the list that we just wouldn’t be able to do,” I say vaguely, sinking into the water up to my eyes to hide my face.

Mason watches me for a moment before his lips curve into a mischievous smirk.

“You mean s*x things.”

“Shut up!” I groan, splashing water in his direction. He laughs, splashing me back.

“Anyway,” I mumble, my cheeks still burning.

“Is there anything you want to do?”

Mason hesitates, his green eyes flicking away for a moment before returning to mine.

“I’ve always wanted to jump off that waterfall just out of town.”

“Then add it to the list,” I say, relieved by the shift in conversation.

“I’ll jump with you.”

“Deal,” he says, giving me a penetrating look.

The only sound is the soft lapping of water against the pool’s edge.

Feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze, I sink into the water.

· · ·

Two days later, I’m getting ready to meet Mason for a run when I hear a banging on my front door.

I open it to be greeted by an angry-looking Harry and Ava.

My body is instantly overcome with anxiety.

Did they find out I hung out with Mason Cooper? They love me, but sleeping with the enemy is a capital offense at Ridgewood.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Ava demands. I’m frozen, but she continues, “I can’t believe you broke up with Olly.” She steps around me to get inside.

“Yeah, I broke up with Olly,” I say, relaxing my shoulders.

THAT secret I can deal with being out.

My house would be burning to the ground right this moment if they knew about Mason.

That’s how much Harry hates him.

Harry wraps his arms around me in one of his famous bear hugs.

“You okay, babe?” he asks, looking down at me.

“I’m fine. We just had a fight and broke up,” I lie.

I don’t want everyone knowing he cheated on me.

I’ll be the laughingstock of the school, and if I tell Ava everyone will know.

I love her, but she can’t keep a secret to save her life.

“What’d you fight about? He wouldn’t tell us.” She pouts.

“Leah’s taken his side,” she adds.

“It’s none of anyone’s business,” I snap.

“We fought. I broke up with him. End of story,” I state, breaking out of Harry’s hug and grabbing my keys and phone.

“I’m about to go for a run.”

“Lily, we care about you,” Ava says.

“I know. I just don’t want to talk about it.” I sigh, hoping they’ll drop it.

“Talking about it will help,” she says gently as she touches my shoulder.

“I’m here if you need me.”

“Want some company on your run?” Harry offers with a sad smile.

“No, thanks. I just need some alone time,” I lie.

Alone time with Mason…

“Okay, I’ll text you later,” he says softly. He seems to understand.

“And I’ll come around tonight,” Ava adds, not giving me an opening to say no.

I drive the short distance to the trail, get out, and start running.

Mason and I agreed to meet halfway down the trail, so people wouldn’t see us together from the road.

I round a corner and find him waiting where I first saw him, though this time he’s wearing clothes.

Barely. A tiny pair of shorts and no shirt.

Beads of sweat drip down his bare chest.

“Fancy meeting you here, princess,” he smirks. I catch him looking at my legs.

“Surprised you’re not skinny dipping,” I say.

“Surprised you’re not—you seemed to enjoy it the other night,” he says with that damn grin of his.

Just thinking about the other night makes me blush, so I turn away, start walking.

He falls in step with me.

“I was trying to be able to run this whole trail by the start of school,” I say, “but I don’t feel like that’s happening.”

“Another thing for the list!” he declares.

“We can get you there, we just need to come at six when it’s cooler.”

“Six a.m.? During summer vacation?” I snort.

“It’s not that bad.” He shrugs.

“Anyway, I was thinking we should climb the water tower tonight.”

“Yeah?” I ask, feeling a smile take over my face.

“Why not? But first… Race ya!” he calls out as he takes off running.

“Not fair!” I call back and break into a sprint.

I try my hardest to catch up with him, but he beats me to the parking lot by a good few yards.

“You cheated,” I pant, trying to catch my breath.

“You’re fast,” he says, his muscular chest heaving with deep breaths.

“I was going to go easy on you, but s**t, princess.” He shakes his head with a laugh.

· · ·

At nine that night, I’m looking out my living room window waiting for Mason to pull up. The second I see his headlights, I run outside and jump into the passenger seat.

“Someone’s excited,” he laughs as I put my seat belt on.

“I am.” I smile widely. It’s a short drive there, but the nerves build the whole way.

“Is this illegal?” I ask when Mason pulls up in the field surrounding the water tower.