It Had to be Mason: A Sweet YA Romance (Beachbreak High Book 1)

by Emily Lowry

  Zoe

  Being grounded sucked for three reasons.

  Reason number one: Kevin texted me to set up a time to go to Snack N’ Smash, and I had to tell him I couldn’t for the foreseeable future. I told him repeatedly that I wasn’t trying to push him away, but, naturally, his texts were sent further and further apart. Not that they were ever super interesting. Still, a date was a date, and all things being equal, I actually wanted to, you know, go on it.

  Reason number two: Tyler and I weren’t allowed to do anything after school aside from dance for me and football for him. Everything else was explicitly forbidden. This meant no shopping on High Street with Nina and no strolls along the beach with Callie.

  Reason number three: It was impossible to find time to teach Mason how to dance. Which meant that since the night of the party, I had literally no time alone with him, and he still hadn’t learned all the dances Meredith wanted him to know. It was October now, and Homecoming was only a couple of weeks away.

  On a bleary, overcast Friday where the ocean was the same grey as the sky, Mason and I finally got an opportunity. Life Skills was cancelled because Mrs. Cortez was out sick. They couldn’t find a substitute teacher, so every student got a free period. As luck would have it, one of the dance studios was empty.

  Mason wandered through the empty studio. He paused in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, which looked out over the beach, and adjusted his tie. On game days, every player on the football team had to wear their game jersey over a collared shirt and tie. Mason said it was ridiculously uncomfortable, but I thought he looked extra cute in a nerdy, white-collar professional sort of way. Like a hot accountant. If those existed.

  “This might be our last practice before Homecoming,” I said, plugging my phone into the stereo. “And you only have one dance left to learn: salsa.”

  “If dancing salsa has anything in common with eating it, I should be a natural.”

  I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Ugh, dad joke alert.”

  Mason grinned. “More like hilarious joke alert.”

  “Whatever you say, Space Face,” I said. “Stand beside me and watch my footwork.”

  He did.

  “It’s an eight count. Step forward, like this, then bring your feet together for a beat, then step back — kind of like a rock step — then back together again. If you can add a bit of wiggle with your hips, you’re golden.” I repeated the steps, this time exaggerating the wiggle in my hips.

  He laughed. “All right. I’ll shake my booty.”

  “That’s not what I—”

  Too late. Mason did the steps. As he did, he shook his butt in the most exaggerated fashion I’d ever seen. A professional dancer in a music video probably couldn’t have matched his moves.

  I looked away and shook my head, covering my grin with my hand. Despite his efforts to be ridiculous, it was clear how much better he’d gotten. And how used to spending time with him I’d gotten. Whenever we were alone together, time seemed to pass both exceptionally fast and not at all.

  “Great booty shake,” I said. “But your footwork is off. When you make your steps, you want to transition your weight. Right now, you’re just tapping your feet.”

  “Tapping my feet with style,” Mason corrected, adding a booty shake for emphasis.

  “Yes, I suppose some would consider that style.”

  He pushed me playfully. “Okay, what next.”

  “Now we do it together.” I skipped to the stereo and turned on the salsa playlist. “Ready?”

  Mason bowed and extended his hand.

  I took it.

  He pulled me into him, so close I could smell the citrus in his aftershave.

  The heady scent overwhelmed me for a moment. I briefly thought of biting his jawline, then immediately shoved that thought away. I didn’t know a lot about boys but I strongly suspected that they didn’t want random girls to bite their faces. I cleared my throat. “On three. Annnnnd three.”

  We danced together, and once again, time disappeared. Not only did Mason keep up with the rhythm, but he didn’t step on my toes, either. Once I was satisfied with his footwork — which didn’t take long — I taught him a few more moves. Before I knew it, we were spinning, sweating, laughing, and wiggling our hips in perfect rhythm.

  Time didn’t start again until I heard a knock at the door.

  Irrational anger boiled in my stomach. Who would interrupt us? The dance studio was free until next period, and we still had fifteen minutes left. I was about to open the door— or to yell at the person to go away, I hadn’t decided yet — when the door opened.

  Meredith slipped inside, closing the door lightly behind her. She was wearing tight jeans that showed off her perfect figure, and a loose white tunic top. Her blonde hair was pulled in a side ponytail. If there was ever a natural beauty on this earth, it was Meredith. She eyed Mason and batted her eyelashes.

  The boiling anger in my stomach was now steaming out my ears. I swallowed it down and tried to look as pleasant as possible. Meanwhile, Meredith the Interrupter was giving Mason her best doe-eyed look and smiling at him like they were already a thing. They weren’t.

  I was sure they weren’t. I’d asked Ty.

  Meredith closed her eyes and stepped to the music. On anyone else, the move would’ve looked ridiculously over the top. But for Meredith? It worked as though she was some kind of super sensual angel who’d descended from the heavens just to grace us with her presence.

  She opened her eyes, a surprised expression on her face. Like she’d just lost herself in the music by accident. Like it wasn’t a calculated move to make Mason look at her. “Would you mind if I cut in, Zoe? I hear you’ve been training my date for Homecoming, and I’d like to see if he’s ready.”

  Her date? Ugh. I gritted my teeth. This was what I had agreed to. I plastered on a pleasant smile while grinding my molars into dust. “Absolutely, I don’t mind at all.”

  Mason shot me a sideways glance. I stared back, trying to keep my face arranged in a grin. Then, he took Meredith’s hand, and they danced around the room.

  Stupid smile still plastered on my face, I stared at them. I hoped it would be awkward. I hoped he’d step on her toes, or that she’d fall and twist her ankle. Nothing serious — just enough to make her not want to go to Homecoming with him. Or maybe there could be an earthquake, a slight tremor that would knock them both off balance. As long as they didn’t fall on top of each other.

  But their dance was not awkward. It was smooth as cream. Meredith moved like a woman. So unlike me. Whenever I danced, I still felt like a kid trying to be an adult. But Meredith? She was an adult. She was mesmerizing. She probably smelled good, too, and I hated her for it. She danced so close to Mason that if they turned their heads, their lips would probably touch.

  I wanted to rip out my hair and run screaming from the room. I was just about to head for the door when Meredith broke away.

  I took a deep breath.

  Meredith curled her finger under his tie, then straightened it out, smoothed his collar, and patted his shoulders. “Looks like I’ll see you at Homecoming.”

  I thought I heard one of my teeth actually crack.

  Meredith smiled at me. “And you! You must be an absolutely wonderful teacher. Look how good he’s doing now. Thank you so much for teaching my date how to dance, but I can take him off your hands from here. I’ll be sure to put in a word with Coach, though, you have all the makings of a future dance captain.”

  “Thanks,” I said glumly.

  Meredith waved, blew Mason a kiss, then pranced away, a deer through a meadow.

  I didn’t watch her leave, I only watched Mason’s eyes follow her. His expression was impossible to read, but I was there for their dance. It didn’t take a genius to see that guys like Mason went for girls like Meredith. They didn’t go for girls like me.

  Ugh. I had a feeling that dance was going to haunt me.

  37

  Zoe

  And the da
nce did haunt me. In my nightmares.I dreamed they were dancing through all the amazing places Mason and I had danced. He and Meredith danced at the floating Night Market, in the dance studio, and on High Street. Worst of all, they danced at our Secret Cove. In this last part of the dream, I was trapped inside my floating unicorn, sitting on the hammock, and staring at them as they kissed on the beach.

  I woke up angry at real Mason because of dream Mason’s betrayal. I knew it was irrational, but I still had a sinking feeling in my gut. If Mason and Meredith got together, like officially together, would he take her to Secret Cove? Probably. It was a great place for a date.

  But, ugh. It hurt. It felt inappropriate, a violation of a sacred space. And how stupid was it that I was annoyed at him for something that hadn’t even happened yet — and might never happen?

  For the better part of Saturday, I pushed those thoughts from my mind as I focused on my Physics homework. Mom and Ty bustled around the house, preparing for an overnight trip to UC Berkeley, which was Tyler’s top pick. Just before they stepped out the door, Mom turned to me and rattled off a list of rules.

  “No parties,” Mom said.

  I already knew that one. I smiled and nodded politely.

  “No one is allowed to step foot inside the house, and you’re not allowed to leave. You’re still grounded. And I’ll know if you leave.”

  Her threat was vague, but earlier in the afternoon she’d demanded that I turn over my phone. I did, mostly because I couldn’t risk extending my grounding if I ever wanted to go on my date with Mason. Kevin. My date with Kevin. Why was I thinking about a date with Mason? The point was, her threat was vague, but I suspected she might’ve installed a tracking app on my phone. If I left the house, she’d know.

  “And you’ll answer my texts immediately,” Mom said.

  “Absolutely,” I said.

  She looked at me sternly. “All right. You can microwave a freezer meal.”

  Yum.

  “Is there anything else you need before your brother and I leave?”

  Yes, there was one thing I desperately wanted. I took a deep breath. “I know I’m grounded,” I said.

  Mom raised an eyebrow. “But?”

  “But the Homecoming dance is next Saturday.”

  Mom sighed. “I’m not happy about the party, but I would never keep you two away from the Homecoming Dance. You’ll just be under a strict curfew.”

  That solved problem one. Time for problem two. I smiled. “Thank you. Also…”

  “Also what?” Mom’s tone carried a warning.

  “Also, I was asked on a date. And I’d like to be allowed to go on it before he loses interest. And there’d be a curfew and everything,” I said.

  Tyler, who was standing by the door, snickered. “Bold move, dude.”

  I glared. I hated when he called me dude. But that was Ty. He called everyone dude. Even teachers.

  Mom jangled her car keys and considered my ask. “Behave tonight. You don’t leave the property, you don’t throw any parties. You be good, and I’ll let you go on your date.”

  My spirits lifted. “Deal.”

  Mom and Ty left, and I prepared myself for an evening by myself. I munched on popcorn as I went through next week’s Physics assignments. I texted Nina, hoping to chat, but she didn’t reply. Maybe she actually had plans on a Saturday night. After watching a few episodes of some new sitcom on Netflix, I turned off the TV and prepared for bed, despite the fact that it was only 7:30pm. If I was asleep, then there was no chance I could get in trouble.

  I turned off my bedroom lights and snuggled beneath the duvet. My eyes slowly closed.

  Something tapped against my window.

  I rolled over, not bothering to look. The forecast had threatened rain for the past week. Maybe it was finally starting. I closed my eyes tighter.

  Tink.

  Tink.

  Thunk.

  That was like no rain storm I’d ever heard. I sat up and watched my window.

  Something bounced against the glass. Tink.

  Was someone throwing things?

  I creeped over to the window and peeked out.

  Mason stood in the middle of my backyard, holding a handful of pebbles. He wore blue jeans, a collared shirt, and a blazer with a single button done up. He looked amazing, like a male model. Like he had taken great care to get ready tonight.

  He looked like he was going on a date.

  My nightmare rushed back. He must’ve already asked out Meredith. Maybe they were going on a date tonight, a date before Homecoming. Maybe he was going to take her to Secret Cove. I gritted my teeth and slid my window open. “Can I help you?”

  “So formal,” he said. “Are you in your pajamas? It’s like seven.”

  “It’s eight.”

  “That’s basically seven.”

  It was not “basically” seven, and I was almost annoyed enough to correct him. I gestured to his fancy pants outfit. “Why are you wearing that?”

  “For our date.”

  I was so shocked I almost fell out the window. “Our date?”

  “Your practice date,” Mason said. “Ty said your mom might let you go out with Kevin next week. I figured you’d want some practice so you could figure things out first.”

  It was a sweet gesture, but the sweetness only made it hurt more when I had to turn him down. “I can’t,” I said. “If I leave the house, Mom’ll kill me. And then Kevin will be going on a date with a ghost.”

  Mason didn’t just roll his eyes, he practically rolled his entire head. “Just trust me. Fifteen minutes, then I’m ringing your doorbell to pick you up for our date.”

  Before I could respond, he jogged off.

  I watched him go, then closed my window. Trust him? Fifteen minutes? What was that all about? Didn’t he understand that no matter how badly I wanted to go somewhere with him, I couldn’t? At least not if I wanted to live long enough to graduate.

  I closed the curtains and considered his words.

  Just trust me.

  I did trust him. He’d been so nice, so helpful. Didn’t I owe it to him to trust him one more time?

  Okay.

  I could trust him one more time.

  It was time to get ready, and I only had thirteen minutes left.

  38

  Mason

  Fifteen minutes after tossing pebbles at Zoe’s window, I stood on her front step, nervously shifting my weight from foot to foot. Mentally, I reviewed the dance steps she’d taught me. I wasn’t taking her dancing, not tonight, but whenever I was nervous, I focused on the steps. I liked to think of it as extra practice.

  Speaking of practice, I knew she’d feel better if she had a practice date under her belt. And what better way to start off a practice date than with a rose? It was the classic first date flower. But, as they say, presentation is everything. So just before I rang the doorbell, I put the rose stem between my teeth and exaggerated my cheesiest smile.

  Footsteps came to the door.

  My heart thudded in my chest.

  The door opened.

  And there was Zoe.

  Her dark hair was pulled back off her face, making her green eyes look bigger and sparklier than ever. She wore a black silk dress that stunningly contrasted with her pale, creamy skin. She looked delicate, beautiful. Perfect.

  My jaw dropped and the rose fell from my mouth. I yipped, juggled it, and caught the stem, pricking my middle finger on one thorn. I tried to turn my rose drop into something that looked intentionally cool, but I was pretty sure I failed.

  Zoe laughed and plucked the rose from my hand. “How ‘bout I take that before you throw it on the ground?”

  I looked her in the eyes. “I always thought calling someone jaw-droppingly beautiful was just an expression, something that didn’t actually happen. Then you opened the door.”

  Her cheeks went pink, and she smiled. “Thanks.”

  As quickly as her smile came, it faltered.

  My heart faltered w
ith it. “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t go on the date,” she said. “I don’t know if Ty told you, but I can’t leave the property.”

  Now it was my turn to smile. “And that’s the first lesson you need to learn on your practice date. If a guy is worth your time, he’ll have a backup plan. Just follow me.”

  I offered her my hand.

  39

  Zoe

  My heart was in my throat. If I took Mason’s hand, I would follow him anywhere. To High Street, to our Secret Cove. It didn’t matter what the consequence was — I’d go with him. I needed to stay strong now, before it was too late. “I can’t. I want to, but I can’t.”

  Mason smiled warmly. “I’d never do anything to hurt you, Zoe.”

  I took his hand.

  Mason didn’t lead me towards the street. Instead, he led me around my house into my backyard. Soft music was coming from somewhere. I couldn’t pick out the song. It was like something out of a restaurant.

  Mason squeezed my hand and motioned to the treehouse. There was a soft glow emanating from the doorway. “Welcome to the Treehouse Café,” Mason said. “It’s the most exclusive restaurant in Beachbreak. It’s so exclusive, there’s only one table. Fortunately, I know the owner, so I was able to squeeze us in. Ladies first.”

  I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t actually be happening to me right now. Rung by rung, I climbed the ladder to the treehouse. I was secretly paranoid that I would slip off. That would be just like me — a boy plans something super nice, and I ruin it by plummeting off a tree and breaking my arm.

  A red tablecloth was draped over the small table in the center of the treehouse. Flickering wax candles gave off a soft glow and made the treehouse warm as a blanket fresh out of the dryer.

  It was difficult to breathe. I couldn’t believe Mason had done this. How did he pull this off? I was at home all day. How was he able to sneak through the yard and into the treehouse to set everything up?