Coldhearted (9781311888433)

by Matthews, Melanie

  He kissed her hair. “It’s okay,” he said softly. Edie was able to face him again. His warm, hazel eyes looked...relieved? “I’m...I’m actually glad,” he continued. “When, I mean, if, we were to share in the physical act of love, I’d feel better knowing, you know, that it was both our first times. I know that sounds stupid or—”

  Edie cut him off with a kiss. “No,” she assured. “That’s not stupid at all.” Even though she was glad that Mason was a virgin, she wondered why he and Rochelle hadn’t...so she asked, “Is that why Rochelle cheated on you with Quinn? Was it because you wouldn’t have sex with her?”

  Mason sighed and raked his fingers through his hair, nervous. “Well, we were close, very close, let me tell you, but it was always she who put a stop to it going any further. I just thought she wasn’t ready, you know, and I respected that. I had no idea she was sleeping with Quinn, and God knows who else. She was afraid I’d found out she wasn’t a virgin, considering she had been when we became an official couple. Aside from that, after we broke up, I actually blamed myself, like something was wrong with me, like I couldn’t excite a girl to do…other things.” He couldn’t contain his blush and gave her a lopsided smile. “I got over that real quick when just about every girl in Grimsby High started flirting with me.”

  “Well, cowboy, why didn’t you get back up on the saddle?”

  He chuckled. “Why didn’t I lasso another girl?” He shrugged, frowning. “I guess I wasn’t ready.” His frown turned up into a smile. “Not until I met you.”

  Edie smiled back. “What’s so special about me?”

  He kissed her cheek. “Oh, Edie, if I were to start now, we’d never see the movie.” He held out his hand. “Ready?”

  Edie took his hand and held on tight, afraid he’d be taken away from her.

  “Ready,” she assured.

  ****

  The movie theater was cold and dark, as Edie had been expecting, but still, she was nervous. Tristan never gave her a heads-up. He never said, “Oh, by the way, I’m about to go crazy, just so you know.” It could be something small like causing a light to flicker, or something really dangerous like causing someone to crash her car. Edie began to wonder about other poltergeists around the world, and if they, in fact, had been the cause of accidents. If perhaps a ghost had been responsible for killing her parents. She knew that it’d been the other guy; the man who’d died too; he’d been on his phone and hadn’t seen the other car…the car her parents had been in.

  You’ve heard about it happening to other people, but don’t think it’ll happen to you. And if you start to think nothing bad will happen to you, then everything horrible will come to you all at once—or someone horrible like Tristan Lockhart.

  Even though the knowledge of his existence explained a lot of the unexplained in her life, it was still bizarre to her that she had a ghost attachment. Before Lockhart Manor, she hadn’t believed in ghosts, thinking they were fairy tales like vampires and werewolves. Now she wondered if those creatures existed too.

  Edie shivered just thinking about it. The cold theater didn’t help. And Tristan’s constant, albeit, unseen presence, just added to the Arctic-like atmosphere.

  “Here,” Mason said, lifting up the armrest between them. “Come closer.”

  She did and was practically sitting in his lap. He didn’t seem to mind. They were occupying two seats at the back of the theater. It was a place lovers would sit, not intending to pay attention to the screen at all. Considering Mason had paid for the tickets, she wasn’t going to say, “I’d rather kiss than watch the movie,” but if he wanted to explore her mouth than the undoubtedly simplistic plot of Boy Meets Ghoul, then she wouldn’t deny him.

  The room got darker as the pre-movie trailers started. Edie shivered from the blast of cold air rushing past her face. She felt Mason shake beside her, cold too, and for him that seemed like a first.

  “I knew he wouldn’t let us enjoy this,” Mason muttered. “I know he’s saying something. What is it?” he asked in a louder, irritated voice.

  She shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied. “I just think it’s the air conditioning, even though I don’t know why they’d have it on, considering how cold it is outside. It’s like eating ice cream during a snowstorm. You Grimsby folk are weird,” she teased.

  She felt Mason’s body shake with laughter. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her closer. “I have to admit, I like when you get so cold.”

  “Oh? Why’s that?”

  “It gives me an excuse to touch you.”

  She looked up into his eyes, and saw his smile and dimples fade. His lips were expectant. His eyes were scanning her lips, targeting her mouth, waiting...

  “You don’t need an excuse to touch me,” she said softly, extending an invitation.

  His lips were almost on hers when a loud creak echoed throughout the room. He grumbled and turned his face away, staring. Edie followed his gaze to see that the door that led to the outside of the theater had been opened. Sunlight had entered, but now, it quickly vanished, as the door slammed shut. A group of giggling girls, almost falling over each other, found their way toward the back, where they saw Edie and Mason. They gasped in fear and stomped back down the steps, escaping to a row of seats near the screen and near the exit.

  “What was that about?” Edie asked Mason, after the girls had (somewhat) settled down.

  “Middle school girls, I’d suspect. They look eleven, twelve. This movie’s PG-thirteen. They’re sneaking in.”

  “It’s not really sneaking if the door’s unlocked,” Edie pointed out.

  She felt Mason’s shoulder shrug against hers. “It’s an honor system thing. They keep it unlocked and you’re supposed to pay for entrance.”

  “You think they’ll get caught?”

  “Doubtful,” Mason said, “as long as they keep quiet.”

  On cue, the girls erupted into giggles.

  “Mission impossible,” Edie quipped. “I hope I didn’t giggle like that when I was their age.”

  “I’m sure you were perfect,” Mason said.

  “I wore braces,” she informed him. “For three years. Girls made fun of me, called me ‘metal mouth’.”

  “What’d the boys do?”

  “They ignored me.”

  “Impossible,” Mason said in disbelief. He clasped her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. “I bet you were beating them off with a stick.”

  She laughed without humor. “Oh, yeah, I inflicted a lot of bruises and broken hearts,” she joked at the silly notion.

  He squeezed her hand. “If I’d gone to your school, I would’ve asked you out.”

  She gave him a light jab with her elbow against his side. “Liar, lair, pants on fire,” she chanted.

  “If my pants were on fire, I’d have ripped them off by now.” He grinned, exposing his dimples. “And it’s true. I would’ve asked you out, braces and all.” He kissed the top of her head. “Do you believe me?”

  Edie sighed, content. “Yes, I do.” She wrapped her arm around his chest and hooked one leg over his. “Do you mind?” She rested her head against his chest and his rapidly beating heart.

  “No,” he said in a husky voice. “I don’t mind at all.”

  ****

  It was two hours later and the movie was over, but Edie couldn’t tell you what’d happened. Occasionally, screams and the sounds of panting had traveled from the speakers to her ears, but she’d tried to block most of it out, in the moment with Mason, as he’d held her (and was still holding her) lovingly.

  She went to move when the credits started to roll, but Mason kept his hold on her, refusing to let her go, so she had to remain seated next to him.

  “Let the girls go first,” he suggested quietly.

  She nodded and relaxed against his chest, her leg still hooked over his. She closed her eyes, blissfully content, as she listened to the pop song playing while the credits rolled. She felt warm, drowsy. She was seconds away
from falling asleep until a door slammed shut, jolting her back to a conscious state.

  “Those girls don’t know how to”—Edie paused, yawning—“sneak in and out of someplace.”

  “Oh, you have experience, Miss St. John?”

  She turned to see Mason’s smile. “No,” she refuted, and then shrugged. “It just makes sense, right? Like in those cop shows when they arrive at a criminal’s hideout, hoping to sneak in but they slam their car doors shut and apparently, the criminal is totally surprised when the cops come busting through.” She shook her head. “It ruins the fantasy.”

  Mason gestured at the now blank screen. The lights in the theater were still dimmed. “So…I take it during the movie, it wasn’t the ghoul that was unbelievable. It was that scene with the cops.”

  “What scene with the cops?” she blurted out, and then grimaced. “I mean, oh, yeah…”

  “So…you weren’t paying attention?” he said, but didn’t sound upset. He was smiling, exposing his dimples.

  She gave a shrug. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “What distracted you?”

  Blushing, she was sure that he could see her rosy cheeks in the semi-dark.

  “It wasn’t a what,” she replied cryptically.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “It was difficult for me to pay attention too but I managed.”

  “Yeah, I know since you paid for the tickets and all, you felt obligated.” She felt bad that she hadn’t paid more attention.

  “No, it’s not that,” he refuted, and clasped her hand, massaging her skin with his thumb. “If I hadn’t focused on the movie…Edie, I’m a gentleman, but with you on me like you were—like you still are—well, let’s just say those girls in the front row would’ve witnessed an R-rated show. If you’d have consented, of course,” he added as an afterthought.

  She didn’t accuse him of advocating for public indecency, yet she felt compelled to unhook her leg from his and shifted away from him. “You would’ve tried with those girls nearby?” she asked, stunned.

  He’d been holding her hand (she’d been allowing him that), but now he let go and held up his own in a whoa-like motion. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, well, if we would’ve been quiet about it…I’m not a pervert. It’s just that…Edie…I want you so badly. And you have to understand it from my angle: you—so beautiful and sweet and sexy and enchanting—were literally on me. I don’t want to brag, but it took a lot of willpower to not take you.” He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair, nervous. “I’m not a rapist, Edie. I-I just want to be with you in that way. You understand, right? Don’t you feel the same way?”

  As an answer, she shifted her body and straddled his lap. A breath hitched in his throat, and when he pulled her to his chest, a gasp escaped hers.

  She raked her fingers through his soft, brown hair. “I won’t stop you,” she said, referencing the past when his ex, Rochelle, had stopped him. “I want you too.”

  Through all her layers of clothing, Mason’s deft fingers found the band of her jeans, tugged it away, and then slipped his hand down, down, down, fingers about to find its target. Suddenly, a blast of intense light shone down upon them, and he was forced to give up, jerking his hand back. The theater’s bulbs had been turned back on and someone was coming through the door.

  They scrambled apart. Edie nearly fell on the floor, but Mason held her against him. They managed to stand and look presentable when not one, but two people entered. Edie recognized them.

  “Hey” Jules greeted, waving at Edie.

  “Hey,” Edie greeted back, and approached.

  Mason stood beside Edie, holding her hand, as if he were claiming her. He had no reason to fear Jules. It was who she was with: Quinn McDermott.

  Quinn stood well above Jules and his broad shoulders made him look menacing, yet his face was soft, smiling at Edie.

  “So…are you two on a date?” Edie asked Jules, considering she and Quinn had arrived for the evening show.

  “No,” Jules and Quinn said in unison, loudly.

  “Just a friend thing,” Jules defended. “I’ve wanted to see this movie, to see how they handle ghosts, and then I’m going to post my criticisms on my blog.”

  “How do you know they’ll get it wrong?” Mason asked her, curious.

  Jules waved a hand. “They always do,” she said, and then looked at Edie. “Right, Edie?”

  Edie just nodded, not wanting to discuss Tristan around Mason.

  Quinn stepped forward, close to Edie. “Yeah, I heard about your ghost.”

  “He’s not my ghost,” Edie said through clenched teeth even though it was technically true.

  Quinn held up his hands. “Sorry, didn’t mean to suggest you’re in a love triangle or anything.” He shot a smirk at Mason. “So…enjoy the movie?”

  “It was okay,” Mason grunted, not really wanting to engage Quinn.

  “Did you like it?” Jules asked Edie.

  Edie bit her lip, and then said, “Uh, yeah, sure.”

  Quinn was grinning. He playfully jabbed Jules. “It seems Romeo and Juliet here weren’t exactly paying attention. They had other things on their minds.”

  Mason narrowed his eyes at Quinn. “You need to brush up on your Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy.”

  Quinn was taller than Mason, so he took full advantage of this by looming over him. “I know, Romeo,” he said with a challenging growl.

  Mason clenched his fist, ready to brawl with Quinn, but Edie intervened between them, placing a hand against each chest. “Stop it,” she ordered, and then she not-so-gently pushed Quinn. “Be nice.” She turned toward Mason. He was fuming mad, staring at Quinn. “Let’s go,” she said, and tugged on his hand. Surprisingly, he let her and they began to walk away toward the exit that led out into the internal part of the theater.

  “You’re still coming to the sanatorium this Saturday, right?” Jules called out.

  “No,” Mason barked over his shoulder. “She’s not.”

  Edie just gave Jules a goodbye wave, and then left with Mason, who was practically dragging her out into the hallway. He was silent, tugging her along, as if he were on a mission. When the corridor ended, he finally stopped, released her, and cursed.

  “Sorry,” he apologized immediately, raking his fingers through his hair. “I really, really want to hit something.”

  Edie pointed at the Halloween directions in the corner. One was a scarecrow dressed in a flannel shirt and overalls. “What about him?” she suggested.

  Mason sighed and collapsed on a nearby bench. “No,” he groaned, and then leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “I’ll get over it. Just let me sit here for a while.” He lowered his head and cracked his knuckles. He was silent for the longest time until he sat up, and said, “I hate that guy so much.” She took the seat next to him and he turned his head, staring into her eyes. “Stay away from him, please. Stay away from Jules. Stay away from that sanatorium and whatever else she wants to drag you to. Okay?”

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Okay,” she lied.

  She felt really, really awful about that, but she had no choice. She had to go. It was her life and she had to rip Tristan from it. He’d been a good ghost today but that didn’t alleviate her worries. He wasn’t one to give up. He had some sort of plan, some diabolical scheme, and that was why she had to defy Mason, and go to the sanatorium on Saturday. She had questions only ghosts would be able to answer. And Tristan was terrified of that. And that gave her hope.

  “Do you want to call it a night?” she asked Mason.

  He shook his head and clasped her hand. “I’m starving. You?”

  She nodded. “Jack’s? Milkshakes?”

  He smiled and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. “Ah, a woman after mine own heart.”

  She smiled back. “Now I know what to get you for your birthday: a bucket of ice cream and a gallon of milk.”

  He laughed, squeezing her hand affec
tionately. “I knew there was a reason I lov-liked you,” he quickly corrected. His smile vanished, nervous. “Uh, let’s get going, okay?”

  She nodded. Still holding her hand, he interlaced their fingers, and they left the theater. She wouldn’t interrogate him. She wouldn’t force him to repeat what he’d almost said. That was a heavy word to throw out, and they’d only known each other for a few days.

  But were his feelings for her true?

  Is Mason really in love with me?

  Chapter 18

  Jack’s was crowded but Rebecca got Edie and Mason a nice booth in the corner.

  They placed their orders, and then sat in silence, as if they’d been together for years, and had nothing else to talk about. Edie knew that Mason was still thinking about his almost confession back at the movie theater.

  She could say “I love you too,” and then everything would go back to normal, but she’d be lying. She didn’t love Mason Fenwick, although she cared for him very much. They’d only known each other a few days. Love was supposed to take time, right? It didn’t just happen. There was no such thing as love at first sight. Or perhaps when two people are brought together in a short while during extraordinary times, love happens. It was inevitable and foolish to deny it. Yet…she didn’t love him, and she didn’t know why.

  “So…what are your plans for this weekend?” she threw out, trying to engage.

  Mason had been looking down—melancholy, worried, perhaps—but now his head shot up, and he gave her a smile, glad to be talking again; he’d obviously been hoping that she would be the one to initiate a conversation.

  “Well, I was hoping we could hang out.” He furrowed his brow, unsure of her reaction. “If you want...”

  “Oh, yeah, sure,” she said, knowing full well that she was going to the sanatorium—against Mason’s wishes—on Saturday. “I’ll call you, if that’s all right?”

  Mason smiled, exposing his dimples. “Yeah, call anytime. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and come over. Or we could meet somewhere? It’s up to you.”