Forest Lake

Chapter 31

Emma POV

I was way too hot.

I tried to wiggle my way out of bed, but it was impossible.

No matter how many times I told Mason that I was warm, he kept wrapping me up in blankets. I think there were three on top of me. Also, Mason was sleeping with his arms around me and his head on my shoulder.

I was going to get heat stroke.

I tried to move again, but Mason grunted and tightened his arms around me.

“Mason.” I called him quietly. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

He mumbled something I couldn’t hear and pressed me closer to him.

“Mason.” I repeated, shaking him as hard as I could, considering that I was trapped under the blankets.

He grunted and lifted his head, looking at me through half-closed eyelids.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” I said.

He nodded and moved his arms. I untangled myself from the blankets, and the cold air in the room made me shiver. I was hot and sweaty, and I needed a shower.

I checked the time and saw it was 6 am. I wasn’t going back to sleep, so I decided to take my sweet time in the shower. I needed it after the day I had yesterday. I never thought that I would tell Mason about mom. I thought that I would be able to keep it hidden from him.

Seeing how much it hurt him to hear what happened made me sorry that I said anything. I didn’t want him to worry. I didn’t want to hurt him.

On the other hand, it felt so good to finally tell someone. It felt so good to finally be hugged and comforted.

I wasn’t even aware of the time I spent in the shower until Mason started banging on the bathroom door.

“Emma!” he yelled, and I could hear panic in his voice.

I turned the shower off immediately and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around myself.

“What’s wrong?” I yelled back.

“Are you okay?!” Mason yelled.

I could hear Hazel talking, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

“I am fine.” I replied, pulling on my sweats. “Did something happen?”

“No!” Hazel yelled.

I put on a shirt and wrapped my wet hair in a towel. I unlocked the bathroom door and stepped outside.

Mason looked panicked and my heart skipped a beat.

“What happened?” I asked him as he hurried toward me.

He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me up and down, wide-eyed.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Are you hurt? Are you cold?”

“I am fine, Mason.” I said, wrapping my arms around him. “Nothing is wrong.”

This is what I was afraid of. I didn’t want him to worry like this. I didn’t want him to panic.

“Why were you in the shower for so long?” he asked, removing the towel that was wrapped around my head and using it to start drying my hair.

“I was relaxing.” I chuckled. “You know, having a spa moment.”

Mason sighed and shook his head. I smiled at him.

“Go dry your hair.” he said. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

“Was he always like this?” Hazel chuckled. “It’s weird seeing bad boy Mason worry about a girl’s wet hair.”