Playing His Own Games | ✔︎

chapter twenty-two | a devil in disguise

WARNING: This chapter contains mentions of self-harm

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"The ones who notice the storms in your eyes, the silence in your voice and the heaviness in your heart are the ones you need to let in."
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Mason

RAKING MY FINGERS THROUGH my sweaty hair, I toss my gym bag onto the floor and kick it underneath my bed. Slipping my hand into my pocket, I remove my phone and exhale sharply.

My phone has been vibrating and lighting up with messages and missed calls from Mel nonstop since I bailed out on our date for hockey practice this afternoon. I know it was a dick move but the note from Carrie scared me shitless and I needed to clear my head.

The moment Carrie surfaces within my mind I'm racing across the first landing and banging on Jared's locked bedroom door.

"Jared, open up!" I shout over the music blasting from inside. I can fully appreciate why death metal includes death in it. It is so loud it's sending vibrations through the house and I feel like any elderly person within a ten mile radius would not stand a chance against the incomprehensible screaming and violent volume. "I need to talk to you!"

It takes about five more minutes of yelling and banging for him to finally throw open the door.

He crosses his arms over his chest, face puffy and nose dripping. "What?" he snaps, appearing pissed that I interrupted.

I offer him a small smile. "You know, I would hug you if you didn't look like you've caught the Bubonic Plague."

Jared rolls his eyes, clearly not appreciating my sense of humour. Dark circles ring his swollen, red eyes and he looks exhausted. "What the hell do you want, Mason?"

I lower my gaze down to the space between us. "Did Carrie, like, come and visit today? While I was at school or at the rink?"

A scowl forms on his forehead, while he looks somewhat south of my eyes. "What? Why would she?"

I scratch the inside of my wrist. "She sent me this note about how she was going to find out the truth. Freaked me out, to be honest."

Jared shakes his head and grips the side of his bedroom door so tightly his knuckles are turning white. "Nope, she didn't come around."

"Shit," I mutter, scuffing my shoe against the floor as anxiety grows within me.

"Why don't you just talk to her?" my stepbrother says in an almost accusing tone.

I close my eyes and press my fingers against my temples. "Because I fucked up and asked another girl out to push her away."

Jared sniffs and pushes the door a few inches closer to being shut. "You like her?"

My eyes snap open and venom and defensiveness is laced in my tone as I answer. "I—no! No way! Carrie is crazy and I...I don't know."

Jared rolls his eyes. "Uh-huh. Look, Mase, I have some stuff to get done. So I wish you luck on sorting out your girl issues or whatever and—"

The front door slamming shut cuts him off mid-sentence and is immediately followed by my dads booming voice rattling the household walls, "Mason Foster, get your fucking arse down here!"