Chapter 52 Not in my best interest
NANCY'S POV
It didn't sound right that Mason was asking why.
I didn't even think that would be a question to come out of him because the reason was obvious.
He had a girlfriend, one who was just a couple of metres away from us and who was also very protective of what belonged to her.
Him trying to kiss me was wrong in so many ways I could point out, but I chose not to.
Also, another reason I pulled back at the last minute was that it had felt wrong to me.
It wasn't just my mind that rejected the contact; my body had too, which was funny, considering that it hadn't rejected Mr Landon, the very person I should have actually rejected.
Although it wasn't right either, having an out-of-sorts relationship with Mason was way better than with Mr Landon, but a pity that I'd fallen for the latter instead.
Why couldn't I just have had a crush on Mason Kravitz instead?
In time, I caught myself before my thoughts could run wild and took another step back, putting even more space between us.
Mason leaned back as well, no longer looking confused, but there was a strange look on his face that I almost mistook as hurt.
"You have a girlfriend," I reminded him, even though there was no need to.
He sighed, then lifted his gaze to me, "Right, Vanessa."
My brows scrunched up.
Mason had been giving me an odd vibe all night that only surfaced when Vanessa was mentioned or when she was near.
It somehow made me feel like there was a similarity between that and him being held at gunpoint.
Not like Vanessa was holding him at gunpoint, but the way he reacted whenever she was mentioned was incredibly odd.
"Yes, Vanessa," I nodded, studying his face carefully.
His lips tugged back into a wry smile, "It's not like that."
A slight frown crossed my face, "What does that mean?"
Right now, I didn't understand him, and I wanted to.
Mason sighed again, then ran a hand through his hair, "It's kind of complicated."
"People are the ones who make things complicated."
This wasn't exactly the time to be giving life advice, but I just had to.
I mean, judging from my own point of view, we humans were the ones who always complicated everything.
My relationship with Mr Landon would have been way different if complications hadn't existed.
Realizing that I was straying from the conversation, I returned my focus to Mason.
"You shouldn't be calling your girlfriend complicated."
"And you shouldn't assume you know everything."
Okay, that kind of stung.
Mason's look turned apologetic immediately, and he let out a short exhale, "I'm sorry, that came out wrong."
"Well, it's fair," I shrugged after a second of thought.
We went silent again, and then he asked, "You don't like Vanessa?"
"She doesn't like me," I corrected, gesturing with my fingers.
"Vanessa can sometimes be..." He angled his head then continued, "She can be difficult, but that's just how she is. She doesn't really mean anything."
"Good that you're making excuses for her, but I'm afraid that's not a good one," I responded, pressing my lips together.
He scratched his forehead briefly, "I guess it isn't."
I studied him for a while, then let out a breath of air, "You should probably go back to her."
His gaze snapped to me, "Why?"
"...Because she's your girlfriend?"
"And you're my guest," his response was quicker than I expected.
"That doesn't mean anything," I retorted, but his response was even quicker.
"It does to me."
The tone with which he said that made me pause, and for a second, I allowed my thoughts to run wild.
The possibilities it brought up instantly made me uncomfortable.
I didn't like where this was headed or where it could possibly lead to.
To avoid that, I swallowed thickly then muttered, "We should head back."
Mason held my gaze. His eyes flickered across my face, and it felt as though he would say something, but ultimately, all he did was nod, "Okay."
We headed back down following that, and the nearer we got, the louder the music and voices became until we stepped back into the buzz.
I felt someone's gaze on me the instant I walked back in, and I didn't even have to look to know who it was.
Vanessa.
In the same instant, the reason why she was glaring so hard at me clicked, and I realized I still had Mason's jacket hanging over my shoulder.
Immediately, I pulled it off, but that didn't make her gaze ease. Instead, it intensified.
"Oh my God," I muttered under my breath, knowing I wasn't about to like what I anticipated was going to happen next.
Right on cue, Vanessa began to walk towards us.
"Stay close," Mason said quietly and frankly; it sounded like a warning.
Rightfully so, because the instant Vanessa reached us, she called out sweetly, "Mason."
It may have been my illusion or maybe not, but Mason sighed under his breath then lifted his gaze, "Hey."
"Where did you disappear to?" Vanessa asked.
It sounded like she was trying to prevent her question from sounding like an interrogation, although that was the eventual outcome.
Mason smiled. It was a tight one.
"I was just showing Nancy around."
"I'm sure you were," Vanessa smiled again.
I felt really unsettled, especially when her gaze snapped back to me.
"You look like you're having fun."
"I'm not," I denied instantly, hoping she would just leave me out of it, but she did the opposite and stepped closer.
Her voice lifted, "I can imagine. Parties like this can be overwhelming for new people..."
Oh, I didn't like this.
"So..." Vanessa continued, raising her voice even higher while reaching to grab a drink from someone passing by.
"I think it will be good to help you loosen up a bit."
My stomach plummeted.
"I'm fine," I said quickly.
"Oh come on," She laughed lightly, "One drink won't hurt."
Except it would.
I had no idea what Vanessa was planning, but I was sure that it wasn't in my best interest.