Forever Mason, page 19
I move to campus tomorrow, and this will be mine and Katelyn’s last night together until she and Josie move in, and as luck would have it, my parents are out for the night. Katelyn is spending the night, which isn’t out of the blue. What is, is the fact that my parents are not going to be at home. My dad rented a hotel room to celebrate their anniversary, leaving the house empty for me, which Katelyn and I took full advantage of.
Katelyn gets into my truck and slams the door. I don’t even ask what happened in her house because it’s always the same story. Her mother disapproves of me, and I’ve long accepted that.
“Want to rent a movie?”
“Yeah and get some popcorn and candy. I need to eat my feelings tonight.”
“Whatever you say, my queen.”
We get to the video store, a mom-and-pop place, and look through the rows of videos. When Katelyn and I meet at the end of a row, I motion toward the curtain that separates the X-rated movies from the general population.
“Mason!”
“What?” I ask. “We’ve talked about watching something together. Why not tonight? Just think, we can try something we see.” I waggle my eyebrows at her, and she blushes. Katelyn looks around to see if anyone is watching. When she sees that no one is paying attention to us, she takes my hand and leads us behind the curtain.
Before us are rows and rows of porn. Personally, I’ve never seen so many sets of tits before in my life, and as we go shelf by shelf, I notice that the videos go from very soft to hardcore.
Katelyn picks up a box and gasps. I quickly take it from her hands and put it back on the shelf. “No,” I tell her.
“What, why not?”
“Because he has a bigger dick than I do. I don’t need you dreaming about a guy like that.”
Katelyn laughs. “Porn is fake.”
“They’re having sex, regardless.”
“Yes, but it’s a job. I bet they don’t even enjoy it.”
I scoff. “I know you girls can fake shit, but guys can’t. It feels fucking amazing being inside your . . .” I can’t bring myself to say vagina or pussy in front of her, so I stop talking.
“My what?” she asks as she tugs on my belt loop. “My what, Mason?”
“You know what.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
“No.”
“Yes. I say cock and dick all the time,” she says quietly. “I always tell you that I want to suck your dick, but you never say you want to eat my pussy.”
“Katelyn!”
She giggles. I should’ve never suggested we come in here. I think she’s having far too much fun, but I promised her a long time ago I’d never watch a movie unless she was with me.
“How about this one?” She holds up a video with a couple on it. The woman is nude, and the man is behind her with one hand on her neck and the other between her legs.
“What’s the premise?” I ask, jokingly.
She flips over the back and reads the minimal plot about a man who encounters a lonely woman.
“Let’s get it!”
All I can think about the entire drive home was how the man at the counter looked at me and how I haven’t felt embarrassed about sex since I was sixteen. Right now, I’m counting all the ways tonight can go wrong, from me forgetting to take the video out of the player, to the neighbors hearing the moaning, to my parents walking in while I’m balls deep in Katelyn, and she’s telling me to spank her. These thoughts alone make me want to turn my truck around and take the movie back. But I don’t, and when we get into the house, I close all the curtains, lock the front door, and follow Katelyn to my room.
She puts the video into the VCR and then sits down next to me on the bed. After the beginning credits, there are approximately ten lines of dialogue until the woman drops to her knees and starts sucking the guy off.
“Well then,” I say when she grabs her tits.
“I’m not touching myself,” Katelyn says.
“Okay.” I’m not going to argue with her because I’m happy touching her rack by myself. We sit there for a few more minutes until we both start growing uncomfortable. We aren’t afraid to be naked in front of each other, and both strip out of our clothes. I touch her immediately, losing interest in the movie. Katelyn watches maybe thirty minutes of the video before I’ve turned her on so much that she’s begging for me to try out a new position. The thing is, she doesn’t have to beg. I’m willing to do whatever she asks because I just want to make her happy.
Katelyn and I lay on our sides in my twin-size bed. She’s wearing my t-shirt and nothing else while I’m in a pair of boxers. I push her hair behind her ear and then rest my hand on her hip. Tonight, she got to be herself. She got to scream out my name, throw her head back in ecstasy, and ride me like she wasn’t going to see me for months, not weeks. When she finished taking her sexual aggression out on me, I flipped her over on her back and made love to her. I went slow and looked into her eyes with each thrust. I’m not going to see her for three weeks, twenty-one long and painful days. It’ll be the longest we’ve been apart since we started dating, and I’m not looking forward to it.
“Did you like being on top?”
She nods. “You hit different spots. It felt really good.”
“What about doggie style?”
“I hate that name,” she says. “But that feels good too. I’m glad I’m learning all of this with you. I can’t imagine being with anyone else, Mason.”
“I’m going to ask you to marry me someday.”
“And I’m going to say yes,” she tells me. “Just not tonight.”
“Tomorrow then?”
She kisses me. “Not tomorrow.”
“Next week it is then.”
I don’t know if it’ll happen next week, next month, or next year, but it’ll happen. Katelyn’s my future, and I pray every day that I’m hers.
Twenty-Eight
Even though it’s not yet after nine at night, I still dial Liam’s cell phone. The way he left, without saying goodbye, doesn’t sit well with me. I need him to know how sorry I am and how I’ll always have his back. And right now, I can’t imagine how lonely he must feel. I should’ve known better than to pull the plug on the University of Texas, and now that I’m leaving for college, I wonder if I made the wrong decision. Is following the woman you love to college wrong? Part of me feels like it is, but then I think about not seeing her every day, and I become sick to my stomach. His phone rings on the other end and then goes to voicemail. I hang up. I’ve left him messages, and he hasn’t returned any of those. Why leave another one?
The benefit of going to school so close is I don’t have to have a long awkward goodbye with my parents, and they don’t have to move me to campus. My dad helps me load up my truck, and my mom hands me five pounds of pasta, just in case I get hungry and the cafeteria isn’t open. They promise to be at my first game. Mom gives me the longest hug known to man and says, “Come home to do your laundry.” I can tell you right now that I fully intend on taking her up on that offer.
I stop at Katelyn’s before I head out of town. Beaumont State is about a forty-five minute drive and technically not in Beaumont, but that’s semantics. It’s a nice school, and I’m going to get an education.
Katelyn is in tears when she reaches my truck. I get out and pull her into my arms. “It’s just a couple of weeks.” Six, to be exact, but she’ll be so busy shopping with Josie for dorm stuff, time will fly by. Plus, we’ll talk every night, and the girls plan to come to see me on Sundays—the only day I don’t have practice or some sort of team-related event.
“You know, it’s not too late to try out for the cheerleading team.”
Katelyn laughs and rests her head on my chest. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t like the idea of you having a different rally girl.”
“No one can ever take your place.” I press my lips to the top of her head and inhale her fruity shampoo. “You’ll always be my number one.”
“And you’re mine,” she says into my shirt.
I kiss her again and step back slightly to look at her. “I love you, Katelyn.”
“I know you do,” she says. “I love you, Mase.”
We kiss again. It’s sweet and tender. She helps me into my truck and keeps her hands on my door. “Go kick some ass, Mason Powell.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Not soon enough.” She starts to lean through the opening, and I meet her halfway. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For loving me enough to stay.”
Katelyn knows I’ve struggled with the decision I made. She never asked me to stay, and she never encouraged me to go. This road I’m on, it’s because it’s where I want to be. If someone asked me at sixteen what I saw my future as, the answer would’ve been simple—playing football with Liam—because that is what I wanted to do. But then Katelyn came along, and everything changed. I know we’re young, and I never thought I’d be the type of man who would want to get married so young, but I don’t see the point in waiting. When I close my eyes at night, she is what I see, not football. If I had gone to Texas, I would’ve taken a spot from someone who wanted to be there, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
She steps back, allowing me to leave. I put my truck into drive and slowly release the brake. When I get to the corner, I look in my rearview mirror to find that she’s not there. Oddly, I’m okay with this because in a few weeks, she’ll be living on campus, and I’ll get to see her whenever I want.
On my way out of town, I stop at the convenience store where Liam used his fake ID to buy us beer. At some point, they stopped carding either of us and let us buy whatever. As tempted as I am to load up on beer, I need to turn over a new leaf. The last thing I want is to develop a drinking problem in college. Or worse, be so hungover that I can’t perform on the field. I walk up and down the aisles, grabbing snacks for the road and for later. The cafeteria on campus is open, but the hours are limited until all the students come back. I have the pasta my mom sent with me, and I know there is a microwave in the common area, but I get the munchies when I’m bored, and I have a feeling tonight is going to be one of those nights.
“Aren’t you missing something,” the clerk says when I set everything down.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Where’s your buddy?” she rings up my items and sets them in a plastic bag.
“Texas.”
“We are going to miss him around here.”
You’re not the only one. “Yeah, but he’ll be on TV every Saturday.” I hand over the cash and take my bag. “See ya.”
The drive to campus is easy. It’s pretty much a straight shot from town after taking a couple of left and right turns. I meet with the coaching staff, get a few pats on the back, and they tell me how happy they are to have me. Once I have my keys and room assignment, I head there to check out my space. I already know the room won’t be huge, but it’s going to suffice for four years. The door to my room is open, and there’s a family in there, gushing over their son.
“Hey,” I say as I enter. “Mason Powell.” When I filled out my paperwork for housing, I told them I wanted a random person, preferably from the football team. There are a lot of kids from Beaumont High here, and I could’ve easily roomed with one of them, but I want to expand my friend base and get to know my teammates.
My teammate steps forward and shakes my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Phil Bailey.”
“Nice to meet you.” Phil and I spoke on the phone a couple of times after room assignments came out, but this is the first time we’re meeting. He’s from New York and plans to become a teacher.
“And these are my parents and my little sister.”
I go around and shake everyone’s hands. We chat for a couple of minutes, and then I excuse myself to get my stuff. I’m halfway down the hall when Phil and his father catch up with me.
“I’m sure you don’t need help, son,” his father says. “But we’re coming anyway.” My heart seizes. In a matter of minutes, this man has done exactly what I always hoped Sterling would do, accept me.
Football is grueling. I used to think daily doubles were horrible, but college football is a whole other game. I get that we are preparing for the season. New players. New plays. It’s a ton of learning. We watch game film, take notes, watch more game film, and learn what we’re watching. What differs from high school is that in college, we’re a family. Always together. We eat together. We’ll study together. If one suffers, we all suffer. If one fails, we all fail. If one succeeds, we all succeed. Coach's motto is a way of life for me now.
Katelyn and Josie are moving in today. In fact, over the next three days, the rest of the student body is moving in. For the past few weeks, the campus has been relatively quiet with just football and the two soccer teams on campus, but now, it’s busy. Loud, even. Someone on the student body council or move-in committee thought it would be genius to use whistles throughout the day as a way to pep everyone up. The first couple of times I heard the whistle this morning, I was okay with it, but now it’s been an hour, and the piercing sound is grating on my nerves.
Phil and I specifically signed up to help move students into the same dorm where Katelyn and Josie will live. I’m not busting my butt unless I get to see my girl because the last month and a half have been torture. When I left, Katelyn and I had plans to see each other on Sundays, but that hasn’t worked out. There is a ton of team bonding, and I couldn’t get away. Thankfully, the lack of seeing my girl ends today.
Josie and her parents arrive at school first. As soon as she’s out of the backseat, I have her in my arms. “Damn, I didn’t realize how much I missed you until just now.”
“Ugh, put me down, you big lug.”
I set her on her feet but don’t let go of her. “How’s Liam?”
“He’s good. Misses me, of course.”
But not me.
“That’s good. We’ll be able to catch his game on Saturday, at least the first half because they play at one, and we play at four.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll be late to yours.”
I pretend her words have broken my heart, but I fully expect her to stay and yell at the television while Liam’s playing. It’s where I would be if I didn’t have a game. I introduce Josie to Phil, say hi to her parents, and then move her in. Of course, the girls would have to be on the third floor, and it’s one of the hottest days of the year. We should be lounging by Katelyn’s pool right now instead of busting our asses by carrying suitcases.
After my second armful of Josie’s things, I find Katelyn standing outside next to a pile of her stuff. As soon as she sees me, she runs into my arms. “I’ve missed you so much.” She peppers every inch of my face with kisses.
“God, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Please never leave me again,” she says into my neck.
“I won’t, baby.” This reaffirms my decision to stay. Katelyn needs me just as much as I need her. I set her down and kiss her. When we part, I ask, “Where are your parents?”
She shrugs. “Dad went to park the car. Said he’d be back in a few minutes. We unloaded, so others had space to park.” I don’t bother asking where her mom is. Frankly, I’m fine with her not being here.
When Phil and Josie make their way over to us, I introduce Phil to Katelyn. He hugs her and says he feels like he already knows her. Katelyn’s dad finds his way back to us, and in one trip, we can get Katelyn’s stuff to her room. Unfortunately, I can only stay for a few minutes and tell her I’ll be back later so the three of us can go to orientation. We have a couple of freshman things to take care of, but there’s a party tonight that we’ll go to, and we’ll have fun. I know the absence of Liam weighs heavy on all of us, and I wish I could change that. The only saving grace for me right now is knowing that Josie speaks to him daily, and I can get my updates from her. I still call, now and again, but I don’t leave any messages. I figure when he’s ready, he’ll call me, and we’ll hash it out. I refuse to believe our friendship is over.
Twenty-Nine
There’s a loud bang on my door, and someone says, “Powell, phone call. Your chick is wailing, man. Hurry up.”
I spring from my bed, drop my textbook on the floor, and rush to the door. One of the guys on the basketball team is holding the receiver out for me to take. We have two phones on the floor for personal use, and some people have phones in their room or are lucky enough to have a cell phone. Unfortunately, I’m not so fortunate.
“Katelyn? Hello? What’s wrong, baby?”
“MASON! Oh, God, Mason, he’s gone!”
The blood-curdling scream breaks me. Every fiber of my being turns cold, and I freeze. The voice is not Katelyn’s but Josie’s. “Who? What? Josie, what’s going on? Where’s Katelyn?”
“I need you,” she cries into the phone. “Oh, God, he’s gone.”
I hang up and go back to my room to get the room number where Katelyn is studying. I tell whoever answers the phone that Katelyn needs to go back to her room immediately, and then I run as fast as I can down the stairs and across the lawn to Josie and Katelyn’s dorm. I take the stairs three at a time and push my way through the group of onlookers who have gathered at her door.
“Hey, man, is she going to be okay? I saw the whole thing.” Some guy says as he lets me pass.
Saw what? What is he talking about? I don’t bother to ask him what he means and go right into Josie’s room. I find her sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth, wailing. I stumble, fall to the ground and somehow end up next to her. “I’m here. I’m here. What happened? Where’s Katelyn?”
