A couple of kids walk by livestreaming on that stupid app Charlotte’s obsessed with, and I turn my head as they walk by so I’m not in the video. Somehow, even though he thinks we’re in the bathroom, Mason notices.

“You can’t even stand being seen with me! You do hate me!” Mason’s normally happy face completely falls. He leaves, stumbling down the hallway.

“No, Mason!” I run around so that I’m standing in front of him again. “I don’t hate you! I super–pinkie promise!”

I hold up my pinkie finger, waiting for him to take it. He stares at it intently.

“You know if you break this promise I’ll have to break your pinkie. That’s what a pinkie promise means.”

I shake my little finger impatiently. “I know, I know. I promise I don’t hate you.”

He locks his pinkie with mine and holds our hands together.

“K-bear.” He locks eyes with me, his brown eyes studying me intensely as his other hand reaches up and pushes my hair out of my face. “I lov—”

“Ohhhhh-kay.” I cut him off quickly and back away, letting his hands fall to his sides.

He was about to say the L-word, I’m sure of it. He’s never said that to me before and I’m not ready to hear it, not right now. He cannot tell me he loves me, especially not while he’s hammered. We both want things to go back to normal, and that’s not going to happen if Mason goes and says the L-word in an as more than a friend kind of way.

“Why don’t we go see where Aiden is?” I ask, hoping the name of his best friend will remind him who I’m actually in love with.

Mason doesn’t respond. His eyes are closed, and he’s fully slumped against the wall.

Oh my God. Did he just fall asleep standing up?

“Mason?” I get closer to him and poke his shoulder.

The poke is all that is needed to throw him off balance, and almost like in slow motion, his body tilts backward. Scrambling, I race around to catch him before he bashes his head on the floor, and wow, he is heavy. Holding on to him from behind, I lean him against the wall and listen to his breathing.

Yup. He’s sleeping.

Damn it, Mason. Control your drinking.

I can’t just leave him here in the hallway with a bunch of people, and need someone to help me. Maybe I can set him down and find Aiden. No, there are too many people in here; they’re going to step on him. I guess I’m just going to have to drag him upstairs to a bedroom.

“Mason.” I shake him, trying to wake him up.

“Hmmm?” His head lolls to the side.

“We’re going upstairs, can you stay awake for, like, ten more seconds?” I move so that his arm is around me and I’m supporting the vast majority of his weight. He makes some noncommittal sound with his eyes closed. His body weight is crushing.