Forever Mason by Heidi McLaughlin

Author:Heidi McLaughlin [McLaughlin, Heidi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-27T18:30:00+00:00

With everything loaded into the back of my truck, Katelyn and I head out of town. The four of us are going camping. This will be the last time, at least until next summer, that we’ll be together. We have five nights of being in the woods ahead of us, telling ghost stories, talking about the stupid things we’ve done over the past three years, and thinking about our futures. Weeks ago, when I went hiking with Nick, I found this place and thought it would be perfect for Liam, the girls, and me to spend some quality time together.

Liam and Josie follow behind us. Every so often, Katelyn looks over her shoulder to make sure they’re still there. Unfortunately, they hit a rough patch and almost broke up because Josie thought Liam cheated on her. Liam and I may not see eye-to-eye on many things lately, but he would never do something like that to Josie. What he went through with graduation really did a number on his psyche, and I think he just needed someone other than me to talk to, and Candy was there. Liam says nothing happened, and I believe him, and Katelyn believes Josie. I told Katelyn that our friends' issues are not ours, and we need to keep it that way.

The four of us work to get our campsite in working order. Once we’ve pitched the tents and gathered firewood, we meet near the campfire, where Katelyn has set up four chairs.

“I can’t believe this is it. Our last hurrah.” Liam points his freshly opened bottle of beer toward me. Josie leans into him, and Katelyn squeezes my hand, reminding me that I have something to tell him. I clear my throat and kick the dirt in front of me. It’s a stall tactic if anything.

“What’s up, man?” Liam asks as he sets his bottle of beer on the ground. He knows.

I shrug, and for the life of me, I don’t understand why. “I have something to tell you.”

“What’s up?” Liam sounds like a broken record, and I know I’m the reason for it.

Katelyn kisses my shoulder. It’s supposed to be a confidence booster, but now I’m second-guessing everything. Why did I wait so long to tell him? “I’ve decided to stay and go to school with Katelyn,” I blurt out as fast as I can, hoping my words are jumbled, and Liam doesn’t understand me. I want this to be the case so I can speak with more conviction.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to leave, Katelyn.” My words are weak and softly spoken. Not how I imagined any of this would go.

“So, you just. . .” Liam looks at me, Josie, and then Katelyn, and then leans forward. I hear him ask Josie if she knew but don’t hear or see her respond to him. Katelyn promised me she wouldn’t tell Josie, and I trusted her to keep my secret.

“Liam –”

He holds his hand up, clearly not ready to let me explain.

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