The Bad Boy Is Totally Off Limits

Emma's POV

I'm standing in front of my boyfriend’s house.

My hands are shoved deep into the pockets of my hoodie even though the night isn’t that cold. My heart is beating so loudly it feels like the whole quiet street can hear it.

This is a stupid idea.

Or maybe it’s the bravest thing I’ve ever done.

I stare up at the familiar house, the porch light glowing softly against the dark. Mason mentioned earlier this week that his parents were out of town for three days. He said it casually while we were walking out of school, like it didn’t mean anything.

But it stuck in my head.

Three days alone.

Three days where no one would interrupt us.

I swallow and glance down at my phone. There are three unread messages from my mom.

“Did you get to Olivia’s house safely?”

“Don’t stay up too late studying.”

“Tell Olivia I said hello.”

A sharp twist of guilt settles in my stomach.

I lied to them. I told my parents I was sleeping over at Olivia’s place so we could study together for finals. My mom didn’t even hesitate before saying yes. She trusts me. She always has.

And Olivia would’ve covered for me if I asked. Except Olivia doesn’t know about this either.

My fingers tighten around my phone.

The lie is worth it.

At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself all week.

Mason has been frustrated lately. Every time we start making out, things get tense when I stop him from going further. At first he was patient about it. Sweet even. But lately his patience has started wearing thin.

Last week he sighed and said, “Emma, we’ve been dating for almost a year. What are you waiting for?”

I didn’t know how to answer that. Everyone else seems so comfortable with it. Girls at school talk about losing their virginity like it’s just another Friday night. Olivia jokes about hookups like they’re nothing.

Meanwhile I feel like I’m stuck in the past. Like I’m the weird one.

Mason isn’t a bad guy. He’s funny, charming when he wants to be, and when he smiles at me it makes my stomach flip in the best way.

He’s my boyfriend. And boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to do these things eventually.

So tonight I decided to stop overthinking.

Tonight I decided to make him happy.

I take a deep breath and walk up the front steps before I can change my mind.

The door is slightly open. That makes me pause.

For a second I wonder if I came to the wrong house, but no. This is definitely Mason’s place. The familiar blue paint on the door, the little crack in the railing his dad keeps saying he’ll fix.

Maybe he forgot to close it.

I push the door open slowly and step inside.

“Mason?” I call softly but I got no answer.

The house is dark except for a faint light upstairs.

A small smile tugs at my lips.

Perfect. If he’s in his room, this surprise is going to work even better than I planned.

My sneakers barely make a sound as I walk through the living room. My heart starts racing again as I reach the stairs. I grip the railing and climb quietly, imagining the look on his face when I walk in.

Surprise.

Maybe he’ll laugh and pull me into a hug. Maybe he’ll kiss me and ask what I’m doing here. Maybe tonight everything will finally feel normal between us again.

Halfway down the hallway, I hear something.

A sound.

I stop walking.

At first it’s too faint to recognize. Just soft noises coming from behind Mason’s bedroom door. Then I hear it again. It's a low, breathy moan.

My stomach drops.

No.

I stand there frozen, staring at the closed door like it might suddenly explain itself. Maybe I’m imagining things. Maybe he’s watching something on his laptop.

But another sound comes through the door. Clearer this time. Another moan, much higher this time.

My fingers start trembling. Slowly, I step closer to the door. Each step feels heavier than the last. Like my body already knows something my mind refuses to accept.

The door is slightly open. It just needed a little push to reveal a sight that makes my world stops.

Mason is on the bed and he isn’t alone.

The girl beneath him gasps and pulls the blanket up when she sees me standing there. Mason turns his head, his expression shifting from surprise to irritation in less than a second.

“Emma?” he says sharply. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The words knock the air out of my lungs.

“What am I doing here?” My voice comes out thin and shaky. “What are you doing?”

The girl scrambles out of bed, grabbing her clothes and rushing past me without saying a word.

Neither of us watches her leave.

My entire focus is on Mason.

He runs a hand through his hair like this is the most inconvenient interruption of his night.

“You weren’t supposed to come here.” He mutters.

I stare at him.

“I came to surprise you.”

“Yeah, well,” he says flatly, “mission accomplished.”

My chest tightens. “You’re cheating on me, Mason.”

He rolls his eyes. “Oh my God, Emma, don’t start.”

“Don’t start?” My voice cracks. “I just walked in on you with another girl!”

“So?” he snaps. “You’ve been acting like a nun for months. What did you expect?”

The words hit harder than a slap.

“I came here tonight because I was ready,” I say quietly.

He frowns.

“I lied to my parents,” I continue, my throat burning. “I told them I was staying at Olivia’s house. I came here because I wanted to surprise you. I thought… I thought maybe if I finally stopped being so weird about everything, we could—”

I can’t finish the sentence.

Mason stares at me for a second.

Then he laughs. The sound shatters something inside my chest. “You’re serious?” he says.

My hands curl into fists. “Of course I’m serious!”

“Oh well, I guess I fucked up pretty bad, didn't I?” He shakes his head like the whole situation is ridiculous.

“You know what the funniest part is?” he continues. “This whole thing wasn’t even supposed to last this long.”

My heart skips.

“What do you mean?”

He shrugs.

“Olivia joked that you needed a boyfriend so you could have the full high school experience or whatever. It turned into a dare. I figured, why not?”

The room spins.

“A dare?” I whisper.

“At first it was harmless,” he continues casually. “Then I realized you’re actually pretty useful.”

Every word lands like a punch.

“You helped me pass like three classes,” he adds. “All those assignments, projects, test answers. Honestly, I probably would’ve failed without you.”

I stare at him, remembering every late night spent explaining homework to him. Every time I let him copy during a test. Every time I thought I was helping my boyfriend.

“You used me,” I say.

“Relax,” he scoffs. “It’s not that deep.”

“Not that deep?” Something inside me finally snaps. “Go to hell, Mason!” I shout. “I hope your stupid dick stops working and you start bleeding every time you try to get it up!”

I turn and walk out of the room before he can say another word.

The cold night air hits my face the moment I step outside his house. I don’t realize I’m crying until I taste salt on my lips.

How could they both do this to me… in one night?