Chapter 16: Coffee

My head is pounding when I wake up. "God," I whisper, dragging a hand over my face. I need coffee—and I need it fast.

As part of our morning ritual, I grab my phone and connect it to the speaker downstairs. Knowing Mason, he’s already up. Esme will be in bed for a few more hours. I play Kiss me bij Lola Jane and then lay back down for a few minutes.

Every morning, I play a song on the speaker to let Mason know I’m awake. He then turns on the coffee machine so I can have a steaming cup of caffeine right away. Too tired to put in my contact lenses, I grab my glasses and run downstairs, running my fingers through my hair to detangle it a bit. It’s still straight from last night, so luckily it isn’t too bad. My cheek is almost back to normal, just a slight red mark remaining.

When I open the door and slam it shut again, I see Mason sitting at the dining table, working. He eyes me up and down, frowning. "Put on some clothes, Li."

I huff and practically sprint to the kitchen. "These ar