It had been a few hours since I'd left Alex and Starlet's place. I seemingly floated home, still on a high from Red asking me to be his best man. 

Nobody was home when I arrived, which was good. I just wanted to relax, while thinking about Red's words from earlier. How the hell was I going to deal with my mother? 

I couldn't concentrate on that fully, though. Not with Freckles blowing up my phone. Everything inside of me told me not to answer, just like when my mother kept calling a few months ago. I could always sense when bad news was coming, and truthfully, always aimed to avoid it. But if the situation with my mother had taught me anything, it's that you can't avoid that shit forever.

So when Freckles called for a tenth time, I picked up. "Bitch, what?" I yelled into the receiver, springing from the couch. "Why are you blowing up my phone? What could we possibly have to discuss?"

"Mason, don't hang up," Freckles sobbed. "Just hear me out."

Great. Waterworks. "Speak," I snarled, rubbing my neck with my free hand.

"I need you, Mason. You're the only person I can speak to about this. Everything has gone wrong."

"Really, now?" I laughed, "that's a fucking shame. What in the hell makes you think I need to hear your sob story? What happened, did you run out of people to hold at gunpoint?"

"Listen," she started, "I'm sorry about that. That wasn't me, that was—"

"What? That wasn't you? What, that was some other freckle-faced bitch that looked like you? Was it all my imagination? Huh?"

"No. It was me, but it wasn't my idea."

"What the fuck ever," I growled, quickly dismissing her. "What do you want?"

"To see you. I just got fired from the nursing program at the hospital. Bitch-ass Randolph talkin' about I wasn't taking it seriously."

"Good for him."

"Mason, stop. That's not fair."

"Fair, huh?"

"I just got a call that my grandmother is in serious condition and might not make it."

"Damn."

"Cancer."

I stopped in my tracks and sat back down. What were the odds that another person had cancer? It was like Blogsome was suffering from an epidemic and shit. I immediately felt for her. "How long has she had it?" I asked.

"I don't know," Freckles said through tears. "All I know is that I'm losing everything in my life and just need to not lose anything else. You have to forgive me, Mason. Please. I need to redeem myself."

I took the phone away from my ear and drew a deep breath. What the fuck could I do for this girl I barely knew? The one who threatened to kill me only a week ago. Sure, her life was falling apart, but shit, join the club. I sighed again before bringing the phone back up to my ear. "Where are you?"

"At home," she confessed. "I'm shaking and I can't stop. I want to go see my grandmother, but I can't move. I feel like I'm paralyzed."

"OK, OK. Calm down. What do you need from me?"

"I need you to come get me and take me to the hospital. I can't drive. I can't stop crying."

"Yeah, well, if you expect me to come get you, all that crying shit has got to stop. I don't do tears," I snapped.

"OK."

After getting directions to where Freckles lived—which was on the "other" side of town—I took a shower and headed over, all the way having second thoughts about agreeing to pick her up. I convinced myself that taking her to the hospital to see her grandmother was all right, only because it might help me find out more about the disease my mother might have.

I pulled up in front of the rundown three-story building and called her phone. "Hey, I'm here. You ready?"

"Hey, Mason, can you come upstairs for a minute?" she asked. "I need your help."

This bitch, I muttered before getting out of the car. The place had no buzzer and looked like anyone could come in and out as they pleased. It was times like these I wish I'd brought one of Red's guns with me. No telling what would jump off in there. I headed to the second floor and narrowly missed stepping on what looked like a baby possum. "Oh, hell no," I said to no one in particular. When she said her life was fucked up, she wasn't lying.

There was no bell, so I knocked on her door. "Come on in," she said. Freckles was a blur, running back down the hallway to the bathroom. "I'll be right there." I could hear her giggling from down the hall.

I hesitated before entering, scanning the room. The place was neatly kept, everything in its place. I sat down at what looked like the dining room table. "Let's go!" I commanded.

She came back down the hallway, still in her robe. "What the fuck, Freckles? You're not even dressed yet. You said you needed a ride!"

She smiled before stepping out of her robe. She was butt naked. "I do need a ride," she said, stumbling toward me. As she got closer, the smell of alcohol filled my nostrils. This bitch was drunk as hell. "It's my birthday, Mason. I'm legal now," she cooed innocently. "And I need to ride YOU."

Fuck.