âWell, the way you went off on me the other night, wouldnât you wanna kick my ass if the tables were turned? Like I said, I ainât holdinâ a grudge. Just think it was uncalled for and if not wantinâ to talk to you makes me come off as holdinâ a grudge, well, I canât do nothinâ to change your mind about that. Just like I canât change your mind about a lot of other things.â Colton shrugged, refusing to look his best friend in the eye. âYou should feel like an asshole. Iâve been takinâ care of you for how many years now, and because I say somethinâ you didnât wanna hear, Iâm suddenly the bad guy. Truth of the matter is, you got a problem, and you know you do and maybe you ainât ready to deal with it, like you ainât ready to deal with most of what you got goinâ on, but you canât have it both ways. You canât call me your best friend, come into the Can just about every night and drink and drink and drink, and just expect me to sit back and not say anythinâ.â Colton was tempted to hit Mason, because thatâs how it usually went with guysâ they got pissed off, wrestled and kicked each otherâs asses, and then it was done with. Though the last time theyâd had a huge fight was back in high school, over Annie, and after the incident at their football game, werenât real close again until Mason came back to Frostford. He wanted to hit Mason for being so dumb, but would it really solve anything? âYou have any idea how it feels, watchinâ you do that shit to yourself, knowinâ Iâm playing a part in that shit? I do it because itâs my damn job and Iâd rather you drink where I can keep an eye on ya, but Christ, Mase. I feel like a goddamn monster sometimes, watching how fucked up you get.â
 He was almost tempted to get angry again, just for the excuse to walk the hell away and try to forget about his own fuck-ups for a few more days. Tempted to deny everything and insist that he was just as okay as he tried to make everyone think that he was... But with every word that Colton spoke, Mason felt his resolve breaking. He felt pieces and parts of the wall he built around himself begin to crumble, and before he knew it every part of him was trembling under the weight of the tension between them. âI...â Was all he could manage to say for a long moment; stumbling just a bit as he focused on anything but Coltonâs eye line. âI donât know what to fuckinâ say, Colt. Alright? I donât know what Iâm supposed to say. Youâre right, okay?â Mason could feel the anxiety start to set in to his veins; he could feel his eyes stinging as the tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. âYouâre right. Iâm a fuckinâ mess, and we both know it -- this whole fuckinâ town knows it.â The man just shook his head, shrugging his shoulders like he couldnât quite figure out what else to do with his hands. âYouâre not the bad guy here, and youâre not a fuckinâ monster either... No, I uh, I think Iâve got both those titles on lock down over here. Iâm just fuckinâ sorry for dragging you into all my shit, alright? Iâm just - Iâm fuckinâ sorry, Colt.âÂ