Damn, had that only been last Saturday that she had called? So much had happened in the past six days. So many people had been hurt.
To avoid the pain, I decided to keep going and follow my typical routine, hoping the regularity of my actions could settle me into a blank state of blissful oblivion.
At my regular babysitting time, I arrived at Dawn’s house, opening the front door without knocking and stepping inside. The television ran the evening news with the volume turned low.
I thought about calling a greeting but decided to go the sneaky route and surprise Sarah. She did like the attention of people jumping out at her and screeching, “Boo.”
I had a feeling my little buddy was the type who would adore bloody, slasher, horror movies, but I wasn’t ready to go there quite yet, mostly because I was definitely not that type. Give me romantic comedy any day of the week. Or Harry Potter; that was about as dark as I got.
As I moved down the narrow passage toward the kitchen, I approached Sarah’s bedroom and noticed immediately that across the hallway, Mason’s bedroom door hung open.
He never left his door open. What was more, there was someone talking inside his room.
I paused. He wasn’t home, was he? Crap. I hadn’t paid enough attention when I’d pulled to the curb to remember if his Jeep had been sitting in the driveway or not. I wasn’t sure if I could face him right now without breaking down and weeping.
But I was curious to know what his room looked like. I crept forward, stepping easily so the creak midway down the hall didn’t give away my presence.
The lights were off inside, but I knew he—or someone—was in there when I heard bedsprings squeak.
The talking paused, only to start again. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, even as muffled as it was. I scanned the dark blue walls before I had a full glimpse inside, surprised he wasn’t the messy type. He didn’t hang many pictures and he didn’t have a cluttered floor. I wouldn’t have called the space stark, but he definitely wasn’t a junk collector.
Then I saw his bed with a plaid comforter thrown neatly over the mattress. Mason sat on the edge, his feet on the floor as he focused all his attention on his cell phone he held in his lap. He was watching a video where a fuzzy image shifted across the small screen.
“…be Eva instead,” the pitchy phone speakers blared out my voice. “Good morning, Mason. Looking good today. What say we skip classes and have some...fun.”
My mouth dropped open as I watched a grin spread across his face. He wiped his thumb over the phone screen, touching the video version of me.
Oh, my God. He hadn’t deleted that stupid, impulsively made video yet?
Oh, my God, times two. Was he watching it again?
I clapped my hand over my mouth because my grin kept spreading wider and wider as a smile consumed me. My eyes grew watery.
He loved me.
If this didn’t prove he loved me, nothing did.
Mason Lowe loved me.
Sensing my presence, he lifted his face. When he saw me, his eyes grew big. He dropped his phone screen-down on his bed and surged to his feet. “Reese! What’re you doing here?”
He was dressed to go to work, his brown loafers adorning his size-twelve feet and his pale blue Country Club shirt tucked into his pleated slacks. I had to look away because staring at him made me feel achy and full of depressing angst.
“It’s Friday,” I said blankly and shook my head, confused. “I always babysit on Friday.”
“But...” He glanced down at his watch. “Shit. I’m running late.”
I watched him scurry around to grab his cell phone and wallet. When he turned toward the doorway to find me blocking his path, and not budging, he faltered, looking a little panicked and trapped.
“I thought you might like to know I cancelled my date.”
Eyes flaring with liquid heat, he grasped my elbow. “What? I told you, you didn’t have to do that. Why did you cancel? Did he do something to you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just…I can’t go out with him.”
“You…” Mason stepped even closer, right into my personal space, his clean, musky scent invading my senses. “Why?”
I turned my face aside and wiggled my elbow out if his grip. “Now who’s playing dumb?”
“Jesus.” He spun away, ripping his hands through his hair. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything to you. I swear to God, I’m sorry. I was a jealous tool, and you deserve to date and be happy and…and live your life however you want.”
His love for me showed through every pore of his being. I could tell it killed him to say this, but he honestly thought it was for the best to let me go.
At that moment, I knew. I would do whatever I had to do to make him mine. “Well, thank you, Mason,” I said, gifting him with a bright smile. “I’m so glad I have your approval to live my life however I want, because I plan to do just that.”
I tried to walk away, but he caught my arm, looking way too suspicious.