BETWEEN US AND THE PAST

CHAPTER 16- DRIVER

I had made up my mind the second I woke up. I was going to ignore Mason. Completely. No looking at him. No talking to him. No replaying the hug. No replaying the KISS. No replaying the way my entire body had forgotten how to function afterward.

Unfortunately, my brain refused to cooperate. The entire morning was spent thinking about the exact thing I was trying not to think about.

By the time I heard Lori’s car pulling into our driveway, I was already exhausted. Not physically. Mentally.

I grabbed my bag and headed outside.

Lori was waiting in the driver’s seat, coffee in one hand and sunglasses resting on top of her head. The moment I got inside, I knew she noticed something. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was because I wasn’t acting like myself. Whatever it was, her eyes kept drifting toward me throughout the drive.

Usually, our rides to school were filled with random conversations and gossip. Today, I spent most of the time staring out the window.

The passing streets blurred together as my thoughts wandered. Back to Mason. Again.

My fingers tightened around my bag.

I hated this. I hated how one moment had somehow managed to invade every thought I had.

Lori eventually asked if I was okay. I immediately answered yes. Too quickly. Even I knew it sounded suspicious.

The look she gave me made it clear she didn’t believe me. But thankfully, she didn’t push further. Not yet.

When we arrived at campus, I felt my stomach tighten.

Students were everywhere— walking across the pathways, gathering near classrooms, laughing with friends.

And somewhere among all of them— Mason.

The thought alone made my heartbeat speed up. I immediately pushed it away.

Ignore him. That was the plan. A very reasonable plan. One I intended to follow.

Lori parked the car, and we headed toward our building together. I found myself looking straight ahead the entire time. Not because I was focused, but because I was actively avoiding looking around.

If I saw him, I’d think about him. And if I thought about him— well. That clearly wasn’t helping.

The classroom was already half full when we entered. Relief immediately washed over me.

No Mason. At least not yet.

I slipped into my seat and set my bag down. Lori sat nearby while I pulled out my notebook.

For a few moments, I focused on arranging my pens. Then rearranging them. Then rearranging them again. Anything to keep my mind occupied.

Eventually, something felt strange.

I glanced around the room. A few familiar faces. Several classmates chatting. Someone sleeping before class even started.

Everything looked normal. Almost.

Then I realized what was missing.

Frost.

My eyes automatically scanned the room again. No sign of him.

That was unusual. Frost was almost always early. Or at least early enough to make some ridiculous comment the moment he saw me.

I frowned slightly.

The empty seat beside mine suddenly seemed out of place.

Maybe he overslept. Maybe he had practice. Maybe he was sick.

The possibilities started piling up before I could stop them.

Which was ridiculous. Frost was perfectly capable of surviving one morning without my supervision.

Still, I found myself glancing toward the classroom door every few minutes. Waiting. Expecting his familiar grin to appear at any moment.

But the seat remained empty.

And strangely enough, that bothered me more than it should have.

Especially since it gave my brain more opportunities to drift toward thoughts of another person I was desperately trying to avoid.

The classroom door opened again.

My heart immediately reacted. For one stupid second, I thought it might be Frost. For another stupid second, I worried it might be Mason.

And somehow, neither possibility made me feel normal.

“Have you seen Frost today?”

Lori immediately turned toward me. A little too quickly.

“No…”

A pause. Then her eyes narrowed.

“Why?”

My grip tightened around my bag.

“No reason.”

“Hm.”

That single sound was dangerous. Very dangerous.

“I was just asking.”

“Just asking?”

“Yes.”

Lori stared at me for another second. Then a suspicious smile appears

“The same way you’ve definitely not been thinking about Mason all morning?”

I almost choked.

“That’s completely different.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.”

Lori looked far too pleased with herself.

“Interesting.”

After classes ended, Lori received a call from her mom. The moment she answered, her expression changed— not panic, but concern.

A family emergency. Nothing life-threatening, thankfully, but important enough that she needed to head home immediately.

I assured her I’d be fine on my own.

After watching her drive away, I decided not to go home right away. Instead, I found myself wandering toward a small bookstore a few blocks from campus.

It had always been one of my favorite places. Quiet. Comfortable. A place where nobody expected anything from me.

Exactly what I needed.

The scent of paper and coffee greeted me the moment I stepped inside. For the first time all day, I felt myself relax.

I slowly walked between the shelves, absentmindedly reading book titles. No thoughts about Mason. No thoughts about Mason – f**k No thoughts about confusing feelings.

Just books. Peaceful, simple books.

Then I turned the corner of a shelf and immediately collided with someone.

“Oh—”

A hand steadied my arm before I lost my balance.

I looked up and froze.

Frost.

Of course. Because apparently the universe enjoyed surprising me lately.

He looked equally startled for a second before a grin spread across his face.

“Well, that’s one way to say hello.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the small relief that appeared when I saw him.

“Where were you today?”

His grin widened. Straight to the question. Typical me.

Frost shifted the book in his hand.

“Missed me?”

I immediately looked away.

“No.”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

“It was.”

“It really wasn’t.”

A laugh escaped him.

The sound earned an eye roll from me. Honestly, he was impossible.

“You didn’t come to class.”

“Had to deal with something.”

That explained it. Simple enough.

Still, I couldn’t deny I’d been curious all day.

Frost seemed to notice. Of course he did.

His smile softened slightly.

“You’re cute when you’re worried.”

My face heated instantly.

“I wasn’t worried.”

“Sure.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ey-vee.”

I groaned.

Frost looked entirely too pleased with himself.

A few minutes later, we found ourselves browsing the same section. Or rather, I was browsing while he followed me around, making occasional comments about random books.

It should have been annoying. Somehow, it wasn’t.

The bookstore slowly became quieter as the afternoon passed.

When I finally checked the time, I realized it was getting late. The sun outside had already started dipping lower.

Frost noticed too. He glanced through the front windows before looking back at me. Then his gaze shifted toward the parking lot—toward his car.

A familiar smile appeared on his face. Not teasing this time. Just casual. Easy. Comfortable.

The kind of smile that made saying no surprisingly difficult.

“Let me drive you home.”

I blinked. Immediately preparing a refusal.

Then I looked outside.

It really was getting late. And if I was being honest with myself…

The idea of navigating traffic alone didn’t sound particularly appealing. Especially when a ride was being offered by someone who had spent the last fifteen minutes making me laugh despite my terrible mood.

Frost waited patiently. No pressure. No teasing. Just an offer.

And for some reason, that made it harder to refuse.

The grin returned the second he noticed my hesitation. Like he already knew he was winning.

Which was incredibly annoying. And unfortunately— he was probably right.

The car ride started in silence. Not the uncomfortable kind—just the kind where nothing really needed to be said yet.

Frost kept his eyes on the road, one hand steady on the wheel as the city lights slowly shifted across the windshield.

I leaned back in the passenger seat, letting my bag rest at my feet. My phone was basically dead earlier, so I’d already plugged it in the moment I got in.

The charger cable stretched neatly from the dashboard compartment to my phone, which was slowly coming back to life. At least one thing today was working properly.

I glanced at the screen—still low, but alive enough now.

Then my thoughts drifted.

Back to the compartment. Back to the photo.

Frost and Mason. The blonde girl between them. New Year’s Eve fireworks frozen behind their smiles.

It wasn’t just a random picture. It felt like a memory you weren’t supposed to accidentally find.

I shifted slightly in my seat, then finally broke the silence.

“You and Mason… you’ve known each other for a long time, right?”

Frost didn’t even look surprised. Just a small nod.

“Yeah.”

Simple. Too simple.

That already told me more than he probably intended.

My fingers tapped lightly against my phone while it charged.

The silence stretched again, but this time it felt heavier—like the photo had followed us into the conversation.

I glanced at him again.

“You looked really close in that picture.”

A small pause.

Then Frost exhaled softly.

“We were.”

Not said proudly. Not said sadly. Just factual. Like it belonged to another version of time.

My eyes drifted toward the compartment again, even though I wasn’t holding the photo anymore.

It was still stuck in my head.

The three of them looked like they fit together too naturally for it to be coincidence.

I hesitated, then asked what I’d been holding in since I saw it.

“Then… why aren’t you close anymore?”

The air in the car shifted, subtle but noticeable.

Frost kept driving. A few seconds passed.

Then—

“People change.”

Simple answer. But it didn’t feel like the full one.

The car stopped right in front of our house.

For a second, I just sat there. Hand on the door handle. Not moving.

Because something outside felt… wrong. Or maybe not wrong. Just tense in a way I couldn’t immediately explain.

Frost was still in the driver’s seat, one hand resting loosely on the wheel. Calm. Unbothered. Like this was just another normal drop-off.

I pushed the door open and stepped out.

That was when I saw him.

Mason.

Standing near the gate of our house. Waiting.

My stomach tightened instantly.

I hadn’t seen him the entire day. I avoided him the entire day.

And somehow, the moment I got home— he was here.

My feet slowed without permission.

Behind me, Frost’s car door opened. He stepped out as well, closing it with a quiet click.

The sound was small. But it made everything feel louder.

Mason’s eyes moved first—to me. Then shifted to Frost.

The air changed immediately. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just sharp.

Like something invisible had snapped into place.

Mason straightened slightly.

Frost didn’t react at all at first. Just stood beside the car, relaxed, hands in his pockets like he wasn’t aware anything unusual was happening.

But he was. I could feel it.

Mason took a step forward.

I instinctively did too, like I could somehow stop whatever was building between them just by being there.

“Mason…” I started, unsure of what I even wanted to say.

But he didn’t look at me. His focus stayed locked on Frost.

“So you’re the one bringing her home now,” he said, voice controlled—but tight underneath.

Frost finally met his gaze.

Calm. Unshaken.

“Yeah,” he replied simply. “I gave her a ride.”

That should’ve ended it. It didn’t.

Mason’s jaw tightened. Another step closer.

“I told you,” he said, quieter now.

The words weren’t for me. They were for Frost.

And I suddenly had a feeling this wasn’t about today. Or the ride. Or even me, really.

It was something older than that.

Frost tilted his head slightly, still calm. Waiting.

Mason’s voice dropped even lower.

“Stay away from her.”

Silence.

The kind that pressed against everything. Even the air felt still.

I could feel my heartbeat in my ears now.

Frost didn’t move. Didn’t react immediately.

Then slowly, he looked at Mason properly. Not annoyed. Not playful. Just steady.

Like he was finally acknowledging something that had already been there a long time.

“And if I don’t?” he asked.

The question wasn’t loud. But it landed heavy anyway.

And suddenly— I wasn’t just standing outside my house anymore. I was standing in the middle of something I clearly didn’t understand