Chapter 14
837 Words
The next morning, I slowly opened my eyes and looked around as the realization slowly slipped into my mind, reminding me that I had slept in Mason's room. With Mason also in it.
I glanced down and noticed Mason had his arm draped over me. Did we cuddle?
I felt the heat emanating from his body and I wanted so badly to just lie in his arms for the rest of the day. Even if he'd done that without his knowledge, I assumed.
I felt Mason stirring and I froze.
He slowly woke up taking in his surroundings before zooming in on the placement of his arms.
He quickly ripped it away as if the touch of me burned him and I couldn't help but wince.
He stared at me wide eyed before he quickly rolled out of bed.
He cleared his throat and walked to his dresser to grab a shirt. I sat up slowly and watched him put on his shirt. Something as mundane as putting on a shirt, was something that Mason could do so alluringly.
He finally turned to face me and deadpanned. “Want some pancakes?”
I looked at him and just nodded as I brushed my hair with my fingers.
He quickly left the room before I had the opportunity to use my words.
I rolled out of bed and slipped out of his room as I headed to the bathroom to go freshen up.
After my shower, I got dressed and headed to the kitchen. The fresh smell of pancakes tingled my senses as I sat down at the table, coffee already waiting for me.
I watched Mason for a while before I couldn't handle the silence anymore. “Hey! Thanks for last night. It was really nice of you.”
He dug into his pancakes and a small smile broke out on his face. “Yeah. You are um… actually not the worst person to have a conversation with.”
We both broke out chuckling as we finished off our pancakes.
For the first time it felt like Mason and I had found common ground. It was quite nice. Although, all I really wanted to do was squish his face in my hands and kiss him without questions, I had to accept the fact that we would just be friends.
I guess I could do that.
-
The next few days were spent with Mason and I fixing up the house. We had already painted the living room a creamy light brown so that it would suit the African theme that Grace had chosen.
We had placed all the African masks and statues on top of the new shelves we'd bolted against the wall and revarnished the floors. That wasn't quite as tedious as I had thought and I never had thought of myself as someone who'd be able to fix up a house that had been pretty much worn down by all the years of neglect.
But, even with the brand new living room, the space still seemed creepy and dark. This whole house still had a lingering omen to it.
Maybe once we finished the rest of the house, I would feel better.
In the meantime, I still spent a fair amount of time getting to know Ryan better. He really was quite the gentleman.
Mason hadn't seemed too eager to hear all about my conquest, so we found ourselves in a silent agreement of just not bringing it up.
But even though I was unofficially dating Ryan, I still couldn't keep myself from wanting Mason.
Getting to know him better had just made my feelings for him grow. And I found myself in quite a few close calls.
So many times, I had almost kissed Mason and so many times it had seemed like something he would have wanted.
But, every single time the opportunity had arisen between us, we just made excuses to end it before anything could have happened.
I didn't know how long I would have been able to hold out how badly I just wanted him to be all mine. To hold me the way I'd always wanted. To touch me in the way my body needed.
But, to shadow the fact that I honestly just wanted one man, I'd have to settle for the alternative, Ryan.
I felt bad that Ryan had been my second choice. But I couldn't keep myself available and vulnerable until Mason would one day realize what we have.
Ryan had taken me out on a bunch of dates but I always kept myself from kissing him or letting him get too close to me. It felt like he was just a placement holder until the right guy could step in and take over. I hadn't exactly been fair to Ryan.
But maybe it was time that that changed. I couldn't keep dragging him along just to push him to the side if Mason changed his mind.
Mason and I would never become an us.
- Writer
