"Does anyone?" Mason's voice had a hard edge. "Look, people like him do not ever change. Whatever he showed you in Grimholt...do not fall for it."
She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Why do you care?"
"I just do not want to see you get hurt." He turned to her, his expression softening. "You deserve better than to be another girl pining after Ethan Laurent."
"I am not pining," Lydia protested, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.
"Good." Mason's smile returned, and he handed her a soda. "Because you are too special for that."
Lydia accepted the drink, unsure how to respond. There was something comforting about Mason's concern, about having someone who seemed to care so openly about her wellbeing. After days of Ethan's hot-and-cold behavior, Mason's straightforwa
