Page 18 of Mason
Tears stung my eyes.“There was only ever my mom.Rose.My father was never a part of my life.Well, maybe he was in an unwilling kind of way since he paid for my education.Oh, and let’s not forget the health insurance.That came in handy when I had the accident last week.”
“Rose,” she repeated, her tone gentle.“Tell me about her.”
“She was the best mom.There weren’t enough hours in the day, yet she found a way to work three jobs and still be present.Every day.She showed up to every school event, every recital.We didn’t have a lot, but what she gave me was a lifetime of memories I’ll get to keep with me.”
I stared over Lucy’s shoulder, caught in the past.A million pictures flashed through my mind.Mom’s smile.Her laugh.How safe I felt when she hugged me.God, it felt like anything was possible when she wrapped me in her arms.“She always said I was her anchor, and she… She was my compass, pointing me in the right direction.Or, at least, trying to nudge me.We were going to get our first tattoo together, so we could carry a piece of each other around with us.Have something to remind us not to give up.”
Lucy started to say something, but we were both distracted when we heard a distinctive light beeping noise right before the door opened.In walked Mason, carrying a large case.
A cello case.
Sutton
I ignoredthe lump that filled my throat at the thought of my mom’s cello.No one had explained what had happened to it.All I knew was that it had been gone when I’d come out of surgery.At the time, I was disoriented from all the meds, and then later, my heart was too full of grief to mention it.
Pushing back the more painful emotions, I focused on Mason.Everything settled into place when he was close.Seeing him never failed to have warmth blooming in my chest…and other places.
Blue-gray eyes zeroed in on me instantly, a smile spreading over his handsome face.Pausing long enough to carefully place the case down, he practically sprinted over to where I was still seated on the couch.
“There’s my beautiful girl.Fuck, I missed you.”He pressed a kiss to my temple, inhaling deeply like he was breathing me in, before lifting his head.Only then did he acknowledge Lucy.“Hey, Lu.”
She smirked.“Hi.Did you get everything sorted?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw for a moment.“Mostly.”
“Interesting,” she commented, taking a sip of her coffee.
Mason focused on me once again.“Any issues getting here?I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here sooner.My meeting ran longer than anticipated.I should have been here when you arrived.”His jaw clenched hard for a short beat before he forcibly relaxed it.“No, I never should have left you this morning.”
Without conscious thought, I grasped his hand.Once we were touching, he visibly relaxed.I loved when that happened, when I had visual proof that my presence brought him comfort.It was an endorphin high that I couldn’t get anywhere else.Seeing and understanding that I was someone important enough, special enough, for Mason Stevenson.
“You’ve put your life on pause for me all week, Mason.There was eventually going to come a time when you had to leave the perfect little bubble you created for me.”
“No, don’t do that,” he said, an edge in his tone.“Nothing was put on pause because of you.”
He crouched down in front of me, even though he could have just sat on the couch beside me.“Fuck, beautiful girl.You’re the reason the play button was finally engaged for me.Everything started moving, working, falling into place the moment I saw you.”
Emotions choked me as the room disappeared, my focus, my life, narrowing to only Mason.When he said sweet things like that, in that deep, no-nonsense voice that curled around me like a physical caress, it was impossible not to believe he meant it.
As I struggled to find words, all I could do was stare at this man, no doubt with stars in my eyes.Before I could clear my throat, the door opened again, and Harper entered with her husband only a step behind.
Heat instantly filled my cheeks when I noticed how flushed Harper’s face was.She fluffed her hair, trying to finger-comb it into something less wild.Her top was haphazardly buttoned halfway down, her skirt slightly higher up one thigh than the other.Meanwhile, Shane was fully composed, dressed in well-worn jeans and a plain black T-shirt with a baseball cap turned backward on his head.
“Hey!Sorry for the delay.”Harper’s cheeks were practically flaming.“We lost track of time.”
“Typical,” Mason said dryly.“Let’s at least get this set up before you two disappear.Again.”
Lucy snickered and finished her coffee.“In anticipation of that, I have already gotten everything ready.We’ve just been waiting on you guys.”Standing, she waved Harper over, and Shane moved across the room to take a seat, not joining us but not excusing himself either.
“Pretend I’m not here,” he said, lifting a few papers to skim.“I’m not needed.Yet.”
“Harper, the angle will be better for you here.Sutton, stay exactly where you are.Mason, once you’re ready, your camera and other gear are in the corner.”Lucy fussed over us, mostly Harper, until she was positioned perfectly, while Mason walked over to the huge trunks in the corner and began extracting a camera with multiple lenses.
I tried to listen carefully, but Mason distracted me.Not watching him was impossible.How he moved with such confidence as he switched out lenses, snapped a few pictures to test lighting at different angles and then turned on a lamp when he didn’t get the desired effect.How he kept glancing at me with a half smirk on his face that I wanted to taste.
During the few times I could glance away from him, my gaze would land on the cello case.My fingers itched to open it, curiosity gnawing at me so hard that I forced myself to look away from it.Only to go straight back to Mason.
Finally, Lucy had Harper in order, including the button issue with her top.
