Resigned he puts his hands up, he drops his head," I know Canim. But that doesn't change anything. I promise I'll deal with Ava and her father. Now, I'm more incentivised than ever. I have you," He gives me a charming smile, one that I haven't seen in a very long time. A reminder of how much I've missed this side of him.
" I'll deal with Ashley," I say under my breath, peering at him from behind my lashes to see his reaction.
He cocks his head to the side, cautiously eyeing me," When you say deal with Ashley, I hope you mean breaking the sad news that you are not interested in his sappy idealism of love. Because he still thinks that all that flies is good to eat." There is an edge to his voice that has yet to be directed at me, but I've seen him use it against others.
" That depends," I smirk and he frowns.
" On what, Canim?"
" On how well, you behave," I give him a beaming smile, jump off the bed and leg it to the bathroom.
I can hear him pounding the floor behind me with his heavy footfall, but as soon as I'm in the bathroom, I close the door behind me and lock it.
" For your own good and the sake of my sanity, I hope you're joking," He shouts from the other side of the door. I can't help but laugh while I turn on the shower, and take a moment to peek at myself in the mirror. God, I look awful.
" What on earth are you doing?" I hear Graham laugh, while Mason makes some sorry excuse for being ass naked in front of the bathroom door.
Laughing, I allow myself the luxury of looking at myself in the mirror.
Never mind the wild hair that is sticking out in seventy different directions or the fact that I'm covered in light bruises and teeth marks. Other than that, I look happy, the most idiotic grin splitting on my lips, and quite frankly, I am glowing. Brimming with happiness, I feel lighter than I have felt in years. I sound like I'm hundreds of years old, even though I'm only twenty. Sometimes, I do feel older than I look.
When the bathroom quickly fogs up with steam from the shower, I finally hop in to wash the sticky sweat off my skin and any trace of Mason.
I'm quick because there is much to hash out and I don't want to waste another minute, pointlessly.
Opening the door, I'm greeted by Mason leaning against the door frame, smiling broadly, with a flower between his teeth. Also, still butt naked.
Oh, the confidence that these men have when they are nothing but a bunch of hairless monkeys.
But this one in particular happens to have my heart in the palm of his hand, so he gets a free pass.
Plucking the flower from his mouth," Thank you. You didn't have to bring me flowers," I bite my lip, trying to contain the smile spreading on my lips.
" Firstly, they are my flowers since he just plucked it from one of the plants growing in my house," Graham interjects, making me laugh.
" It's the thought that counts," Mason says loud enough for Graham to hear him, but the shy smile playing on his lips, says otherwise.
Mason takes the flower out of my hand and slides it behind my ear, his touch is delicate as if I'll break if his fingers press a little deeper on my skin" It's Forget Me Not," He says quietly, " I wish they would name a flower ' You belong with me ' so I can plant a whole fucking field of them and bring you each day a bouquet," The softness of his gaze, makes my cynical side take a step back. I've expected many things from Mason, but his being sweet, and romantic makes things a lot harder to bear if things between go tits up.
" They won't," He reassures me, leaning in to tenderly place a kiss on my forehead. I revel in the softness of his lips on my skin. He has done it a lot since he dragged me into his bed and as much as I love the sweet gestures, they also confuse me, a little bit. We stand on the ground so shaky, that I can see the gapping crevices opening right in front of my eyes.
Sensing the unease, Mason pulls me into his arms and rests his chin on my shoulder.
Cheek to cheek, the day-old stubble grazes against my skin in the most comforting way. I missed him so much, that I can barely manage to find the words to express the feelings I have buried so deep for so long, it is overwhelming.
A tear slips down my cheek, my emotions finally catching up with the reality. In an attempt to comfort me, Mason squeezes me harder," I know, Canim. I'm sorry," He mumbles in the crook of my neck and takes a sharp inhale," Promise that whatever comes our way we fight it together. Never run away from me, Canim. I'll be right by your side. I need you to trust me," He says softly and weirdly it is quite hilarious that he is saying those things, being so exposed. I suppose is quite poetic.
Stifling a sob, I nod because there isn't much else I can do without sobbing like a child. As we reach maturity, we outgrow many of the personality traits that have followed us from childhood to adulthood. For me, crying like a baby has stuck around.
" I'll fix this...I promise. In the meantime, hold on for me...for us. I know what I want, and I'll fight for us," He kisses my temple, while I swallow an incoming sob.
I'm terrible when it comes to love declarations and Mason won't stop professing his love for me.
" You owe me, a year's worth of kisses, hugs, mornings with you...a year's worth of loving memories. We owe each other a lot, Canim. And I intend on collecting that debt in full and with interest," He slowly pulls away from the embrace to look at me, with glassy eyes shining in the afternoon light like two stars reflecting the moonlight sky.
I'm at a loss for words, my gaze locked with his unable to formulate a coherent response to a man who is promising to give all I ever wanted.
Clumsily, I wipe my tears with the back of my hand, regaining some control over the ocean of emotions I'm drowning in.
Mason had always been reserved with his emotions, always kept his cards close to his heart, and now he is giving me a peek, and I'm not sure that is enough to satisfy the monster inside me. A monster that is screaming for more, that has been deprived of all of this and now I'm finding that it is insatiable.
Mason gives me an easy smile," Oh, Canim," His brows lightly furrow," I have one too, much more voracious than yours," He gently slides his hand up my arm to my cheek.
Among many other things that render me speechless is the sincerity in his eyes.
" I need to have a shower and get dressed. We will talk some more once I'm decent. Maybe you'll stop calling me a monkey," He smirks, pressing a fleeting kiss on my lips and walks into the bathroom.