Silence is what followed Alycia Reese's question.
She wants to know how he knows her address to take her home? Mason Kent is struggling to voice his response. A part of him is scared to answer her. Not to mention that he is always an honest person.
Lying is one of the things he hates the most!
Despite his inner struggles, Mason Kent finally decides to give an honest response when he notices the curious yet confused look Alycia Reese is giving him. Then he softly inhales before he responds, "I have known your address for a long time now, Miss Reese." Pausing a moment, he corrects himself by saying, "Years, in exact."
Raising her brows in confusion, Alycia Reese wonders what could the Colonel mean.
What is this strange response? And the atmosphere too!
Maybe Mason Kent manages to read her, he hesitantly explains, "Back then... I liked you, a lot." Trying his best to ignore the bewilderment he notices on her face, he forces a small smile and concludes, "You are my first love."
No words could explain the feeling Alycia Reese is feeling at the moment!
He liked her? Mason Kent did? She was his first love?!
Everything is so unexpected that it even sounds nonsense to her. And even if what he said was true, there was no way for her not to have a clue about it, right?
This thought immediately vanishes when one thing crosses her mind. The fact that even back then, her life revolved around Elliot McCall. She never paid much attention to other people around her.
"I think it makes sense that I know the residence of the woman I used to adore," Mason Kent speaks after a brief silence. "My curiosity should let me find out that much."
Though he is forcing a little smile so as not to make the atmosphere heavy, the Colonel is struggling a lot on the inside.
Who wouldn't after keeping quiet for 13 years and then coming it clean all of a sudden?
Nevertheless, how she would take the belated confession is what bothers Mason Kent more. She must be in too much shock!
Still, all he can do is wait.
"I'm sorry," Alycia Reese finally mutters when she realizes that she has been keeping quiet for more than a minute while the Colonel patiently waits. Briefly recalling how popular Mason Kent was in their school, she quietly adds, "We never talked to each other as you said and you never -"
"I have a lot of regrets because of that," Mason Kent interrupts before she can even finish her words. When she raises a brow, he shuts his eyes for what reason she does not know.
This is exactly what he is afraid of and by closing his eyes, Mason Kent is trying to pull himself out of it.
'Do not go any further,' he inwardly warns himself unbeknownst to her. If he were to take another step, he does not know if he would be able to handle the consequences!
"Mr. Kent."
Hearing her confusedly calling him, Mason Kent finally opens his eyes and pushes all his fears aside. "I lied to you just now, Miss Reese," he says and shakes his head. "No. I was honest in some part but not completely."
While Alycia Reese is wondering what he means, he finally continues by saying, "You are not just the woman I used to adore." Making a deliberate pause, he mutters, "You are someone I still adore, even as we speak."
He can't be serious, right? This is what first crosses Alycia's mind upon hearing the confession. This is Mason Kent after all. Someone whom she has known as just an acquaintance for more than a decade, someone who is her senior at school, and above all... someone who also serves in the army and also the direct superior of her ex-boyfriend!
This can't be happening!
"Mr. Kent, this is..." Her voice trails off as she is struggling for words to say. Still, she knows one thing for sure. It's the fact that she cannot accept his feelings but... she struggles to reject someone who sincerely confesses his feelings to her.
Yes, as much as she finds it hard to accept, she can feel the sincerity beneath his confession.
For someone like her who is always kind and considerate of others, she can't stop wondering how she might end up hurting him if she were to reject his confession right away! Not to mention that he seems to be a good person.
"I'm sorry," Mason Kent says to her as if he knew her mind. "I never want to put you in a difficult situation." He briefly narrows his eyes before he looks at her again and adds, "I once regret deeply for being a coward. Had I gotten another chance, I always wanted to give it a try. I mean, to stop being a coward and tell you all these."
Alycia Reese narrows her eyes once again as she is at a loss for words to say. Even after the breakup, Elliot is still the one in her heart. After 13 years, it's not possible to erase everything overnight but... that does not mean it is easy for her to reject the man in front of her.
From the call to their conversation until now and even those memories she recalled from the other night, Mason Kent is always respectful with his words and actions. Even as he confesses, she can tell how wary he is of her reaction and feelings. He cares for her and she can feel it.
"Do you know that Elliot broke up with me, Mr. Kent?" She rhetorically asks when his honesty and sincerity pressure her from the inside. As the question is a rhetorical one, she tries to continue right away but... she notices him nodding his head.
He knows about it? How?!
"I was outside the restaurant last night when I happened to overhear your conversation," Mason Kent carefully explains and mutters, "I'm sorry. I don't -"
"It's fine," Alycia Reese quietly interrupts and makes a deliberate pause before she hesitantly continues, "You know how long I dated Elliot but... we ended like that. I don't think I am ready to talk about this and even if I am... I don't think it should be another soldier."
Upon hearing the word 'soldier', Mason Kent's eyes flicker.
Why?
"My mother does not want me dating or associating with soldiers," Alycia honestly explains when she notices the Colonel's confusion. "Though I don't blame her, Elliot and I had a hard time because of it during our time together." She briefly recalls what Elliot had said to her the other night before she continued, "Elliot was not completely wrong last night. Dealing with my mother's disapproval was too much of a challenge for him."
The way she talks... she still cares a lot for someone who has just broken up with her and Mason Kent can tell this. In the past, whenever he saw the two together, he was reminded of the regret he felt when he first heard about their relationship years ago.
If he were not such a coward back then, would he be the one in her heart and not Elliot McCall? Whenever he saw how much she loved and cared for Elliot, he could not help but wish to be in his place!
After all, he liked her first. He liked her even before Elliot McCall did.....