No matter how angry or upset I am with Mason, he deserves to be happy. He needs Jack to step up. Like he promised.
A knock at my door rips me from my thoughts and I groan under my breath. This better not be my neighbors goddamn caroling because I am not in the mood for that. “I’m sorry, I’m—” I pause, finding Mason on the threshold, his eyes red, his wispy hair mussed like he hasn’t stopped running a hand through it since the moment I left.
“Mason?” My heart skips and I almost curse it out loud.Stupid little muscle betraying my head.I stand tall, my stare cold.“What are you doing here?”
Mason’s eyes widen before his expression hardens and I see the asshole version I first met. “What do you think I’m doing? I’m here for a fight.”
“A fight?” I rear back, shocked. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that I didn’t take you for the type to run away, instead of calling someone out on their shit.”
“Oh, right.” I fold my arms over my chest, playing the part of someone that’s not struggling to breathe at this very moment. “I forgot you know me so well.” The venom in my tone hits, and I’m proud of myself for holding on to the fire when I thought it had left me.
Mason scoffs, but there’s a slight waver in his voice. “I didn’t get that from the letters, Jenna. I got that fromyou. It was obvious from the moment we met.”
The fight leaves me and my stomach sinks. “That may be true, but what’s the point? You live in Australia; I live here. We only had twenty-four hours left anyway, and that time is up.”
“Actually, it’s not. I have an hour left.” He holds up his watch and I foolishly check it for myself, my heart jumping when I see that he’s right. Though it shouldn’t matter.
“It’s too late, Mason.” I stand firm while emotion threatens to clog my throat. “You’re off the hook. I’m okay. It was a fun little vacay. Now, it’s over.”
I try to close the door before I shatter, but he slams his palm against the wood, his broken expression ripping my heart out of my chest. “I don’t want to be let off the hook. I came here to apologise. To beg for forgiveness. Because I fucked up. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the apology. But it’s not necessary. It’s—”
“Jenna, stop.” His booming voice startles me and I rush to pull him inside, not wanting the neighbors to come out.
“Mason, what—”
“For one, I haven’t actually said sorry yet, so your thanks are premature. And two, the fact that you’re brushing this off only proves how much you’re hurting.”
“Oh, please.” I sneer, ignoring the way my pulse races. “It was a few days and—”
“Don’t do that. I may not know what I feel but I have never felt this strongly. And I know you feel the same. There was something between us, Jenna. Thereissomething between us. You can hate me for what I did, but you can’t deny that you also like me.”
His words sting, but as true as they are, it’s too late. “Whatever I felt… It’s not enough. You had me at a disadvantage. I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing. You should go.”
“You’re not going to let me explain?”
“There’s no need.”And I’m not sure my heart can take it.
“That’s not a no.”
“Mason—”
“I first read your letters because Jack begged me to. He was going through a rough patch. Barely coping with day-to-day activities.”
I frown, confused. “I wish I’d known he was hurting. But that doesn’t make sense. Why would he need you to read them?”
Mason runs his hands down his face, blowing out a shaky breath. “Because he wanted me to respond. On his behalf.”
“What?” I rear back as my entire body tenses. “You wrote to me?”
“I did.”
“When? How many? Why?”
“I’m not sure how many exactly, but it happened more often than I’d care to admit and—”
