Chase wondered if Mason always went fast or if he was just going fast to impress him.
Birds leapt into the air from the high grasses alongside the path. Buck and deer scattered into the woods. Mason called out, singing his delight. A thrill raced through Chase, one he knew was more from being close to Mason than the ride. He felt guilty for how he felt—for how much fun he was having—and he wasn’t sure why, but he just hoped Mason wouldn’t catch on.
Mason hit a few bumps so fast that the four-wheeler bounced into the air, which only heightened Chase’s excitement even more.
Mason finally came to a stop beside a pond in the woods and dismounted the four-wheeler.
“Just need a quick break, and then we’ll head back to the shed,” he said.
“That’s fine.” Chase’s body trembled as adrenaline coursed through his veins.
Mason looked like he’d had just as much fun. He turned to Chase and stared in silence.
“Why you got that strange look in your eyes?” Chase asked.
“What strange look?”
Chase couldn’t pin it down, but there was something odd about the way Mason looked at him. Maybe Chase wasn’t used to seeing anyone so happy because his parents sure never looked like that, and they definitely never would have looked at him as long as Mason had. But whatever the reason, Chase said, “You have a nice face. You have a girlfriend?”
Mason must have had one. He was an attractive guy, even though his cheeks were sunburnt and his cowlick kept the hair in the back of his head sticking up.
Mason shook his head, and Chase wasn’t sure why, but he was glad.
“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I never really thought about it. Not a lot of my friends have them either.”
“You’re a funny kid.”
“Why do you think I’m funny?”
“You’re real quiet, like you’re shy about something.”
“I’m not shy.”
“You wanna be my friend? I don’t have too many of those, but I like you, so if you want, we can do that, right?”
Mason nodded.
“Why you being quiet still? Don’t you want to be my friend?”
“I’ve just never had anyone ask me like that before.”
“Did I do it wrong?” Chase asked, thinking that since he didn’t have too many friends, that probably wasn’t the way to approach it.
“I guess not. But I’ll be your friend.”
Chase beamed. “Good. Do we get to ride back to the shed?”
Mason smiled. His expression filled Chase with that same sensation like when he had his arms around him on the four-wheeler.
He couldn’t remember having felt so happy before.
IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO TAKE THE FOUR-WHEELER OUT,CHASEknew that much.
It would bring back memories of racing across the fields and through the paths in the woods—memories of when he would have his arms around Mason and Mason would have his arms around him.
“There’s only one,” Chase said as he glanced around the shed.
