I grab my Peanut Butter Chia drink, the cup warm against my palm as I glance over at Mason. He’s got his black coffee in hand, gripping it like it’s the only thing keeping him grounded. His green eyes stay locked on me, steady and searching, and I feel my lips twitch into a grin before I can stop them.
“So, black coffee, huh?” I say, letting the teasing slip into my tone. “Straightforward, no-nonsense. I guess that checks out.”
Mason’s lips tug at the corners, not quite a smile, but close enough to make my chest tighten. He doesn’t say much, just follows me to the booth I pick out, sliding into the seat across from me with a slow, deliberate ease. There’s a cautious energy about him, like he’s waiting for something, but I don’t let it throw me off.
I take a sip of my drink, letting the sweet, nutty flavor settle on my tongue as I lean back and give him a once-over. He watches me like he’s trying to figure me out, but I’m not about to make it easy for him.
“You don’t really fit the whole bad boy image, you know,” I say, the corner of my mouth curving up just enough to be provocative. “Figured you’d be a bit more...dangerous.”
His eyebrow quirks up, and he takes a slow sip of his coffee, his gaze still locked on mine. “You mean like a guy who doesn’t know how to act around pretty boys?”
There it is again.Pretty boy.The way he says it feels like a test, and I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.
“Is that what I am to you?” I ask, letting my voice drop just a little. “Just a pretty face?”
Mason sets his coffee down, his green eyes narrowing—not with judgment, but with a flicker of curiosity. “I don’t know,” he says, voice steady, probing. “Are you just using that smile to deflect, or is there more to it?”
The question makes me pause, caught off guard by the directness. For a moment, the tension from earlier buzzes under my skin, too close to the surface. But I push it down, leaning into what I know best. I flash him a grin, all charm and no cracks. “What if I told you it works on everyone?”
His lips twitch, teasing the edge of a smile, but he doesn’t quite let it out. “Maybe I’m not everyone.”
I lean forward slightly, letting my fingers trail the rim of my cup. “You sure about that?”
He shifts in his seat, the movement slight but deliberate. His eyes flick down, lingering on my mouth for a fraction of a second before meeting mine again. Something unspoken passes between us, but instead of leaning into it, he takes another slow sip of his coffee, his expression unreadable.
“Look, Chad,” he says, and there’s something softer in his voice now, something I’m not ready for. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but... are you okay? Really?”
The words hit like a punch I wasn’t braced for. My chest tightens, and for once, the snark I keep locked and loadeddoesn’t come. I didn’t expect him to ask. Hell, I didn’t expect him to care.
“I’m fine,” I manage, but the words come too quick, too rehearsed. “Just needed a break from… everything.”
Mason leans back, watching me like he’s piecing together a puzzle I didn’t mean to put on display. His gaze is steady, warm in a way that makes me want to fidget, and I can tell he doesn’t believe me.
“Alright,” he says finally, the word drawn out like he’s testing it. “But if you ever wanna talk, I’m not gonna be that guy who pretends he doesn’t notice.”
The sincerity in his tone catches me off guard, and for a second, I don’t know what to say. He’s been treating me like a walking red flag since we met, like I’m going to hurt Lakelyn or leave her in pieces. But now, this feels... different. He’s looking at me differently, and it throws me, more than I want to admit.
CHAPTER 16
Mason
Chad snaps his mouth shut,that pouty smile fading as his dark eyes seem to deepen, pulling me in. It’s like he’s not used to kindness, not the kind without strings attached. And maybe it’s my own baggage talking, but something about that stings more than it should. A part of me wants to smother him in so much care that he’d never have to question it again.
Geez, projecting much?
But now that I’ve seen past the armor, I can’t unsee it. There’s more to him than I expected, and it’s messing with me. Dee was right—imagine that.
I watch as he takes a sip of his peanut butter concoction, his lashes casting shadows over his cheekbones. His expression flickers—there and gone too fast to pin down—before he glances away. He’s not the guy I thought he was. He’s not some shallow social climber. He’s layered. Complicated. And it’s starting to mess with my head.
Because I’m drawn to him. Not just the way he looks—though, yeah, he’s got the kind of face that could stop traffic. It’s more than that. It’s the way he hides behind that practiced smile,using charm to keep people from getting too close. I know that move. Hell, I’ve played that game.
“You really love those peanut butter drinks, huh?” I say, nudging his foot under the table, keeping my tone light.
His eyes flick to mine, guarded at first, but then something shifts. His shoulders drop just a little. “What can I say? I have good taste.”
“Yeah, I bet you do.” My voice dips, just enough to make it playful but not too obvious. I don’t even know why I’m doing it. Maybe because I want to see him smile—really smile, not that fake grin he throws around like a shield.
He raises a brow, his lips quirking up at the edges. “Is that your way of saying you don’t?”
