No more Nate today.
A sudden knock at my bedroom door scares the living daylight out of me.
I freeze, looking around my tiny room for a place to hide. Both my parents are at work, and I should be alone.
But the knock…it’s familiar.
“Mase?”
“Yeah. Unlock your door, and give me your big bro a hug.”
I jump off the bed and quickly unlock the door, and without even looking at him, I fling my body into his.
His arms tighten around me, and I’ve been so wrapped up in Nate that I haven’t realized how much I’ve missed him.
This is exactly what I needed today.
“What are you doing here?” I cry.
He pulls back and frowns when he sees the devastation on my face.
“What’s going on?”
I shrug, embarrassed. Mase won’t understand.
Situations like this are exactly why Mase is single and probably always will be.
He has zero tolerance for drama or complications.
“Why are you here?” I evade the question.
He gives me a knowing look but, luckily, lets it slide. “Why do you think? I wanted to celebrate…or commiserate with you.”
“It better be to celebrate. But I didn’t open it yet.”
He looks at the unopened envelope on my bed. “Good. Don’t open it yet. Meet me downstairs in five, and bring the envelope.”
“Why are we driving all the way to Atlanta?”
“Because I’m not in the mood to run into people I know,” Mason says, his grip tightening on the wheel. “Too many questions about school. I just wanna hang out with you.”
We rarely drive this far, but when Mase was living at home, and I was having a bad day, he would drive me all the way to Atlanta just to get away.
There’s a small café in Buckhead that we love, and it became our place.
It’s a two-hour drive, and instead of feeling excited, nervous, or anything about my letter, I find myself staring out the window of Mason’s rental car as the unfamiliar streets blur past, my mind on Nate, even though I know I should focus on what’s important.
Mason.
He’s here for me…no one else.
“I’m proud of you, by the way.” I turn my head toward Mase. “You might not have gotten as far as you wanted, but you had an incredible season. Your defensive line, on the other hand…”
He groans, “I don’t even want to talk about it. Did you see Sanderson transferred to Ohio?—”
“Yup.”
“And Coleman to California.”
