Chapter 14
Mason
The mental exhaustion from the last two days caught up with me somewhere over Newfoundland. Thomas was seated directly across the aisle on our flight, working on his laptop. More than once, he glanced over to check on me. His expression was serious as he worked. He slid on reading glasses that made him look impossibly hot. We’d both left our cabin doors open to talk. Unfortunately, my exhaustion caught up to me after dinner when the captain dimmed the lights, settling everyone in for the evening.
Leaning forward, I spoke to him. “I’m gonna try to sleep.”
Thomas glanced at me over the rim of his glasses. “Yeah. That’s a good idea. Sleep well.”
I gestured toward his computer. “Are you going to work much longer?” After the words were out of my mouth, I heard what they sounded like. “I mean, you should rest too. I’m sure you didn’t get much sleep in bed with me last night.”My god, I needed to shut up.I closed my eyes and wiped my hand over my face. Sighing, I looked back at him. “I’m tired. You know what I meant.”
He smirked, trying not to smile. “I know what you meant, and I got enough sleep.” He motioned for me to lean closer. “Are you aware that you’re a cuddler?”
My brow furrowed as my face heated to habanero pepper hot. “What are you talking about?”
“You like to cuddle when you sleep. I stopped pushing you away because if I hadn’t, I would have been wrestling with you all night. And you’re a talker.”
My eyes widened. “I don’t remember that. At all. You should have gotten up and gone to your room.” Reaching up, I squeezed his bicep. “Huh. I must have mistaken you for a soft, squishy pillow. You should probably firm up a little more so that doesn’t happen again.”
Boo yah! I was proud of myself.
Thomas pursed his lips as he acknowledged my quick wit, even with a tired brain. His smile was enough for me to consider myself the winner, until he had the last word. “Be a good boy for Daddy and go to sleep.”
He turned away, refusing to look at me, and went back to work on his laptop. I watched and waited for his smile to dissolve. When it stayed in place, I gave up and reclined my seat. My smile didn’t fade either until my brain exploded over ‘good boy’ and chose that moment to remind me of the things I’d said to him while inebriated. Mortified again, I covered my face with my pillow, just as Thomas’s laughter drifted across the aisle. Trying not to uncover my face, I reached across my body to close the door. When I couldn’t find the button, Agent Helpful got up and came to the rescue.
Tugging it off my face, he grinned at me. “Get some sleep, Mason. It’s going to be okay. I promise.” Handing me the pillow, he closed the door and went back to his seat. I tried not to overthink, but that was impossible with Thomas so close by.
A few hours later, a soft knock sounded on the door. Opening my eyes, I glanced up at the flight tracker on the screen to find we were close to the mainland. I sat up as Thomas called my name. “Mason? It’s time for breakfast.”
Opening the door, I found my friend moving back to his seat. “Thanks for waking me. I was out.” I yawned and shook my head to wake myself up.
“You needed the rest. And a cup of coffee will help with that. It should be here soon.” I watched as he stowed his laptop in his bag, then turned to me. “You okay?”
Scrubbing my hands over my face, I nodded. “Yeah. Just waiting for the panic to set in. Should be any moment now.”
Thomas shifted toward me. “Talk to me. What are you concerned about?”
I sighed. “Maybe showing up out of the blue is a mistake. If some rando came to my door, I wouldn’t like it. ‘Hey, Axel, you don’t know me, but I’m your twin brother from America.’” The moment his mouth tipped up, I rolled my eyes and groaned.
Thomas chuckled. “Mason, I don’t think you’re gonna have to explain who you are. It’s obvious if the pictures are any indication.”
I put my head back and looked at the ceiling. “I’m an idiot. But you know what I mean.”
His soft, familiar chuckle did things to me. “I do. And you’re not an idiot. You’re stressed. Why don’t you walk a little? It might help.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Taking his advice, I got up and stretched, then moved to the bathroom. When I returned, my food was waiting, along with two cups of coffee. I glanced over at Thomas before taking my seat.
“Feel better?”
“Yes.” Spreading my napkin across my lap, I looked over at him. “You didn’t have to give me your coffee.”
He shrugged as I took a sip. “I’ll get more later.”
Picking up my fork, I dug into my traditional English breakfast as Thomas filled me in on our plan. “We’re going to check into the vacation rental, then get some sleep. I found one close to where he lives, so when we meet him, you’ll be close. Or he can come to us. When you’re ready, we’ll reach out.”
I pushed around the eggs on my plate. “What if he doesn’t want to see me? What do we do then? And what about my…” It was almost difficult to say it. “My mother.”
Thomas reached across the aisle with his hand to grip my arm. It was crazy how his touch could settle the unease that consumed me. “I need you to stop worrying. I don’t think that’s going to happen. Would you turn him away if he came to you?”
