The tight sound in his throat makes me glance at him. He’s staring. Because right there, nestled beside my notebooks and botany identification guides, is a bag of Smarties.
“You… bought Smarties?” he asks, brow furrowed. His voice wavers, and for a second, I think he’s going to cry.
I shrug, heat crawling up my neck. “Um, yeah. Not a big deal. I got them months ago, when I was still in Claremont Shores… just in case you needed them.”
His eyes lock on mine like I’ve just knocked the wind out of him. He doesn’t say a word—just tears open a pack and crunches through the sugar tablets, loud and desperate, his gaze never leaving mine. And I can’t look away either.
“You okay?” I ask softly, running my palm over his thigh.
“Yes,” he says, but his voice comes out timid, scared. It doesn’t sound like him.
I brush a hand over his knee. “Come here. Let me hold you while we wait for your blood sugar to bounce back.”
I wrap my arm around him, pulling him in. He folds against me, heart hammering fast against my chest.
“You sure you’re alright?” I whisper. “I can feel your heart racing. Want me to grab another roll?”
He shakes his head, swallowing hard. “No. Smarties won’t fix this.”
My brows pinch. “Won’t fix what?”
He cups my face suddenly, his hands trembling but gentle, like he’s afraid I’ll break. His thumb skims my cheek, and my whole body goes still under his touch.
I can see the truth in his eyes before it leaves his lips.
“I love you, Hunter.”
My brain short-circuits. For a second, I can’t even breathe. Did he really just say that?
I blink at him, stunned silent, my own heart slamming painfully against my ribs.
His throat bobs. “Hunter, please… say something.”
The panic in his eyes snaps me back to reality. “I—” My voice cracks as the words tumble out. “I love you too.”
The air between us shifts. Mason lets out this shaky laugh, relief pouring out of him. It makes me laugh, too, and then we’re kissing again—messy, smiling against each other’s mouths. The taste of candy still lingers on his tongue.
When we finally break apart, breathless, he cups my cheek, his fingers still trembling. “So… does this mean you want to be my boyfriend?”
I grin, my chest overflowing. “Yes.”
He lets out a shaky exhale. “Thank God.”
I laugh, swiping at my damp eyes. “Holy shit. I definitely didn’t expect this tonight,” I admit, still breathless. “You’re unbelievable.”
“So are you,” he murmurs, brushing away my tears with his knuckles. “God, I can’t wait to date you.”
“Me too.”
He laces his fingers through mine, squeezing gently. “We’ll have to figure out the distance—at least until I re-enroll and move back next year.”
I brush my nose against his. “We can still see each other on weekends.”
He nods, though his expression wavers with apprehension. “And we’ll text and call all the time, right?”
“Of course.”
His shoulders ease as a soft smile curves his lips. In the quiet that follows, it feels as though something tender has taken root—bright, fragile, and ours.
