Imposter

Chapter 43

"That hard look in your eyes is softer today," Alicia said. "Are you finally letting yourself be happy?"

It was early in the morning and everyone else was still in their cabins, sleeping. Jericho was the only one awake, throwing up over the edge of the ship.

Mason couldn't say he was upset over how seasick the viper happened to be.

"I don't know what you mean," he said, sitting down on the floor next to her bed.

Alicia smiled, like she knew a secret about him. "It's okay," she said. "You will one day."

Mason leaned his head back, closing his eyes and folding his hands in his lap. He tried not to think about the evening before.

Karel had replaced experience with something else entirely foreign to him, and he didn't know what it was. It was something better than experience, he thought.

Nothing else had happened between them. He wasn't sure if anything would happen again.

"What brings you to visit me today, Mason?" Alicia asked, patting her bed as an invite with her free hand.

Her other hand was cuffed to the headboard.

Mason shook his head. "Figured you might have a weird story to tell me."

She laughed. "Not today, I'm sorry." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, next to his shoulder. "Do you know where we're headed? I've never been on a boat before."

"It's not all that exciting."

"I wish I could see the view," she said wistfully. "Retha won't let me out."

"Fuck her," Mason said, jumping to his feet and pulling the key out of his pocket.

Alicia's eyes lit up. "She'll be mad."

"Fuck her," he repeated, meeting her eyes as he leaned over to unlock the cuffs.

Alicia's eyes were stuck on his, and she didn't pull back from his closeness.

"Most girls flinch when I get too close," Mason said, not moving. His head was right next to hers, one knee on the bed.

"I'm rarely scared of anything," Alicia said with a tiny shrug. "My brothers used to call my fearlessness stupidity."

"They're probably right." Mason angled his head slightly, glancing at her lips.

"But I don't think you have any desire to hurt me, Mason," she said. "Why would I be afraid of you?"

Mason stood up. "You told me to be my own man just the other day," he said. "The truth is, that's impossible. I could hurt you, and have absolutely no desire to."

"But then that's not you," she said. "That doesn't count."

"You say that now," he said.

"And I'll say it even when you break my heart," Alicia said with a mischievous grin.

He didn't break hearts. People would have to get attached to him for that to happen.

Mason led Alicia out of her cabin and up topside. When he let the hatch fall shut, she grabbed his hand in hers.

"It's beautiful," she breathed out, squeezing his hand.

Alicia peered over the edge of the boat before turning her gaze to him, smiling.

Her hand was warm and calloused, a stark contrast to his cold, smooth hand. He'd never had to do any manual labor.

Mason tugged his hand out of hers, wondering if she had noticed and what she thought of it.