desertion

163

LYDIA

It was early afternoon when I walked into the office, and the sun was shining brightly through the windows. I could feel the energy in the air, a buzz that hadn't been there for a while. Mason was already sitting at his desk, his feet propped up on the chair in front of him, his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. For once, things felt... normal. Like we were getting back to the groove of things.

"Hey," I greeted him, my voice light as I tossed my bag onto my desk.

Mason looked up, grinning widely. "You're late," he teased. "I already cracked half the case. How much time do you think you have to catch up?"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. "I'm going to beat you today," I said confidently, walking over to him. "You're not getting ahead this time."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Yeah, right. What, you've got a secret plan? A hidden genius strategy?"

"Obviously," I said, sitting down at my desk. "You'll see. I've been doing some thinking."

We both dug into the case, the familiar rhythm taking over. There was something soothing about working with Mason. The way our minds clicked together, like we didn't even have to speak to know what the other was thinking. I couldn't explain it, but it felt... right. We worked well together-always had, always would.

I was flipping through a file when Mason suddenly spoke up, his voice casual but with a grin that I could practically hear. "You're not even close to beating me. I've already found the connection."

I couldn't help but laugh, even though I knew I was in the middle of a page-turner. "Really?" I asked, feigning surprise. "You're just that good, huh?"

"Obviously," he replied, his tone smug. "You should just accept it. I'm the superior detective in this duo."

"Well, we'll see about that," I shot back. "There's still time left. You might get too cocky and mess up."

He threw a playful glance in my direction, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll just wait for you to catch up, then."

As I continued reading through the case notes, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were on the verge of something big. We were making progress. Not just in our cases, but in our lives. Schoolwork was going well-both of us were managing to stay on top of assignments, which felt like a small victory after everything that had happened. The department was starting to trust us again, even if they had limited our fieldwork. But that was okay. Mason and I were good at what we did. We didn't need to be in the field to make a difference.

I still had flashbacks to that night-the night I was attacked. The sounds, the feeling of being helpless, the overwhelming fear. Sometimes, it would creep into my mind, especially when I was alone or when things got too quiet. But for the most part, I had learned to push it aside. I wasn't going to let it control me. I couldn't. Life was too short, too precious. I was stronger than that. And Mason, well, he was my rock. No matter what I went through, I knew he was there, beside me.

"Alright, alright," I said, closing the file I'd been reading through and giving Mason a sideways glance. "What's your big breakthrough? Let me in on it."

He raised his hands in mock defense. "Patience, detective," he said, laughing. "I don't just give away my secrets that easily."

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "I'll figure it out. I always do."

He chuckled and leaned forward, typing something on his laptop. "Alright, fine. You've got me curious now."

I watched him, my gaze softening for a moment. There was something about the way Mason held himself that always put me at ease. It didn't matter how crazy things got, how much pressure we were under-he always knew how to make me feel better. Sometimes with just a word, or a glance. It was almost like he was a reflection of my own thoughts.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice quiet. He was looking at me now, eyes searching mine like he always did when something was on my mind.

I nodded quickly, brushing off the wave of unease that had crossed me. "Yeah, just... thinking. You know how it is."

He studied me for a moment before nodding, like he understood. He didn't need me to explain everything. "I get it. But hey, we're doing well. You're doing well."

I smiled faintly, feeling a warmth spread in my chest. "Thanks, Mason. Really."

He flashed me a grin before turning back to the case. "Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's finish this case, then we can get to the fun part."

I raised an eyebrow. "Fun part? What are you talking about?"

"Food," he said, his grin widening. "I'm starving. After we solve this, we're getting pizza. My treat."

I couldn't help but laugh, my chest lightening. "You? Treating me? I'll believe it when I see it."

"Oh, you will," he said with a wink. "I'm feeling generous today."

For the next few hours, we worked in sync. Mason was scanning through the details on his laptop while I was piecing together the paper trail in front of me. It felt like we were getting closer with every passing minute, every clue we uncovered. Our minds worked like two halves of the same puzzle-where I lacked, Mason picked up, and vice versa. It was easy, almost effortless.

"You're gonna love this," Mason said, his voice full of satisfaction. "I just cross-referenced a couple of the witness statements with the timeline we have, and I think we've found the link to the missing piece."

I looked up from my papers, excitement building in my chest. "Wait, really? You're sure?"

"Definitely," he said, his voice laced with confidence. "This is it."

We spent the next few hours working on the final pieces of the case, double-checking everything to make sure we didn't miss anything. When it was finally done, we sat back in our chairs, a satisfied silence settling between us. I leaned back and stretched, my arms above my head.

"That's it," I said, letting out a sigh of relief. "We did it."

Mason stretched too, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "Told you I'd win."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I'll give you this one. But next time? I'm getting ahead."

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with that familiar challenge. "We'll see about that."

I couldn't help but laugh, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. The weight of everything-the attack, the stress, the pressure-had melted away. In this moment, with Mason by my side, it felt like we could take on the world.

"We're good at this," I said quietly, more to myself than to him. "I'm glad we're back in the game."

Mason's expression softened, and he met my gaze, his smile warm and reassuring. "Yeah. We are. And nothing's gonna stop us."

I believed him. We were a team, and nothing could tear us apart. No matter what came next, we'd face it together.