desertion

170

LYDIA

The drive back to the station felt longer than usual. Mason and Officer Darden discussed the case the entire time, tossing around theories, revisiting details, and brainstorming what to do next. I barely said a word, nodding here and there to seem engaged, but my mind was miles away.

By the time we were back at the station, the weight of Mason's excitement mixed with my own guilt. This case mattered so much to him. I couldn't ruin it.

We walked into our office, and Mason shut the door behind us, tossing the case file onto the desk. His energy was still high, a grin on his face as he shrugged off his jacket.

"Alright," he said, dropping into his chair and swiveling toward me. "What's up with you today?"

I froze mid-step, my hand still on the strap of my bag. "What do you mean?"

He raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "You've been... off. Quiet. I mean, quieter than usual. You're not like that when we're working a case."

I forced a small laugh, walking to my desk and setting my bag down. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine."

Mason wasn't buying it. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he studied me. "Lydia, you're lying."

I flinched at his words, my shoulders tensing. He was too observant for his own good.

"I'm not lying," I said softly, avoiding his gaze.

He let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "You're terrible at lying, you know that? You're fidgeting with your sleeve, you won't look at me... Come on, Lyds. Just tell me what's going on."

I bit my lip, my mind racing for something-anything-I could say. The truth wasn't an option. I couldn't burden him with my own fears, not when this case was so important to him.

"It's nothing," I said finally, sitting down at my desk. "I just... got into an argument with my dad this morning."

Mason frowned, his arms dropping to his sides as he leaned forward again. "An argument? About what?"

I hesitated, wringing my hands in my lap. "I don't even remember," I lied, keeping my voice steady. "It was stupid. Something about me spending too much time at work and not enough time at home."

Mason tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. "That doesn't sound like Eddie. He's always been supportive of you being here."

I forced a shrug, pretending to focus on a paper in front of me. "Yeah, well... I guess he was just in a mood. It happens."

Mason didn't say anything for a moment, and I could feel his gaze on me, analyzing, searching for cracks in my story. I kept my head down, hoping he'd let it go.

"Lydia," he said softly, his voice pulling my attention. "You don't have to lie to me."

I looked up at him, my chest tightening. "I'm not lying," I said, hating the way my voice wavered.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But you don't have to pretend everything's okay when it's not."

I swallowed hard, guilt twisting in my stomach. He deserved the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"I'm fine, Mason," I said, offering him a weak smile. "Really. It's just... been a long day."

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push me further. Instead, he stood up and walked over to me, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Alright," he said quietly. "But if you ever want to talk, you know I'm here, right?"

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking back to his desk. "So," he said, his tone lighter now. "Let's talk about this case. What's our next move?"

I forced myself to focus, to push my own feelings aside and dive into the work. Mason needed me to be present, to be his partner, and I wasn't going to let him down.

As we brainstormed and pieced together the details, I felt a little more like myself. Mason's enthusiasm was contagious, and for a moment, I almost forgot about the fear lingering in the back of my mind.

But even as we laughed and exchanged ideas, the guilt stayed with me. Because no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew Mason deserved better than lies.