Living With Mr Mysterious

Chapter Seven - Coffee and Conversations

Coffee and Conversations

"And it's been relatively un-Mason-eventful ever since," I said to Fi while we sipped coffee at our little hangout. I had told her about recent events concerning Mase, excluding of course the cutting and his awful past. I'd promised I wouldn't tell.

"That sounds really nice," Fi commented. "You complain about him all the time!" she laughed.

I chuckled lightly. It was true that I moaned about Mase a lot. But I didn't think that would be such an issue anymore.

After our coffees, Fi walked home with me and we played Gears of War for several hours. Finally, Fi went home and I tiredly headed up to bed.

However I hadn't been asleep long before I heard Mase. It had been almost two weeks since his last nightmare. Surely his bottle of sleeping pills should have lasted longer than that?

I bolted out of bed and next door. I shook Mason and he woke up quickly, gasping for breath and trembling.

We sat in silence together on his bed for a few moments while he calmed down. When I felt sure he was okay for now, I ducked downstairs to make two mugs of coffee, which I brought back up to his room. Dragging him out onto his balcony, we stood leaning against the railing and staring up at the stars.

"I'm sorry."

I frowned, facing Mase. "What are you sorry for?"

"I feel so weak and pathetic," he spat in disgust. Not with me, but with himself. "My life used to be so easy, so simple. Now it's a wreck and I let it be that way."

"Mason, don't say that," I whispered.

"No! Don't try to comfort me!" he yelled, throwing his now empty mug to the concrete floor of the balcony. It shattered, ceramic shards skittering off the edges. "If I'd done more, been kinder, my mum might not have killed herself! If I'd tried to stop her, she might still be here! Then so would Jasmine and my dad."

I was speechless. I had no idea that Mase blamed himself for his mother's actions. How could I have known? I barely knew Mason.

He turned to go back inside, but as he did so, he kicked one of the shards of ceramic on the floor. Bending down to pick it up, he held it in his hand silently. I watched as he stared at it intently and little prickle of worry formed in my mind. Setting my mug on the wide balcony rail, I reached out and took his hands in my own.

"Mase," I whispered, gazing intently into his bright blue eyes, "I'm always here for you. I know that I don't know you, but I don't care. If ever you want or need someone to talk to,  I will always listen."

Mason pulled me into his arms and I breathed his musky scent. He was warm and nuzzling my hair. "Lina," he murmured, running his hands up and down my back. "You know me better than anyone."

I lost my breath. As we stood there on his balcony at 4:00 am, I allowed my heart to beat faster and butterflies to swarm in my stomach. I allowed myself to crush on Mason Herald.

Hey guys! What do you think? In all honesty, this story will most likely end up being a short one, but I don't know yet. Next update most likely won't be for a while, since I don't have a chapter planned yet... I'm sorry! I still love you all! <3