Invisible

Invisible Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Any Hint

(Olivia)

I am completely drained. The emotional ups and downs of today have sapped my strength. Sitting on the back porch watching Dad throw baseballs to Mason, actually knowing where to throw them for once since he can see him now, makes me smile tiredly. It’s a small smile, though, as I try to sort through everything that has happened today.

By far, the biggest hurdle today has been not driving over to Robin’s house and beating the living daylight out of her. My fingers clench over the armrests of the deck chair. I breathe in slowly as Dad throws the ball back to Mason with a laugh. It hits smack in the middle of the glove. I smile again and relax my hands.

This…watching Mason interact with my family like he’s no different than us…it’s the only thing that has stopped me from killing Robin. I never knew playing catch could be so beautiful.

“Pretty awesome, right?” Evie asks as she plops down next to me.

“Amazing,” I say.

Evie grins as Dad throws a wild pitch and teases Mason for not catching it. Yesterday, he would have had no idea whether or not Mason was near enough to attempt catching the ball. They both laugh and Dad throws an arm around Mason before they step back and resume their game of catch.

“You were right about Mason,” Evie says. “He’s gorgeous.”

A few days ago, I would have been happy to gush over Mason. Today, my body tenses up. Hurt, confusion, and uncertainty swim through my mind. He said there was nothing going on between him and Robin, but he held her hand! He walked away from me. Why would he do that?

Noticing my reaction, Evie’s body stills. She sits quietly for a moment. I watch her bite the corner of her lip. Her fingers wind together. “Have you talked to Mason about it?” she asks.

I stare at her incredulously. “Why would I?”

“He might…he might have a reason for what he did.” Her head dips, as if she’s not convinced of what she’s saying. Well, neither am I!

“Nothing Mason can say will erase what he did.”

I expect anger to fill my voice, but I’m surprised to hear the words come out sounding defeated. An ache builds in my chest. I don’t want to be angry with Mason. I want him to take me in his arms and hold me, tell me all the insane events of the last few weeks will disappear if I just wish it hard enough. I don’t want to feel such intense pain every time I look at him, but I can’t let go of the hurt.

Evie shifts in her chair. Her eyes dart up to me before dropping again. “I think you should talk to him.”

“Yesterday, you were as pissed at him as I am. Why the change of heart? Just because you can see him now, it doesn’t change anything,” I argue. Maybe this is too overwhelming for her to hold onto her anger, but it isn’t for me.

“It’s not about seeing him,” Evie says sadly. “It’s about the truth.”

Part of me argues that I should just brush her off. I want to walk away and not let myself feel any sympathy for Mason. A much smaller, infinitely more fragile part of me is begging for any shred of hope I can find.

“The truth?” My voice is weak and trembling.

Nodding, Evie looks up at me. “He said…he said he was trying to protect you the only way he knew how. I don’t know what he meant by that. He seemed to think it would be better if he told you himself.”