nerd.

trente-cinq

Dedicated to @hazelovesgus, bc like you spam vote/commented so you're awesome (:

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Arielle Evans

Staying away from Mason wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but when he appeared at my door just after Mom left to the airport with my father, I was surprised beyond belief.

"Mason." I sputter. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to protect you anymore?" He sounds offended, and I quickly shake my head.

"No, I just didn't expect you to come back, after....last time." I rake a hand through my tangled hair.

"Just because I clearly don't mean anything to you doesn't mean you don't mean something to me, Arielle." Mason snaps, and I back away, hurt. I fold my arms over my chest insecurely, looking down at the ground. "Well, can I come in?" he demands. 

"Oh, y-yeah, sorry." I stutter, and I open the door wide enough to let him through before shutting it just as rain begins to pour down from the gloomy skies. We sit down on the couch in silence, an Mason swings his feet awkwardly before propping them up in front of him. "You do mean something to me, you know." I say finally. 

Mason snorts. "Really? Because it didn't seem like it a few days ago." 

"I was angry, so I just said some things I didn't mean. I don't know why you're taking it so seriously." I pause. "After all, we're just friends." Mason looks away, and I immediately realize I hit a nerve. "Sorry." I quickly apologize.

"Why is it that you say something rude and then immediately apologize?" Mason asks, and I can see humor in his eyes. 

"I..I actually don't know." I sputter, giggling lightly. Mason chuckles quietly, barely loud enough for me to hear. 

"Well, friend, can I ask you a question?" Mason asks, and I freeze, tensing up. 

"Um...yea, I guess." I manage, tugging at the leather of the couch. 

"Do you know how long it has been since our breakup?" he asks, and I pull harshly at the couch, suddenly insecure. 

"Um...four or five months, I think?" I guess, not meeting his intense gaze. 

"Five months, six days, eleven hours, fourteen minutes, and twenty-one seconds." he states with no emotion in his voice. I look up at him in disbelief, my mouth hanging open in surprise. 

"You counted all that?" I ask finally. 

"I have counted every single second since we broke up, Arielle. I still have one sliver of hope that at one point in time, we will be together again, and I am just counting the time until then." Mason sighs. 

"I...I don't think we'll ever be together again, Mason." My voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper, and my stomach is churning from the harsh words falling from my lips. 

Mason's face falls. "Why?" 

"I'm with Harry now, Mason, why can't you understand that?" I honestly feel like I am about to cry. 

"I..Ari, I...I understand that, I do." he sighs, raking a hand through his hair. "I just miss you, alright? I miss our late-night movie sessions, our random romantic dinners, I miss everything that we had." Mason's eyes begin to water, and I look away, trying to avoid crying myself. "You didn't even give me a chance to explain, Arielle." 

"What is there to explain? You cheated on me. That's all there is to it." My voice breaks at the end of my sentence, and I bite down on my lip harshly, trying to contain the tears as much as I can. 

"It's been five months, Arielle, and you still haven't even given me the chance to explain myself." Mason says. 

"Fine. Now is your time. Explain." I agree. Just for closure, my subconscious adds. 

"I couldn't bring myself to break up with Ashley because I have known her for forever, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship. At the same time, I didn't want to break your heart again, so I faked the breakup with Ashley to be with you and to keep my relationship with her at the same time." Mason exhales in relief, probably because he has been wanting to say that for five months. "She asked me to take her to the park that day, and since she thought we were still dating, she kissed me. That's what you saw. I didn't feel like I did with you when I was with her. All I've ever wanted is you, Arielle." The tears can't stop now; my shoulders are shaking and my mind is whirling to process what he has just said. He didn't want to break up with Ashley, but he didn't want to break my heart either. 

It was never his fault. 

He was trying to do what he thought was best.

He never meant to do what he had done. 

He only thought about what was best for me. 

He put me and Ashley before himself. 

I tug at my hair anxiously, unable to process anything. 

He didn't cheat on me. 

He was trying to protect me. 

He does love me. 

"Arielle?" Mason's soft voice pulls me from my thoughts. "You're going to rip your hair out, love." 

Love. Harry. 

Harry. 

I release the strands of hair from my grasp. "Harry." I whisper, and Mason immediately jolts up, clearly surprised by my reaction. "No, don't go." I manage, and he cautiously sits back down on the couch, scooting a little closer to me than before. "I never loved Harry." I sputter. 

Mason looks at me, shock in his watery eyes. "What?" he screeches. 

"I never loved Harry. He was the rebound. I just wanted to love him because all this time, I've loved...you." I rake my hands through my hair. "Oh my God." 

I begin to cry again, and Mason pulls me closer to him. I quickly move away and he looks down at me in surprise. "I think you should go." I manage. 

"Arielle-" he protests. 

"No, Mason, I think you need to go. I need time to think, about this, about everything." Mason nods in understanding. He walks outside into the pouring rain, giving me one last glance. I realize he has forgotten his jacket, and I quickly rush to the door, finding that he is walking ever-so-slowly to his car. "Mason!" I yell, but he doesn't hear me. "Oh, hell with it." I mutter, and  wrap the jacket around my shoulders before running after him. I tap him on the shoulder, and he turns around slowly. 

"You forgot your jacket." I say, teeth chattering from the ice-cold water spilling from the skies. Maosn doesn't answer; instead, he grips my shoulders and pulls me closer to him, shocking me with his next actions. 

He attaches his lips to mine. 

a/n-

um idk what that was oopsie *hides in corner*

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