𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟

Chapter 22 : The brave one

It's almost nine a.m. when Alex wakes to a quiet room and empty beds

The events of last night rush back to him, and he wonders if Ivy's absence means she's with Mason. He desperately hopes so.

He heads straight into the bathroom, brushing his teeth before stepping under the shower, taking a moment to relax. His thoughts drift to the day ahead-besides calling his mother and some clients. Maybe he'll have lunch with Lara; he has high hopes for their friendship.

Stepping out of the shower with a baby blue towel around his waist, he finds Tyler and Luca packing bags.

"Morning," Alex greets quietly.

"Hey!" Tyler glances up quickly before going back to filling his backpack. "Lu's heading to the library. Gotta explain to them why Mace won't be working for a bit. I've got some errands to run-home stuff, clean up, check on the club."

"We'll be back soon," Luca adds.

"That's cool," Alex says, "Ty, would you mind bringing back my laptop? I've got some clients to deal with today."

Tyler gives him a thumbs-up, grabs his bag, and hands another to Luca. They're gone in a flash.

Alex shuts the door behind them, hurrying to change into grey joggers and a plain black t-shirt. He can't find comfortable shoes, so he pulls on some black socks Tyler brought and sprays a bit of cologne.

Once he's done, he leaves the room, locks the door behind him, and heads down the stairs to the waiting room, hoping to find Dexter.

"Hey, you!"

The voice startles him, and he turns to see Lara holding a cup of steaming coffee.

"Hi!" Alex says a little too loudly. "Sorry-hello."

Lara chuckles. "Did you sleep well? Doctor Heely told us you guys would be here a while."

"I did, thanks," Alex says, "I was actually looking for him. I wanted to know if it's possible to go see Mason."

Lara grins. "It's cute how you care about him."

"He's a good guy. He deserves it."

Lara nods. "I'm sure he is. C'mon," she motions with her head, "I'll take you to Mason. Visiting hours don't start until ten, but I can get you in now."

"I don't want you to get in trouble..." Alex glances around nervously, as if something horrible might happen once they start walking.

"No way," Lara shrugs, her smile wide. "If Heely was here, he'd be doing this himself, but he's with a patient. Anything you need, you can ask me. As long as you're with a nurse or a doctor, you should be fine."

"Alright, maybe I can pay you back with lunch later?" Alex offers, half-joking.

Lara's eyes widen. "Sure, I'd like that."

They reach Mason's room, and Alex's heart sinks a little when he doesn't see the curly-haired girl inside. He tells himself she must've already come by, but something in him knows she hasn't.

"I'll give you two a minute. If you need anything, just press the yellow button on the side of his bed." Lara unlocks the door, stepping aside so Alex can go in.

"Thanks, Lara. I'll let you know." Alex nods before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

From where he stands, Mason looks okay-just sleeping. But Alex remembers Dexter's words about Mason's bruises, and his mood drops immediately.

He walks closer, pulling up a chair next to Mason's bed, and Mason blinks his eyes open slowly.

"You look cuter when I'm not half asleep, Al," Mason says with a weak smile.