A smile tugs on my lips. “It’s an edible seed from a plant, full of protein and fiber. It’s good, I promise.”
He still looks suspicious, like I’m trying to poison him.
I spin back toward the fridge. “Oh, right. Can’t forget this.” I take out a bottle of ranch and set it beside his plate.
Mason laughs. “You don’t even like ranch.”
“I know.” I meet his gaze, steady and warm. “But you do.”
Something softens in his expression, so tender it makes my skin tingle. He reaches across the table, brushing his cold fingers over mine.
“Thank you, baby.”
We eat together, the quiet broken only by the occasional crunch of fries. Mason drowns his plate in a ridiculous flood of ranch until it seeps dangerously close to his burger.
Between bites, he clears his throat. “So… I got an offer on the trailer.”
I look up, startled. Mason put their trailer up for sale a couple weeks ago. Anna had left it to him in her will.
“A good one, too,” he continues. “Enough to cover Mom’s medical debt. And the rest…” He shrugs. “I’m putting it aside for Maddie’s college fund. She deserves that much.”
Emotion stirs in my chest, making it difficult to swallow. I nod, but he keeps talking.
“So with that settled, I should probably start looking at apartments here. My classes start the second week of January.”
My appetite fades, and my burger suddenly feels too heavy. I set it down. “Oh.”
Mason pauses, watching me. “What?”
“Nothing,” I dismiss, staring down at the table. I shuffle the fries around my plate, feeling his eyes burning into me.
“Hunter,” he says, voice stern. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
I shift in my chair, my throat tight. “Is there… a reason you don’t want to live with me?” I ask quietly. “Not that you need one, of course. You’re allowed to want your own space.”
Mason’s brows pinch together. “What? No.” He leans forward, resting a warm palm on my thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Hunter, of course I want to live with you. I just didn’t want to bring it up first and make you feel pressured. And honestly, I can’t afford to split the rent here—it’s way too expensive.”
“I wouldn’t make you split it,” I say quickly. “My parents pay the rent.”
He pulls his hand back, shaking his head. His posture turns rigid, shoulders squaring. “I don’t want to freeload off your parents.”
“Then you can chip in for utilities if it makes you feel better,” I counter, leaning closer. “Mase, I really want you to move in with me… if that’s something you’d even want—”
“Hunter, stop talking.” His voice is firm but gentle, the corners of his mouth curving up. His hazel eyes shine like polished jewels as he catches my trembling hands and stills them between his own. “Yes, you dork. Of course I’ll move in with you. Nothing would make me happier.”
The air leaves my lungs in a rush. I let out a shaky laugh, half joy, half disbelief. Relief floods through me so fast it makes my eyes sting. Before I even know what I’m doing, I’m out of my chair and climbing into his lap. His breath catches, but his hands immediately find my waist, steadying me.
I cup his face, my thumbs brushing along the sharp lines of his jaw. “You’re stuck with me now,” I whisper, and then I kiss him.
His fingers dig into my hips, pulling me flush against him, and I melt into his warmth, the solid breadth of his shoulders beneathmy palms. I sigh into the kiss, fingers gliding through his curls. As our tongues tangle together, I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up in my throat. He tastes unmistakably tangy and salty.
Mason pulls back just enough to frown, breath still uneven. “Why are you laughing?”
“You taste like ranch,” I manage between giggles, resting my forehead against his.
He pauses, then deadpans, “Do I need to brush my teeth?”
Heat spreads across my cheeks, and I shake my head quickly. “No. I… actually kind of like it,” I admit. “I think kissing you makes the flavor more tolerable.”
