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“Now, this is my kind of party,” Mason said, looking down at me. Even in the half-darkness of the porch, I could see the beginning of a smile on his lips.
My heart did a flip at the sight of him. He was here. Mason was here. That had to mean that he hadn’t had bad news from the doctor — yet.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go inside?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder at the yellow glow coming through the windows of the house. “I know there are some people in there who would love to see you.”
Polly would want to find him. Talk to him. I just knew it.
“Nah, that can wait. I could use a little fresh air, even if it’s freezing.”
He sat on the swing next to me, moving us gently with his feet. At one point, he stripped off his canvas coat he wore over a hoodie and handed it over to me, not saying a word. As much as I hated taking away his protection against the cold, I was shivering in my little cotton dress and leggings.
His jacket was still warm from his body heat as I wrapped it over my shoulders and pulled it tight around me. The feel of it made me strangely happy. It was the closest I was ever going to be to him, but I’d take it. If only for this moment. And as I buried my face in the collar, I was surprised to catch a whiff of the cologne I’d picked out for him at the mall. He must’ve gone back and bought a bottle. That knowledge made me smile into the folds of his jacket.
We sat like that in silence, just watching the grassy field. It was nice. For once, I had no desire to fill the quiet with empty words or questions. I could sit next to Mason forever and not feel bored.
It was several minutes later when the slight noise of Mason clearing his throat brought my attention back to his face. He shifted in his seat, his movement causing the swing to come to a stop. “Trina, I have to tell you something.”
I held my breath, not sure what Mason could have to admit to me. Was it more bad news? I didn’t think my heart could take anything else.
“I almost didn’t come to the party tonight. I probably wrote a dozen versions of a text to you making up reasons why I couldn’t come.”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips. As far as news went, that wasn’t so bad. I smiled softly as my gaze met his. “I’m glad you changed your mind. I would’ve missed you.”
If Mason hadn’t shown up tonight, I think I would’ve gone crazy with worry. But now, we could move on with the project.
He turned to face the field, a thoughtful frown on his lips. It was as if I could see the wheels in his head turning. Emotions flitted across his face. Finally, with an impatient grunt, he turned to me and leaned closer, until I could see the dark scruff covering his jawline.
“I know this isn’t a part of your famous plan, but I have to say something or I won’t be able to live with myself,” he said, his voice lowering.
He pinned me with a heated expression which made a jolt of electricity run right through my stomach. Dread and excitement filled me all at once. Whatever he was going to say next, he could never take back. I had the feeling it was something big. Something that would change everything between us.
I didn’t know whether to stay frozen there or run away.
“Trina, the only reason I came out tonight was to see you. Only you.” He blinked and looked down at his hands, uncurling his fists and flexing his fingers. “I think...no. I know. I know that I’m falling for you.”
The sound of rushing blood filled my ears. I couldn’t focus on his words. Every reasonable thought had flown from my head. All I could think about was the freezing cold, the heat of his jacket, and the way he was looking at me right now. In a way that no one in my life had ever looked at me before.
Like he wanted me.
Chapter Seventeen
I exhaled a large cloud of white breath, my lungs collapsing in my ribcage beneath a stampeding heart. Even with the cold evening air, my cheeks blazed red hot. Mason had just confessed that he was falling for me.
Never in my life had I felt so confused.
He reached over and grabbed my hand hidden within the folds of his jacket. His freezing skin sent goosebumps up my arm as he interlaced his fingers with mine.
A jumble of emotions went through my mind all at once. I tightened his jacket around me with my free hand, shaking my head.
“What...what do you mean you’re falling for me?”
Maybe this was a total miscommunication. Boys never made much sense to me and they never seemed to understand me either. This could be one of those times. My selfish heart could be reading into his words what it wanted to hear. I held on tight to his hand, willing him to put my anxiety to rest.
“I mean...” He bared his teeth and grunted as if he hated that I was making him spell this out. “I mean that you’re all that I can think about. I see you in my sleep. I dream about your smile, your touch, your voice. You’re beautiful in every way. I think about you when I’m on the court. I look for you in the stands whenever I make a shot. I can’t stop and I had to tell you tonight or I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself.”
His words swept over me like a tropical ocean breeze, warming me to my tiptoes. A giddy feeling danced in my gut and I had the sneaking suspicion that my insides were glowing like a firefly. Mason Finnick dreamed about me. He wanted me.
Never had I experienced anything so unexpected.
