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“A man like him?” Chase echoed. “Exactly what kind of man are we talking about here?”
“Whose side are you on?” Ellie snapped. “He’s the one that told me he doesn’t want to stop moving, that he has no interest in settling down. He even insulted the town.”
“Oh, okay. That’s not cool. What did he say, exactly?”
Ellie frowned, not wanting to go into too much detail. She was afraid that if she did a word-by-word account, Mason would come out of it looking quite okay, and Ellie would find herself on the wrong side of the argument again.
“I’m pretty sure he really liked you,” Chase said, giving Ellie a big hug. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re overthinking this. You should have some confidence in yourself. If he wants to be with you, hold your head up high and forget those other girls.”
Ellie shook her head and sniffed. She’d been holding the misery inside for too long, and Chase’s warm reassurance was cracking open the hard shell she’d built around herself over the last week.
“Stop it,” Ellie muttered. “It can’t work, Chase. I know I did the right thing.”
“Okay,” Chase said, stepping back a little but keeping a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I can see you’ve made up your mind, and I respect that, but I think this has more to do with your self-worth than Mason’s feelings. Did he tell you how he felt?”
Ellie nodded, thinking about what he said when she told him it was over. How he’d reminded her of the special chemistry they shared and asked her to work with that, even if there was nothing else.
Was that all there was? Physical attraction?
Ellie blinked, letting the moment of darkness behind her eyelids stretch out seconds longer than it had to. Mason lingered there, just beneath her conscious mind. His quick smile, warm dark eyes, and the magic of his kiss. When he touched her, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Hello, Earth to Ellie,” Chase laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” she said, shaking her head.
Chase hugged her again. “I just want you to be happy, Ellie. Maybe you should give Mason a bit more credit. Think about this a bit longer before you make up your mind.”
Ellie shook her head firmly. “No. He hasn’t contacted me since the last day I saw him. Surely, if he really liked me that much, he would have tried to speak to me by now.”
This was the twisted logic of an almost completely broken heart. Ellie knew it, but she couldn’t let herself feel it. Mason could have been the best thing for her, but Ellie would never know it.
At least, not until her mind and her heart could finally make an accord.
THIRTEEN
MASON
Mason spent the week sulking, barely managing his duties. Even though he flew to different cities and indulged in all his usual activities, none of it cheered him up or got his mind off Ellie.
After over seven days of torture, Mason decided that he had to see her. A call or text simply wouldn’t do … he had to see her face-to-face.
He flew to Scaramouche, feeling his nerves increasing by the minute. His mind was in a tangle as he desperately tried to figure out a way for him and Ellie to be together.
I have to make this work. I have to!
He agonized over what he would say, how he would convince her to give him another chance. All the way to the library, Mason made up arguments in his head, trying to plan his words around what he hoped … or feared … Ellie might say.
By the time he reached the library, his confidence in the situation hadn’t grown, but he was even more determined to plead his case. He strode into the place like a man possessed, ready to approach his mate and convince her, once and for all, that they were meant to be.
He stopped when he saw her standing at the counter, struck by her beauty. A late afternoon ray of sunlight glinted through a nearby window, falling across her face and igniting her mahogany brown hair with strands of gold.
Has there ever been anything so beautiful?
More than just her physical attributes, it was her smile and joy that made her glow. She handled the books with deft, experienced ease and spoke to the people lined up at the counter with real enthusiasm.
She’s happy. Really happy.
More than just happy, she was completely in her element. Mason suddenly felt like a selfish dirtbag, showing up in her life to beg for attention. Were his intentions, his actions, always this self-absorbed? Obviously, reappearing in her life would only mess her up.
