Mason narrates:
After my mother leaves my office very angry and disappointed in me, it was as if something inside me changed. In the sense that the best thing to do is to be honest with my mother and explain the whole situation to her, she knows that this marriage is a contract and Peyton doesn't deserve to look like the bad guy in this, as she and I were victims of the fate we had planned. She knew nothing about the wedding and the rest, we met at a time that was not ours, however, the love we have for each other is sincere and I talked to her.
She was afraid that I didn't feel the same way she did before, that's why she was behaving that way, but she is not like that, I know it and she confirmed it to me.
My plan was to talk to my mother, but the look of disappointment made me feel really bad, being that not everything is as she thinks it is, Paige also has her adventures, the only difference is that I am in love with Peyton and I am not going to leave her and I am not going to give her up now that there is only one year left to be free.
I'm thinking about what you do, after coming to see Peyton, when I get a call from Ethan.
"Hey, what are you doing?" he asks, looking a bit serious.
"For now, nothing. Where are you?" I ask, getting into my car.
"I'm at the office now. Sarah is going out with her work friends, so I'll be all alone," he says in a childish voice.
"I knew it. You hate being alone. I'll pick you up, and we'll go grab a drink," I say without waiting for a response. Actually, I was expecting him to say something like that.
I drive to the office and check the time. Luckily, Paige's work hours end later, so she should already be home or who knows.
Ethan gets in the car, and we head to the bar from yesterday. I need to find out if she's there again.
"Since when do you come here?" Ethan asks, looking at the place we're going to.
"Yesterday. I need a drink," I say, anxious to go in.
As I don't see her here, I relax a bit, but I still can't stop thinking about everything that happened in my office with my mother. I don't know how I'm going to face her, not even in my teenage years did she catch me having sex, and now she does.
We each get served a beer, and I down mine as if it were water, which surprises my friend because he knows I'm not a big fan of beer.
"Looks like you needed that drink, buddy," he says, laughing.
"It's been a shitty day," I reply, raising my hand to call the waiter.
After ordering my whiskey, I look at my friend, who's waiting for an explanation. I sigh and prepare myself to come up with something to tell him.
"My mother came to see me at the office and caught me with a girl. It's not what you think, though. She came onto me for a position in the company, and my mom walked in at that moment. I would never cheat on my wife," I say, biting my tongue.
I feel even worse for lying to my best friend, but I know him, and he hates infidelity. Ever since his parents divorced because of it, he despises people who are unfaithful. He says if they're going to cheat, they shouldn't get married in the first place, and he's right.
My friend responds, "That's tough luck, but I don't understand how she managed to enter your office without being stopped by security or your secretary. I don't know," he says, pondering the situation, and I knew this would come up.
"No idea, buddy. All I know is that my mother is furious with me for doing something she didn't teach me. I don't even know how I'm going to face her at home. I feel embarrassed and nervous," I say.
"You're in a tough spot. We both know how your mom is about these things. You could tell her the truth, remember that lies have short legs and end up being discovered somehow. For now, let's drink to take our minds off the bad stuff," he says, raising his glass.
We clink our glasses together in a toast and order another round, and so it goes on. I lost count of how many drinks I've had, as well as the coherence of my words. All I know is that Ethan watches me, surprised and hurt, and remains silent for most of the night.
No matter how hard I try to remember, I can't recall what I said last night. I just remember that when he brought me home, I told him I wouldn't say anything to anyone, and I'm grateful for that. I need to call him and find out what I said. Paige needs to know if I blabbed too much or just spouted nonsense.
While Paige is in the shower, I quickly rush to my room and search for my phone, but I can't find it. So, I have no choice but to grab the home phone and dial his cell, which is one of the few numbers I have memorized.
"Hello?" he asks, half asleep.
I check the time and see that it's six in the morning. That's why he's asleep, and he'll probably want to kill me for waking him up.
"What did I tell you last night? Paige is asking me, and I have no idea what the hell to tell her," I say, speaking softly.
"I don't think I can discuss it right now. Let's have breakfast, and I'll tell you," he yawns.
"It's urgent. She's coming to talk to me, and I don't remember a damn thing," I say, frustrated.
"I'll just say that she knows about Peyton. We'll talk over breakfast. I don't have time right now," he ends the call before I can say anything else.
Damn it, how could I mention Peyton? That shouldn't have happened. Now I understand why Paige said I was looking at her strangely. I just hope she doesn't know about the contract, just that I unintentionally fell in love with another woman, and that's it.
I get up to go to the shower because I stink. But it's not possible because Paige is already at the door, waiting for me to tell her something that I don't even know myself.