P.O.V Mason
I sleep with a smile on my face, I feel happy, even though she hasn't given me the answer of what she decided. I am hopeful that she will agree to try a relationship.
I wake up alone in bed and call her, I get no answer. I panic and quickly get up to see where she is. I don't think she left.
She wouldn't do something like that.
I go out to the living room and she's not there; I go to her room and she's not there either. However, her clothes are all in place. That reassures me, maybe she went for a walk and thought about what I told her last night.
I go back to my bed, only I can't go back to sleep. I stare at the ceiling of the room, until a message on my cell phone brings me out of my thoughts.
It's from Peyton and it makes me feel the worst. The day before I ask Paige to try it, I send one to Peyton saying how much I miss her, I'm the worst man that can exist.
"I miss you too, kisses."
I stare at my phone, unsure of how to respond. I simply leave it on "read." I don't have the mental capacity to talk to him right now.
I go to take a shower, and when I come out, I find Paige entering the suite wearing workout clothes. She smiles at me, breathing heavily, and says,
"I'm going to take a shower." I nod and order breakfast while she showers.
When she comes out, the table is set, and she thanks me when she sees everything. She sits across from me. I want to ask her if she thought about what I told her last night. She might not agree, and if that's the case, I will apologize for my audacity in suggesting it.
Several minutes pass in silence, and I feel like I'm about to explode from the tension of waiting for her response.
Paige narrated:
After falling asleep last night, I woke up early, my head kept thinking about everything that happened the night before.
I got out of bed and put on some sports clothes to go jogging, what better way to think and clear my mind than taking fresh air and listening to music at the edge of the sea.
It took about an hour and a half, I wasn't jogging the whole time, I sat on the edge of the sea watching the waves come and go. I think about what Mason told me and I can't wait to say yes. I long to have time together with him as more than a friend, but I'm stopped by what might happen when I get home.
I think about all the pros and cons. The biggest one of all is that I will suffer, because my heart will not be left out of what he does during this time with him. On the other hand, I will regret my whole life for not seizing the moment to have something with Mason.
My heart says that if, what's the worst that can happen, I'm already in love with him, I can just have a small relationship with him with an end date just like marriage. That would make me have the experience that I will know what it feels like to be his girlfriend and more than friend. Keeping in mind that it is only for the duration of the trip.
My mind tells me not to accept, that it is not good for my emotional health. That I will end up damaged, because I can get my hopes up for a future that is not possible between the two of us. That when I go back, he will be with Peyton and seeing them together is going to hurt me. My mind is right, but what do I do when what I feel for him is stronger than I can think and reason.
I'm still in doubt, so I pick up my phone and call the only person who can help me. Sarah. I text her before I call her and explain that I need advice, that she needs to be alone.
It doesn't take her two minutes to call me back. I tell her everything Mason told me the night before; she screams and yells as she listens. When I tell her I don't know what to do she sighs and speaks.
“Dear, I'm sure that if you say that he will forget about that woman, he feels something for you that can grow during this time together on the trip. Everything could flourish, and you could end up together for life. You just need to live in the moment as a real couple to awaken each other's feelings” she says confidently.
“What if he realizes upon returning that it's not what he wants and ends things with her? That's my biggest fear” I say nervously.
“I understand your fear, but those who don't take risks don't win. You could tell him that you're open to what he said the night before, with the condition that before returning, you both have a clear conversation about what will happen. That way, neither of you will be surprised when you return, and you can decide about your future. However, let me emphasize that he feels something for you. I can assure you that he's in love with you, and what he feels for the other person is just a habit” she says convincingly.
I sigh and think about everything she said. While she's right about having a conversation before returning and deciding based on our feelings, I don't want to dwell on the idea that Mason might be in love with me. I don't want to get my hopes up and then find out that it wasn't what he truly felt for me at the end of the trip.
After talking to my friend, I smile and decide to follow her advice. What's the worst that could happen? I can't lose if I don't take a risk.
Upon entering the room, I see him coming out of the living room. I tell him I'm going to take a shower, and when I come out, everything is ready for breakfast. We sit in silence, and I can sense his anxiousness in his behavior. However, he doesn't dare to ask what my decision is. After a few minutes, I tell him,
"I've been thinking about last night, and I've made a decision." He nods, waiting for me to continue. "I have one condition," I say seriously.
"What is it?" he asks, confused.
"Before we return, we will have a conversation about what will happen. We'll clarify our feelings and what we'll do when we get back. That way, we'll have a clear understanding of what we'll be. Additionally, if we're going to try this, you need to tell her that you need some time to think or something. I won't be anyone's mistress," I say firmly.
"I fully agree with your conditions. I can do it right now so you can see that I told her about needing time," he says, taking out his phone.
"It's not necessary for me to see it. Just tell me that you did it, and that's enough for me," I say, taking a sip of my coffee.
"So, is it a, yes?" he asks, smiling.
"Yes, as long as those conditions are fulfilled," I say nervously.
“You won't regret this," he says, taking my hand and kissing it.
I smile, and he gets up and dials her number, I suppose. He enters his room but leaves the door open, and I can hear when he greets her. The truth is, I'd like to hear what he says to her, but it's not something I want to remember. So, I step out onto the balcony and admire the landscape.
Minutes later, Mason comes to join me, lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.
"Yeah, everything's fine. What should we do today?" he asks, smiling.
"I don't know," I say nervously.
"I can take you on a date, our first real date," he says excitedly.
"I like that idea," I reply.
I watch him leave; he tells me to stay here while he prepares everything. I let him do it and he send Sarah a text telling her what happened with Mason, she replies right away with hearts emoticons and says she assures me we will be together forever.
I shake my head at her insistence on that, then I ask her how everything is going at work and her response was epic.
"Work? What the fuck do you care about that, you are on vacation. Ask me something like that again and I'll tell Mason to spank you, or you might like it, I might as well put you off sex for days until you forget about work."
"I understand, I won't ask again."
After that he asks me if I have sexy lingerie to wear on our first night, I shake my head and laugh, just thinking about it makes me blush. I don't know if I want to do it tonight. It might be the only thing he wants from me and when he gets it, he doesn't want to be with me anymore. So, I tell him we will go slow, nothing rushed.
She tells me it's okay and we finish talking because she has to get back to work.
I sigh and stare at nothing, I think about the decision I made and despite how crazy it sounds I don't regret it. I think I would if I hadn't agreed to give us a chance as a couple, after so many years we could lose. We know each other better than anyone else, we are friends and that makes things easier for us.