Page 35 of Obsessed

He laughed.

11

RAIN

Withinafewdays,the window had been fixed, the locks had been changed, new deadbolts had been put in, cameras had been hidden around the property, and a sign claiming that they had a security system had been planted in the front yard.

During that time, Rain also started his receptionist job. Anyone who wanted to get to Mason now had to go throughhim. To be honest, he was still reeling from Mason’s story, his chest spiking with pain whenever he thought of Mason grieving alone in this house while those vultures picked at him.

Well, not anymore. Not on Rain’s watch.

There was still a big empty spot on the dining room wall where the painting had been and Mason stared at it a lot. Rain found him up there one morning, holding another piece in his hands with several more stacked on the table beside him.

“Rearranging?” Holding a steaming mug of coffee, Rain yawned, still waking up. He’d lost a little rest due to the break-in but the added security had him right back to sleeping like a log and getting up late on his days off.

Used to Mason’s silence, Rain got comfortable in one of the antique chairs, watching as Mason swapped between the different works, frowning at everything. Eventually, he stopped with a sigh, looking around the room, and Rain could see the lingering grief on his face.

“Coming up here reminds you of her, huh?” he asked softly.

Mason’s gaze snapped to Rain and he nodded once, adding the painting in his hand to the pile on the table.

“Are these all your Gran’s?” Rain tilted them up, inspecting. Like Mason, she focused on people or landscapes and each piece emitted a warm, comforting light.

Nodding again, Mason turned to him. “I want to put new things up, move around her work, pack some stuff away…but every time I try…” His defeated shrug broke Rain’s heart.

“I know that I’m modelingandscreening your calls which is, like, sooo much work.” Standing, Rain walked over to Mason, grinning up at him. “But I could help you with this too.”

Rain could see thewhyin Mason’s gaze.

“I like it up here, it gives art museum vibes, but it needs a little polish. And Iwantto help.” Waiting, he let Mason process, watching his face fill with hesitant joy.

“Can we start today? Just the main floor. We’ll do upstairs…later.” Mason gritted his teeth and Rain realized upstairs meant going through his grandmother’s bedroom and personal things.

Nodding eagerly, Rain chugged the end of his coffee.

“Sure! Let me change and we can get started.” It didn’t take him long to braid his hair and throw on a T-shirt and shorts, and by the time he returned to the dining room Mason had gotten some boxes.

“Um…” Mason always looked so adorably uncomfortable before he expressed any thanks and Rain bit his lip, trying not to grin. “Thank you.”

Rain bumped him with his shoulder. “You’re very welcome. Let’s do this!”

As usual, they worked well together. Rain knew the variances in Mason’s frowns so he could tell when something had to go. That’s when he stepped in to gently take it away and put it in a box. Once the purging was done, they cleaned whatever was left in the living room, dining room, and foyer. After a short lunch break, Mason brought a few new pieces up and they began rearranging things.

The process ended up being unexpectedly fun, like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, and it didn’t take long for Mason to nod in approval at each room. Things had only been adjusted, not completely changed, so the place still held its original feel. They’d even moved some of the furniture around to create a better flow and now it was much easier to walk through the first floor.

“I like it,” Rain tilted his head, trying to gauge Mason’s feelings. After a few agonizing seconds, the side of his lip curled up.

“Me too.”

“Yay!” Rain tossed his hands in the air, shaking his ass, and Mason let out something between a huff and that marvelous laugh from the other day. Although he’d never say it aloud, Rain would do anything to hear that sound again.

What the hell was wrong with him? He was just meant to fuck this guy, live in his house, and not do feelings. Had he been naive? Were feelings inevitable? Or was it Mason who made those feelings inevitable? He needed to talk to someone but he’d been anti-relationship for so long that he felt like a bit of a hypocrite.

Not that he wanted a relationship with Mason…or did he?

For fucks sake, they already slept in the same bed and knew each other’s routines; plus, Mouse shared them equally. Had they somehow wandered off-trail and ended up in relationship-land?

And did he even have feelings for Mason? Or was this infatuation, a crush on the guy who gave him a place to stay and a pedestal to stand on? Would he help Mason with his family and his place if there weren’t feelings involved? Maybe. He’d help Tommy, Ollie, and Emma for sure, but they didn’t give Rain a strange flutter in his chest. And they didn’t worship Rain behind the lens, making him feel important and valued in a way no one ever had before.

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