Page 57 of Obsessed

“What’s happening?” Owen appeared behind them, his hair plastered to his forehead.

“He won’t leave, he wants to look for Rain,” Finn told them but Mason didn’t want to talk anymore.

Turning, he headed for the stairs. Finn dove for him again, latching onto his left arm, and the stress finally caught up to Mason, manifesting in rage. Trying to pull free didn’t work and this was life or death, so Mason did the only thing he could do. He hauled back and punched Finn in the jaw. While it wasn’t much of a jab, it caused Finn to stumble and release him as Ollie shrieked again.

“We don’t have time for this!” Shaking his head, Owen approached, side-stepping Mason and putting him into some kind of hold. The air around them became hazy and the sound of glass breaking reached Mason’s ears as the windows in the main room shattered, the heat of the fire reaching them and zapping all of Mason’s strength.

No matter how much he hated to admit it, Finn was right. If he searched for Rain under these conditions he’d die; besides, the fire alarm had been ringing for over a minute now. Rain would’ve come out of hiding if he was in the building.

Owen must’ve noticed Mason’s lack of resistance but he half-dragged him out anyway, dumping him and his camera bags on the grass across the street. Everyone had gathered there, including Finn, who rubbed his jaw, and Ollie, who tended to him while glaring daggers at Mason. Flames could be easily seen through several of the broken windows and a crowd gathered around the sobbing bride and shocked groom. Sirens howled in the distance, a few minutes away, and everyone stood back, trying to process, until gasps rippled across the crowd and Ollie’s stare faltered, his eyes going wide with fear.

“Rain!” He jumped to his feet, pointing, and Mason went cold, looking up at the second-floor window where Rain furiously waved his arms, smoke escaping into the air around him.

Mason didn’t remember getting up. All of a sudden, he was next to the building, right below Rain, and their panicked eyes met.

“There’s too much smoke in the hallway.” Tears streaked his smudged face and he quickly glanced over his shoulder, slinging a leg out, but the smooth facade left no footholds, which meant that Mason couldn’t climb up either. “Help me, Mason! I’m scared!”

Fisting his hands in his hair, Mason stepped back, took in a breath, and then looked up at Rain.

“I’m going to get you!” He took a few steps toward the front entrance, cursing himself for leaving earlier, but Ollie and Liam darted in front of him.

“Wait, Mason. He can jump.” Liam put up his hands, trying to get him to calm down.

“It’s at least fifteen feet. He’ll break his legs if he’s lucky.” Mason blinked several times as his vision kept blurring.

“Does anyone have a blanket or a tarp?” Liam yelled and the request rippled through the crowd until a young man in a blue suit raised his hand.

“I have one in my car.”

“Get it quickly, please?” Ollie asked and the guy took off toward the parking lot at high speed.

“If Rain jumps into that, he’ll rip through. We have to put something underneath.” Wiping his eyes, Mason sniffled, realizing that he was crying, but he didn’t have time for that.

“Hurry, please!” Rain screamed, most of his body outside the window as the smoke tripled, pouring out.

A tux jacket landed at Mason’s feet, right below the window, and another followed. Suddenly, guests and staff started shedding their jackets, and within thirty seconds there was a large accumulation of clothing to cushion Rain if the tarp didn’t hold.

The sirens grew louder, almost earsplitting, letting Mason know that the fire trucks were close, but they wouldn’t arrive in time. Rain needed to get out of the buildingnow.

Tearing back at a ridiculous speed, the man with the tarp flung it open, holding onto one corner while Mason, Owen, and Finn grabbed the others, spreading it out efficiently.

“Okay!” Mason wiped his tears away, knowing that he was laying himself bare in front of all these people but it didn’t matter. Rain was the only thing that mattered.

Wincing, Rain hesitated, but the building rumbled and Mason could feel the heat it gave off.

“Jump! I’ve got you!” Mason yelled with every fiber of his being, letting out all the rage, confusion, and sadness he’d felt over the course of the day, and Rain nodded, closed his eyes, and let go.

His hair streamed behind him as he flew through the air and while he only fell for a sliver of a second, it felt like eons to Mason, almost like Rain had been frozen in time, suspended in the atmosphere until he hit the tarp with a solid scratching thud. While it didn’t rip, the weight and velocity forced it down despite the hold, and Rain landed solidly in the jacket cushion, all four men stumbling forward toward him.

Mason didn’t give Rain a chance to breathe, lunging for him and gathering him in his arms, both of them shaking with sobs as the crowd around them cheered for Rain’s rescue. Smoothing back tangled and sooty hair, Mason cupped Rain’s cheek, placing a gentle kiss on his lips before carrying him off to the grass, away from prying eyes once again.

Finn and Owen snatched up the jacket pile as the firefighters arrived, and while people searched for their contributions, Mason cradled Rain in his lap. He twitched and shook, his gaze vacant, and it worried Mason beyond measure, breaking his heart.

Because there was no denying it now. He was definitely in love.

15

RAIN

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