Page 78 of Obsessed

“Is everything okay?” Rain sat up and Mason showed him the screen.

“Seven calls, four appointment requests, and five texts, all from people who were there last night.” He flipped the phone back, continuing to read.

“What do they want?” Rain shuffled closer, looking over Mason’s shoulder, and that hint of lavender teased his nostrils.

“To book a portrait.” He flicked to the next text. “Asking if I do events.” He could hear the eye-roll in his tone. Pulling up an email, he frowned in contemplation. “This person wants to know if I do corporate work.”

“Mason, that’s amazing!” Rain latched onto him, bouncing in excitement and Mason gave him a secret smile. This was a golden ticket to his dreams but he needed to do everything right.

“Rain.” Turning to face him, he slowed their excitement, taking a deep breath. “Would you like to be my manager? Not to screen my calls but to help me handle all these new clients. I’ll teach you everything I know about photography. I also want your drone. I mean, your drone work. When you get your license. I-”

Rain put a hand over his lips, taking it away and quickly kissing them. “It’s okay, I know what you mean, andyes.”

It doubled Mason’s joy to hear Rain enthusiastically agree and he gave himself over to the sensation, wrapping his arms around Rain and holding him close.

“Thank you,” he murmured into that silky hair.

“Shouldn’t I be thankingyou?” Rain pulled back a bit, his face soft with happiness, his eyes clear and bright. “Okay, let’s do this!”

They spent the next hour responding to calls and Rain proved to be an asset whenever Mason wasn’t sure what to say or if a client had an odd request, and his calendar slowly filled for the next six weeks. If this continued, then by the end of the year he wouldn’t have to book weddings anymore. There wasn’t anything wrong with event photography, it just wasn’t his passion, and now that he’d been given this second chance, he was going to work hard to pursue his passion full time.

By the end, Mason wasn’t drained; in fact, his motivation had started to wake from its long sleep, stirring under his skin. Despite the frenzy as he’d approached opening night, in his time apart from Rain, Mason had started this feedback loop where the more books he read and the more he did, the more capable he felt, and small tasks had slowly become easier to manage which made him want to read and do more.

“Did you like, take your vitamins or something? Because you never liked dealing with people and you’re um…” Still on the bed, Rain slowly parted his hands, clearly searching for the right word. “Much better at it.”

“Thank you.” Mason took that as the highest compliment because Rain no longer saw him as needy and avoidant, but capable. He sat on the mattress, close to Rain. “I’ve been working on myself too. I wanted to be worthy of you.”

“Mason…” Rain’s tender gaze swallowed him whole. “Youareworthy of me, okay?” Leaning in, he put a hand on the back of Mason’s neck and pulled him close for another sweet kiss. “I love you.”

He’d never get tired of hearing that. It made every obstacle, every struggle, everything he’d ever been through worth it, because it had brought Rain to him, and the next five words were a pledge that he’d do whatever he could to stay worthy.

“I love you too, Rain.” And he had one last thing to share with his elfin prince. Getting up, he held out his hand. “Come with me?”

“Anywhere.” The way Rain said it had Mason feeling even more elated, and he rode that sensation all the way upstairs, stopping in front of Gran’s bedroom door.

“Is this…?” Rain asked, glancing at Mason.

“Yes, it’s her room.” Reaching up into one of the hallway sconces, he fished out a grimy skeleton key and Rain let out a cross between a scoff and a giggle.

“Are youserious?”

Mason slipped the key in. “I didn’t start locking it until my family contested the will. But I can leave it open now. And I wanted you to see it.”

“Have you been in there since she passed?” Rain watched him jiggle the handle as it resisted the turn.

“A few times to clean and to sit on the bed.” And cry. But he hadn’t done that in a long time, not since Ollie had moved in. “But while we were apart, I used her library.”

“Her what?” Rain echoed as the key finally twisted and the door opened with a long creak.

Silently, they both stepped inside, and Mason inhaled. The room hadn’t smelled like her in a long time and his heart sank a little, but it bounced back up as Rain stopped in his tracks, letting out a gasp of disbelief.

“Are you kidding me? Itisa library.”

“Gran liked self-help books.” He gestured toward the far wall, which was one giant floor-to-ceiling bookcase that had a carved-out nook in its center for the bed, and it was filled past capacity. “She needed them after being married to my grandfather. She said they helped her a lot and she constantly nagged me to read them.” He let out a small huff that held a lot of guilt. “I should’ve listened to her because I picked one up a few weeks ago and she was right, they do help. And I thought they could help you too.”

“That’s the path I’ve been taking, books and online research.” Rain bounced over to the expansive shelves, browsing a few titles. “I know therapy works and I’ll get there eventually but…” he shuddered. “My Mom dated her therapist and he didn’t touch me, but he was super mean.”

“He should be disbarred for that.” Mason was rarely surprised by tales from Rain’s childhood anymore but this one had him quirking an eyebrow.

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