Page 85 of Obsessed

“Yeah?” He had to ask one more time, because in all truth, he wanted to keep it, and when Mason made a soft affirmative sound, Rain threw his arms around him. “Thank you, Mason. This means a lot to me.” Shyly, he pulled back, holding it out again. “Help me put it on?”

A short growl left Mason’s mouth as he took the bracelet from Rain’s palm, pecking the underside of Rain’s wrist before replacing it with silver and locking the clasp. The air between them intensified, and Rain leaned in, placing a slow, sweet kiss on Mason’s lips before reaching for his present.

“Okay, now I have something to give you.” Doubt began to rear its ugly head. When the idea had popped into his mind, Rain had thought it was brilliant but now he worried that he’d overstepped.

“What’s the matter?” Mason asked, and Rain shook himself.

“N-Nothing.” He handed it over. “Here you go. Merry Christmas, Mason.”

Mason stared at him for a few seconds, as if he were scanning Rain’s brain, and then his attention slid to the small golden box in his hands. Taking off the lid, he put it aside and stared at the DVD and jump drive nestled in the tissue paper.

“What is it?” Picking up the disc, he read the label aloud. “Precious Memories…”

Standing, Rain took it from his hands, turning on the TV and DVD player. While there was a file they could watch on the drive, Rain thought that using a television instead of a computer screen would make the whole thing more impactful.

Holding his breath, he placed the disc in the tray and sat back down, one hand fiddling with the end of his ponytail as the other pressedplayon the remote.

It took a few seconds for the video to fade in and although it was grainy and jumpy, by Mason’s sharp intake of breath he could tell that it was his grandmother. She stood in the yard behind the house, next to a smaller weeping willow, and with her dark hair and youthful face she looked a little like Mason.

“I know what you’re thinking and I’m sorry if I crossed a line but Dylan knows a videographer who transfers eight-millimeter films, and I thought it would be great if he could put together all the clips where she was alone.”

“…it’s all just her?” Glassy eyes glued to the TV, Mason’s voice quivered and it shook Rain’s heart.

“Yeah, it’s all just her.” On the screen, Joyce twirled in her dress, vibrant and alive, and Mason let out a sob.

“Thank you.” All of a sudden, Rain was crushed in a hug. “Thank you so much. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see what was on the films but…” He looked up at her once more, the light from the television reflecting on his wet cheeks. “But it’s like she’s with me again.”

Beaming, Rain blinked away his own tears. “I’m so relieved because at first I thought it was a great idea, and then I started second-guessing myself.”

Pulling back, Mason’s brows rose as if to sayOh that’s what it wasbut then he wiped his face and gave Rain a second gift, another one of his happy smiles, the kind that transformed his entire face and reflected in his eyes, and Rain never wanted to blink for fear of missing even a millisecond of it.

“I love this. Thank you, Rain. You’ve done so much for me. You’re my muse and inspiration. You fought to keep this house. You help me with my business. And you gave me this.” Mason grasped both of Rain’s hands, linking their fingers together. “But most of all, you opened my heart. With you, I feel complete.”

Joyce waved from the screen, blowing a kiss at the camera as if she were reaching across time to give them her blessing.

“Mason…” A wave of warmth washed through Rain. “I didn’t believe in relationships or romance or any of that stuff, but I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. And you’ve helped me too, more than you’ll ever know. You’ve given me safety. You’ve given me a home.” Gently, he leaned in, kissing Mason’s lips, excited to do that again and again for the next hundred years. “And you showed me, without a doubt, that love is real.”

Epilogue

RAIN

Rainstirredasthemattress shifted. As usual, Mason had cracked under the pressure of Mouse’s early morning begging and had gotten up to feed her. Grinning, Rain drifted off, waking again when Mason came back in and closed the door behind him.

Turning onto his back, Rain held out his arms and the bed dipped before Mason’s comforting weight rested against him. Putting his ear to Mason’s chest, Rain dozed to the calming sound of his heartbeat, addicted to morning snuggling. Who would’ve thought that contentment could be part of his daily routine?

It turned out that Tristan leaving was the best thing to happen to Rain because it had led him to Mason. While the journey had been painful, he’d come out on the other side much happier and more secure; sometimes he even went to bed without double-checking the locks. He still kept his pepper spray close but now it stayed in his bag, not in his pocket or on the bedside table while he slept.

Strangely, he also didn’t sleep as much anymore. A few weeks after the holidays, he’d started waking after seven hours feeling rejuvenated, and after some research in Joyce’s library he’d discovered that since he’d been on edge for as long as he could remember, he’d been running on empty. Finding someplace safe had allowed him to show his exhaustion and it had finally been replenished, his trust in Mason helping him live calmly and sleep fully.

While much of his achievements were due to him working on his abuse, Mason’s love had definitely helped things along, fueled by his own changes. Taking his time with each book, Mason had opened up more. His words and expressions had increased as if his walls were eroding, and he’d even been having lunch with Stefan, one of the other photographers from the exhibition.

Rain loved that for him, and he also loved the throb against his side that told him that Mason was awake in more ways than one. Shifting, Rain waited for a response and a low growl told him that he was being tracked.

“Morning,” Rain rasped into Mason’s chest, crushing his nose to it and inhaling. He would never get tired of Mason’s scent; he wanted to bathe in it, and his cock agreed, rising to the occasion.

Instead of a reply, Mason placed a finger under Rain’s chin. Tilting his head up, Mason swooped in for a kiss that started soft but quickly became dirty, and Rain immediately lost all sense of self, his river of passion roaring for Mason.

Pulling back, Rain licked his lips, loving how Mason’s eyes were dark and dilated, his chest heaving. Moving slowly, Rain reached for the hem of his shirt, stripping it off and watching with interest as Mason did the same. But before Rain could touch the hair on that broad chest, Mason grasped his hand, his gaze serious, telling Rain everything he needed to hear without speaking a single word.

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