Page 30 of Obsessed

“Marci ate them alive,” Rain laughed, hearing another of those responding huffs that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

“I like Marci,” Mason stated and Rain’s eyebrows just about flew off his forehead.

“Wait, you actually like other people? I mean, other than me?” Rain pointed a finger at his chest.

“Yes,” Mason sniffed. “You. Dolores-”

“Who’s Dolores?”

“She owns the photo shop at the mall. Her friend is running the exhibition,” Mason supplied. They reached a T-intersection with a battered dirt road and turned left. “I also like Ollie, Owen, and Gran.”

They continued to walk, their footsteps the only sound in a silence that was unusually heavy. Peeking at Mason, Rain could see the walls begin to go up brick by brick, but he wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Tell me about her.” He kept his voice soft and serene, hoping that Mason would speak. More silence reigned, and just when Rain thought that he’d fucked up, Mason looked at the overcast sky.

“She used to call me Cricket.”

That was a much better endearment thanBabeeee. “Why?”

“She said that when I was little, my cries sounded like a cricket chirping.” Mason shrugged but his shoulders were loose, his gaze lingering on the clouds.

“Cute.”

“She bought me my first camera. I wanted to be a painter like she was…” He shook his head, glancing at Rain. “No talent at that. Not like her.”

“Did she ever sell her paintings?” The walls upstairs were dotted with them; it was like walking through a gallery.

Shaking his head again, a tightness appeared around Mason’s lips. “My grandfather wasn’t supportive. He died before I was born. She never missed him but he did his damage.”

“Good riddance.” Rain could read between the lines. She’d probably been trapped in a shitty marriage, much in the same way Rain was trapped with his mother.

“According to her, my father is just like him, and so is my brother.” Mason delivered those words in a monotone, edging along some clearly uncomfortable territory. “We were the black sheep of the family and she always tried to protect me.”

Rain could see the guarded child inside of Mason and he more than understood. Apparently, they both had terrible parents but Mason had been lucky enough to get a caring grandmother, which explained why he had the house and why he lived downstairs. Sure, his apartment was top-notch but Rain rarely saw Mason on the other floors. He didn’t mind if Rain used anything upstairs as long as he was respectful and didn’t make a mess, and Ollie had lived there with the same rules, but it was like Mason couldn’t bring himself to be in that space without her.

“Your Gran sounds amazing, like, the perfect grandmother.” Rain joined Mason in looking up, and a wet drop hit his nose, that chance of showers in the forecast looking more like a certainty.

Mason huffed again and this one was definitely a chuckle.

“She was.” A few more drops hit them and Mason’s gaze snapped to him. “Why are you named Rain.”

“It’s nothing special.” Rain rolled his eyes playfully, chest warming a bit at Mason’s interest. “My mom hadn’t decided on a name and it was raining.” Gesturing at the sky, he gave Mason a self-deprecating grin. “That’s very on-brand for her.”

“It fits,” Mason stated, and Rain stopped in his tracks.

“What?”

Mason took a few more steps before realizing that Rain wasn’t with him and he turned. “Your name. It fits.”

Hurrying forward, Rain caught up to him. “You can’t just say that and not elaborate.”

The corner of Mason’s lip lifted in his telltale smile. “When do I ever elaborate.”

Rain blinked at him, his laughter bubbling up and spilling out. “Was that ajoke, Mason?”

“No, it was a question.” But he didn’t say it like one. A beep sounded from the car, which they’d left at the edge of another dirt road intersection up ahead, its amber headlights flashing as they got close enough to unlock it.

“Well, the question was funny.” The rear door opened and they quickly packed everything away as the drizzle became steady. They’d timed out their session perfectly, managing to get back to the car without them or the equipment getting drenched.

---