Page 45 of Obsessed

“I thought you couldn’t use regular light in here. I was expecting all red.” He moved toward the far wall, which was covered in photos to the point of chaos. Older than Rain’s collage, it served as a wonderful distraction, keeping Rain from checking behind the shelving unit and under an expertly tacked-up sheet.

Cursing his past self for not dismantling the shrine, Mason closed the door behind them, ignoring the sweat that rolled down his back.

“I’m not developing right now. I can use the regular light. But…” Reaching beside the door, he switched on the safety lights, drowning the room in crimson. He’d fitted the small space so it was sealed up tight, with no leaks, and Rain gasped in pleasure, spinning around and then looking up at the bulb.

“The darkroom is for my film cameras. It’s mostly black and white but I’ve been experimenting with color.” He flipped the lights back. “I like controlling when the development stops, how much of the image to bring into this world.”

Rain smiled. “Film seems warmer than digital.”

Mason almost smiled back. “Yes. Film has density and nostalgia.”

Opening his lips, Rain was about to reply when his gaze landed on a stack of pictures by one of the shelves, and now Mason was sweating everywhere. He never left any collage evidence out but he might’ve missed something.

Picking up the top photo, Rain studied it, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“If you think Finn is smarmy, then why do you have pictures of him?”

Mason’s knees wobbled in relief. “He’s annoying but he’s photogenic.”

“These are sneaky shots, like the ones you take of me.” Rain teased, flicking through the pile.

“They’re candids. And his are not like yours.” Mason stated, noting that Rain was right.

“Really?” Rain tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear, blinking up at Mason through his lashes. “How are they not like mine?”

Silent, Mason tried to figure out how to answer, but Rain’s eyes shifted to the clock on the wall behind him.

“Think on it, because I have to go to work soon,” he sighed dramatically.

Leaving the darkroom, Mason quickly locked the door behind them, vowing to take the collage down while Rain was at The Pointe. While he’d have the privacy to dismantle the shrine, Mason wasn’t happy with Rain working tonight. Yesterday had been traumatic for him and he still looked slightly shell-shocked.

Torn between suggesting a day off and overstepping, Mason decided to do what he could and grabbed his keys, secretly enjoying how Rain’s eyes went wide when he found Mason by the front door as he was heading out.

“What’s going on?” His words held a whisper of fear and doubt.

“Let me drive you.” Mason didn’t have a wedding this weekend and The Pointe was close enough to drop Rain off and pick him up, which would keep him off the streets and away from any searching family members. Plus, Masonwantedto help. “And Finn’s photos are not like yours because I like you.”

The anxiety in Rain’s gaze shifted to hesitant joy, and he slowly smiled.

“Okay. Thank you, Mason.” The way his name slid off Rain’s tongue was dangerous, along with the pink that bloomed along those sculpted cheekbones. “And I like you too.”

13

RAIN

Afterthatterrifyingandtender night, things changed between them. It took a few weeks for Rain to return to his baseline and feel safe again but Mason quietly showed up the entire time, helping him along. It started with rides to and from The Pointe and if Mason had to work, then a cab was waiting for Rain at the end of the night, already paid for.

And then it morphed into so much more.

They began to eat all their meals together, telling each other small stories. Rain shared some of the tamer escapades from growing up with his mother while Mason opened up more about his Gran, whose name was Joyce, and he’d even shown Rain a few pictures. Stunning, with delicate features, she had the same clear-glass eyes that Mason did but hers were filled with kindness. Rain wished that he’d had a chance to meet her. He knew why it had taken so long for him to see her portrait and why there weren’t any photos of her in the house, because Mason already saw her everywhere he looked.

Despite the haunting emptiness of the upper floors, Mason had started hanging out upstairs, especially when Rain played with Mouse, who’d tripled in size and attitude, and he’d also become even more obsessed with candids. Hearing the click of the shutter while doing the most mundane tasks had Rain feeling like he was in a documentary, but Mason was an endless fountain of ideas and information, and the two of them spent a lot of time in the studio looking at edits of Mason’s work or printed photos from his darkroom escapades.

Between helping out with Mason’s business, drone lessons, modeling, and sometimes working a wedding together, if Mason wasn’t around, then Rain felt weirdly alone, as if he were missing a piece of himself. He guessed that was part of liking a person but what did that even mean? To Rain, it meant that Mason was a cut above everyone else, someone Rain wanted to spend his hours with, maybe give his heart to.

But to Mason, it could mean friends with benefits or that Rain was someone he could talk to, but Rain’s gut told him it was more.

He thought about calling Tommy for advice but things between them were complicated. They’d only been texting over the past few months and Rain had left the last message on read, becoming one of those people who ghosted their best friend over quality dick, but there was so much more to it than that. He’d been dealing with a lot, and he shouldn’t be talking to Tommy about this anyway. He should be talking to Mason.

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