Page 154 of Please Save Me

That was a lie. It had to be.

“If you liked me, why didn’t we date back then?” I tried to sound more curious than hurt.

“Because there was a weird… maturity gap?”

“What are you talking about?” It was now my turn to stop under a streetlight. “We’re closer in age than you and Lucian and Sophia, and you dated them.”

Mason’s mismatched eyes traced my features, and I feared for a moment I’d offended her.

“Yeah, but you were in college. Then, when you moved back to Portland, you had some adult job in law enforcement while you worked on your doctorate and I was some kid who had gotten kicked out of high school.”

Of everything I prided myself on, my intelligence was at the top of the list. But I had still been blind to the idea that Mason and I were on completely different paths. I was the world’s youngest adult. I had a high-stress job and responsibilities, and she was still in the throes of adolescence.

“That’s really it?” I questioned, not fully believing it myself.

She nodded. “And after I left, it seemed like you lost yourself, but Cameron’s bringing youback.”

I was sure Cameron wouldabsolutelylove to hear something like that. He’d probably get some sick satisfaction from knowing he was pushing me to resurrect parts of myself that I’d been sure had died.

“So, do you love him?” Mason gave me a playful nudge.

Iknewthe answer, but the words still felt strange on my tongue.

“Is–” What came next wasn’t rocket surgery, but that didn’t make it easier. “Well, I suppose I might.”

A look of pure delight crossed Mason’s face, but it was quickly replaced with something else. Something more powerful—confusion. Slowly but surely, she looked lower, and I followed her gaze to see absolutely nothing. Still, when I looked back up, Mason’s confusion had turned to panic.

“Mason, what’s wrong?” My tone was tight as I fought against my worries.

“I…” She trailed off, looking back to the ground. “I think my water broke.”

My brow furrowed. She seemed too calm for something like that to have happened. “... Are you sure?”

She swallowed hard as her grip on my jacket tightened. I scanned her face, looking for any signs she may be overreacting, but all I saw was fear.

“A-are you in pain?” I failed miserably at staying calm.

Mason hesitated a moment, running a hand over her stomach. “... I don’t think so?”

“How can you not know if you’re in pain?” I snapped as my nerves finally won.

“Don’t yell at me!” she sniffled.

Her eyes glistened with tears, and I realized I really didn’t have room to be the scared one, so instead, I put on a brave face.

“I’msorry,” I soothed, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Alright, if your water broke, we need to go to the hospital.” Somehow, saying the coming steps made this easier to swallow. And as Mason nodded, I had a feeling she liked the reassurance too.

Slowly, I guided her back toward the SUV. My feet slipped against the sidewalk, making me acutely aware of just how icy the world had grown.

“And then, they’ll take you back, and they’ll assess the situation.” I used my key fob to unlock the car, causing my headlights to flash.

“Okay, what then?” Her voice raised in pitch.

“Then, if your waterisbroken, we’ll have a baby.” Oh my God, we’ll have a baby. A real baby. Rosie will be—God dammit, we didn’t pick a middle name.

“But it’s not time,” Mason pleaded as I helped her into the passenger seat. “They said she was coming the Monday after Thanksgiving. We still have like two and a half weeks.”

Gingerly, I buckled her in. “I know, Princess. But babies don’t follow a schedule. If Rosemary says it’s time, it’s time.”

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