Page 102 of The Young & the Sinner

Olivia

Mason wasn’t avoidingme like he had done after the first time we kissed, but there was this distance between us in the days after.

I still spent my night in his arms, and he would always hold me, but when morning came, the distance was back, and I didn’t know how to close it.

We hadn’t kissed again, but I wanted to. And sometimes, I caught him staring at my lips like he wanted to, too, but he didn’t say or do anything about it.

It was… frustrating.

Was what we were doing so wrong that Mason felt guilty over every stolen moment between us? Or was I, like society said, simply too young to know better?

I didn’t think I was. I knew what I wanted, and I knew how I wanted it. I wanted control over my own body, especially after what happened with Lorenzo. With Mason, it felt possible. It felt like I held all the power in the palm of my hand when I made myself vulnerable to him, and I didn’t want that feeling to go away.

I was beginning to fall for Mason in the deepest way possible, and I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to fall further and see where this went.

Five days after our kiss, I walked downstairs to find Mason dressed up for the evening. But he wasn’t dressed up for a work event—no siree. He was dressed more casually, like for a social event. But the way he styled it told me it was more than just drinks with friends. The jerkface was going on a date.

He wouldn’t even meet my eyes down in the living room. He had been sitting on the couch, texting someone on his phone when I came downstairs, so I took a seat at the other end of the couch.

I wasn’t dressed up at all. It was Saturday and I had been in leggings all day.

I felt like a slob then, and I suddenly didn’t know what I should do with my hands. I crossed my arms over my chest and tucked my hands in my armpits.

Max came in, his eyes taking us in. He must have felt the tension as well. “Hey, is everything okay?”

I wasn’t sure who Max was talking to, but Mason answered him. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”

Max shrugged. “So, where are you going tonight?”

And even though I didn’t want to, I paid attention. I wanted to know his answer.

“To Rocket’s,” Mason answered casually. But there was nothing casual about his posture. An uncomfortable feeling took residence in my chest, and it took me a moment or two to figure out it was because I was hurt.

We had never even been on a date. No, we had only kissed twice, and I spent most nights in his arms, but now he was going out with someone else. That was an asshole move.

Max nodded, completely unaware of my inner turmoil. “That’s a good place for a first date. Nice enough, casual enough.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” Mason said softly. I saw him look at me from the corner of my eyes, but I was still avoiding his gaze.

“I still think it’s a mistake,” Max said on a laugh.

“Man, just let it go.”

That caught my attention. “What’s a mistake?”

“Hmm? Oh, Mason is going out with one of the paralegals from his work. And when this blows up in his face, he’ll find himself scrambling to find new one. And he knows how hard it is to find someone competent enough for such a demanding role.”

So, Mason was going out with a woman he saw more of than he saw of me. She was obviously older and more mature. Probably had as much experience as he did, both sexually and in life. How could I compete? And what if this date went well? What if he fell in love with her? What could I do then? I wasn’t ready to lose Mason before we even began.

“Aren’t you going out with the marketing director from your company?”

Max looked at me then. They were obviously talking about Lauren. I knew it wasn’t anything serious, yet I had to stop the grimace from showing on my face. “Yeah, but she’s in a different department than me. It wouldn’t be so bad if things didn’t work out.” With the way he was talking, I didn’t think he much cared if things worked out between him and Lauren or not.

That was good news. Not only for Lizzie, but for me as well. I didn’t want Max to date someone who didn’t like me much.

Max turned to me then. “Hey, kiddo. What are you doing tonight?”

I wasn’t planning on doing anything. This was the first Saturday I had off in months, and only because Joe hired more people than he needed. I had planned on spending it with Mason and Max, but now Mason was going on a date, and staying at home no longer held its appeal.

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