Page 118 of The Young & the Sinner

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Mason announcedat dinner that night that he had decided he didn’t want to wait for his old apartment to be fixed and that he was moving out of Max’s house to another new condo the next weekend. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I didn’t want him to move out, but I didn’t know how to say it without sounding desperate, so I stayed silent.

There wasn’t much furniture that needed to be transferred. What was salvageable from water damage had been put in storage, but even that wasn’t much. Thankfully, most of the furniture that survived had been in his bedroom, so at least he had a bed to sleep in.

Mason’s new apartment was closer to Max’s house than his old one. It wasn’t nearly as nice as his other one, though it was nice enough.

It wasn’t a sky rise, and there wasn’t a parking garage, for one. It was a two-bedroom unit with hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and an open floor plan, with a black electric fireplace in the center of the living room. One bedroom was a nice, big master, and the other Mason was turning into his office.

I liked it. It didn’t intimidate me as much as his previous place. I was hoping Mason picked this one because he wanted to be closer to me, since it was a little further for him to commute to work. I wanted to ask him if that was the reason, but I didn’t want to come off as conceited.

On moving day, we all pitched in to help, but it was Mason and Max who did most of the work.

Mason didn’t want me to carry anything heavy, because, apparently, he thought I was breakable. I didn’t want Lizzie to carry anything heavy, because I still didn’t know much about pregnancy, and I didn’t know what she could and couldn’t do carrying a baby. Max seemed oblivious to it all. If he thought it was weird how Mason treated me, or how I treated Lizzie, he didn’t say.

Overall, we managed to move all of Mason’s things to his new apartment before nightfall. It was a pretty good day. And even though I was sweaty and had barely brushed my hair that morning, I liked the way Mason would sometime sneak in glances at me when Lizzie or Max wasn’t looking.

Mason ordered pizza for dinner that night, and the four of us sat on the floor, watching a movie from his laptop. We huddled close to watch the tiny screen, with Lizzie and me in the middle, and Mason next to me.

Our eyes met several times throughout the movie, and at one point, when all the food was gone, Mason wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in close. I looked over to Max, who was on Lizzie’s other side, but he was paying attention to the movie. And since I was feeling daring, I rested my head on his shoulder.

Mason kissed my head quietly, and I let out a small sigh, feeling more content than I had ever remembered feeling.

The movie continued to play, but I wasn’t paying attention anymore. I was focused on my thoughts of Mason and our future, and I realized we had to tell Max eventually. I didn’t want to sneak around with Mason forever.

I wanted a future with him.

* * *

Lizzie toldSam about her pregnancy at the beginning of the week. He took the news well. He told her he would support her however she needed. She seemed lighter after. I knew she was stressed about telling him, and now that it was done and over with, she would find the courage to tell her parents as well.

She would be telling them on Wednesday after school, when her dad was off from the restaurant, and when her mom sometimes came home early from work to hang out with her dad.

She was nervous, but her parents were good parents. They truly loved Lizzie and wanted only the best for her. Even still, she was nervous about the prospect, and there was nothing I could do or say to make her feel better.

I spent Tuesday afternoon at Mason’s apartment with him. To get the “official” tour, he said, when his decorator finally finished furnishing his home. I didn’t even know he had a decorator. But that was exactly what he told me over the phone, and he sounded so excited, I didn’t have the heart to tell him how weird I thought having a decorator was.

Rich people were a funny breed.

When I drove straight to his apartment after school, Mason was already there waiting for me. I had to refrain myself from jumping up and down in excitement. I was still trying to convince Mason I was so much more than my age. That, even as young as I was, we could fit, somehow, some way.

He was still in his work clothes, his blue tie—that I thought did wonder for his skin tone—was pulled loosely around his collar, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. I liked this look on him. There was just something about being greeted by a man after he clearly had a productive day at work that got me all hot and bothered. He also had a five o’clock shadow, and he looked downright sexy.

Mason held the door open for me, and I walked into an apartment with no personality. It was nice enough, but it didn’t say anything about Mason. A black leather sofa took up the majority of the living room, as did a big flat screen TV, and there were random knickknacks on the wooden mantle above the fireplace. But they were not things I thought Mason would pick out for himself.

“Do you want something to drink?” he asked.

“Water would be good,” I said, my throat suddenly feeling parched.

I watched him in the kitchen, loving the way he moved. There wasn’t a single awkward thing about Mason. And I loved it. Self-confidence was sexy. I didn’t realize how attractive it was until Mason walked around with it like a second skin.

I smiled when he came back, taking the glass of water out of his hand. He took a seat next to me on the couch, pulling me in close. “How was school, baby?”

I shrugged. School was school. “It was good. We started auditions today, and we think we might have found our Cato.”

“That sounds wonderful. Sounds like the play is coming together nicely.”

I nodded, placed the glass of water on the coffee table, and snuggled in close to Mason’s body. He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face closer into his chest. Who knew something so hard could be so comfortable?

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