Page 127 of The Young & the Sinner

Neither of us said anything.

I took him in, from his large frame to the unruly dark hair, his rough stubble, and the black suit with gray tie he wore. He looked like he’d just left the office.

I wanted to move toward him, like I always wanted to do in his presence. There was just something about him that I couldn’t get enough of, and it went beyond his devastatingly good looks.

“Hi,” I said meekly.

“Olivia,” he said tonelessly. I didn’t know if he was mad that I had been avoiding him or indifferent. And I didn’t know which was worse.

“How are you?” I asked politely, and it almost killed me. We were acting more like strangers than lovers. And I didn’t know how to stop feeling like this.

Mason stood up and the chair scraped along the hardwood floor, the noise jarring. I flinched and Mason’s eyes assessed me. I wasn’t afraid of him, but that must have been what he thought, because he slowed his movements. And then he stood in front of me and I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said gruffly, and I knew then, he wasn’t indifferent toward me.

I nodded. There was no sense in trying to deny it. All those unanswered phone calls, all those texts I never replied to. Of course I had been avoiding him.

Mason ran the back of his pointer finger across my cheek and I resisted the urge to close my eyes. How could one man have such a huge effect on me? How could I still crave him when everything in me knew how wrong this was? How wrong we were for each other?

I looked at him in the eyes, and I knew he was feeling the same way I was feeling.

Then without another word, he pulled me into his arms and carried me out of the house. It wasn’t until we got to his car, when he deposited me into the passenger seat, that I found my words. “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”

“To my apartment. We’re not having this conversation at my brother’s house.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and looked out the window as Mason pulled away. The sun was gone, and the empty branches were moving from a strong wind picking up.

“Do you really think the setting would change the direction of this conversation?”

Mason must know why I was avoiding him. What I was planning on doing. That wouldn’t change whether we were at Max’s house or his apartment.

He shook his head but didn’t say anything. And I couldn’t tell what he was feeling or thinking just by looking at him. Not knowing was the worst part, because I couldn’t predict how he would react. And I wasn’t sure how I wanted him to react.

We got to his apartment in no time. I didn’t say anything as I got out the car, nor when I followed Mason up to his apartment. He opened the door, and I let out a sigh, loving how warm it was. Chicago in the fall time was unpredictable. We could have gorgeous weather one day, and windy, ugly weather the next. Today, the weather was more on the ugly side.

I walked to the sofa and sat down while Mason went into the kitchen, making tea. I heard the tea kettle whistling, and the sound of mugs clattering. Then silence.

And still, no Mason.

I looked to the kitchen and found his back to me, arms braced on the counter with his head down. He looked so lost that I couldn’t help but go to him, as if there was an invisible string attached to me, and to him, reeling us closer together.

It had always felt like that with Mason. And I didn’t want to let him go. But I had to, didn’t I?

I placed a hand on his broad shoulder and felt his muscles tensed beneath my touch. He turned around and took me in.

“Why, baby?”

I shook my head, unable to make the words form. I don’t think we should do this anymore.

Eight simple words that by themselves were utterly meaningless. But together, and in reference to Mason, they felt absolutely shattering. How would you go about letting go of the man you loved?

Because that was what this was. I was in love with Mason Kade, and I didn’t know how to let him go.

“Is it because of your dad?” he asked, when I still hadn’t said anything.

“Yes and no,” I said softly. I shook my head. “We shouldn’t do this.”

Mason paused for a moment, and for a quick second, I didn’t think he would say anything. But then he asked, “Why not?”

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