Page 133 of The Young & the Sinner

Olivia

Despite my resolveat the beginning of this week, by the time Mason dropped me off at home, I knew I wouldn’t tell Max right away.

For one thing, even though it felt like I had known Mason my whole life, we were still so new to this whole relationship thing. We hadn’t even had sex yet.

And the other thing was that I was still living with Max. It would be hard for him to see me as anything more than a child who needed him if I still clung to him so tightly.

I wanted to talk to Max about moving out.

He had been encouraging me to rethink staying in a dorm to get the full college experience since the beginning of the summer, but I hadn’t wanted to be so far away from him. Perhaps it was time.

Not to say I would move out right this second, or even next week, but soon. As soon as I found the courage to move away from Max…

If I found that courage, I mean.

By Monday morning, I was back to feeling hopeful about my future with Mason. Everything could work out for the best, and all I had to do was take a chance on the blue-eyed giant who stole my heart.

I drove straight to Mason’s work after school. I was meeting his friends today—Logan Cross and Gage Walker.

I was a little excited.

And very apprehensive.

What would his friends be like? Would they like me? Or would they take one look at us and realize we didn’t match?

I pulled up to his office and parked my car by the meter. I paid for two hours, because I didn’t know how long I was going be, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Then I got out of my car and looked up at the impressive and intimidating building in front of me. Chicago was known for its striking architecture, but this was something different. The building wasn’t the tallest around, but it was definitely the most unique. Made mostly of glass and shaped like a slanted arrow, it was wider than it was tall.

And it was busy.

Men and women in business suits, speed-walking from one place to another like they had somewhere important to be… and they probably did.

I most certainly stuck out like a sore thumb with my jeans, black combat boots, and U of C maroon sweatshirt. Mason said we were going to meet them at the bar after work, and I thought I was dressed appropriately. I thought a bar would be a good, chill idea, even though I technically wouldn’t be drinking.

I had three more years before I could legally drink. That fact definitely highlighted just how young I was compared to Mason, but that wasn’t going to stop me from meeting his friends.

They were obviously important to him, otherwise he wouldn’t have set this up.

I shivered on my way inside, as a cold breeze picked up. The weather was getting colder and colder each day, but surprisingly enough, we hadn’t had our first snowstorm yet.

I caught my reflection in the window when I got close enough to the building. I stood out even more than I’d thought. I was dressed way too casually for this place, and though I had on mascara and light red lipstick, it wasn’t a lot. It was the best I could do, and Mason never really seemed to mind that I couldn’t dress up like most girls could.

I felt like a total slob compared to all the women here. They were all so put together. They all looked like some version of Lauren, and that made me want the ground to swallow me up. If these were the kinds of women Mason was surrounded by most of the time, what the hell was he doing with me?

I hated how insecure I felt, and I hated even more that I could feel my cheeks heating, because more than a couple of people had looked my way since I entered.

There was a security man by the front. He looked at me, a single eyebrow raised, as if he wasn’t sure what I was doing here to begin with.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and walked over to him.

“Can I help you, Miss?”

“Um, I’m here to see someone. He knows I’m coming.”

“Who is it?”

“Mason Kade.”

“And what is your name?”

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