Page 183 of The Young & the Sinner

I walked up the stairs to the third floor. Max didn’t want me on the ground floor, because he was afraid it would be more prone to break-ins, but Max only said that because he didn’t have to take three flight of stairs a few times a day.

I was exhausted by the time I got to my front door, and surprised when I saw a bouquet flowers tucked into a glass vase in front of it.

The flowers were beautiful, an array of colorful buds in full bloom strung together by a red silk ribbon. I grabbed the vase and rushed inside the apartment, bringing the blooms to my nose to sniff.

I found a small card tucked away in the side and opened it. My heart stuttered as soon as I recognized Mason’s neat script on the card.

For your first day of school. I hope this brightens your day as much as the thought of you brightens mine.

~Mason

I traced the M on his name, my heart hurting even more than before. What the hell was I supposed to do with this? A huge part of me wanted to do nothing more than drive to Mason’s house and pretend everything was okay, yet I couldn’t make my feet move.

I couldn’t pretend that he and my mom didn’t happen. How did I go about forgetting it?

In the end, I placed his card on the kitchen counter, next to the flowers, and left. I was late in meeting my dad, so it wasn’t like I could stay here and mull it all over.

* * *

Dad was already therewhen I got to the coffee shop. I pulled up next to his car and got out, heading quickly indoors when a cold wind picked up.

He looked up when I entered, and there was this genuine brightness in his eyes that still pulled me up short.

I didn’t resent that look on him anymore. In fact, I was slowly getting used to it.

“Hey,” I said, taking a seat across from him.

He had already ordered for us. I took a sip of the caramel macchiato; the temperature was just right. He ordered this for me every time we met up, and though it wasn’t my favorite drink, it was good, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him I might prefer something else.

“Hi, sweetheart. How was your first day of school?”

“It was okay. How are Ellie and Wendy?” I asked. Ellie and Wendy were my half-sisters. I grew up as an only child, so it was a bit unnerving to know that I had siblings. Dad wanted me to meet them, but I just wasn’t ready. I didn’t know when I would be, but they were still pretty young, and I was afraid that I might hurt them, unintentionally, if we met too soon.

“They’re doing well. They started back to school two weeks ago, at the beginning of the month, so we’re finally getting used to the school schedule,” he said on a laugh and I offered a small smile.

His laugh slowly faded as he took me. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” I said, bringing the cup closer to my chest until I could feel the heat of it.

“Are you okay?”

I frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I know we don’t know each other very well anymore, and I know it’s my fault, but you seem… sad these past couple of weeks. Do you want to talk about it? You might not know this about me, but I’m a really good listener.”

I smiled for the first time in weeks, a full genuine smile. “Thanks… I’m good. It’s nothing I won’t get over eventually.”

I took a sip of my drink, wanting something to do. I almost called him Dad. I hadn’t call him Dad since he left six years ago. I didn’t think I was ready for that now.

“Perhaps you don’t want to get over it?”

I let out a sigh. “Max told you, didn’t he?”

“He’s worried about you.”

I let out a dry laugh. “What else is new? Max is always worried about me.”

“I’m worried about you, too.”

---