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“Sweetie,” Bree said in a slightly firm voice. “You’ve held on to that belief since the beginning. You haven’t really given this, or him, a chance.”

“I did give him a chance,” I snapped back. “I tried to include him in the most important night of my academic career, and he let me down! Where’s this coming from, Bree? I thought that you were Team Liam?” I could feel my anger growing.

“Anna, stop. You know I’m Team-Whoever-Makes-You-Happy but, just for a minute, try putting yourself in Mason’s place.” Bree raised an eyebrow and gave me a knowing look.

“I would’ve left on time and made the damn flight!” I snarked back, refusing to break eye contact with Bree.

“Anna,” Sarah said softly. “How do you know the accident blocking the road wouldn’t have kept him from missing the first flight too? The flight times couldn’t have been that far apart.”

Bree sighed. “I think, all we’re trying to say is you should listen to the messages and get all the information before you make any big decisions about what you’re doing.” Sarah eagerly nodded as Bree spoke.

I really didn’t want to listen to what they were saying, and I sure as hell didn’t want to listen to the stupid messages. However, I also wanted the conversation to be over so I could go back to bed. “Fine,” I huffed as I reached over and grabbed my phone. The sooner we got it over with, the sooner they would leave and I’d crawl back under the covers. I opened my voicemail and put it on speaker phone. I realized other than the first message saying he switched his flight, I hadn’t listened to any of the others.

“Hey, Anna. I’m on my way to the airport, but traffic is at a standstill on the freeway. The cab driver said there’s a big accident and everything is shut down for miles. I’m trying to get to you. Sitting in the back of this cab surrounded by traffic, I really regret moving my flight. I’m so sorry, Anna. It was a selfish thing to do and I should’ve at least talked to you about it first. I’m praying the traffic clears up and we make it to the airport on time. Call me when you get this.”

I wordlessly looked up at Bree and Sarah who were glancing at each other as I pushed play for the second message. “Hey, Anna. It’s Mason. It’s officially the time my flight is supposed to be taking off, only I’m still in the back of a cab on the freeway stuck in traffic. Please call me. I’m trying to get another flight, but I’m also really freaking out right now. Please call me, Anna. I need to hear your voice and I need to know I didn’t totally ruin this. I’m so sorry.” Mason’s voice sounded significantly more distraught than it had in the previous one.

“Are there more?” Bree asked.

I nodded my head as I played the next message. “Anna, it’s Mason. Fuck. I’m finally at the airport but there aren’t any more flights landing even remotely close to you today. The earliest one they have is tomorrow morning. I don’t know what to fucking do. I’m missing your big night and I feel like absolute shit. I’m so sorry, Anna. Please let me try to make this up to you somehow… I don’t know how but I will. Please call me. I need to talk to you, Anna. Please.”

“Wow,” Sarah said at the end of the third message. “It sounds like he really wanted to be here and see you. I think he truly does care for you, Anna. Was that the last message?”

I looked down at my phone screen, which showed two more messages. “Yes…I mean, no. There don’t appear to be any more from when he missed the flight. But there are two more messages and, based on the times he left them, they’re from when I was at the Spring Art Show.”

“Play them,” Bree demanded.

I pushed the screen of my phone and the first message started with a loud sigh and a frustrated growling noise from Mason. “Anna! Dammit! I know you just sent me to voicemail! You just hung up on me, so I know you still have your phone! Listen, I know what that must have sounded like, but that’s not what it is. I was upset about letting you down tonight, and when I didn’t hear from you, I was afraid you were done with me. I met up with some friends who were already out at a bar after I left the airport. The other voice you heard was just some random girl here that’s been hitting on everyone at our table tonight. I don’t even know her name. I swear, nothing happened. She just…”

The message cut out and I immediately pushed the button for the next message to start. “Anna. Sorry. The last message cut me off so I had to call back. Anyway, she just followed me outside. I didn’t even tell her my name; she only knows it from my friends talking to me. I know I’ve fucked this up about every way imaginable today, Anna, but please don’t give up. I’m not. Just please…don’t. I get you don’t want to talk to me right now, but I’m not OK with just walking away from you. I’m going to fix this. I’m so sorry, Anna. I hope the Spring Art Show was amazing… I really wanted to be there…for you.”

“Wow,” Sarah said in a breathy voice as her hand fluttered to her chest. “Just wow!”

“Aren’t you glad you listened to those now?” Bree said with a smug smile on her face.

Part of me was. Part of me—a big part—was relieved he had tried to be there and really had missed his flight. I also still couldn’t help but feel unsettled about the whole thing. Why did it all have to be so damn difficult? And if it was so difficult just trying to meet for the first time, was it something that would ever work? I let out a frustrated grunt. “I’m just more confused than I was before the messages.”

I looked down at my phone and scrolled through the large number of text messages from Mason. Some I’d read yesterday, but several were new. I skimmed through them as Bree and Sarah sat silently on the bed watching me. The text messages were similar in content to the voicemails. I tossed my phone down on the bed and buried my face in my hands. “Why is this all so difficult?” I moaned through my fingers.

“Are you going to call him?” Bree asked.

I pulled my hands down. “I will. If for no other reason than I need closure on this too.”

“What about Liam?” Sarah asked. “Are you going to talk to him, too?”

“Absolutely. After last night, I need to thank him for rescuing me from the evil clutches of Oliver and getting me home safely.” Liam really had been the hero of the evening. I did remember apologizing to him a few times for everything. I was beyond grateful he’d wanted to wait to talk. Attempting to do so the previous night would’ve just made the evening even more of a complete and utter disaster than it already was.

What a mess.

Before I could say anything further there was a loud knock at the front door. All three of us looked at each other in confusion. “Did you guys order food?” I asked. I knew it was sometime in the afternoon, but I didn’t know how long Bree and Sarah had been up and if they’d already eaten.

“No,” Bree said, still looking confused. “Are either of you expecting someone?” Sarah and I shook our heads. “I’ll go get it.” Bree jumped off the bed and made her way out of my bedroom.

Sarah took my empty coffee mug from the nightstand where I’d placed it earlier. “More coffee?” she asked.

I nodded. “Have you eaten yet?” I asked as my stomach growled.

“Bree went out and got donuts earlier. We were waiting for you to wake up, but it was taking too long, so we got started on them,” Sarah said with a laugh. “Don’t worry though. We saved you a maple bar.”

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