If there was a manual on how to act normal after waking up next to someone you definitely weren't supposed to have feelings for, I clearly missed that class.
By noon, my headache had dulled into a manageable throb, the kind that lived behind my eyes and punished me every time I thought too hard. Which was unfortunate, considering thinking was all I'd been doing since Mason left.
I showered. Twice. Changed clothes. Twice. Stared at myself in the mirror like I might confess something if I waited long enough.
Nothing worked.
The house was quieter than it had been all week. No wedding chaos. No guests. No overlapping voices or champagne corks popping in the background. Just the low hum of the refrigerator and the sound of my own footsteps echoing through familiar hallways.
I grabbed my phone off the bed, scrolling aimlessly, hoping for distraction. Notifications stared back at me. Group chats buzzing with post-wedding photos, heart emojis, congratulations.
Mayven had already sent three messages.
Mayven: You alive?
Mayven: Bc you vanished last night
Mayven: Suspiciously 👀
I ignored them. Temporarily. For my mental health.
I padded downstairs, intent on finding coffee strong enough to resurrect the dead. As I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I stopped short.
Mason was there.
Leaning against the counter. Coffee mug in hand. Like he belonged.
I froze.
He looked up at the exact same moment, brows lifting slightly in surprise before his mouth curved into something easy. Familiar.
"Hey," he said.
There it was. That word. Completely innocent. Completely devastating.
"Hey," I replied, way too stiff.
We stood there for a beat too long, the air stretching thin between us. He looked… normal. Fully dressed, hair still slightly damp like he'd showered recently. Awake. Unbothered.
Which annoyed me. Immensely.
"I didn't know you were still here," I said.
He shrugged. "Your sister asked me to help load some stuff back into Derek's car. Leftover decorations."
"Oh," I said, then immediately wished I hadn't sounded so relieved.
Silence again.
I busied myself with the coffee machine, aggressively scooping grounds like they'd personally wronged me. I could feel him watching me, not in a creepy way, just… aware.
"You good?" he asked eventually.
"Yes," I said too fast. "Great. Perfect. Just thriving."
"Mm," he hummed. "You're clenching the counter."
I glanced down. My fingers loosened. "I like countertops." I stuck out my tongue.
He laughed faintly but didn't push it.
And somehow, that made it worse.
We worked around each other in the kitchen, careful, polite. Passing things without touching. Standing a fraction too far apart. Like we were both pretending last night hadn't cracked something open.
"So," he said casually, sipping his coffee. "You remember most of it?"
I stiffened.
"Enough," I said. "Unfortunately."
"Good," he replied. "Means I don't have to fill in the blanks."
"I would've survived," I muttered.
He glanced at me. "You sure?"
I shot him a look. "Don't."
A corner of his mouth lifted, but he let it drop.
That was the thing, he wasn't teasing like usual. Not pushing. Not poking at my reactions for fun. He was… restrained.
Careful.
And it unsettled me far more than his sarcasm ever had.
After coffee, I escaped outside under the excuse of "fresh air." The backyard looked like a ghost of the night before. Folded chairs stacked neatly, petals scattered across the grass, fairy lights still strung but unlit.
The magic had packed up and left.
I sat on the steps, hugging my knees, letting the quiet sink in. My phone buzzed again.
Mayven: Answer me before I drive over
I sighed and typed back.
Me: Alive. mildly embarrassed. don't ask.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Mayven: oh I'm asking.
Before I could respond, footsteps approached behind me. I didn't turn. I knew who it was.
Mason sat beside me, leaving a respectful amount of space. The wood creaked under his weight.
"You don't have to talk about it," he said.
I laughed softly. "I wasn't planning on it."
"Good," he replied. "Neither was I."
That surprised me. I glanced at him. "Really?"
He nodded. "Some things don't need to be dissected."
Something in my chest tightened.
"That sounds… mature," I said.
"Don't spread that around," he replied dryly.
We sat in silence, watching a leaf drift lazily across the yard.
"Did I scare you?" I asked quietly, before I could stop myself.
He turned toward me fully now. "What?"
"Last night," I clarified. "Was I… a lot?"
He studied me for a moment, expression unreadable. Then he shook his head.
"No," he said simply. "You were honest."
That word again.
Honest.
I swallowed. "That's worse."
"Maybe," he agreed. "But it wasn't bad."
I picked at a loose thread on my sleeve. "You don't have to say that."
"I know," he replied. "I'm saying it anyway."
The warmth in his voice settled uncomfortably deep.
I stood abruptly. "I should go help my parents."
He didn't stop me. Just nodded.
Inside, chaos had returned in smaller doses. Boxes to sort. Gifts to organize. Leftover cake to argue over. My sister was glowing in that soft, post-wedding way, already teasing me about disappearing early last night.
I deflected. Poorly.
Mason kept his distance but stayed nearby, helpful, present. Like gravity.
At one point, our hands brushed while reaching for the same box.
I pulled away too fast.
"Sorry," I muttered.
He paused. "Roxy."
I looked up. That was a first. He never called me that.
Silence.
I scoffed. "That's a first."
His lips twitched.
That lingered with me long after he walked away.
By late afternoon, the house began to empty out. Cars pulled away one by one. The noise faded. Eventually, it was just me, my sister, and the quiet again.
Mason was loading the last box into Derek's car when I stepped onto the porch.
"Hey," I called.
He turned. "Yeah?"
"Thanks," I said. "For last night. And… today."
He nodded. "Anytime."
Then, after a pause, he added, "I meant what I said earlier. You weren't embarrassing."
I crossed my arms. "You're really committed to that line."
"Because it's true," he replied.
I held his gaze for a second longer than necessary.
"Drive safe," I said.
"You too," he replied, even though I wasn't going anywhere.
He smiled once more, then got into the car and drove off.
I stood there long after he was gone.
Inside, my phone buzzed again.
Mayven: Okay but seriously. Mason??
I exhaled slowly.
Me: I don't know.
And that was the most honest thing I'd said all day.
And then I called her and told her what happened last night.
She yelled at me, then was happy? Then screamed at me again.