Nothing's Fine

• 79: Worrying •

I changed in record time, and put a little mascara and concealer on. I was wearing black jeans and a dark blue long sleeved shirt. It wasn't anything fancy but was nice and comfy enough to either go out or just hang around in.

Linda offered to drive me over to Mason's which was nice but I had a feeling it was because she wanted to talk more. That made me nervous.

I got my jacket and shoes on and waited out in the car for her. She came in shortly after with a travel mug in hand. When she sat down she handed it to me.

"More coffee. You look like you could go to sleep at any time."

"Don't tell that to my concealer, she thought she was doing her job," I teased while she buckled up her seatbelt. "Thank you," I added, bringing the mug to my lips.

"Were you up all night worrying about Mason?" she asked as she started up the car. I stared straight ahead and nodded. "Is there anything I can help with?" I took a huge sip of coffee and swallowed hard.

"I don't know..." I mumbled. There wasn't much I could say without betraying his trust and I didn't want to make anything worse. "I just – while I know his parents are grieving in their own ways, he is too. They're so busy mourning one kid they could–" I stopped myself short with that sentence. It felt unbearable to say 'lose another' out loud. "It hurts to go through it alone. I know what it feels like. He needs them. He's grieving too."

Linda nodded at that. "I'll see if I can nudge Annalise in the right direction," she added.

"Thank you... be subtle though I don't want Mason to feel like I went behind his back or something," I asked. Linda smiled.

"Of course," she said, understandingly. We drove a little while quietly before she spoke again."I'm really proud of you."

I looked up at her in surprise. "Me? Why?"

"You have so much going on with you and you still find a way to take care of others. It's not easy and I admire it," she said. "Don't forget to take care of yourself too though."

I smiled at that and drank some more of my coffee. "Thank you Linda. And thank you for being here," I said.

"Always," Linda replied. It was comforting to know that she meant it.

***

I got to Mason's shortly after, and knocked lightly on the front door. My heart was pounding in my chest, as I hoped for a more calm environment for him rather than for me today.

"Charlie," Mason breathed as he answered the door. His dark green eyes brightened ever so slightly. Mason seemed quiet and tired, but otherwise okay. I felt myself slightly relax as I threw my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Mason was here and he was in one piece and we could get through the day even if it was a difficult day to survive. 

Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter! New one coming next week! Don't forget to follow me for updates and vote/comment if you like this story xo <3