Dusk & Dawn

Chapter 25

Mason cruised along in his car, abiding by the speed limit. It struck me as quite the luxurious car for a university student. I ran my fingertips over the supple leather console, contemplating how he could afford such a ride. I knew so little about him, it seemed.

Neither of us spoke, and the silence grew increasingly uncomfortable, gnawing at my nerves until I couldn't bear it any longer.
"I'm sorry for being such a mess and ruining your shirt," I acknowledged, pointing out the tell-tale black mascara stains on his otherwise pristine white fabric.
"No need to apologize. You're far from a mess. Besides, they have this marvellous invention called a washing machine, rumoured to work wonders," he chuckled, glancing down at his shirt before returning his gaze to the road. I couldn't help but giggle at the mental image of him doing laundry.
"Well, I don't usually shed tears, especially not in front of anyone," I confessed, biting my inner cheek as I recalled the recent episode of sobbing like a child.
"Would it make you feel better if you said your eyes were leaking instead?" he suggested, a playful smile gracing his lips.
"I think I'll go with that theory."

Mason pulled up in front of the dorms, cutting the engine. He turned toward me, resting one arm on the steering wheel. I had never been alone in a car with a guy, let alone someone as devastatingly attractive as him. Unsure of what to do in this unfamiliar situation, I crossed my arms, attempting to find some semblance of composure.

"Do you want to come work with the band tomorrow? Around lunchtime, maybe?" he proposed, running his fingers through his scruffy dark hair.
"I'd like to, but can I ask you something, Mase?" I nodded, and he patiently awaited my question."Why are you helping me so much?" I blurted out, observing as he tilted his head slightly, a faint frown forming between his brows.
"I saw you on my first day here. You seemed so cold and not the friendly type so to speak. So why help ME out? I'm nothing special, especially compared to those other girls," I confessed, my gaze drifting downward to my fingers, smudged with dried mascara. His touch grazed my fingers gently.
"But you are different. Any other girl would have jumped at the chance to see me perform live and sleep with me afterward, but you..." He smiled and shook his head.
"You called me disgusting... and I loved it."
"You enjoy being called disgusting?" I frowned, perplexed. He laughed, running his hand through his thick locks.
"I appreciate your honesty. I sense that you're hiding something, but I also know there's a brutally honest side to you. You're unpredictable, and that's what I find so alluring," he confessed, taking hold of my dog tag in his hands, tracing the edges with his fingers.
"You think I'm hiding something?" I pressed my lips together, feeling a surge of apprehension. There were secrets I held that he could never begin to imagine.
"I don't think, I know. I have my own hidden past, Quinn. I recognize a fellow secret-keeper, and you, my dear, are guarding your cards quite closely," he stated, locking his gaze with mine before releasing the silver chain back against my chest. I swallowed, fearing the exposure of my innermost secrets.
"I'm not asking you to reveal all your secrets, but let me show you that you can trust me. If I can accomplish that, will you promise to open up?" he raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips."Okayyy..." I replied, squinting my eyes skeptically, doubtful that he could do anything to earn my trust with my deepest secrets.
"But just so you know, I'm guarded tighter than Pandora's box. There are things even Lexi doesn't know," I admitted, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Challenge accepted," he licked his lips and rubbed his hands together, brimming with enthusiasm. I shook my head at his eagerness and opened the car door.
"Tomorrow at noon?" I asked.
"See you then, beautiful," he winked. Rolling my eyes, I smiled and shut the door.

As I stepped through the front door, Lexi engulfed me in a hug, leaving my arms pinned at my sides.
"Sorry," she quickly apologized, her hands raised in surrender.
"I'm just relieved you're okay! Did Mason give you a ride?" she asked, adopting a motherly stance with her hands on her hips.
"Yes, mother, and no, I didn't let him get to second base," I mimicked her posture. She squealed and began waving her hands in the air.
"He kissed you?!? You kissed him?!? Saliva was exchanged?!?"
"Is that what first base is?" I inquired.
"Well, duh, sister Mary, what else would it be?" She stood there, eagerly awaiting my response, hanging onto every word.
"In that case, no. But I did sob all over his shirt," I shrugged.
"Aww, Quinnie, that's so cute. Sad, but cute," she cooed.
"Anyway, I'll be working with the band tomorrow at lunch. Are you coming?" I asked, grabbing my pyjamas, or as I liked to call them, 'jim jams.'
"I don't need an excuse to ogle my boyfriend. Count me in," she gazed off into the distance, lost in her own fantasy. I raised an eyebrow.
"So, you two are official now?" I undressed and slipped into my jim jams.
"Uh-huh. It just didn't feel like the right time to tell you before," she nodded.
"But I swear, this time I'm going to try and wait at least a month before diving into the goodies. It's challenging because he's so damn attractive, and I just want to run my tongue all over his body, and..." I stuck my fingers in my ears.
"Lalalalala, not listening!" I observed her shoulders shaking with laughter as I backed up toward my bedroom. I cautiously removed one finger to ensure it was safe and then withdrew the other."I'm happy for you, Lex. Maybe you can give me some pointers when I'm ready for all that stuff," I leaned against the doorway.
"Girl, you'll be the Kama Sutra queen by the time I'm done with you," she waved confidently. I chuckled at her hand gestures, and we bid each other goodnight.

It's not as if I hadn't experienced sex before; I was just incredibly inexperienced. I was raised to believe that even kissing was wrong unless you were married. I had only kissed and slept with one guy in my life, and it was a night I would rather forget. Foolishly, I decided to try alcohol for the first time, thinking that since I was 20, I should give it a go, considering everyone at school had their first drink around 16. I don't recall many details, but I woke up in a stranger's bed, our clothes scattered on the floor, so I pieced it together. I cried for half an hour while he lay unconscious, and I hastily gathered my clothes, running home at 2 in the morning. Certainly not the kind of first time you want to share with others. I haven't touched alcohol since.

A week later, word spread like wildfire. The guy I found myself next to, the one passed out, turned out to be none other than Chase Jenkins, the church administrator's son. Of course, he boasted to all his football buddies that he had slept with the pastor's daughter. There are always two sides to a story, but no one cared to hear mine. That was the final straw for my parents. They believed the town gossip without even attempting to ask me what happened. In their eyes, it was just one more crime in a long list of offenses I had supposedly committed against the family name. It became clear that alcohol and I would never mix.

I switched off the light and collapsed onto my bed. As I sank into the soft sheets, I let out a deep groan.
"Oh, I could so marry my bed right now." I closed my eyes and replayed the day's events in my mind. I had lost my family, but in return, I had gained incredible friends who had become my chosen family. Life wasn't unfolding according to my plans, but I couldn't say I was unhappy about it either. It reminded me of what Jim had told me.
"Life gives you what you need when you need it." With that comforting thought, I surrendered to sleep, drifting off into the night.