Missing You

Chapter #35

Like we've been doing for the past few weeks, Mason and I meet at his place and work for hours, bickering here and there. We finished analyzing a poem and we're currently wrapping up our conclusion about the Sense and Sensibility's characters, comparing two opposite ends: Elinor and Marianne, and relating them to how people nowadays act like them. I think people should be more like Elinor of course, while Mason finds Marianne's foolishness a lot better than using reason.

"I'd rather rush into something and having a chance at it actually becoming something than never risking it at all!" Mason yells passionately at me.

"She's a fool! She didn't even know the man and see how it all went! She was enamored rather than in love!"

"What's the damn difference?" Mason huffs and crosses his arms.

"There's a huge difference. Being enamored it's you blindingly falling for someone, wanting them for all the good things they are. Being in love is walking with your eyes wide open, watching someone for all that he is, the good and the bad and still wanting him as much. Wanting the best for them first rather than yourself... that's love. For me at least," I murmur the last part after equalling my screams to his and the dining room falls into a deep silence. I sigh and turn my head to my open laptop.

I feel Mason's eyes drilling into my skull and I turn to meet his gaze. He's looking at me like that again and I find myself blushing. He clears his throat and moves closer. "Well... how is that love going to blossom if people don't give it a chance to come out? If all you do is think?" He rasps out and poses his head over his hand on the table, leaning towards me until he's in my line of vision just beside the screen of my laptop. I forget how to breathe when his hand slides on my cheek to put a strand of my hair out of my face.

"Then I guess..." My voice sounds like I haven't drunk water for a week and I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, 'cause Mason isn't making it any easier with the way he's looking at me and with his closeness suffocating me in his smell and warmth. "I guess it depends then. Sometimes we're Marianne, sometimes we're Elinor," despite trying to speak normally, my voice shrinks. I feel dizzy and it is not because of the diet. His hand is still on my face and he seems to notice that just now with the way his eyes enlarged with realization.

"I guess... yeah," Mason retreats to his chair next to me and coughs a little. "Yeah, you're right. We all kind of have both sides," I feel disappointed with the distance, but relieved at the same time.

After that, we remain silent listening to the music this time coming from Mason's phone. He put Chris Young today, so we let him sing while the weirdness evaporates from the room. Some minutes go by and I sigh. "I think it's done, want to check it one last time?"

"Nah, it's alright I trust you baby Bear," I glare at him at the use of the nickname, he grins cheekily at me and just like that, we're back to normal. Nothing magical happened, nothing at all. It was just... him fooling around again. I frown unconsciously at the thought and wipe my eyes to erase it. "You tired?" Mason asks, sounding quite drained too.

"Yeah, my eyes kind of... petrified looking at the screen for so long," I chuckle and rub my hand on my neck, flinching when I press down on the sides. "God, and my back.. my neck hurts so much," I groan.

"Yeah, mine too. Coach went crazy on us today," He chuckles while he stands up and goes into the kitchen. He comes out with two glasses of water and a bowl of popcorn. "Come on," He nods his head and I stand from my seat, following him. He drops on the couch once we reach the living room and I seat beside him. He grins at me and I narrow my eyes.

"What now?"

"Why are you always so suspicious of me all the time?" Mason asks me totally outraged by the tone in which I pronounced my question. I roll my eyes at his dramatic antics.