Chapter 19

Happiness’s POV

The walk wasn’t helping. The chill of the winter air couldn’t quiet the storm raging in my chest. My feet carried me through familiar paths, but my mind was far from the frosty park around me.

I kept replaying Mason’s confession in my head: She said she still loves me.

The way he’d hesitated before answering, like a man caught between the past and the present, had shattered something fragile inside me.

I stopped near a bench by the frozen pond and sat down, my breath fogging in the air. A part of me wanted to scream at him, demand answers, demand clarity. But another part—a quieter, more dangerous part—wondered if I even wanted to hear those answers.

Was it better to leave before he could truly break me?

I rubbed my gloved hands together, trying to warm them, when I felt his presence.

“Mason,” I said softly without turning around.

“How did you know it was me?” he asked, his voice rough, tinged with exhaustion.

I stared at the frozen pond. “You’re the only person who looks for me when I don’t want to be found.”

The bench creaked as he sat down beside me, his proximity sending a jolt through me. For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

“Happiness,” he finally said, his tone heavy, “I’ve spent the past few days trying to figure out what to say to you. But everything I come up with feels… wrong. Like it’s not enough.”

I turned to look at him, my eyes narrowing. “Maybe because it’s not enough, Mason. Maybe some things can’t just be explained away.”

He flinched but nodded. “You’re right. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I hate that I hurt you. But please, let me try to make you understand.”

I folded my arms, wary. “Then talk.”

He took a deep breath, his hands gripping the edge of the bench like he needed the grounding. “Sandra’s return shook me in ways I didn’t expect. When I saw her again, I thought… I thought I’d feel something. Closure, maybe. Or even anger. But all I felt was regret - not for losing her, but for the years I wasted chasing a love that wasn’t real.”

I blinked, my heart twisted painfully.

“She told me she still loves me, that she wants to make things right,” Mason continued, his voice low. “But when she said those words, all I could think about was you.”

I scoffed, looking away. “And yet you didn’t tell me about it. You kept me in the dark. Did you even have it in mind to tell me if I didn't find out on my own?”

“Of course, and it's because I was scared!” he admitted, his voice rising. “Scared of how much you mean to me. Scared that if I told you about Sandra, you’d think I wasn’t over her. That you’d walk away.”

My chest tightened. “Do you even hear yourself, Mason? You didn’t trust me enough to handle the truth, and now you’re asking me to believe that I’m the one you want?”

“You are,” he said fiercely, reaching for my hand. “Happiness, you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I could be more than my mistakes. With you, I’m not just Mason, the guy who got left at the altar. I’m me. And that’s something Sandra could never give me.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “Then why did you hesitate when I asked if you still loved her?”

His shoulders sagged. “Because I was ashamed. Ashamed that part of me still held onto the idea of her - not the person she is, but the person I thought she was. But when I saw her again, I realized the truth. She’s not the one I want, Happiness. You are. And I need you.”

I shook my head, pulling my hand away. “Words are easy, Mason. But how do I know you won’t keep something from me again? How do I know I can trust you?”

He stood abruptly, running a hand through his hair. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he turned to face me, his expression raw and open.

“You don’t,” he said quietly. “But I’m asking you to give me the chance to prove that I deserve your trust. I don’t want to lose you, Happiness. And I’ll spend every day making sure you know that.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with sincerity. I searched his face, looking for any sign of doubt, but all I saw was the man I’d fallen in love with - the man who was trying, imperfectly but earnestly, to be better.

I stood slowly, my heart pounding. “Mason… I’m scared. I’m scared of trusting you and getting hurt. Scared that I’ll never be enough.”

He stepped closer, his voice steady. “You’re already more than enough, Happiness. You always have been. And I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to you.”

For a moment, the world felt impossibly still. Then, with a shaky breath, I closed the distance between us, my hands trembling as they found their way to his chest.

“How do I know you won’t hide things from me again?”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he didn’t have an answer. But then he stepped even closer, his voice steady and sure.

“Because I’ve already lost everything once, Happiness. I know what it feels like to be left with nothing but regret. And I’ll never let that happen again—not with you.”

“I’m not promising it’ll be easy,” I said softly.

“I’m not asking for easy,” he replied, his voice breaking. “I’m asking for you.”

His lips found mine, and in that kiss, there was no hesitation, no doubt, only a quiet, desperate promise of a new beginning.

Mason’s POV

As my lips found hers, I felt the tension in her touch - the hesitation, the fear. But I also felt something else: hope.

We walked back to the apartment in silence, the sound of our footsteps crunching against the icy sidewalk the only noise between us.

When we reached her door, she paused, her hand still in mine. “I’m not letting you off easy, Mason,” she said, her voice firm but soft. “This isn’t something that can be fixed with one conversation.”

“I don’t want easy,” I said, meeting her gaze. “I just want you.”

The next few days were anything but simple.

Happiness didn’t pull away completely, but she didn’t let me back in right away, either. Our conversations were cautious, filled with careful words and long silences.

I wanted to tell her everything. To pour out every fear, every regret, every moment I’d spent thinking about her. But I knew this wasn’t about grand gestures or perfect speeches. This was about showing her, day by day, that she could trust me again.

So I started small.

I made sure she knew where I was, who I was with. Not because she asked, but because I wanted her to know that I had nothing to hide.

I listened when she spoke, even when the words were sharp and the wounds they revealed were ones I’d caused.

And when she needed space, I gave it to her, even though it killed me to be apart.

Happiness’s POV

Mason was trying.

I could see it in the little things he did—the way he left notes in my room, apologizing for the ways he’d hurt me. The way he showed up for me, even when I didn’t ask him to. The way he listened, really listened, when I told him how I felt.

It wasn’t perfect. Some days, I still felt the sting of doubt, the ache of wondering if I’d ever truly be enough. But Mason didn’t waver. He stood by me, steady and unflinching, even when I pushed him away.

One evening, as we sat on my couch, the quiet between us felt different, less strained.

“Mason,” I said, breaking the silence. “Why me?”

He turned to me, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”

I hesitated, my fingers playing with the edge of the blanket draped over my lap. “Why do you want me? After everything with Sandra, why didn’t you just… try to make it work with her? Why fight for me?”

He reached for my hand, his touch warm and reassuring. “Because you’re the one who makes me better, Happiness. You’re the one who saw me at my worst and stayed. The one who challenges me, who makes me want to be the kind of man you deserve. Sandra… she was my past. But you? You’re my future.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, and this time, I didn’t hold them back.

“Okay,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Okay, Mason. I’ll try. But you have to promise me—no more secrets. No more running. If this is going to work, we have to face everything together.”

He nodded, his grip on my hand tightening. “I promise.”

For the first time in weeks, I let myself lean into him, resting my head against his shoulder. His arms wrapped around me, and for a moment, I let myself believe that maybe, we could find our way back to each other.

And this time, it would be stronger than before.