Chapter 23

The room was quiet now, save for the sound of our labored breathing. Mason lay beside me, his fingers tracing idle patterns along my arm. For a moment, I thought he was asleep, but then his voice broke the silence.

“I’ve never felt this way before, Happiness,” he murmured, his tone softer than I’d ever heard it.

I turned to him, unsure of what to say. He looked almost vulnerable, his usual cocky demeanor stripped away.

“I mean it,” he said, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me. His eyes searched mine, and I could see the weight of his words reflected in them. “You’re different. You make me want things I thought I’d never have again.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “I don’t talk about it much, but… what happened with Sandra hurt me so much. Badly. I swore I’d never let anyone get close to me again. I still get nightmares from the day that was meant to be our wedding night. And then you came along, and it’s like… I didn’t even have a choice. You got under my skin.”

My heart twisted at his confession. I reached out, my fingers brushing against his cheek. “You don’t have to be scared with me,” I said.

He gave a small, humorless laugh. “That’s the problem, baby. I’m not scared of you. I’m scared of what I’d do if I lost you.”

The intensity of his words sent a shiver down my spine.

***

I've lost count of how many times I've sighed during today's lecture. The professor's voice echoes loudly in the classroom, but all I can think about is how passionate last night was with Mason.

Since I entered this classroom, I've been doing nothing but gazing at nothing in particular. My heart is full of something I can't explain. Whatever this feeling is, it feels good. So damn good that it's torturing too.

With my elbows on the desk, I rest my chin on my hands replaying the scene in my head again. My God. I can't stop thinking about how Mason held me in his arms while I rode out my orgasm, about his intense gaze when he asked if I wanted it. That time spoke of Mason's unmistakable desire for me.

I'd never expected that my first time would turn out like that. I feel heat crawling on my face remembering what Mason did to me. He'd pushed me against the bed…

“Happy.” Ash’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I snap my head, only to find that Ash and Martha are sitting beside my desk with their bags around their shoulders. I looked around mouth agape, and I noticed that the lecture had ended and my classmates were leaving.

Damn. I didn't realize what was happening around me.

“You were daydreaming,” Ash said with amusement in her tone.

“Your face is red,” Martha added, and the genuine concern in her voice has me clearing my throat.

“I didn't get enough sleep,” I said. “I couldn't focus on the lecture.”

It's the truth. I haven't been able to get enough sleep since last night. Mason got some shut-eye before we left the cabin, but I couldn't sleep. I've been wondering whether I'm in reality or if it's all a dream. Everything still seems unbelievable.

Mason and I. It feels surreal.

I heard footsteps approaching us, and watched as three girls walked towards my table.

“Hi, we saw your paper about the previous business survey,” The red haired spoke with a smile on her face. Our project is similar, I think it'll be perfect if we can team up for the assignment.

Everyone seems to understand what they're talking about asides me, the only one with a clueless expression. Ash and Martha looked delighted after hearing the girl's offer.

“Of course. It'll be great if we work together,” Ash said. “I'm interested in your project as well. I think it'll broaden our knowledge.” Everyone nodded.

Ash introduces the three of us, and the redhead introduced her friends too. The redhead is Sam, and her friends are Gift and Leah.

“How about we grab lunch together?” Leah asked cheerfully. “We can talk about it more over lunch.”

“That's a great idea. Let's go.” Martha agreed, and we exited the classroom.

While we followed them out, I dragged Martha behind and whispered to her. “What assignment are they talking about?”

I didn't pay attention when the class was ongoing, now I feel stupid.

“The professor asked us to pair with another team so we can review each other's project.” She whispered back.

I nodded in understanding, and we caught up to the rest. My eyes travelled around the cafeteria we just stepped into. Just like every other day, it's packed during lunchtime. Luckily, we managed to secure a table for all of us.

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After getting something to eat, we settled down, and Ash and Sam dove straight into a discussion about the project, their voices buzzing with enthusiasm. I tried to keep up, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Mason. It wasn’t just the physical connection we’d shared. It was the way he’d opened up to me, the way he’d let me see parts of him no one else had. It made my chest ache in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.

“Happy, what do you think?” Leah’s voice pulled me out of my haze, and I realized everyone was looking at me expectantly.

“Uh… sorry, could you repeat that?” I said, forcing a sheepish smile.

Leah raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. “I was just asking if you think it’d be better to compare the data trends from last year’s market analysis or focus on the customer feedback from the market program?”

“Oh, right,” I said, scrambling to sound coherent. “I think the customer feedback would give more actionable insights. It’s easier to apply that to future strategies.”

Sam nodded approvingly. “Good point. That’ll make the analysis more practical.”

Relieved that I’d managed to contribute something useful, I leaned back in my seat. The conversation continued, but my attention wavered again when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I slipped it out discreetly and saw Mason’s name on the screen.

Mason: Lunch break yet?

Mason: I miss you.

My lips twitched into a smile before I could stop myself. Martha noticed and nudged me with her elbow. “What’s that look for?” she teased, leaning closer.

“Nothing,” I said quickly, locking my phone and slipping it back into my pocket.

“Nothing, my foot,” she said, her grin widening. “You’ve been acting weird since this morning. Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Before I could come up with an excuse, Ash chimed in. “She’s definitely hiding something. Come on, Happy, spill it. Who’s the lucky guy?”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words got stuck in my throat. Mason’s face flashed in my mind. His smirk, his soft confession, the way he made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered. My silence must have been answer enough because Martha and Ash exchanged knowing looks.

“Oh my God,” Ash said, her eyes lighting up. “It’s Mason, isn’t it?”

“What? No!” I said, a little too loudly, drawing the attention of the rest of the table. I glanced around, embarrassed, and lowered my voice. “It’s not Mason. Why would you even think that?”

“Because you’re blushing like crazy, and you’ve been spaced out all day,” Martha said. “It’s obvious something happened.”

“It’s nothing,” I insisted, though my voice lacked conviction. “Can we please talk about the project?”

Ash and Martha exchanged another look but thankfully dropped the subject. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t going to let this go so easily.

As the conversation returned to the assignment, I felt my phone vibrate again. Another text from Mason.

Mason: You’re thinking about me, aren’t you?

I bit my lip, trying to suppress a smile. He wasn’t wrong.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t want to fight how good it felt to let someone in.