MASON AND SAGE

Chapter 6 ~ Sage

For the two months since I'd blocked him, there had been no phone contact with Mason, no texts, no calls, no electronic communication of any sort.

But the letters came, his painstakingly printed letters arriving daily. I gathered them into a cute handled basket I'd picked up at a farmer's market one Saturday, unable to throw the letters out but just as equally unable to open them and read his words to me.

Flowers arrived at the hospital every other day, and if it was a day I wasn't getting flowers, he sent chocolates, or fruit arrangements or cookie bouquets or lunches for everyone I worked with. Every night when I came home, dinner was delivered. I would look out the peephole, and instead of a person, I would see a brown shopping bag with a note that said Kitten's dinner or Sage's supper. And right below that would be I miss you so much and I love you even more ~ Mason. It was the same delivery man -- Carl -- just about every night, and he'd told me that Mason had asked all of the delivery drivers to hold the bag up so his words would be the first thing I saw.

"He tips so good I think we'd all be willing to do cartwheels wearing tutus if he asked us to," Carl had informed me one evening after refusing yet another tip from me.

Tonight when I checked the peephole, there was my brown-bag offering: Kitten's dinner. I miss you so much and I love you even more, forever and always ~ Mason

Well, that was a new little twist at the end. Forever and always seemed pretty damn optimistic given that I'd blocked him and hadn't had any contact with him for sixty one days. 

And five hours. 

And twenty-four minutes. 

Or so I was guessing. I definitely wasn't keeping track. That would be pathetic and ridiculous. Although I was many things, I refused to let myself be that girl, the one who was willing to overlook anything just to keep her man.

But the point was, he was being optimistic with his forever and always business and that annoyed me. He had no right to feel that way after he'd kissed Eva, and I don't care who initiated the kiss. He'd participated. End of story.

All of those thoughts still didn't stop me from opening the door, shooting the breeze with Carl for a few minutes and then eating my dinner while I stared at Mason's sixty-one unopened letters. After I finished eating, I pulled the basket to me, those letters calling to me relentlessly.

My fingers toyed idly with the edges of the envelopes. The inescapable fact was I missed him. I missed Mason so much I could barely get through my days. Work helped but it wasn't enough. There were still the non-work hours to survive feeling hollow, lonely and sad. It was a fight to get through the days, and an even bigger struggle not to unblock him and send him a text or, even worse, call him directly. 

In that frame of mind, I pulled out the first letter he had sent and ripped open the envelope.

Kitten, do you remember the first time we went to the beach? I remember that pink bikini you wore. Holy shit, do I remember it. I also remember wondering if you'd get mad if I covered you up so no other man could drool over my girl. I don't remember much else about that day because you eclipsed everything.

I smiled, thinking about that day. I remembered him shirtless on the beach, water trickling down his chest in rivulets I wanted to trace with my fingers. With my mouth. Mason was gorgeous, but his chest was the kind of chest that should be on the covers of romance novels. It was that awesome.

Placing the letter carefully facedown on the couch, I ripped open the second one.

Sage, the first time you told me about your work, I lost the thread of the conversation and just listened to the passion in your voice as you talked about your sincere desire to help people. I watched the way your eyes lit up, the way your hands moved to emphasize your feelings. Your heart for the hurting is a beautiful thing to witness.