RUSH

Ch. 5: Joyride

-Bennett-

"Do you need help figuring it out?" Mason suddenly whispered.

I gawked up at Mason with wide eyes, opening my mouth to muster out some form of agreement before realizing he was chuckling to himself. "Shit. Sorry. That was a dumb joke," he apologized... like a bucket of cold water.

"A joke. Right... duh," I croaked out weakly, forcing myself to laugh because I had nothing else to add to the conversation that wouldn't give away my disappointment. Instead, I focused on the sudden darkness surrounding us, noticing the sky growing dimmer as nightfall quickly approached.

"Do you—uhm—do you want them?" I asked after rummaging for the embarrassing box and holding it out for him, wincing at the distressed quality of my voice as it escaped past my lips.

Mason furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly considering it before another fleeting grin cracked through the otherwise stoic cycle of expressions he usually bore. "Are you trying to find out if they'd fit me?"

"What?" I yelped out of shock, my voice suddenly a squeaky, stammering mess. "N—No, I was just... I—I have no real need for them, s—so I figured..."

...you might. With someone as intimidatingly attractive as you. Someone who's in your league and doesn't avoid your gaze out of a dreadful—yet irritatingly persistent—feeling of inadequacy.

I frowned, uncomfortable with the sudden tightness in my chest. Yet, in the wake of such a bittersweet realization, it was impossible not to feel delusional about the kind of feelings he was stirring up within me. Damn it. I really didn't want to think about his sex life, especially when I couldn't even picture myself ever—anyways.

"You figured I get a lot of action?" he pondered aloud, reaching for the box, and staring down at it. I couldn't decipher the expression that settled upon his features, but he was back to frowning when he glanced up again. "Thanks, I think?"

"It's fine. I—I probably would've just hidden them under my mattress and then thrown them away when they expired," I blurted out without prompting, only realizing how utterly pitiful I sounded afterward.

I narrowed my eyes at my own idiocy, releasing a heavy sigh; why couldn't I keep my mouth shut around him? I was usually awkward, but I was often able to realize when I was digging myself into a hole and stop.

But I couldn't stop digging.

Mason snorted, reaching out to tousle my hair. And I grumbled in response... if only to give the illusion that I minded. Surprisingly, it was easier than melting into his grasp now that I'd shaken myself awake.

"Why were you even in that aisle if you weren't trying to buy condoms?" he suddenly asked, tilting his head. "Did you get lost?"

"No, I—well—"

"The store isn't that big, though."

"Yeah, I..."

Mason frowned. "You okay?"

I could feel the blood rushing to my face as a deep blush crept onto my face. I lowered my head, unwilling to meet his gaze. "I—uh, it's stupid."

"Try me."

I cringed at the mere thought of trying to explain myself, but then I hopelessly caved the moment his eyebrows quirked up expectantly. "I kind of panicked when I saw you walk into the store, so I hid. I—uhm—didn't want you to think I was stalking you or something, since we already bumped into each other earlier today. Y'know what I mean?" I confessed, wincing as I looked up at his face, silently praying I wouldn't find any sort of irritation or disgust present there.