Dusk & Dawn

Chapter 19

"Anything else?" he asked quietly, his tone filled with concern.

"I don't remember writing a message... or the keg stand... but I remember being upside down for some reason. Chris gave me a weird-tasting drink... everything's sort of hazy," I replied, my gaze dropping to the floor. Suddenly, a rush of fragmented memories flooded my mind.

"Tape... blood... You," I gasped, wide-eyed with realization. I swallowed the lump in my throat before continuing.

"You saved me," my voice cracked, the dam threatening to burst. I swallowed again, meeting the swirling tsunami of emotions in his eyes.

"Did you see?" I asked, looking down at my hands, unwilling to cry like a weakling. My father had always said tears were for the weak and downtrodden.

"When we arrived, you told Lexi, 'Don't let him see.' What don't you want me to see?" he whispered close to my ear, both hands clasping mine. I couldn't bring myself to look at him; I felt so ashamed. He brushed my hair out of my eyes and rested his hand on my neck.

"What don't you want me to see?" he repeated, pressing his forehead against mine as if to merge our thoughts.

"Me," I replied quietly, bringing my hands to my face.

"I don't want you to know my past and leave because of it," I tried to explain, my voice on the verge of shattering. I stopped, unable to continue. Mason sat on my bed, lifting my chin to meet his gaze.

"Nothing you say or do could ever make me want to cut you out of my life. Nothing you've said or done would ever make me disappear. I am physically incapable of living my life without you in it now," he declared, his thumb gently tracing my jawline. The look in his eyes was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

A knock sounded at the door, and I let out a sigh, partly annoyed that our moment was interrupted, but also relieved that we didn't have the chance to say something that could mess it all up. Lexi and Zach stood in the doorway, holding a bouquet of my two favourite flowers: lilies and roses.

Back home, during those precious summer days when I was allowed outside, I would sprint down to the lake at the edge of our housing estate. The grass was a lush, feather-soft green, and along the bank, there were white roses and lilies trailing all the way along the water's edge. Some of my fondest childhood memories were spent sitting beneath the willow tree a few meters from the bank, daydreaming about changing the world and the exciting experiences that awaited me as I grew older. But my absolute favourite moments were when wind-borne seeds danced through the air just before a storm. Whenever I spotted them, I would close my eyes and make a wish, pretending they were fairies.

"Hey, Quinn Bee. How are you feeling?" Lexi brought the flowers over and placed them on the bedside table. Mason gave me a quick wink before walking over to talk to Zach.

"I'm feeling okay. Worst freaking hangover ever, but I'll survive," I replied, patting the bed for Lexi to sit. I glanced over at the guys, making sure they weren't eavesdropping, and then turned back to Lex.

"I didn't say anything embarrassing last night, did I?" I asked in a hushed voice. Lexi's mouth dropped open, and she gasped.

"You totally like him!" she exclaimed, a little louder than I had hoped. I quickly covered her mouth and gritted my teeth.

"Shut up, woman! I do not! I just want to know if I made a royal ass of myself last night or not," I whispered, peering over her shoulder. She pursed her lips, a mischievous smile playing on her face as she raised her eyebrows.

"Well, you didn't declare your love for him, if that's what you're getting at," she teased.

"There is no love to declare, okay?" I insisted, locking eyes with her, hoping to convince her.