Downfall | ✔️

Chapter 23.

"Shit!" Matt sighs, realising he must've blown Mason's plan.

"Just act surprised, okay?" he tells me and I panic.

"I can't! I'm an awful liar! Hasn't Mason told you?" I run my fingers through my hair as I pace. "Like, an unacceptably awful liar!" I repeat frantically whilst Matt rocks back and forth on his heels.

"Lie, you have to lie!" he tells me desperately, waving his arms once again.

I scoff. "I can't! I'm terrible at acting surprised!" my voice whines as I continue to pace. I tap my feet against the floor as Matt starts mumbling 'oh god' to himself on repeat.

I would laugh at the comedic scene unravelling if I wasn't part of it. Seriously, this looks like something from a sitcom.

"You have to just-" he begins before he's cut off by Mason walking into the room.

"Hey!" I say in an unusually high pitched and excitable voice, watching as Matt's eyes scan the whole room, anywhere besides Mason. We couldn't look more suspicious if we tried.

"Hey..." Mason greets us sheepishly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"I have to leave soon so I just came to say bye. Because I won't see you, you know." I say quickly and smile the fakest smile on possibly the face of the planet. Matt side eyes me with a look that screams 'seriously?', making my cheeks redden.

He narrows his eyes for a second before they flicker between Matt and I. He takes a deep breath in.

"You two figured it out, didn't you?" he shakes his head.

"Figured what out?"

"Yes."

Matt and I say in unison, before looking at each other awkwardly. Clearly we had opposite ideas of how to approach this.

"God damn it, Matt." Mason groans.

"It's not his fault, I asked." I sigh.

"But hey, I'm really glad you're coming." I smile as I tug at his arm.

"Yeah, yeah." he rolls his eyes.

I feel bad that we ruined his surprise, but it doesn't make me any less happy that Mason decided to come with me. I'm overjoyed, actually. I text my mom about the late change of plans and she tells me she'll fill Carol in.

I sit beside Matt on his bed as Mason loads his bags into his car, we decided to drive separately since it's a lot easier with the luggage. Plus, a two hour car journey with Mason and my mom sounds like a recipe for disaster, like when Mason tries to make pizza rolls.

"Sorry for ruining the surpise, but if his ego wasn't so big and I was actually in the loop, I'd have made sure not to tell you." Matt laughs.

"It's okay," I chuckle. "Either way, I'm glad he's coming."

"He's a lucky guy, you're pretty great." he smiles widely.

"Thank you." I shrug awkwardly.

"And of course, you're drop dead gorgeous." he tells me, placing his hand on top of mine.

I panic for a second thinking through what to say. This is Mason's... friend, or whatever Mason would call him. Maybe he's just being friendly

Mason's words come to mind... "Don't be naïve, Amara." I take an awkward deep breath in.

"Matt... no offence to you, at all, but I really like Mason. Only Mason." I say nervously, moving my hand from under his. I watch as his expression slowly turns to confusion.