Downfall | ✔️

Chapter 27.

"Okay, we're getting up now, I'm hungry. No arguments." I say assertively and stand up fast enough to avoid him pulling me back down. He throws his head back dramatically and groans.

"But-"

"Mason." I glare at him.

"Fine." he sulks like a child and stands to his feet.

I turn around to see him taking off his shirt to change it. I've seen him shirtless multiple times, but I still feel myself melt each time. Everything about him is just so perfect. Every ripple in his chest, every muscle, every intricately inked line that manifests on his skin creating new designs on his arms.

"You're gawking." he teases and I break from my daze.

"I was not." I scoff as I pretend to make the bed, distracting myself from staring at him as he changes into a pair of dark blue jeans.

"Aren't you changing?" he asks.

"Not right now." I reply as I run my hand along the surface of the bed, flattening the creases.

We emerge from our room for the first time since breakfast, earning a mixture of worried and moderately ashamed looks from my family, making me laugh.

"Look who decided to get up. Sleeping beauty and... Mason." Steve jokes, and even Mason laughs it off. They have this weird playful teasing between them now, I much prefer it to the tension.. but it's weird.

"Yeah, yeah." I roll my eyes as I scoop my hair up, tying it on top of my head in an attempt to make myself look slightly more presentable. I notice Steve's face drop as well as my moms, while Carol begins to laugh. I furrow my brow at Mason, wondering what the hell just happened and I see his cheeks flush slightly. What the hell?

"What?" I raise my eyebrow.

"You have a mysterious bruise on your neck, darling girl." Carol says through her laughter and I feel my cheeks flush immediately, I pull my hair down quickly and cover my neck frantically.

"Little bit late for that now." Steve sighs, although I can see a small laugh playing on his lips. Meanwhile my mom just looks unamused. I don't know why, she must know what we do by now.

"I have to um, go to the bathroom." I mumble, my voice full of embarrassment. I notice Mason following behind me and stop in the hallway.

"Mason! You didn't tell me you left a freaking hickey on my neck!" I try to yell but whisper at the same time.

"I didn't notice!" he says uncomfortably, I can tell how awkward that made him.

"And can you just say fucking? It's a lot more powerful." he smirks and I glare at him.

"Okay, we just have to walk back in there like we don't care that they saw it." I say as I take a deep breath in and Mason rolls his eyes.

"Do you have a better plan?" I ask, raising my eyebrow with my hands on my hips.

"No." he scoffs in defeat.

"So it's agreed." I shrug.

"You look hot when you do that, all bossy and shit." he teases.

"Shut up." I narrow my eyes before walking back into the living room.

"I'm starved." I groan as I walk past everyone, trying to break the silence.

"What's that on your neck?" Izzy asks and I cringe a little.

"She hurt it." Mason chirps from behind me and I nod along.

"Is it sore?" she asks, scrunching her nose up.

"Not really." my voice is even more high pitched than before.