I realize then that this could be the reason I feel at ease when I’m with him; he’s the only person who didn’t have preconceived notions of how I’m supposed to act or any expectations of what a relationship with me should be. He knew me as a child, but we’re both new people now.

“And? What’s it like?”

His mouth twitches. “Still deciding.”

“Let me know when you’ve made up your mind.”

Turning to the clock on the wall, he sighs. “Shit, when did it get this late? I should really get home.”

“Um, no,” I say bluntly, the atmosphere shifting. “You’ve had way too much wine, you’re not driving.”

“Alina,” he protests, and I give him a serious look.

“Weren’t you listening in that awful assembly? You can sleep on the couch,” I tell him, standing up from my own chair and heading in the direction of the hallway closet to grab him some bedding. “Sofia is on a business trip, so you don’t have to worry.”

Mason follows me, our footsteps padding on the laminate floor, and I locate the closet, sliding the doors open and grabbing a handful of blankets. “At least let me help you,” he says, reaching out to take them out of my hands, but I jerk out of his grasp stubbornly.

The sudden movement causes my head to spin and my knees to buckle. He reaches out, his hands flying to my waist to steady me as my breath catches. Startled by the sudden contact, I meet the eyes that always seem to draw me in with a gravitational pull, and he looks equally shocked by our accidental closeness, mere inches apart. Clearing my throat, I take a step back, and his fingers slip from my hips.

“Sorry,” I mumble, and he nods before I turn away, heading to the living room and feeling a burn in my cheeks.

We enter the room, and it feels too dark, so I reach over to flick on the lamp above the couch. Unfortunately, the light only serves to bask Mason in a soft glow that does things to my heart, and I quickly look away, setting the blankets down.

“Will you be okay out here?”

“I’ll be fine, Alina,” he says. “Thank you.”

“Good night, Mason.”

“Good night.”

Leaving him to get settled, I turn away, making for my bedroom. My heart beats a little faster with the knowledge that Mason is just downstairs, and it’s both a comforting and terrifying thought. Taking a deep breath, I settle under the covers, willing my heartbeat to slow down, and my blinks become increasingly slower until my eyelids finally fall closed.

And for the first time in a long time, I sleep peacefully.

18 | Implode