“I know,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Why do you think I booked it?”
We left the burger joint and headed back to her place. As we turned down her road, we saw Mason on his bike, headed toward the ocean.
We both looked at each other, and she followed him. When we arrived, his bike was parked, and he was walking down the beach.
“What time is the cruise?” I asked.
“Five.”
“I’ll be back by four at the latest.”
“Text me if you need me.”
“I will.” I exited the car, and she pulled away, waving.
I wasn’t even sure if this was a good idea, he might just walk away from me. But I felt like we needed to talk. Destiny put him in my life for a reason, and I wanted to find out why.
I took in a deep breath, steadied my nerves, and headed toward Mason, who was now sitting on the beach. God, from afar he looked exactly like Michael, and he also looked lonely.
I walked up from behind.
“Hey. Is there space for one more?”
He turned and covered his surprise with a smile. He seemed in one of his up moods. Patting the sand next to him, he said, “It’s all yours.”
I sat down and looked out over the vast ocean. The only sounds were that of the waves crashing and then rolling back and forth across the shore. Seagulls cawed in the distance, and the breeze carried a salty scent. I took off my shoes and buried my toes in the grainy white sand.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, his eyes examining me.
“Better today,” I said. “What about you?”
“As good a day as anyone can have,” he replied, but I could tell he carried a weight of worry.
“I know you don’t want to get close to me because I leave tomorrow, but I enjoy your company.”
His eyes found mine, fraught with emotion. At this moment, I would have traded my gift of being a medium, to being a telepath. I wanted to know what he was thinking.
“I enjoy your company too,” he admitted. “But it is so much more beyond you leaving…” He paused. “Walking away, distancing myself, it’s the only way I know how to cope. It’s what I’ve done my entire life, and it’s helped me survive.”
“I understand that, but sometimes talking about things, especially with a friend, helps.”
“I can’t.”
“Why? You know you can trust me.”
“I know I can, but trust has nothing to do with it. My issues are mine. Keeping them secret gives me an individual power, anonymity.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “You can keep your anonymity. I won’t push anymore.”
“Thank you.” He stood up, his eyes much softer, and reached out his hand to me. “Still friends?”
I took his hand. “Friends.”
Something flashed in his eyes. “Come with me. I’d like to show you something.”
I guess this was his way of calling a truce, and I wasn’t going to let him down.
“Okay. But I have to be back by four. Emily planned a dinner cruise.”
Mason looked at his watch. “We have a little more than an hour. Let’s move.”
He took my hand, and we ran down the beach and back to his motorcycle, both of us laughing. He placed the helmet on my head and snapped it tight, then hopped on and lifted the kickstand.
“Hop on,” he said starting it up.
I threw my leg over the seat and wrapped my arms around his waist. This time, I had no qualms about holding on tight, and resting my head on his back. I would take every little bit of time with him I could gather.
He took off, heading in a direction I hadn’t traveled before. The wind whipped around me; it was freeing. We headed up a winding road, and when we reached the top, he pulled near the coast. Stopping at a random spot, we hopped off. I slipped off the helmet and placed it on the seat.
“Come with me,” he said, taking my hand again. We entered a small forest area, weaving through trees until we were at the top of a massive cliff, the ocean below us. He pulled me to the side, where a small log was sitting. He sat down, and I sat next to him, soaking in the magnificent view.
“This place is amazing.”
“It’s where I come when I need to think,” he said. “It’s my secret place, and you’re the first one I’ve brought here.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“I feel pretty special right now.”
“You should. Because you just helped me cross another thing off my bucket list.”
“I did? Which one?”
“To bring a special someone to my secret place.”
My heart could have burst. I was so unsure of what his definition of friendship was. What did he expect of me, and what was crossing the line? With one more day, I wasn’t sure I’d ever find out. I’d just go with the flow and let this friendship take us wherever it wanted. I wasn’t going to push. I was okay with just being friends.
I took hold of his hand. I knew it was safe since he held mine first.
“Thank you. I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.”
I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures. He even let me do a selfie of us with the ocean in the background. We spent the very short time we had basking in the amazing view. I laid my head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around me, pulling me to his side. It was times like these when he was so endearing. This was the part of Mason I loved and connected to.
“So, you have one thing left on your list?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said.
“Are you going to tell me what it is? Maybe I can help you.”
“You will,” he said, being completely vague again.
“Fine,” I sighed. “But remember, tomorrow is my last day.”
“I know,” he murmured, and I felt bad I brought it up, as it soured the moment.
“What are you going to do tonight?” I asked Mason, hopping off his bike in Em and Tyler’s driveway.
“I just let life lead me. Sometimes I don’t know where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“It’s spontaneous, but not always fun.”
“I hope life leads you toward happiness tonight.”
“It already has,” he said putting on his helmet.
Placing my hand over my heart, I watched him pull away.
God, he could be so charming.
The rest of the night was excellent.
I was a little seasick during the cruise, but watching the sunset on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, would have been one of the things on my bucket list, if I’d had one. I soaked in everything around me, knowing that at this same time tomorrow night, I’d be in the air.
Back at the townhouse, we played a few board games before we turned in for the evening. I was tired and looked out the window. The street was dark and quiet, but this time I didn’t have to worry about danger. I waited a moment, wondering if I’d spot the brown dog again, but I didn’t.
My phone buzzed, and my heart sped up. It was a text from Mason.
Mason: Goodnight, Lizzy.
Me: Goodnight, friend.
Mason: ha! Sleep sweet.
Me: You too.
I placed my phone on the nightstand, and in no time, fell fast asleep.
I awoke with a start, breath coming fast. It was almost four in the morning and my body was trembling. I’d just had the same dream as always, but this time when the guy stumbled away, a big brown dog had come bounding out of the trees.
It was Michael.
I’d let him know I loved him, and a voice echoed in my head. “Forever in my heart.”
Then, I woke up.
My emotions were going haywire. Maybe he wanted me to know he was still with me. That he would always be with me, no matter what.
“I love you, Michael, and think about you every single day,” I whispered, hoping he could hear me. “Forever in my heart.”
I laid back, and peace washed over me. I
n no time, I fell into a deep and restful sleep.
Emily, Tyler, and I were dancing in the kitchen while making breakfast the next morning.
It was a song from our high school days, and we couldn’t help but scream along with the lyrics.
At the end, there was a knock at the door. Since Em and Tyler were both busy with food preparation, I made a beeline for the door, only to find Mason standing there.
Seeing his beautiful face sent a shock to my system. I hadn’t expected the visit. Taking in his appearance, the bruising had all but disappeared, and his hair was combed back on the sides, the top in slight disarray. His eyes were bright, the yellow flecks seemed to be glowing.
“Wow, you clean up nice,” I said. “Come in.”
He bit his lip, as if he was warring with something internally, then he paused and pulled me outside. He closed the door, then used his body to press me against the door. Then he slowly leaned over and kissed me, not taking his gaze off mine until the last second. He kissed me so tenderly, it took my breath away.
When he pulled back, I was dizzy, and it took a moment for me to feel my legs again.
“What was that for?” I breathed.
“Because you helped me fulfill the last wish on my list.”
“I did?” My head was still spinning. “What was it?”
“I can’t tell you,” he said.
“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” I teasingly crossed my arms over my chest. “Haven’t you ever heard of the saying kiss and tell?”
“How about I kiss you again, and think about telling you later?”
I smiled, patting my finger against my chin. Before I answered, he grabbed me again and kissed me, this time harder, his tongue dancing across mine. For that moment in time, he owned my body, and I could feel all of the emotion he was pouring into me, filling me up until I was overflowing. When he stepped back, I wobbled.
“Are you coming inside for breakfast?” I breathed.
“No,” he said. “I have to go to a meeting. Hopefully, I’ll be back to say goodbye.”
“Okay,” I said. “I hope you have a good…meeting.”
He laughed and walked away.
Damn him.
How could he kiss me like that and just walk away so casually?
After my encounter with Mason, the day flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. He hadn’t returned, and I was sad I wouldn’t get the chance to say goodbye.
We waited as long as we could, and then, it was time to go. Tyler loaded my suitcase in the back of his car, and we all got in. As we pulled away, sadness overwhelmed me.
I took out my cell and texted him.
Me: I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. So here it is. In an informal text. I’ll miss you. You were one of my best friends while I was here, and I thank you for helping me find my smile. I wish you the best of luck with school and hope to one day find out what the last thing on your bucket list was. Have a great life, Mason. Maybe destiny will bring us together one day.
I read through it twice, and hit send.
When we arrived at the airport, Tyler pulled to the curb in front of the Alaska Airlines departures.
I stepped outside, and when Emily opened her door, I knew it was going to be an emotional goodbye. Her eyes were already red and pooled with tears. She stopped in front of me and threw her arms around my neck.
“I can’t believe all the crap we’ve been through in seven days. Your mom will be so proud of me that I returned you alive and in one piece.”
“She will.” I giggled. “But I’m sure there will be many more adventures for us in the future.”
“Yeah. That’s for sure.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Have you heard from Mason?”
I shook my head. “I think saying goodbye in person would have been too much. For both of us. I guess it was better this way.”
“That’s bullshit. It’s never easy to say goodbye, sure, but not saying goodbye at all is much harder,” she said. “I just don’t understand. I saw something between you two. Something I saw once in you and Michael. A light flickered in your eyes that had almost extinguished since his death. Seeing you happy again made me happy. This entire week was for you. A chance to get away and find yourself again. I think you did. You just haven’t realized it yet.” She hugged me again.
Tyler came and stood next to me, wrapping one arm around my shoulder.
“It was great to see you again, Lizzy. Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
Tyler grinned. “Just give us a few months to recover from your this visit first. We’ll be ready for you again during summer vacation.”
“We’ll see about that. It might take me a lot longer than that to recover.” I sighed. “Oh, and if you see Mason…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell him you said goodbye.” Tyler smiled and squeezed me in a hug.
“I love you both,” I said, throwing my carry-on over my shoulder, and pulling up the handle to my new rolling luggage.
“We love you too,” Emily said, tears flooding her eyes again.
“Stop it,” I sniffled, my tears blurring my vision.
“I can’t help it,” she sobbed. “Don’t forget to text to let me know you landed safely.”
“I will. I promise.”
They stood on the curb and watched me walk in. My heart ached, leaving them. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed their company until I was with them again. Although three years had passed, it was like we all picked up where we left off. We’d gone through hell and high-water together but still remained close friends.
Friendship was built through adversity. That saying was true.
I still wasn’t sure what I would consider Mason. I felt something whenever we were together and he was in his sensitive mood. He made me feel like he really cared; that there could be something more than just friendship.
But then he’d get all Jekyll and Hyde on me. That was something I didn’t want to deal with. I didn’t want to be with someone whose love was like the waves. Riding a high one moment, and then the next, crashing on the shore. Like my life wasn’t complicated enough.
After checking in and going through security, I found my gate and took a seat in the corner. I was tired. Exhausted from the entire week. So many things had happened, I didn’t even want to think back.
I checked and double checked my cell phone. Still nothing from Mason. I wasn’t even sure why I was so needy. We’d met a week ago, and still had two entirely different lives to live.
Looking through the pictures on the cell phone, I thought about our time together.
Over the next hour, I watched the sun disappear, and planes come and go. Then, my phone buzzed.
Mason was my first thought, but when I looked at it, it was Emily.
“Hey, Em,” I answered. “How are you?”
“Lizzy,” she paused, almost like she’d choked on my name.
I knew something was wrong. “Em, what’s going on?”
“Mason. He’s in the hospital.”
“What?” Fear rushed through me like a freight train. “What happened?”
“You know that dream you’ve been having?”
“Yeah.” Dread flowed through my veins.
“What kind of car was it?”
“A white Camaro.”
“It was Mason, Lizzy. His bike went into the shop to get fixed, so he rented a car. The only one they had left was a white Camaro.”
“How is he?”
“He had another episode. It doesn’t look good, but they said he kept saying your name over and over.”
“How did you find out?”
“Logan. They were moving him from ICU when they brought Mason in. He called Tyler with all the details.”
I couldn’t talk. I was frozen. How could I have been so blind? The dream. The damn nightmare I’d been having…it had been Mason the whole time. He was the one who needed me.
“Lizzy?”
“I’m leaving and taking a cab to the hospital.”
“We’ll meet you there.”
Without hesitation, I got up and ran toward the exit and called a taxi. I was breathing so hard, I thought I was going to pass out.
The ride to the hospital seemed to take forever. Every second felt stretched, and I just hoped I wasn’t too late. As soon as the cab pulled to the hospital curb, I threw the cabby some money and ran for the entrance.
“Thank you,” I heard him yell. But I didn’t have time to waste.
I ran to the girl at the front desk. “I need to know where Mason West is?”
“Mason West,” she repeated, typing in his name. “He’s on the third floor. ICU ward.”
Shit. ICU was for family members only. But I wouldn’t let it stop me from trying.
I sprinted to the elevator and hopped inside with a couple of nurses.
“What floor?” one of them asked.
“Third.”
“That’s where we’re going,” the older one said.
When we got off the elevator, I rushed ahead, straight for the woman at the desk.
“Hi,” I said nicely. “I’m here to see Mason West.”
“Are you a family member?” she asked.
“No. I’m a friend.”
“I’m so sorry, but only immediate family members are allowed inside.”
“I know, but he has no family. He was adopted, and both of his parents have passed away. He has no one, except me.” The tears returned like a faucet turned on. I had to see him. I had to make sure he was okay.
“Lizzy!” Hearing Emily’s voice down the hall made me cry even more.
“Excuse me.” The older nurse from the elevator stepped toward me. “I overheard you saying you wanted to see Mason West?”
“Yes,” I sobbed.
“And your name is Lizzy?”
I nodded, and she smiled before walking over to the desk.
“Sally, this is Lizzy, the one Mr. West has been calling out for.”
The lady behind the desk looked at me with wide eyes.
“Come with me, dear. I’ll take you back to see him.”
Emily was standing by my side, witnessing the entire conversation. She hugged me and whispered. “I’ll be in the waiting room.”