Oh my god, I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Sorry about that!
Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for it, if you like it please vote and let me know what you think by commenting!
Much love!! Xxx
In the morning, when the sun hadn't quite shown itself behind the clouds leaving us in a silvery haze, Mason and I thought we'd go for a walk.
There was a trail about a hundred metres down the road from the house and another track that took you through the forest into a clearing that I used to call Fairy Cove.
With any luck the pond would be frozen over and there may even be a touch of snow.
"Wear this," I brought a thick ski jacket towards Mason. It was black and had brown and grey fur lining the hood, and was the one my dad used to wear skiing. Despite telling him to bring a warm jacket, the thickest one he has is no better than wearing a T-shirt out in this weather.
He slipped it on over his long sleeve and did up the zip. I pulled my pink one out of the cupboard and did the same.
"Do you want wellies?" I asked, as I pulled mine on, fumbling around a bit due to my lack of a hand.
He smirked and looked as if to say 'really?' Before sticking his hands in the pockets at the front.
"I think I'll be fine, sweetheart." And he rolled his eyes while starting towards the door.
I shoved passed him as he opened the door for me, pulling my beanie on and called over my shoulder:
"Unless you actually mean it, I hate it when you call me that." A hand grabbed at my waist and he spun me back into his chest.
"Sweetheart." He whispered, his voice husky as he dipped his head and kissed my neck causing my eyes to flutter closed.
Down stairs we could hear dad's shoes pacing back and forth and him yelling into his ear piece phone thingy.
"Let's go." I said, breathy and excited. I pulled him down the stairs by his hand and waved at dad as we marched through the front door
It was freezing outside. The grass had ice covering each blade that crunched every time you stepped on it. I prayed to god that it wouldn't rain.
We started down the steep footpath to the trail not needing to talk, just enjoying the silence.
Although, my mind wondered back and forth between last night. I know he'd said he didn't mean anything he'd yelled at me but I still had the feeling in my chest that maybe he did.
I stole a glance up at him and saw he was staring down at me, his eyes soft and a hidden smile on his lips.
"What?" I asked, trying to put a smile on mine as well but failing miserably.
"I'm so lucky to have you." He said, wrapping and arm around my waist and pulling me into his side.
"Oh I don't know." I said waving him off but revelling in the tingles his touch gave me.
"No, I really am. I'm so lucky to have someone who, for the first time ever, I am able to say I love you to and mean it." A lump formed in my throat and I tried my best to swallow it.
He stopped and turned me towards him, I stared up at him watching his features. He looked uncomfortable sharing these sort of words. I knew he'd never been in a proper relationship before and that he'd never really trusted anyone other than possibly his sister and Cameron whom he'd grown up with.
He opened his mouth to say more but I silenced him with a peck on the lips and pulled for him to keep walking.
I didn't want any sappy talk today. Just fun.
We strolled through the walking track and spotted a deer in the trees. Mason was so excited that if anyone had heard us, they would've thought I was with a child.
Unfortunately, in all his amazement, he scared the deer off.
"I think Mel and Cameron will be engaged in a year and a half." I said as we paced hand in freezing hand down the gravel track enclosed by trees and hazy clouds.
"Nah, no way. I reckon it'll be at least three years." Mason retorted, looking chuffed wit himself.
It made me think though, would we get that far? Cameron and Mel hadn't had as much drama as we'd had but I don't know... it still got me thinking.
"Wanna make it interesting?"
"Ten quid." He said and held his hand out for me to shake.
I shook his hand and smirked. I was so gonna be ten pounds richer.
When we made it to the clearing, there was a thin layer of ice covering the grass and with every step there was scrunching noise and the water gathered on my gumboots.
I walked a few paces ahead of Mason to check out the pond and sure enough it had frozen over.
As I began to climb down the tree roots that made a step like path down to the water Mason grabbed my arm.
"What are you doing?" He asked, starting to pull me back by the hood on my jacket.
"It's fine, I used to do it all the time." I rolled my eyes as he all but lifted me back to his level.
"I don't think so, there's no way you're getting on that ice."
"Come on, don't be such a spoil sport." I whined, as I made my way back to the water but he still held a firm hold on my coat.
"Ashley, if that ice breaks not only do you only have one working arm, but I don't want to dive in after you because I will freeze a very important part of me off." I don't know whether to laugh or groan, but the idea of Mason in a superman outfit popped into my head and I didn't let it out.
"I'm not a child." I huffed as I strolled past him to the track to start walking home again.
"Then why do you act like one?" He called after me in an amused tone.
"I don't, I just have a boring boyfriend." I stuck my nose in the air and continued walking.
He caught up with me and wrapped his arms around my waist, and turned me around so he was fireman lifting me up the track.
"Mason! Mason put me down!" I screamed and he laughed sending shivers through my body.
"Nah, I'm good."
I slapped his butt really hard with my working arm as he'd put it and he jumped forward a little bit. I tried to laugh but winced from the residual pain in my ribs.
In truth, it was actually hurting my ribs a little more than a bit. Yes they had healed, but that didn't mean they weren't still sore.
"Mason, please it hurts." And just like that he bent down and carefully put my feet on the ground.
"You're a pain in the ass you know that, right?" I asked, smiling up at him and biting my lip.
"But you love me for it."
Because it's us, when we were still a fair way away from home, it started to rain. And not just drizzle rain, like really, really downpour.
We pulled our hoods up and started jogging the rest of the way. Luckily, we're both pretty fit we managed to keep up with each other and made it home in about twenty minutes.
The rain hadn't let up at all and even when we'd made it back through the doors of the house it had just gotten worse.
There was a clap of thunder and the lights flickered before going out.
We looked around the high ceiling at the lights but they didn't come back on as we stood dripping in the doorway, so we hurried up to my room all the while shaking off our wet jackets.
"I told you you would want warmer clothes." I said as he shivered in his soaked shirt, jeans and black converse.
I ran to the shower with my soaked hair sticking to the side of my face and turned the hot water on, waiting not so patiently for it to heat up.
I waited a minute. Three minutes. Five minutes. The water didn't heat which caused me to remember that our hot water system was electric.
I groaned and ran back into my room to see a Mason who was still standing in his soaked clothes with his arms wrapped around himself, his lips turning a slight shade of blue.
"Get out of those clothes." I said hysterically, he no doubt would catch the flu if he stayed like that. When he didnt move I strode over to him and tried to peel his shirt from his body
He took it off along with his jeans and I pulled the doona off my bed and wrapped it around him.
I got my dressing gown from my cupboard and tied it around myself.
"I'm listening to you from now on." His teeth chattered as he spoke and I had to hold in my laugh.
We sat on the floor by the window and watched the storm as the noon clouds made it look like evening from their dark opaqueness.
I sat in between his outstretched legs, resting against his chest and he wrapped the blanket around us. We stared at the rain and the lighting as it rolled over the trees and across the mountains and every now and then, Mason would press his lips to my forehead and squeeze me a little tighter.
"How many boyfriends have you had?" His question jumps from nowhere and I twist to see his face, no doubt mine was confused.
"Where did that come from?"
"I was just thinking. Come on, how many?"
I thought about it for a few seconds.
"Including you, three. My first was in grade two, and we got married under the swing set and I broke it off when he stole my favourite eraser." I laughed at the memory. It's funny how when we're young and naive everything was simple.
"And the other?"
"I was sixteen, he was pretty cool but he cheated on me with a girl I used to be friends with." My brows furrowed and I remembered the pain I'd felt when I'd caught them making out in an empty science room. I shut that door, not wanting to welcome the memories.
Mason had gone tense under me.
"Why would someone cheat on you? You're perfect." He said it with such conviction I almost believed him, and there was a fire in his eyes that heated the room.
"Don't say that, I'm not at all perfect." I looked at my sock covered feet poking out from under the doona.
"You are to me." He whispered so low I almost didnt hear him and kissed my hair.
"What about you? What's your relationship background like?"
"Just you. I mean, I've had fun if you know what I mean," I grimaced thinking of how he'd 'had fun' in his words and honestly I felt a wave of jealousy. "But you're my first girlfriend... that's why I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm really just going off what I've seen in movies, you know, romantic dinners, movie nights, breakfast in bed," He winked, slipping a hand up my back.
"Mason, you haven't done any of that." I laughed and he grinned down at me with a knowing expression
"Clearly I'm not good at this then."
I reached up a little and pressed my lips against his and he reacted eagerly.
"You wouldn't go back?" I asked between kisses and he pulled away to gaze into my eyes.
"Not for the world. As far as I'm concerned, I'm completely under your spell."
The grumble of his stomach vibrated against my back and I looked at him with an amused expression.
"Do you want to get lunch?"
"Can we eat and watch a movie on your laptop?"
"If it's charged, sure. I'll go get us food, you get everything ready."
I left the room in my dressing gown and slippers, wandering down the stairs and through to the kitchen where I opened the fridge to find leftover roast chicken and veggies from last night.
Making two sandwiches from whatever there was, I balanced them on one arm and carried two mugs of tea I'd managed to make from boiling water on the stove.
"Well, I hope you like leftover sandwiches cause it's the only thing we have... what's wrong?" He looked furious, my phone in his hands and I was genuinely confused.
"Did you tell Lucas where your dad's place is?" He asked and I felt my stomach drop.
"I don't think so, why?" My voice was shaky as I put everything down on my desk.
"That was him, he said he's coming to find you."