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We'd packed our bags into the back of the car - Mason refusing to let me carry my bag downstairs - and I stared at the front of the house.
It was so strange to come back after spending so long at uni, but at the same time, it was great to actually see home again.
Dad kissed me in the cheek and begged for me to come back, shared a firm handshake with Mason and winked at me as he made his way back into the house.
I fell asleep snuggled into Masons side on the way home again and he woke me up with a kiss on my nose.
"We're home." He said softly, removing his arm from around me as I rubbed my eyes. As true as it was that being with dad was my home, my home now was with Mason. My life was with Mason.
As soon as we'd both stepped in the door, our phones chimed with a Facebook notification for a party.
Ethan Delaney was having a back to uni house bash party - stupid reason to have a party if you asked me but whatever.
It was the first Saturday before back to uni and Mason and I both checked the guest list thoroughly to see if Lucas was going.
Mason inboxed Carl to make sure he wouldn't turn up and Carl said he didn't even know the guy. So, after an argument, we'd agreed to go to the party under the condition that if he turned up we'd come straight home.
The day after we got back, Mel and I went shopping to buy outfits for the party. It was great to finally catch up with her and have normal girl time with no boys or drama.
"So, have you and Mason... you know?" I blushed and felt my brain jumble with words.
"I'm not telling you that!" I exclaimed as she stirred her mocha and her face became knowing.
"Oh, I see: you haven't. That's okay though." She held her hand up as if to say, 'it's okay, it takes some couples longer to connect and yes, Cameron and I are already there'.
"I never said we haven't." I countered, picking at my banana bread and not meeting her eyes.
"So you have?"
"Well... no, but-"
"That's what I thought." How did she know all these things? I swear she could read people like they had their life stories printed on their foreheads.
"I don't know, it's not like that." I mumble and ignore her lingering stare.
"What do you mean? Of course it's like that. It's Mason Murphy." I scrunched my brows at her words. I'm, sure she didn't mean it that way but it felt like she was saying that I was just another girl he partied and slept with for fun.
"I'm not just another girl," I whisper to myself but she doesn't hear it, the clinking of her spoon against her mug making too much noise.
"Have you thought about it?" She persisted. She really wanted to know, didn't she? Normally I would be so comfortable with sharing this sort of thing with her, I mean, we're best friends for crying out loud. But this time it's different. He's different. He's opening up to me like he's never opened up to people before and I feel like I'm betraying his trust. I feel like by saying what I'm afraid of makes it true.
"Of course I've thought about it. We just haven't gone that far yet."
"Well surely he's itching for it, I mean he hasn't slept with anyone since you two started getting all cosy, right?"
"Can we just change the subject, please?" I begged, not wanting to continue on. She agreed reluctantly and began to talk clothes but she'd planted a seed of doubt in my brain.
I hadn't seen anyone come back to ours and most nights he stayed at home. The last girl who came back was over four months ago, and Mason and I became official about one and a half ago.
But did that mean he hadn't? I felt sick, the thought of someone else being with him made me sick and angry and inadequate.
I was in a bubble all afternoon thanks to Mel, and even though I'd figured out what I was going to wear, I still felt on edge.
When I opened the door with my bags in hand, he wasn't home... which really set me off.
"Stop being such a possessive girlfriend!" I muttered to myself as I turned the heater right up.
It had begun to snow in the city, meaning it took longer to get to and from places and most days it was just easier to take the train - but everyone thought so too.
I'd just finished making pasta for dinner when Mason walked in with a backpack and a smile when he saw me.
He shook his jacket out and hung it on the hooks by the door.
"Hey baby," he said, a grin on his face as he pressed his lips to mine with a moan.
Oh great a grin, so he's just gone and got some and now he's got that post sex glow. You should be a detective, Ashley.
"Smells good." He called as he wandered into his room to drop his bags and stuff down.
"So, uh, where were you?" I asked, trying to be casual as I placed his and my plate on the table, filling my mouth with spaghetti to hopefully stop my mouth from talking.
"Just working." He said so plainly, and then I realised I didn't even know what he did for a job.
I gave him a confused look and took a sip from his water.
"I work as a male escort to rich older women." He winked and I stopped chewing, it took me a while to realise he was joking.
It was like all my fears had been confirmed and then shut down completely.
I rolled my eyes and he smirked, twisting his fork in his pasta and I watched it twirl around.
"I tutor some high school kids in bio and chemistry. Pretty good cash." He rubbed his fingers together, shoving a mouthful into his gob.
I nodded slowly trying to not be too obvious that everything was flying through my mind at a million miles a second.
"So, you excited for this party?"
"Yeah, I guess. It's just another party really." He shrugged.
"Not gonna hook up with any girls?" I laughed and he looked confused but still giving me an awkward laugh for my benefit.
"Well, just you so..."
"Speaking of hook ups," yeah, nice diverge Ash. "When was your last one?" I pursed my lips, squinting my eyes a little and shrugged, trying to act cool and casual and... cool.
"What did Mel say today?" He frowned in response.
This took me by surprise. Maybe I was just an open book, but those two sure knew how to read me, although I began to think that maybe Mason knows me better.
"Nothing." I lied and he cocked his head to the side.
"She basically said that if I didn't put out that you would leave me." Okay, so that was the exaggerated version but it was totally and completely what she meant.. right?
He sighed, looking at his half empty plate before looking up at me.
"Look, I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't thought about it - because believe me, I've thought about it. But it's different with you. You're not just some girl I met at a party who was looking for the same thing as me or for popularity, I love you and I want to make love to you. Obviously what Mel has said has bothered you, but don't listen to her, she doesn't know what we have."
I stood up and walked over to him to sit on his lap.
He caressed the back of my hair gently and stared up into my eyes, a small and loving smile playing on his lips.
"You're worth the wait." He whispered, into not breaking eye contact as he laced his fingers through mine.
It was silly really, and I felt as though I'd cried enough for a lifetime this past few weeks but one tear slipped out my eyes and landed on our intertwined hands.
"Ashley, can you figure something out for me to wear?" Called Mason as I did my makeup in the bathroom.
Huffing, I jogged out of the room with my hair in a messy bun and a face half full of makeup.
"It's just jeans and a puffer jacket party." I said as I moved through his closet to find his black jeans that didn't have holes in them.
Along with a long sleeve white shirt and his jacket, I grabbed some combat boots and threw them on the floor.
"Be ready in ten." I mumbled leaving the room and returning to the bathroom.
When I was dressed, I walked out to see Mason standing by the door checking his phone.
With a clear of my throat he looked up and I did a little twirl in my knit dress and thigh high boots, carrying my coat behind me.
"Can we take the jeep? It's too cold to ride the bike." I said as I passed him through the door.
"Don't worry, I'm saving the bike for sometime special." There was a secretive and mischievous tone to his voice that got me all excited but a little worried too.
"I wonder what will go down tonight?" Voiced Mason as he started my car with a roar of the engine.