Mason Book 3

LAUREN

For the first time since I woke up with a blank slate for a memory, I slept like a baby. I only managed to clock in five hours, but it was the most peaceful sleep I’d had in a while.

The room was empty when I woke up, but my phone was buzzing with messages from Beth and Athena. I told them not to bother coming to the hospital. I didn’t want to drag them back here again. I said I’d have someone pick me up tomorrow.

My phone had become my lifeline. I was constantly on it, catching up on old and new stories, movies, and shows I’d planned to watch, and listening to Spotify. Time seemed to fly when I was trying to keep up with the world.

There was a knock on my door. It opened, and in walked Mason. He was tall and powerful, his physique accentuated by the coat he wore and the baseball cap on his head. He was breathtaking.

His face was more defined, the angles of his jawline and cheekbones sharper. I took a deep, shaky breath at the sight of him. My heart raced, but I managed to calm it down enough to smile. “Hey.”

“You’re up.” He walked right up to me, standing so close that he was in my personal space. It felt too intimate, too familiar.

“Are you here to check up on me?”

He nodded. “Yes, I brought some food, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to disturb you. You needed the rest.”

He held out something he’d been hiding behind him. It was a dark coat with a baseball cap.

“I thought we could go for a walk, get some fresh air. Maybe grab something to eat? There’s a restaurant just five minutes away.”

I couldn’t help but grin as I looked at the coat and cap, then back at his outfit. His cap covered his hair and shielded his face.

I raised an eyebrow. “Are you a celebrity? Why the disguise?”

His face darkened for a moment before he cleared his throat and shook his head.

“You don’t want your face all over the hospital’s cameras, do you?

“Patients aren’t supposed to leave without being discharged. I’m trying to avoid having to explain why I dragged us out of our beds,” he said, grinning.

“And you think a cap and coat will hide our identities?”

Mason reached into his pocket and pulled out two pairs of sunglasses, holding them up for me to see. “I also got these. Now the disguise is complete. Put them on.”

Despite my better judgment, I agreed. I needed to get out, to breathe some fresh air. So, I put on the coat and cap, and the sunglasses too.

We snuck out of my room and into the elevator.

“We look like we’re trying too hard to blend in,” I said as the elevator descended. I was leaning against the wall, but I couldn’t stop smiling. It was exciting.

Mason pulled down his glasses to look at me, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “I guess we’ll find out,” he said.

We managed to leave the hospital without attracting any attention. The moment we stepped outside, I felt like I could breathe again. We walked through the city, taking in the hustle and bustle around us.

It felt good to be out in the open, not cooped up in a car. We ended up at a café a few blocks away from the hospital.

Mason had mistaken it for a restaurant, but I just shook my head and followed him inside. We found an open table and took off our glasses.

“What do you recommend?” I asked, looking at the menu.

He smiled, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. It softened his dangerous aura, replacing it with a boyish charm. “You’re letting me order?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid I might order something I’m allergic to or used to dislike.”

“You’re not allergic to anything here, but you didn’t like tomatoes or pickles. Maybe you should try them again. You might change your mind.”

He leaned forward, grinning. “One of the perks of losing your memories.” He flagged down a waiter.

I laughed. “I wouldn’t want to lose my memories just to try foods I used to hate. That kind of defeats the purpose of having preferences.”

The waiter came over, and Mason ordered waffles and Earl Grey tea for himself, and a Coke for me.

“Coke, huh? I thought it would be something more controversial, like ginger juice.”

He tried to hold back a laugh. “Ginger makes you hiccup.”

“That’s a pretty intimate fact about me. How do you know that?”

He raised an eyebrow. “We’ve been friends for five years, Lauren. We were close. I probably know more about you than your other friends.”

“The old me, yes. The new me, no. I’m still figuring out what I like and don’t like.

“Change is inevitable. I might not like the things I used to, and I might start liking the things I didn’t. Exhibit A, I’m ordering a burger with pickles and tomatoes.”

“That’s…a bad idea,” he said, laughing.

“Okay, maybe separately.” I grinned. “Can I ask you something?”

He nodded, smiling encouragingly.

“Do I have a boyfriend?” I blurted out. I winced, realizing how random it sounded, but I’d been thinking about the scarf I found and the familiar scent on it.

He cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair. “What made you ask that?”

I didn’t want to mention the scarf or the faceless man I’d imagined. “Just curious,” I shrugged.

“Am I single? How many relationships have I had? It’s weird to think about dating someone and having to tell them I don’t remember anything, trying to seem interested and have something to say about myself.”

Mason looked taken aback. “You’re thinking about dating?”

His surprise made me laugh a little. “Well, not right this second. But if my memories don’t return and I decide to date…”

I let my sentence hang in the air, my hand waving it away. The frustration of my memory loss was giving me a headache.

Mason’s smile was breathtaking. “Lauren, you don’t have a boyfriend,” he said, his voice slow and teasing.

“Right. I guess it was a silly question. If I had a boyfriend, someone would have mentioned it. He would have visited. How long have you been married?”

His smile froze on his face as he studied me, his lips pressed into a thin line. “What?”

“Your marriage? Athena mentioned you were married with a kid. How old is your son?”

“She told you that?” he asked, his voice heavy with disbelief. His expression was far from happy. I needed to understand why.

“Was she not supposed to?”

Mason turned away from me. His jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists on the table. “I don’t have a wife or a son.”

“But she said—”

“I don’t,” he interrupted, his voice firm, his jaw tight.

He grabbed a glass of water and drank it down quickly, pushing the glass away when he was done.

“I don’t know why she would say that. She must have gotten me mixed up with someone else, with everything that’s been going on. I don’t know why she’d talk about my life.”

His voice was tense, filled with a restrained anger.

I flinched at the raw emotion in his voice and on his face. I didn’t understand why he was reacting so strongly. He noticed my reaction and apologized. Not knowing what to say, I took a big gulp of my Coke.

“Lauren.” His voice was softer now, more gentle. When I looked up, his eyes were filled with regret and sadness. “I…I want to be the one to tell you things, without anyone else rushing to.”

“Don’t worry, I know you’re not supposed to tell me anything. I won’t keep asking.”

“Promise me you’ll tell someone if it gets to be too much, okay? I know it feels like no one is telling you anything, but you have to be patient.”

We drove back to the hospital in silence. The quiet between Mason and me was comfortable, not awkward. A few cars passed us, and a few people were out enjoying their evening.

“So? Any memories coming back?” Mason asked. “Maybe if we walk around a bit, something might trigger your memories. We can rule out taste, since eating didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, so we’re just going to walk around until I recognize something? I thought you said I should let it go?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “What, do I have the combination to your safe? Am I keeping a million dollars from you?”

He put a hand over his heart. “I’m just happy to be giving you this new experience.”

I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed, but I was laughing now. “Liar. No one does anything without expecting something in return.”

“I don’t have any hidden motives, if that’s what you’re implying.” He laughed.

“Well, I wouldn’t know, would I?”

Eventually, we had to go back to the hospital, but not before I convinced him to take the long way. I wasn’t ready to be stuck in the hospital again.

We passed some street performers along the way, including a couple singing a duet to a small crowd. Mason couldn’t stop me from joining them.

There was a small group of people listening to the couple’s song, nodding or swaying along with the music. Mason came up behind me, gently grabbing my arm.

“Don’t wander off,” he scolded, letting go of my arm.

I leaned into him. “Did they write this song, or do you think it’s an original?”

“Probably an original,” he replied, still sounding a bit upset.

I looked at him, noticing the displeasure on his face as he watched the musicians. I tilted my head. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t like music?”

His eyes snapped to me. “You remember something?”

I shook my head. “Just a hunch. I was right, wasn’t I?” I tsked and looked away from him. “How can you not like music? You must be boring.”

“You can’t even remember one artist, and you’re lecturing me?”

“Amnesia, remember?”

He snorted as the couple finished their song and the crowd started clapping. I stayed where I was as the crowd began to disperse, watching the couple pack up their instruments.

“It must be nice to share a passion with someone,” I said quietly, watching the couple kiss and hug each other.

“It is.” His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides before he realized what he was doing and stopped.

I wondered what he was thinking, what memories were making him tense. He was probably lost in his own thoughts.

Something about the way he was staring at the couple made me want to ask if he was thinking about someone. He looked sad, almost heartbroken, and I was afraid asking about his past would be crossing a line.

Mason turned and started walking faster, his long strides leaving me behind. I hurried to catch up with him, slowing down to match his pace.

“I think I don’t want to live like I did in the past,” I said as we turned a corner and crossed the street.

“I don’t think I should let my past dictate my future. I should take this opportunity to start fresh, instead of living in the past.

“I need a new goal, a new direction, a new dream. For example, right now my dream is to—” I tripped over my own feet and squealed as I fell to my knees.

“Lauren.” Mason quickly grabbed me under the arms and helped me up, while my cheeks turned red. “Are you okay?”

My heart was racing from his closeness. “Just my pride.”

He laughed, pulling me into his sturdy embrace, his heartbeat echoing in my ears. “Watch out, okay?”

His hands traced my body with a familiarity that left me frozen. The way he touched me, so tenderly, as if he’d done it a thousand times before.

Suddenly, I was caught in a memory without a face. Hands touching. Leaving their mark on my skin.

I looked up into his gray eyes. My breaths were quick and erratic, my body craving more of his touch. More of him. The thoughts swirling in my head were crazy. Terrifying. I barely knew him.

“You’ve got enough bruises as it is,” he continued softly, oblivious to the turmoil inside me.

His eyes scanned my body for any new injuries, gently touching the old ones, staring at them as if he could will them away, as if their sight pained him.

His touch became incredibly gentle, but his brow was furrowed. He was too perfect. Too handsome, too everything.

I surprised him with a smile. “I’m not scared of a little scar.”

He laughed at that, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to have any more bruises, Lauren.” He gave me a teasing smile. It was almost flirty. I could tell.

The corner of my mouth lifted again. “It could’ve been worse. I could’ve lost an eye or a limb.”

“Let’s not…joke about that.”

He looked so genuinely horrified by my joke that I couldn’t help but laugh, playfully punching his arm. Mason walked beside me, adjusting his stride to match mine.

A car zoomed past us, honking its horn. For a moment, a flash of memory hit me.

It happened in a blink. A headlight flashed. Horns blared. Screams. Windows shattered. The image was so vivid, so all-consuming, it completely overpowered me.

“Lauren? Lauren!”

Mason’s voice pulled me back to reality. I didn’t know when I’d curled up into a tight ball, my arms wrapped around my knees, shaking, but when I looked up, he was staring at me, concern etched in his eyes.

He crouched down to my level, his eyes wide and unblinking.

He rubbed soothing circles on my back. “It’s okay. You’re safe.” His breath was warm against my skin.

My body was rigid. I couldn’t move.

Tears welled up. “I’m sorry. I just…the car…it startled me.” I was still shaking, still aware of the curious glances from passersby. I knew I should get up and keep walking, but I was trembling.

Before I knew it, his arms were around me, his face buried in my neck. The sensation was comforting, oddly familiar, and reassuring.

I hadn’t felt this safe, this cared for, since I woke up.

“Sorry for freaking out,” I mumbled into his chest. The urge to pull away was there, but the need to stay was stronger.

His grip tightened around me. “You’re not overreacting. You went through something traumatic. Your feelings are valid,” he said, his voice muffled but firm.

“No one expects you to just forget it.” His hand continued to rub circles on my back. It was calming.

“I didn’t think it would affect me like this.”

“Shh, you’ve been through a lot, and these past few weeks have been tough. I can’t change what happened, Lauren. God, I wish I could. I wish I hadn’t picked you up that night, then maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

I pulled back to look into his tear-filled eyes. “This isn’t your fault. It’s the truck driver’s fault. He did this, not you. He should be the one feeling guilty.”

He kept rubbing my back. “Are you okay to stand up now?”

“I think so.”

Mason helped me to my feet, but his hand never left my back. If I fell, he seemed ready to catch me in his arms.

It was comforting, knowing he’d be there if I ever fell, but I wouldn’t. Freaking out in public was bad enough.

“Do you need to sit for a minute?”

I shook my head. “No, but thank you.” I stepped away from him and wiped my face. “Can we go back to the hospital?”

He nodded. I wrapped my arms around myself as he trailed behind, watching me. I didn’t slow down to let him catch up. He must’ve known I needed a moment alone.

My heart pounded in my chest. I was still a bit jumpy, and even a small honk made my heart race.

I slowed my pace until he caught up with me. Our shoulders brushed against each other, but neither of us moved away.

The small comfort mattered. The slight smile on his face was a nice touch.