Chapter 19
MASON
They break apart almost right after.
Callum stares at Mason, his eyes aglow in the setting sun. It’s like he’s finally been unshackled from himself. From expectation. From being perfect. His eyes leak with yearning and bewilderment.
Mason still feels the ghost of Callum’s lips on his. The kiss, while clumsy, is full of unsaid fervor.
What Mason has spent so long dreaming of, finally happened.
Callum Brown kissed him. His childhood best friend, and his long-time crush. After years of waiting for the right person to kiss him for the first time, his wishes have come true.
Deep down, he always knew. He always wanted it to be Callum.
Has Callum always felt this way? How long have they gone without saying how they felt? How much time have they wasted away?
Callum’s phone starts buzzing, snapping Mason out of his head.
“It’s my dad. I’m—I’m really sorry, Mason, but I have to go back.”
The icy-cold reality hits him that he’s in Northwood and has to go back to his family and to Joel.
Callum has to go back to his dad and his stepmom. They can’t stay in their play pretend kingdom forever like they always wanted.
Callum puts his hands back on Mason’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Mason puts his hand on Callum’s. “I think I will be. But—I hope this isn’t the last time we see each other. I need to know you’re not going to bail on me again.”
Callum nods.
He takes Mason’s cold hands in his own warm ones. “Feel this. Feel me. Think of this place. Our kingdom. It’ll always be ours.”
He takes Mason’s hands and then kisses them.
Mason blushes and scrunches his face.
“How’s that?” Callum asks, the ghost of a smile appearing on his face.
“Fine,” Mason says, stifling a giggle.
Callum nods and holds out his hand to Mason. “Come on, I’ll drive you back.”
They walk back to the truck in silence and Callum drives Mason back to his place in silence. A comfortable one, where they’ve aired everything out to each other.
Mason doesn’t know what’s next, but they kissed each other. They feel the same way. Maybe Callum only realized in that moment how he felt, or maybe he’s always felt that way, but now they know.
They’re in a delicate state, where things could go any which way, and they’re on the precipice of everything changing.
Callum has an entire career in the big leagues and Mason can’t have a life any more different. He can’t launch himself into the scrutiny of the media and Callum’s team and coach probably wouldn’t let him.
Mr. Brown would lose it on Callum, and Mason’s parents would probably do the same if they ever found out.
How could they keep what they had without everyone else torpedoing it for them?
Maybe there was nothing to be had. Maybe one kiss was all they needed, and they have to move on. Maybe a relationship is insurmountable for them to get invested in.
But he can’t stop thinking about how good it felt. How right it was. How intimate it was.
To kiss in their secret hideout. Where no one else mattered except for them. Like they were always meant for each other, even after all this time.
There’s something there, something that couldn’t be avoided. It begs to be explored, and Mason isn’t sure where it would lead him. It terrifies him. All he knows is physics and staying in his own head. Living out in the real world was uncharted waters.
He glances over at Callum, who looks back at Mason with a heated smile, and Mason’s hands tingle with anticipation.
His childhood love is here with him and he wants to kiss him. And he did.
That’s all he knows, and that’s all he has to work with.
It’s a new Callum problem he has to solve. One he’ll figure out the solution to.
Eventually.