Chapter 23
MASON
Montgomery isn’t only a brick and ivy university in the middle of a quiet college town; it’s also near a lake.
Creaky tree branches with leaves that barely cling to their branches hang over the lake, as red, orange, and brown leaves float along the surface and make ripples as the sun sets behind the horizon of pines.
Mason made the wrong decision to only wear a sweater since he was only planning on passing through each building and through the Moore Annex to get to the library, but Callum ended up forcing Mason out of his endless studying to go to the lake with him.
It’s the only place they can meet during the day where no one ogles at them.
As they sit down, Mason shivers and brushes his hands over his arms and pulls his sleeves over his hands in a feeble effort to stay warm.
Callum notices and places a warm hand on his shoulder. “Hey, do you want my jacket? I really don’t need it.”
Mason shakes his head as his teeth begin to chatter. He doesn’t want to impose on Callum. He should have been smart enough to bring a jacket anyway when he left his dorm.
“Mase. Come on,” Callum says, eyeing him knowingly.
Mason glances at his maroon jacket and finally nods, holding his hand out and clenching and unclenching his fist like he’s saying “gimme” to Callum.
Callum smirks and shrugs off his jacket but ignores Mason’s beckoning hand and puts it around Mason’s shoulders himself.
It’s much heavier on Mason and he partially sags under the weight of it, but he immediately feels less cold.
But as he looks at Callum’s warm smile and how happy he looks at Mason wearing his jacket and suddenly the warmth doesn’t come from the jacket around his shoulder anymore, it settles itself deep in Mason’s chest and radiates through his body, forcibly pooling into his cheeks.
“Thanks,” Mason croaks out after looking way too long at Callum.
Callum only smiles back, still unable to take his eyes off Mason, pulling up his black zip-up sweater.
“I just got back from the gym, so I’m too hot anyway to be wearing so many layers,” Callum says.
Mason nods and looks out to the water, the wind mussing his hair. Geese fly above them, a sign that fall is ending and winter is coming on swift wings to Montgomery soon enough.
Mason sighs and looks at Callum again who takes a sip of water from his water bottle.
Mason turns to fully face Callum. “I—I have something to tell—well. More like… ask of you.”
Callum smirks and rubs Mason’s shoulder. “Shoot.”
Mason inhales sharply and rubs his hands together. “You know Joel, right?”
A playful smile morphs onto his lips. “He’s my roommate and teammate, so yes Mason, I do know him.”
Mason chuckles nervously. “Well—you know how I told you about he and my cousin Elena dating?”
Callum nods silently, his smile slowly fading and expression turning more serious.
Mason rubs his hands again, his gaze flickering between the leaves in the water circling a whirlpool in the water and Callum’s eyes.
“He’s uh—he’s…”
Mason pauses. He doesn’t know how to say it out loud. He’s afraid that Callum’s just going to bolt and never look back.
Bringing up one of Callum’s own friends, his roommate, and someone from high school all in one go. It’s a recipe for Callum to ditch him for his football teammates again. And it’ll all have been for nothing.
Callum puts his hand on Mason’s wrist. “Mason. What is it?” he asks in the most delicate voice.
Tears spring in his eyes as he meets Callum’s concerned gaze.
Mason licks his lips and wants to sob. “It’s Joel. He’s threatening to tell my parents about me lying to them about my degree.”
Mason already feels lighter at uttering the words out loud, but he’s terrified of Callum’s warm hand never touching him again. That all he’ll be left is the icy wind and geese flying south for the winter.
Instead, Callum’s grasp only gets tighter. His eyes look down at the rocks.
“I’m gonna ruin him,” Callum says in a voice that’s more disappointed than scared or angry.
“Callum, no—I. I just want it to stop. The more attention you draw to it the worse it could get for me. For… us.”
Callum squints his eyes. “Us?”
Mason nods and swallows. “I think… I think he might be catching on… I don’t know maybe I’m just reading into things.”
Callum shakes his head. “He—”
He stops and gulps.
Mason sees the gears turning in Callum’s head. He knows Callum can see it too. Mason’s sure that Joel has probably made little remarks here and there about Mason, that he’s catching on to the two of them.
It’s only a matter of when he has proof of when it’ll come out. And since Joel is technically his competitor, it’ll only mean bad things for Callum if it gets out.
“And if he tells my parents, I have no idea what they’ll do, but it won’t be good. For either of us. They won’t want me to see you or anyone again that distracts me from Journalism…”
Callum looks up from the rocks and at Mason. He grabs Mason’s cold hand in his. It’s bracingly warm, like he’d been touching fire with his bare hands.
“I won’t let him say a single word. You’ll be safe. I’ll make sure of it, Mase,” Callum says, putting his other hand on top of Mason’s.
Mason wants to cry. The act is so tender and reassuring that it arrests him. He looks into Callum’s eyes and sees that little boy that always said he would protect him from all the bad things in the world and show him the beautiful things.
He can’t help but listen to him. He has to believe him. Callum has that power about him. He knows how to make someone believe in him. The entire school does, and Mason isn’t immune to it.
“Thank you,” Mason says breathlessly.
Callum pats Mason’s hand and reaches over, fully pulling him into an embrace, completely enveloping him. Mason sniffles into Callum’s chest and suddenly it isn’t cold anymore. He can’t hear the voices that try to tear everything he loves to shreds anymore. It’s just him and Callum.
“I’m so scared. I don’t want to lose everything. I don’t want everyone to see the real me,” Mason whimpers into Callum’s firm chest.
Callum rubs Mason’s hair and shushes him. “I know, Mase. I’m terrified too.”
Mason grips Callum’s sweater. It’s startling to hear that Callum is scared too. He has such a commanding and domineering personality, and the fact that someone that can be considered royalty by the school can be scared of something is a testament to Callum’s career, his family, and Joel as a whole.
They’re both walking with their hands tied, and all they can do is hold on as tight as they could as they walk the plank, waiting for everyone to push them into shark-infested water with a sword to their backs.
“We’ll make it, Mase. We will,” Callum whispers into Mason’s ear, soothing him like he’s an injured bird.
They sit there for what feels like hours as clouds settle over the setting sun and the wind blows harder, threatening to break their pocket of warmth and sanctity, but they refuse to let it.
Brittle autumn air shakes them. Winter is nearly on its way, but the warmth of autumn leaves keeps them together. As the leaves fall and geese fly south, their love would change but they won’t let the winter drive them out of Montgomery.
They will make it their own kingdom to rule.