46. Chapter 46
Sebastian
Cameron Cole was a liar—a big, fat, idiotic liar . I went to the exact location he sent me, rattled off his name, the supposed time he placed the order, and listed all the items he claimed he ordered. Only to find out they didn’t exist .
After a very irritated phone call, Cameron asked if I could just place the order myself, and he’d pay me back.
But the money wasn’t the issue; it was the fact that I was out with Mason, who was supposed to be resting.
To make matters worse, she was uncomfortable in the car and asked if we could walk around the block a few times.
I agreed, not because I wanted her up, but because she said moving around seemed to ease the strange cramping she was experiencing.
Unlike Cameron, I actually cared about Mason’s comfort.
Together, she and I braved the chill of November, arm in arm.
Hartwood was a strange town, not just because of the cult, but because of its vintage charm.
Christmas decorations already adorned each light post and telephone pole, and businesses were decorated with lights that twinkled like stars.
Between that and the snow falling in large flakes, it felt like we had stepped out of real life and into one of those cheesy romance movies Sophia liked to force me to watch .
Our breath clouded the air as we ventured through the eerily empty streets. The dusting of fluffy snow muffled our steps, and I couldn’t help but notice how her strides slowed as she leaned into me.
“Getting tired, Princess?” I asked with a smile.
To be frank, I enjoyed our alone time. Sure, I’d been spending more of my days with Mason since she talked to me about dying, but it was never truly just us.
There was always another partner, a kid, or even a mischievous feline disrupting us.
And though I always knew my love for Mason was unwavering, I had almost forgotten how pleasant life could be with just the two of us.
Even with that, the future I imagined for myself no longer existed in the confines of us.
“No, I just missed this,” she whispered.
She pressed closer, wrapping her arm around my waist.
“Missed what?”
She stopped walking and looked up at me. The golden glow of the streetlights blessed her features, warming the space between her freckles and causing her to glow like early morning.
“You,” she breathed.
Her admission washed over me like a wave, melting any lingering ice in my chest. It was then I realized how easy it’d been for her to break down that barrier. But it wasn’t just because she was the love of my life; it was because she was no longer the only one working to warm my long-frozen heart.
“If I tell you just how long I’ve waited to hear that, would it ruin the moment?” I asked, running a hand through my hair.
Mason’s grip on me tightened into a full hug, her short hair swaying as she shook her head. “You’ve always liked me,” she said.
“That was never a secret, Princess.”
My yearning for Mason had plagued me from the moment I met her. But somehow, she was worth over a decade of waiting.
“No, but you love me like they do in my books,” she said, her accent coloring her words.
I fought a laugh. “What, like how Draukox claims Gloria like an animal? ”
Beneath Alien Shadows was the only one of Mason’s books I’d ever read, and I wasn’t exactly eager to read more unless it resulted in us having more sex.
“You didn’t read the ending, did you?” Mason teased.
“Nope, I’m only interested in the good parts.”
“The ending is the good part!” Mason laughed, the sound filling the empty streets like a song. “At the end of the book, Draukox sacrifices himself to save Gloria.”
“Okay, my interest may be piqued,” I admitted, feeling a shiver run down my spine as a stray wind snuck into my jacket.
I held my hand on her back, ushering her to keep walking.
If I was cold, she had to be freezing. The last thing I needed was for her to get sick in addition to everything else going on.
“The bad guy captured Gloria to get to Draukox, and they were about to kill her,” she continued, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
“But they didn’t really want her; they wanted him!
So, he surrendered himself to them just to see her safe.
It was kind of a cliffhanger, but luckily, I have book two on the shelf. ”
Her excitement was infectious, and I wished I could match it. But I’d settle for just listening to her talk.
“I might have to check it out.”
We walked along in silence as we looped past the Chinese restaurant again.
I quickly checked my watch, only to see that we still had about twenty minutes to kill.
When asked if she wanted to take a break from walking, Mason gave me a feverish no before saying something about her body needing to be up.
I didn’t question her. Instead, I took notice of how the snow fell quickly enough to cover the tracks from our previous lap.
Maybe I should have asked Cameron if I could borrow his truck.
He had those big tires that all truck owners insisted they needed, and I imagined they’d do better in snow than the ones on my SUV.
“Hey… Just double checking, you’re not in labor or anything, right?” I tried to sound calm despite the growing concern that had taken root.
Mason paused, tapping her fingers to her lips as she thought. “I don’t think so. I feel like that hurts, and this is just… uncomfortable.”
Her words did little to ease my worry. She was right. Labor was supposed to be excruciating. My sister had told both of us as much. But the uncertainty in her tone made my heart race a little faster.
“If it gets worse, you’ll tell me, right ?” I needed an extra layer of security.
“Yeah… but that’s not what I want to talk about.”
I studied her, trying to read the emotions flickering across her face. “What do you want to talk about then?”
“You and Cameron.”
A strange flutter filled my chest, causing me to look away from Mason as my cheeks burned. “What about him?”
“Well, you two have kissed and had sex, and you’ve just been acting different around him.” Her explanation did little to alleviate the sudden heat in my cheeks.
“Different, how?”
“More like how I remembered you before I left for Lyon.” Her smile was audible.
“... Is that an insult?”
Had that been why Mason spent less time with me? No one liked scrawny, awkward, nerdy Sebastian. And while I didn’t have a ton of people who enjoyed my company, it was starting to feel like I had a few.
“No!” Mason said like I was stupid. “I liked younger Sebastian.”
That was a lie. It had to be.
“If you liked me, why didn’t we date back then?” I tried to sound more curious than hurt.
“Because there was a weird… maturity gap?”
“What are you talking about?” It was now my turn to stop under a streetlight. “We’re closer in age than you and Lucian and Sophia, and you dated them.”
Mason’s mismatched eyes traced my features, and I feared for a moment I’d offended her.
“Yeah, but you were in college. Then, when you moved back to Portland, you had some adult job in law enforcement while you worked on your doctorate and I was some kid who had gotten kicked out of high school. ”
Of everything I prided myself on, my intelligence was at the top of the list. But I had still been blind to the idea that Mason and I were on completely different paths. I was the world’s youngest adult. I had a high-stress job and responsibilities, and she was still in the throes of adolescence.
“That’s really it?” I questioned, not fully believing it myself.
She nodded. “And after I left, it seemed like you lost yourself, but Cameron’s bringing you back .”
I was sure Cameron would absolutely love to hear something like that. He’d probably get some sick satisfaction from knowing he was pushing me to resurrect parts of myself that I’d been sure had died.
“So, do you love him?” Mason gave me a playful nudge.
I knew the answer, but the words still felt strange on my tongue.
“Is–” What came next wasn’t rocket surgery, but that didn’t make it easier. “Well, I suppose I might.”
A look of pure delight crossed Mason’s face, but it was quickly replaced with something else. Something more powerful—confusion. Slowly but surely, she looked lower, and I followed her gaze to see absolutely nothing. Still, when I looked back up, Mason’s confusion had turned to panic.
“Mason, what’s wrong?” My tone was tight as I fought against my worries.
“I…” She trailed off, looking back to the ground. “I think my water broke.”
My brow furrowed. She seemed too calm for something like that to have happened. “... Are you sure?”
She swallowed hard as her grip on my jacket tightened. I scanned her face, looking for any signs she may be overreacting, but all I saw was fear.
“A-are you in pain?” I failed miserably at staying calm.
Mason hesitated a moment, running a hand over her stomach. “... I don’t think so?”
“How can you not know if you’re in pain?” I snapped as my nerves finally won.
“Don’t yell at me!” she sniffled.
Her eyes glistened with tears, and I realized I really didn’t have room to be the scared one, so instead, I put on a brave face.
“I’m sorry,” I soothed, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Alright, if your water broke, we need to go to the hospital.” Somehow, saying the coming steps made this easier to swallow. And as Mason nodded, I had a feeling she liked the reassurance too.
Slowly, I guided her back toward the SUV. My feet slipped against the sidewalk, making me acutely aware of just how icy the world had grown.
“And then, they’ll take you back, and they’ll assess the situation.” I used my key fob to unlock the car, causing my headlights to flash.
“Okay, what then?” Her voice raised in pitch.
“Then, if your water is broken, we’ll have a baby.” Oh my God, we’ll have a baby. A real baby. Rosie will be—God dammit, we didn’t pick a middle name.
“But it’s not time,” Mason pleaded as I helped her into the passenger seat. “They said she was coming the Monday after Thanksgiving. We still have like two and a half weeks.”
Gingerly, I buckled her in. “I know, Princess. But babies don’t follow a schedule. If Rosemary says it’s time, it’s time.”
A single fat tear rolled down Mason’s cheek, and I swept it away before slipping her hair behind her ear and pressing my forehead to hers. “And no matter what, you and Rosie have a lot of love. Just like Dr. Reed said, everything will be fine.”
I breathed her in and kissed her forehead before shutting her door and running around to the driver’s side. My SUV rumbled to life, and I immediately threw it into drive. My goal was to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. That way—
An angry beeping reminded me of a crucial part of the driving process.
“Seb, you need to put your seatbelt on,” Mason’s voice shook.
But that was the thing; I didn’t have time.
Plus, Hartwood General was only ten minutes away from Main Street.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter as I wrestled with the urge to dismiss her concern flat-out.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve driven hundreds of times.
Right now, I just want you to lay back and breathe. ”
“Please,” she insisted.
But I ignored her pleas. We’d be at the hospital soon, and I knew I was safe .
The snowflakes grew larger and far more frequent, and I could feel my tires struggle for traction. Still, I knew how to drive in snow, so this would be fine.
The SUV skidded around a corner, but I quickly corrected it. Mason’s breathing grew more labored as she let out a small groan. A dizzy sort of rush washed over me as I realized we might be closer to meeting our daughter than I thought. I needed to go faster.
My heart raced as I pressed on the accelerator, my focus solely on the road. “Just a few more blocks, and we’ll be there.” I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring myself or Mason.
As we approached the intersection, the light shifted from green to yellow, and I considered stopping.
But another noise of discomfort escaped Mason, and I pressed the gas harder .
All I could think about was how badly we needed to get to the hospital.
When we got there, I’d call Cameron, and he could bring the hospital bags.
Even if Rosie had to stay a few weeks, we would have the stuff for her.
We were ready for this. I was prepared for this.
The light turned red just as we passed through, and I thought that meant we were in the clear. That was until the icy road caused the SUV to spin. My pulse thundered in my ears as the world around us blurred.
“Sebastian!” Mason’s terrified shriek cut through the chaos.
I steered toward the skid, trying desperately to regain control as an evergreen tree came all too clearly into view. My heart seized as I realized there was no way to stop what was about to happen.
“Hold on!” I shouted, but it was too late.
The next thing I knew, the SUV slammed into the tree with a sickening crunch and enough force to launch me out of my seat.
The windshield crumbled around me, sending shards of glass through the bitter air as I was propelled from the vehicle.
My body felt weightless for a terrifying moment as the night air burned my lungs, that was until the icy ground rushed to greet me.