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Chapter 43: "Although We've Come to the End of the Road~"

After several minutes in the shower, the noise of the rushing water faded from Mason's senses. His morning showers were a place of calm for Mason, a space where he could be alone with his thoughts and mind. As he absentmindedly scrubbed at his body, Mason reflected on the previous night. Or more specifically, on the night he shared with Mark. The sensation of Mark pressed against his back still lingered on Mason's skin and it made him wonder. What had caused the shift in Mark?

No matter how Mason looked at it, that wasn't normal.

The last time Mason tried to make excuses for Mark's behaviour, he found himself scared to lose a friend while Mark was plotting how to get into his pants. Mason felt an odd sense of deja vu now. So, he decided to follow his instincts and his instincts told him that Mark . . .

Mason's breath shuddered just thinking about it.

That Mark liked him.

His mind reeled. He'd spent years hoping for such an outcome and months holding himself back so that he wouldn't be disappointed when it didn't happen. So many times, Mark would look at Mason with eyes that made him hope but Mason wouldn't allow the thought to fester. But what if all of this time, Mark felt the same?

Mason was incredibly conflicted. He wanted to jump around and scream with joy, celebrating this new development. But he also held himself back. This was--technically--all speculation. Speculation, however, that Mason wanted to confirm. His first thought was to talk to Mark. Tell him how he felt and hope that things went well. But what if Mason was just looking too deeply into this?

If there was something Mason was not seeing that made his assumption far more unlikely, he wanted to figure it out now.

Suddenly, Jasmine's name popped into his mind. She always was his soundboard when he was struggling with something. And, although this was about her brother, she'd never betrayed his trust and told Mark before. Mason rushed to finish showering. He needed to talk to Jasmine and get her opinion as soon as possible.

He didn't give Jasmine any warning that he would be coming. With all of the things racing through Mason's mind, sending a quick text to Jasmine wasn't one of them. Luckily, Jasmine hadn't left her house. When Jasmine opened her front door to find a smiling Mason, she was surprised.

"Mason. What are you doing here?" She asked, stepping aside to let him in then closing the door behind him.

"Sorry I didn't text you. I was kind of in a rush." Mason told her, rubbing his palms against his pale blue jeans.

Jasmine squinted her eyes at Mason while he walked ahead of her, going towards her room. It was obvious that something was on his mind because he was acting so weird. Within a minute, they were standing in her room. Jasmine was mentally coming up with a game plan on how to get Mason to say what was bothering when Mason just blurted out-

"I think Mark likes me."

Jasmine had been about to sit down on her bed but in her shock, fell onto her back. Mason just waited patiently, staring while he waited for her to sit up again.

"Um, what makes you think that?"

Jasmine asking that so calmly caught Mason off guard. He expected her to be happy or excited like him. She'd always pushed him towards Mark, so for this to be her reaction made Mason worried. Regardless, he wanted to hear what she thought and told her.

"When he came over yesterday, he was acting super sweet. Recently every time we met up things were super cut and dry but yesterday, he took his time with me. And when we were done, he stayed to hold me for a while and even kissed me goodbye. I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too deep into it but it just felt different." Mason explained. Without realizing it, Mason had begun to smile as he spoke.

Jasmine was clenching her teeth tightly, her face twisting up. Mason sucked in a breath.

"Jazz, what is it?"

Jasmine stared at Mason with uncertainty. She was weighing the pros and cons of her decision for a while before finally telling Mason the truth.

"Okay, I didn't want to say anything because Mark kept denying it, but I think Mark's been into you for years."

Mason blinked in surprise.

"Years?"

"Yeah, the way he talks about you and acts with you has always been different. It got more exaggerated since you guys started sleeping together but he's always been a bit overprotective to the point of being possessive, he sings your praises any chance he gets, and he never thinks that anyone you date is good enough. But Mark always denied it when I brought it up, so I didn't tell you."

Mason's breath grew shallow, and he slowly moved to sit beside Jasmine. She watched him silently, waiting to see his reaction. Mason brought his hands up to his mouth. At first Jasmine was concerned. Was he crying? Then she saw the wrinkling at the sides of his eyes. He was trying to hide his smile. Before long, his excitement became unmistakable.

"Oh my god!" He laughed, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. "This is crazy. Is this really happening right now? I mean holy fuck I need to go talk to him. Where's Mark?

Once again, Jasmine seemed oddly nervous. Mason's happiness dimmed as he stared at her nervous expression.

"Okay, bad news." She began slowly. The nervous smile she wore to try to ease the tension only made it worse. "He's actually on a date right now."

"What?!"

Jasmine's words were like a splash of cold water against his face. Mason was shocked and confused. He felt blindsided and didn't know how he was supposed to react. Did he still tell Mark? Was that wrong of him, to bud in where a new relationship may be forming?

"Well, he told me he's going to meet Gabe which I thought was super weird since he hates Gabe's guts. So, I texted Gabe about it, and he was like, 'I told Mark he could use me as a cover, I set him up with this guy I know. I thought they'd suit each other but Mark didn't want you to know because he didn't want Mason to know bla bla bla. And I was like, 'damn, I can't believe he lied to me but I kind of get it' so I thought I shouldn't tell you since it may not even go anywhere but now, I have to tell you."

Mason's mouth fell open. His mind spun with the new information. His brain kept going to one name, Gabe.

"I can't believe him." Mason hissed. In his anger he stood up and began to pace around Jasmine's room. "Gabe knew about what was going on with Mark. It was so shady of him to do that behind my back."

"What are you going to do?" Jasmine asked him, a curious tilt to her head. Mason turned to her with a dark glare.

"I'm going to talk to Gabe. I need to set him straight. I can't stop Mark's date but I need Gabe to know he can't keep playing games with me." Mason was about to storm out of the room but paused. There was something he had to do first. "Hey Jasmine?"

"Yeah?" Jasmine said.

"Thank you."

Jasmine smiled softly.

"Anytime."

—————

Mason had visited Gabe's home a couple of times before. Hearing him complain about the way his family controlled him using money made it so Mason wasn't surprised when he first saw Gabe's luxurious penthouse. The shiny glass doors opened up to the lobby when a woman spoke to all the guests entering, confirming that the person they planned to visit knew who they were.

The security guard, Laury, recognized Mason as Gabe's friend and let him up easily. Mason was quiet as he rode in the elevator. The mirrors on all sides reflected his body, tense with anger. He was a bit surprised that Laury let him up considering how mad he looked. After a few seconds of a smooth ride where it felt as if Mason hadn't even moved, the doors glided open.

Mason walked over the plush beige carpet and sped towards Gabe's door. There was no hesitation or pause before Mason knocked on the door. He was certain of his decision and the loud thumps of his knocks reflected that.

Gabe wore an easy smile when he opened the door, but the expression quickly fell off of his face when he saw Mason.

"What are you doing here?"

Mason's shoulders drew up at the way Gabe spoke to him. He asked the question in such an accusatory way, as if Mason was in the wrong for being there. Mason narrowed his eyes at the taller blond man.

"I'm here to talk." Mason spat. Before Gabe had any time to react, Mason pushed past him, stepping into his home. The white tiled floors and cream walls were gorgeous but Mason paid no mind to them as he glared up at Gabe. "You have a lot of nerve Gabe."

"Mason?"

Mason's train of thought halted, shocked by the new development.

"Mark?"

Mark came around the corner from the interior of the house, a confused look on his face as he stared between Gabe and Mason. Something flashed in his eyes as he looked between them and his mouth tightened.

"I'm sorry Mason, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Mason's mouth opened and closed. Interrupt? Mark was the one spending time with Gabe. Alone. Then it dawned on him.

"Oh my gosh, are you on a date with Gabe?!" He gasped. His hands flew to his mouth, his shock palpable. "Gabe, is that why you set this up behind my back?!"

Mark now grew more confused.

"Date? He brought me over to explain his relationship with you."

"What relationship? We're friends."

Gabe's eyes grew wide with panic. This situation was getting completely out of his control and he was scrambling to get it back on track.

"Um I think there's been a lot of confusion. Mason, why don't we go outside to talk, Mark, you can wait outside."

Mark narrowed his eyes at Gabe. In the next moment he was standing right beside Mason, facing Gabe with a dark Glare.

"No, it seems like you're telling us completely different things. Whatever you want to say, I'm sure you can say it in front of both of us."

The tension was palpable between the two of them. Mason nearly shuddered from the intensity between the stares coming from Gabe and Mark. Gabe stared silently at Mark for a moment, debating his next move. With clenched teeth, he suddenly tuned to Mason.

"Mason, are you sure you want that to happen, with everything I know?" He said, voice curt and dark.

If Gabe was trying to diffuse the situation, he was doing everything wrong. Mason scoffed angrily. Gabe was threatening him! At this point, he couldn't even consider what knowledge Gabe could be referring to. He was not going to back down.

"I'm sure." Mason bit out through clenched teeth. "You can say it right now."

Sighing, Gabe turned away from the angry pair. This wasn't how he wanted to tell Mason but he was left with no choice. Facing forward again, he focused on Mason and Mason only.

"Mason, I've always wanted to be with you. You amaze me like no other. Your smile lights up the room and since the moment I saw you, I knew I wanted you to be mine, no matter what it took."

Mason was caught off guard. Maybe it was crazy, after everything Gabe had ever said and done. Yet, Mason truly believed that Gabe didn't like him. Gabe continued, ignoring Mason's reaction or Mark's piercing stare.

"I knew that you have feelings for Mark and-"

"What?" Mark blurted out, turning to a blushing Mason.

" . . . he was just distracting you so I thought I needed to make sure he didn't get in the way."

"Wait, you like me?"

Gabe's voice fell to the background as Mason turned to Mark. He felt nervous and exposed, standing there, his feelings on display. But Mark stared down at him with the widest of smiles. He seemed to excited at the possibility so Mason didn't feel scared anymore. He wanted to give Mark everything.

"Mark, I love you."

Gabe abruptly stopped midway through his sentence. Even the air seemed to still as Mason and Gabe waited for Mark's reaction. Then, with that soft look that Mason adored, Mark reached out and held Mason's right cheek.

"I love you too."

Gabe was sputtering in shock as Mason leant in, connecting his mouth with Mark's. They paid no mind to the tall blond man standing beside them. They were happy and in love, free to finally express all the emotions they'd been holding back for years. Mason was so happy, it was hard to put it in words, even in his mind. Something he'd only dreamed of for years was finally coming true. In his joy, Mason began to smile. His wide grin started to ruin the kiss and because of how awkward it became, Mason and Mark began to laugh. There was no hope of them being able to kiss properly but they continued to bring their mouths together in an awkward dance.

Gabe was stunned as he watched the joyful couple laugh and kiss. This was what he got. After months of spending time with Mason, becoming his friend, this was his reward. A couple rubbing their happiness in his face? In his home?!

"If you guys are going to keep making out, you can leave." Gabe grumbled.

Mason and Mark pulled away fom each other, looking a bit bashful when they finally acknowledged Gabe. Mark turned to Mason and made a small gesture towards the door. Mason nodded then let Mark walk off on his own, leaving Gabe's home.

Gabe was still upset when Mason set his attention on him again. Mason gnawed on his top lip. He didn't know exactly what to say, but he had a feeling things were ending and it felt wrong to just . . . leave.

"I'm sorry." Mason began. "I'm sorry I can't return your feelings."

His words didn't seem to reach Gabe. The other man stared into space, his eyes blank. Mason stood there for a moment, waiting for Gabe's response. But when it didn't come, Mason sighed. He started walking towards Gabe's front door when Gabe's voice stopped him.

"Did you ever even consider me?"

Mason's answer was immediate.

Mason wasn't sad when he left. Maybe it was still feeling the betrayal of Gabe's actions. But really, it was because the moment he opened the door, he saw Mark, hands in his pockets as he smiled.

This man loved him. Mason felt nothing but joy.

—————

His name is Mark Tyler.

He has dark brown that shaved at the sides and effortless in its messy curls at the top of his head. His tanned skin, from both his lifestyle and parents, naturally glows. And his green eyes startle you when you come too close.

He wears jeans and t-shirts like expensive brands, never spending too long on his appearance. He's kind and generous, easy to give to those he saw on the street and dedicated to find the perfect present for his sister Jasmine every year.

He is confident, outgoing, and easily pulls people into conversations by barely trying. But he likes his space, often preferring someone's quiet presence over a loud party.

He's firm in his goals and beliefs, pushing for what's right even when it's hard. He wants to be a good brother and friend, but worries that he may never be enough. Still, he tries his best.

He's a dancer and a soon to be nurse, ready for the rest of his life.

He's thinks too much, is blind to his own feelings, and is a little bit arrogant.

He is absolutely perfect.

He is Mark Tyler.

He was my middle school crush.

And today, he's the love of my life.

——————————————————————

J'ai fini!!!!

Oh my gosh did I just finish a book?!!!!!

Y'all, I don't even know how to feel. I was sooo excited to finish this book but now that I'm here, I'm lowkey sad. I've been writing this book for two years (though I've been thinking about it since 2017) and it's so weird to know that it's technically over.

Thank you guys so much for sticking through this with me. Shout out to people like @Zaynie_Stiles , @jayseemiller , @SusanWargnier and countless others who have been following my stuff for what feels like years.

You can go to my page to check out my other stuff. Or , you can follow me on social media for advice, jokes, and updates! 

But yeah, that's it from me.

I hope you have a blessed day and please, Vote, Comment, Share, Follow, anything else you can do with this (finished) book, I will see you next time. Bye!!!

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