Page 78 of Saving the Rockstar

"Oh? Then what about last week when you insisted on recreating the entire 'Circle of Life' scene from The Lion King just to announce that you'd successfully grown a tomato plant?"

I burst out laughing, remembering the ridiculous video Dylan had sent us all. "Oh God, I'd almost forgotten about that."

Dylan puffed up indignantly. "That tomato plant was a triumph of nature. It deserved a grand announcement."

Mason rolled his eyes. "You dressed your cat up as Simba and held him up on your balcony while blasting the soundtrack. Your neighbors threatened to call the police."

"It was art!" Dylan protested. "And Whiskers looked adorable in that little mane."

"Oh please," Mason scoffed. "Next you'll be telling us you need a marching band to announce when you've done the laundry."

Dylan's eyes lit up. "Ooh, that's not a bad idea actually. 'Hear ye, hear ye! The great Dylan has vanquished the mountain of dirty clothes!'"

"I was joking, you lunatic."

"Too late, it's happening. I'm thinking trumpets, maybe some drums..."

"Dylan, I swear to God-"

"Ooh, and confetti. Every laundry day needs confetti."

As I watched them, I felt something shift inside me. The heavy cloud of despair that had been hanging over me for days began to lift, if only slightly.

Mason's expression then turned serious. He leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his gaze intent on mine.

"Look, Asher," he said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "I know I give Jared a hard time, but the truth is, he's a good man."

Beside him, Dylan was nodding, his expression earnest. "He's right, Ash. You start by being honest with him. By letting him in, really in, in a way you never have before. You show him your fears, your scars, and you trust him to love you anyway."

I felt a shudder run through me, the thought of being so vulnerable, so exposed, sending a spike of terror down my spine. But beneath the fear, there was a flicker of hope.

Mason, perhaps sensing the shift in my energy, sat back with a small, satisfied smile. "Of course, that's easier said than done. Jared's not exactly the easiest person to crack. Man's got a stubborn streak a mile wide. Like that time in the marines, when he got into an argument with Sarge over the proper way to clean a rifle. Jared refused to apologize for three whole days, even though he knew he was wrong."

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. Because that was Jared, through and through. Stubborn and proud and so principled.

Dylan, perhaps sensing the lightening mood, leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. "But you know, sometimesthat stubbornness can be a good thing. Like when he's fighting for something he believes in. Something, or someone."

Across the table, Mason was watching Dylan with a strange expression, a mix of fondness, exasperation and something else. And suddenly, it hit me.

Just like Jared and I, they were both too stubborn, too proud, to admit what was right in front of them. Too scared of getting hurt, of being vulnerable, to take that final leap.

I watched the way Dylan's gaze softened as it landed on Mason, the way Mason's breath hitched almost imperceptibly. I knew I had to say something.

"You know," I said slowly, my voice casual but my eyes intent on Dylan's face. "Sometimes people avoid what's right in front of them because they're scared. Scared of getting hurt, of being rejected. But the thing is, if you never take that risk, you'll never know what could be. You'll never get the chance to experience something amazing, something life-changing."

Dylan's eyes widened, a flicker of panic crossing his features. But beneath it, I saw a glimmer of recognition.

Beside him, Mason had gone very still, his gaze fixed on the table. But I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched as if he were physically holding back the words that wanted to spill out.

For a long, charged moment, no one spoke. The air between us felt heavy, thick with long-buried truths.

It was like watching a dance, a push and pull of unspoken emotions and unacknowledged desires. And for a moment, I forgot about my own heartache.

But then Dylan was turning to Mason, a playful smirk on his face as he changed the subject abruptly.

"You've been awfully quiet over there, Mase. Cat got your tongue?"

Mason startled, his eyes widening as he realized he was being addressed. "What? No, I was just thinking."

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