Page 36 of I Heart Mason Cartwright
“Oh, uh, I should probably get back,” I say.
“Weren’t you just starting your walk?”
“Yeah, but we’ve got brunch, and I don’t want to be late . . .”
He looks at his watch. “Not for another three and a half hours. Come on, I’ll walk with you, but you have to let me hold the leash.” He winks.
I blush.
We walk in silence for a while. It’s a comfortable silence. Just enjoying the sound of the breeze in the leaves and the birds in the trees. P-Tink is back and forth across the path sniffing and pawing different things, her tail wagging constantly. Every so often, his arm brushes against mine. I like the way it feels.
You are playing with fire, Willow.
I can hear both Zach and my inner critic chastising me. So, I silence them both and continue on with my walk. We reach the end of the trail and take a seat for a minute on the benches.
“You already reached this part once today, huh?” I ask him.
“Yeah, but it’s okay, I need the extra exercise.”
“I don’t see why,” I scoff, gesturing to his body.
“My muscles were all cramped this morning and needed loosening. A nice walk after a run is perfect for that.”
“Wear yourself out last night, huh?” I pretend to joke and elbow him. Regretting immediately that I’ve said anything. I don’t want to know if he wore himself out. Maybe he and AshLynn aren’t sleeping together. That would be the best scenario.
For who?
For me, duh.
“No, I slept in a chair.”
Oh, thank god.
Wait, why would he sleep in a chair?
I look at him, brow furrowed. “Why did you sleep in a chair?”
He looks guilty. “Uh,” he starts but doesn’t finish his thought.
“Did you guys get in a fight?” I ask hoping that’s not the case.
Actually, that’s a lie, I totally hope that’s the case.
“Yeah,” he says. “We got into a fight.”
Yes!
“Sorry,” I say not meaning a word of it. “Is everything better now that it’s morning?”
“She wasn’t awake when I left, so I’m not sure.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.
Please say no. I don’t want to give you advice about AshLynn.
“I appreciate it, but no. I’d rather talk about you.”
“Me?” My voice squeaks slightly, I clear my throat. “Or, we could talk about you.”
