Chapter 4: One Extra Egg

I couldn't take another minute of it.

Tori wanted to stay for one more song, so I made up a headache and left the karaoke bar alone.

I was on the curb, thumbing through a rideshare app, when the door opened behind me.

Mason came out with his coat half on.

I gave him a sideways look and said nothing.

He cleared his throat. "I'm not having much fun either. I was going to head out. Want to share a ride?"

"You live on the west side. That's the other direction."

"It's on my way."

He said it so fast that it sounded rehearsed.

I turned to look at him. "How?"

"My uncle lives in your building. Second floor. I'm staying over."

"Oh."

That ended the conversation.

Once I had given up hoping for anything, sitting next to Mason in the back of a car wasn't scary anymore.

We rode in silence.

But I could still hear him.

[Such a coward. Can't even say one word to her.]

[This is driving me out of my mind. How long do I have to keep this up before it works?]

[She said she liked quiet guys. So why does this feel completely wrong?]

I shifted on the seat.

For twelve months I had been the one starting every conversation while he handed me three words back.

Now I had finally stopped talking, and he called me a coward in his head?

I had been working so hard at acting like I didn't care.

Had he seen right through that too?

It got so awkward I asked the driver to stop two blocks early.

I needed to walk.

Mason got out as well and fell into step beside me.

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