Ellen remained seated in the car as Mason pulled into the driveway of their home. Usually, the sight of the place would bring her some sense of peace. But today, it felt different—heavier somehow.
The car came to a stop, and a tense silence settled in. Ellen’s fingers tightened around the edge of her seat as she glanced at Mason from the corner of her eye. He sat still, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other draped over the gear shift. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, not on her, not even on the house, but somewhere distant—lost in his own thoughts.
For a long moment, neither of them moved or spoke. Ellen could feel the unease growing inside her, like a knot tightening in her chest. She knew she should get out of the car, let Mason head back to work, or wherever he needed to go. But she didn’t move. Something held her back, and the longer she stayed, the more her thoughts began to spiral.
Was he really going back to the office? Or would he return to that restaurant where Aubrey was waiting, maybe to take her home or to continue their conversation somewhere else? The thought gnawed at her, sharp and bitter. She hated the way it made her feel—so unsettled, so unsure.
And then there was Edrick. Did Mason even care? She wasn’t sure. Even if Mason didn’t care about what had happened, Ellen felt the need to explain herself.
She opened her mouth to say something, to try and clear the air, but before she could, Mason spoke first.
"So... you and Edrick," Mason began, his voice low and measured, breaking the silence that had settled in the car.
Ellen’s breath caught in her throat, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "I didn’t cheat on you!" Her voice was sharp, defensive, and she immediately regretted it. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she realized how desperate she must have sounded.
Mason raised an eyebrow, turning to look at her with an amused expression. "I didn’t even say anything yet," he teased, but with a hint of curiosity.
Ellen’s cheeks burned, and she looked down at her hands, feeling flustered and shy. "I... I just thought..." she stammered, trying to find the right words. "I mean, you brought it up, and I just wanted to make sure you knew..."
Mason’s gaze softened slightly, and he let out a small sigh. "Ellen, I know you didn’t cheat," he said, his voice firm but calm. "In fact, I don’t think you could cheat on me, even if you wanted to."
There was something in the way he said it that both reassured her and left her feeling confused. Was that a good thing or not?
She was hit with a sudden urge to stand up for herself. "Yeah, unlike someone," she shot back, her voice laced with bitterness. She pressed the word "someone" just enough to make it clear who she was referring to, her eyes locking onto Mason’s.
Mason’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of something—surprise, maybe—before his gaze turned curious again. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice calm but with a hint of challenge.
Ellen hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. Should she really bring this up? But the memory of seeing Mason with Aubrey at the restaurant flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t hold back. "What were you doing with Aubrey at the restaurant?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly but determined.
Mason’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he tilted his head, studying her. "What did you see, exactly?" he asked, his voice even, though there was a hint of something—perhaps annoyance—beneath the surface.
Ellen frowned, feeling her chest tighten. "You were there, together," she said, her voice gaining strength as she spoke. "You were talking, having lunch. It looked... it looked like more than just a casual meeting."
Mason’s expression softened slightly, but his eyes remained serious. "I was working," he said simply, as if that explained everything.
Ellen blinked, taken aback by his straightforward response. "Working?" she echoed, her voice filled with doubt. It didn’t make sense to her—what kind of work involved a cozy lunch with an ex?
Mason nodded, his gaze steady. "Yes, working," he repeated. "My company hired Aubrey to be a model for one of our new products. We were discussing the details of the contract over lunch. That’s all."
Ellen stared at him, her mind racing to process what he was saying. Could it really be that simple? She wanted to believe him, but there was a part of her that couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to the story—something he wasn’t telling her.
"Really?" Ellen asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. She wanted to trust him, but she kept second-guessing herself.
Mason’s expression softened slightly, and he let out a small sigh. "Yes, really," he said, his tone patient but firm. "There’s nothing more to it."
Ellen bit her lip. She wanted to believe him, but the sight of Mason and Aubrey together had stirred something inside her—something she couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t just fear she was dealing with.
But before she could say anything else, Mason leaned slightly closer, his gaze locking onto hers. "You look cute when you’re jealous, you know that?" he asked.
Ellen’s eyes widened in surprise, and her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "I’m not jealous!" she protested, though her voice was more flustered than firm. She quickly looked away, fumbling with the door handle. "I just... I just wanted to know what was going on."
Mason chuckled softly, the sound warm and almost affectionate. "Sure, you’re not," he said, clearly unconvinced but willing to let it go.
Ellen’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt her face grow even hotter. She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Instead, she hurriedly pushed the door open and stepped out of the car. "Thanks for driving me home," she mumbled quickly, avoiding eye contact as she grabbed her groceries from the trunk before walked to the house.