Ellen sat on the edge of her bed, her knees drawn up slightly as she leaned against the headboard, her fingers playing absentmindedly with the hem of her pajamas. She sighed, her thoughts circling back again and again to the conversation she’d had with Edrick earlier.
"That bastard Gerald..."
She couldn’t decide if she should applaud Gerald for his determination or curse him for his dirty tricks. The audacity of it all—trying to use Edrick to come between her and Mason.
Her gaze drifted to the window, her fingers curling into a fist. At least now she felt a little better about her recent efforts to win Gerald’s mother over to her side. She could use all the leverage she could get when it came to Gerald and his sneaky tactics.
Ellen shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She had spent so much time and energy worrying about Gerald that she was no closer to figuring out the real mystery that had been bothering her—the creepy blood roses. Who was sending them? And why?
She had hoped for some kind of clue, anything that would help her understand what was happening, but instead, she’d gotten another unwelcome surprise. Gerald’s interference was just another problem added to the pile.
She groaned, leaning her head back against the headboard, her eyes closing briefly in exhaustion. And then there was Aubrey. Who knew what she would try next? Ellen had no doubt that Aubrey was planning something.
She could feel it... Ellen had to be prepared, ready for whatever was coming.
But did she look like someone who could juggle this many problems at the same time?
A dry laugh escaped her lips as she opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. And let’s not forget about what she had said to Edrick.
Her cheeks flushed slightly just thinking about it. Declaring her love for Mason in front of Edrick—what had she been thinking? The words had just come out, and now, replaying the moment in her mind, She hadn’t meant to say it, and replaying that moment in her head made her feel all shy inside.
But, despite the embarrassment, the thought of Mason brought a small smile to her lips. She suddenly realized she missed him, a wave of longing hitting her out of nowhere.
. She wondered what he was doing right now.
She wanted to hear his voice even if just for a moment.
Reaching for her phone, she hesitated for a second, her thumb hovering over Mason’s contact. Then, with a deep breath, she pressed the call button, bringing the phone to her ear. It rang once, twice, and then kept ringing, each passing second making her more anxious. Was he asleep? Busy? Maybe he wasn’t going to pick up—
"Hello?" His sleepy voice made it clear she’d woken him up from a good dream.
A small giggle escaped her lips, her shoulders relaxing as she heard the familiar tone. "Did I wake you up?"
Mason let out a small groan, and Ellen could almost see him rubbing his eyes, his hair a mess from sleeping. "It’s... it’s six a.m. here," he grumbled, his voice thick with sleep and a touch of annoyance.
Ellen bit her lip, trying to stifle her laughter. "Oh, sorry," she said, though the smile on her face suggested she wasn’t entirely sorry. "I just thought you’d be up already. You usually wake up early when you’re here."
There was a moment of silence, and then a sigh. "Yeah, well, I guess I overslept," Mason replied, and Ellen could hear the rustling of sheets as if he was shifting in bed, trying to wake himself up.
Ellen smiled, warmth spreading through her chest. She kind of missed hearing that cranky voice of his. "What is it?" Mason asked, his voice a bit clearer now. "Why did you call?"
Ellen paused for a moment, her gaze dropping to her lap as she fidgeted with the edge of her blanket. "I just wanted to check on you," she said. "Make sure my husband is okay. You only sent a short message saying you arrived."
Mason let out a small chuckle, and she could almost picture the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I’m okay," he replied. "Happy?"
Ellen nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. "Yeah." A small smile spreading across her lips. "I just worry about you sometimes, you know?"
"Fine. What else do you need?"
Ellen sighed, her fingers running along the edge of the phone. "What are you doing today?"
"Going to the site," Mason said simply He was never one for long explanations, and Ellen knew that.
She smiled, leaning back against the headboard, her fingers playing with a loose thread on her blanket. "The site, huh?" she repeated. "Well, make sure to take breaks, alright?"
"I’ll try." Ellen swore she could hear the faintest hint of a smile in his voice.
They continued talking for a while, their conversation flowing easily despite the distance between them. Ellen did most of the talking, her words spilling out in a steady stream as she told Mason about her day, skipping over the whole rose situation and Edrick’s visit. Mason listened, his responses short and to the point, but Ellen didn’t mind. Just hearing his voice, knowing he was there, was more than enough for her.
She could hear the rustling of sheets on his end, the occasional sound of him shifting in bed, and it made her smile. She really cherished these simple, ordinary moments. It was like he was right there beside her, even though they were miles apart.
Eventually, the conversation began to wind down, and Ellen could feel the tiredness creeping back into her bones. She let out a small sigh, her eyes closing as she leaned her head back against the headboard. "I can’t wait for you to be home."
There was a brief pause, and then she heard Mason’s voice, "I can’t wait to be home too."