Elise's POV
The morning sunlight crept quietly through the curtains, tracing faint golden lines across the floorboards. Carter was already dressed when I entered the living room, his glasses perched on his nose as he scrolled through the files on his tablet.
He looked up the moment I walked in. "You're up early," he said with a smile.
"I'm meeting a friend," I replied, trying to sound casual as I adjusted the strap of my bag. "She invited me to visit her relative in the next town. I thought a change of scenery would be nice."
Carter nodded approvingly, setting the tablet aside. "That's good. You've been buried in paperwork for weeks—maybe a short break will help."
I relaxed slightly. "You don't mind?"
"Are you kidding?" He chuckled. "I'd rather you relax than spend another day stressing over forms. Besides, I'll be busy at school today anyway. Mr. Jones scheduled another meeting with me about the donation project."
He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Do you want me to drive you, though? It's a long way."
I shook my head quickly. "No need. My friend's already picking me up."
"Alright," he said easily, turning back to his files.
His calmness caught me off guard. Usually, he asked questions—where I was going, who I was meeting—but not today. Still, I was grateful. I didn't have it in me to form more lies.
"Then I guess I'll see you later tonight," Carter said, looking up again, still smiling.
"Yeah," I said softly. "Later."
But as I reached for the door, I suddenly remembered—I'd left my wallet on the bedside table. "Oh, wait!"
I turned and rushed back toward the room. As I neared the bedroom, I froze. Carter's voice—low and careful—came from inside.
He was on the phone.
"…no, I haven't told her yet," he said quietly. His voice was calm but strained. There was a pause, then, "Yes, the boy. I'm handling it."
My breath caught. The boy?
I frowned, pressing my fingers lightly against the doorframe. Before I could catch the rest of the conversation, I accidentally made a small noise shifting my bag, and his voice stopped. A second later, the sound of hurried movement came from inside.
When he opened the door, his expression shifted from surprise to relief in a heartbeat. "Elise! You scared me," he said with a laugh, ending his call and slipping his phone into his pocket.
"Sorry," I said quickly. "I forgot my wallet."
He nodded, smiling, perfectly composed again. "Well, good thing you remembered. Losing that would've been a disaster."
"Yeah," I replied, trying to match his lighthearted tone.
We both laughed, but the laughter felt awkward—thinner, forced. He kissed my forehead before I left again, murmuring, "Have fun, okay?"
"I will."
And as the door clicked shut behind me, I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease that conversation had left behind.
Mason's POV
I texted Elise earlier to tell her I'd pick her up near the salon down her street, but she replied a few minutes later saying she'd stopped by the cafe instead.
Got a small surprise for you.
When I pulled up outside the café, she was already there, standing in the sunlight, her hair glowing faintly in the morning warmth. She was holding a small paper bag and smiling when I stepped out of the car.
I grabbed her bag from her shoulder automatically, but my eyes drifted to the paper bag she carried. "What's that? Did you bring food?"
She smirked. "Maybe. Or maybe it's for me."
"Bread?" I asked, nudging.
"Stop asking," she said with a playful laugh. "It's a surprise, remember?"
"Fine, fine," I said, raising my hands. "No questions."
We drove quietly after that, the wind filling the silence between us. The further we went, the quieter the world seemed to become—until the city hum was replaced by the sound of waves in the distance.
When we reached my grandfather's old beach house, she looked around in awe. The wooden structure stood modestly against the backdrop of endless blue, the salty air weaving through open windows.
"This place is beautiful," she said softly.
"Yeah," I murmured. "Haven't been here in a while. My family used to come every summer. No one's been around lately, so it might be a little dusty."
She stepped inside and smiled as if the dust didn't exist. "I like it. It feels... peaceful."
"Come on," I said, grabbing a folded blanket and a small tent bag. "I'm setting up near the beach. You can come down in a bit."
"Okay," she said cheerfully. "I'll bring the 'surprise.'"
A few minutes later, I was on the sand near the waterline, hammering down stakes for the tent. The beach stretched endlessly in both directions, gold and quiet. When I turned, she was walking toward me—barefoot, hair swaying with the wind, still holding that mysterious paper bag.
"What have you got there, really?" I teased again.
She grinned. "Patience."
When she reached me, I spread the blanket and gestured for her to sit. She knelt down beside me, then set the paper bag between us before carefully pulling something out.
A cake.
A whole, small, chocolate-covered cake.
"Surprise!" she laughed, holding it out proudly.
I blinked, stunned. "Wait, what? Did I forget something important? It's not your birthday… definitely not mine."
She shook her head, laughing softly. "No. I just thought… we don't need a reason to have cake."
There was something off in her voice—light but fragile—but I didn't push it. I just smiled, picking up a plastic fork she handed me. "You win. No questions."
"Good," she said, smiling.
We spent the whole afternoon there. We played tag on the sand—though she refused to run fast enough, and I teased her for letting me catch her too easily. We went into the water until our clothes were soaked, splashing until our laughter drowned out everything else.
Later, when we collapsed back onto the blanket beneath the sun, she leaned close again. And the kiss that followed was slow at first, all warmth and salt air—then deeper, heavier, until everything around us disappeared except the rhythm of our breathing and the waves crashing nearby.
I don't remember when the laughter started again, or who said what next—only that time seemed to pause for us.
Elise's POV
As the afternoon wore on, a warm stillness settled between us—the kind that only comes after exhaustion and contentment. We decided to rest inside the tent, away from the setting sun.
The air inside smelled faintly of the ocean, and Mason lay behind me, one arm draped loosely around my waist. His breath brushed against my neck, far too steady for someone who claimed to be resting.
"Are you trying to sleep or bothering me?" I asked, unable to keep a small smile from forming.
"I'm multitasking," he said, his voice low and teasing. With each exhale, he pressed small, feather-light kisses along my neck. "If this is the last time I get to do this, I need to make it count."
I froze at his words, guilt flickering painfully in my chest. Before I could say anything, he whispered again—this time softer.
"Elise?"
"Mmm?"
"I think I stopped just liking you a long time ago."
My heart began to ache with every word.
"It's more now," he continued, his voice trembling slightly. "It's love. I don't even care if you never say it back. I just… wish things were different. I wish you were really mine."
I turned slightly, meeting his eyes, and I could see the sincerity there—raw and unguarded.
"Mason…"
"I know," he said quickly. "I know you can't. Because of him. But I needed you to hear it."
For a long moment, I couldn't speak. The truth stuck in my throat, heavy and sharp.
He hesitated, then said quietly, "Tell me about him. About Carter. What's his story?"
I hesitated. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because you never talk about him," he replied softly. "And I just… want to understand. What made you love him?"
I swallowed hard. The words that rose in my mind weren't the ones I could say out loud—so I turned away and murmured, "I'll tell you once you come back from Japan."
He chuckled faintly, nuzzling closer. "You promise?"
"Promise," I whispered.
The rhythm of his breathing slowed, and before long, it lulled me into sleep too.
When we woke, the sky had grown pale orange. The quiet between us was no longer heavy—it felt final. I told him we should leave before dark.
He pouted playfully at first, refusing like a stubborn child faced with bedtime. "Just a little longer," he said, hugging me tighter.
"Mason," I said with a small laugh, "we need to go now, or I'll leave without you."
That made him move, grumbling like a boy being dragged out of summer play.
As we left the beach, the sound of our laughter carried behind us, fading slowly into the wind.
Neither of us said it out loud, but we both knew.
Goodbyes always begin like this—quietly, smiling, pretending not to see the end coming.