AUGUST 15, 2024

Bethany

I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was too restless and too excited to settle down. Around five, I sit up in bed and check my phone. I’ve been up for most of the night, scrolling through social media, and now I’m feeling the exhaustion kick in. I want to look fresh when I meet Mason later; a good soak in the tub should help.

I run a warm bath and pour in a generous amount of my jasmine-scented British Rose bath gel. I want to smell nice, especially since I’ll be sitting close to Mason in his car.

After the bath and a quick breakfast, I grab my coffee and settle on the sofa, one knee propped up and the other tucked underneath me. I sip my coffee while browsing through my phone. Around six-thirty, I send Mason a message. “Pick me up in the morning, please. My car’s still not ready.”

He replies right away. “Anytime for your service, ma’am.”

Wow, he’s up early. I grin and text back, “Someone woke up early today.”

His reply comes almost instantly. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man wise.”

He’s definitely in a good mood. I decide to tease him. “It should be every day, not once in a blue moon.”

“Will try,” he says, adding a heart emoji.

I freeze for a second, my stomach flipping. He sends all kinds of random emojis, but this is the first time he’s ever sent a heart. Was that on purpose? Is he trying to tell me something? Maybe he really does love me. Just the thought makes my heart race.

With everything going on in Natalie’s life lately, especially her panic over the stalker, I doubt she’s paying much attention to Mason anymore. And now that Lauren’s had her baby, Natalie’s bound to be busy with her every chance she gets. For once, she’s not going to be focused on him.

That gives me the perfect chance to make a move. And I plan to take it. I can’t stop smiling just thinking about it.