Avery woke up around nine the following morning, not feeling too worse for the wear. After a long shower to wake up and reset, she dressed in a yellow string bikini and a white crochet coverup that wore like a robe and tied in the front, anticipating a long day soaking up some sunlight by the pool. She made her way down to the kitchen and began making herself some breakfast; scrambling some eggs with two slices of wheat in the toaster. After pulling a few shots from the espresso machine and mixing up an iced latte she sat down at the table to eat. Just as she was finishing her breakfast, Mason walked into the kitchen in a white t-shirt and boxers, his shoulder length blonde hair up in its standard man bun, and she considered her options. After a moment she decided she'd had enough of the disappearing act, scooped up her empty plate and walked them over to the sink where she stood beside him, Mason pulling shots of his own.
"Good morning," she said sheepishly while rinsing the plate to load in the dishwasher.
Mason was surprised to hear her speak directly to him. There had been a few times last night, but that had only been because it was in a group. "Hey," he said simply with a smile. Looked her over and ached; the yellow bikini peeking through the holes of the crochet coverup she wore. It didn't help that he'd spent a few hours with Hannah last night, occasionally kissing and a little frisky touching but nothing further, so he'd been revved up as it was.
He'd left before anything had gone much further, as it wasn't Hannah he was interested in. And still it hadn't been easy to walk away from a scenario where he could have easily gotten laid.
"What time did you guys get in last night?" Avery asked, more of a morbid curiosity considering she'd left a scene where Hannah had been on Mason's lap still and Carter had been flirting with Whitney.
Mason cleared his throat as he mixed his coffee. "I came back around one," he offered uncomfortably, knowing she may not be happy with what followed, though it did stand to work in his favor. "Uhm, Carter I think crashed there?" He noticed Avery's eyes widen, though she tried to remain expressionless. Shaking his head, he continued. "Not for any major reason other than some last minute plans to go on a hike this morning with Whitney, Rachel and Ezra. He'll probably be back early afternoon."
Avery felt some relief wash through her, though nothing Mason had said there guaranteed he hadn't hooked up last night. All she could do was hope, as she didn't think her heart could handle Carter sleeping with one of her best friends. "Well, that'll be fun," she said, placed her plate in the dishwasher, then leaned back against the counter in front of the sink. "You have any plans?"
Mason shook his head and chuckled. "Coffee first," he said, then nodded with a smile. He'd been invited on the hike as well, and had wanted to go, but hadn't trusted himself to stay the night there given how the evening was going with Hannah. "But no. No plans today." Holding his mug up, he gestured it toward her. "Think I'll take this to the living room, watch a little tv and figure out how to fill the time."
As he pushed away from the counter and began to pass her, Avery shocked herself in suddenly reaching for his arm. She didn't even have a plan past that, it had been an instinctual need to keep him there. She just didn't want this brief conversation in the kitchen to end for some reason, even though it held no content of interest whatsoever other than the fact that she missed talking to him!
"Don't go."
Chin tucking low, Mason narrowed his brows at her in confusion. She appeared hopeful, her eyes wide; but also confused, and he lamented how horribly their Sunday afternoon had ended. How he'd hurt her. But maybe she was making her choice? He'd thought it made; that she was preferring to never speak to them again, but this morning had been a 180, so maybe...?
Still he searched her eyes.
"I just..." Avery began, feeling breathless. She just what? She didn't know. She just... "Mason." It exited her almost as a whimper; a plea for him to stop. For him to understand. For him to
decide
something so she didn't have to.
The moment his name had been said, Mason felt relief wash through him. Pain, still present, as he hated hearing this bewildered tone, Avery clearly in turmoil and all because of he and Carter. He scratched the scruff along his cheek, debating his move.
To hell with it.
Setting his coffee cup down on the counter, using the hand opposite of the arm she held he swept her to the side so she backed up against the other counter where there was room. He lifted her upon it, placing his hips between her knees, hands on her upper thighs. "What do you want, Avery?" he asked in a low tone.
Avery shook her head, trying to communicate to him the question:
isn't it obvious?
"You have to tell me," Mason pressed, lowering his head to meet her eyes with austerity. His thumbs applied some pressure on her skin, right at the base of the short coverup. Searching her, he knew, but he didn't want to put any pressure on her; they'd done enough of that this weekend. She needed to come to her own conclusions now. Make her own decisions. Still, he prompted, "What do you need?"
"You, Mason," Avery breathed, her heart racing out of control. She'd said it. And she felt it, so deeply, with more intensity than she'd ever felt anything in her life. "I need you."
