Chapter Seven

After we got home we didn't speak much, Mason put Summer to bed and I cleaned up and got ready to go to bed myself.

"Hi I am sorry about what you've been through," Mason said as we both stood at the door me biding him a good night, there was no point dwelling on the past, I live life how my dad would have wanted me to live and to be honest he would have been happy for this opportunity and me quitting the other job that treated me poorly.

"There is no need to be sorry, I am happy and that's what he would have wanted," I said as he nodded with a weak smile, "you know if you want to talk about anything I am mostly available, and if I am not I'll get back to you," he said as I nodded, I wasn't going to use that information or act on it but I was going to act like I was.

Without another thought he pulled me into the tightest hug that I think I had ever been pulled into, this hug felt different, it felt all warm and fuzzy and almost like I was comfortable with being in his arms, what the hell was going on, first the dance now this hug was I the only one feeling this? was he ignoring it or didn't he feel it?

I let out a little uncomfortable cough and he released me from his grip and cleared his throat "Sorry that was awkward, I just, you look like you needed a hug" he said as I smiled closed mouth and a little sarcastically, "well thank you I guess" the tension in the room, or atmosphere, whatever you wanted to call it was weird, off, not comfortable to be in.

"Well I'll see you in a day, I have a busy day Friday so won't be around much but my phone is on for any questions, if you have any, I can always pop around evenings" I rolled my eyes as I opened the door "'night Mason," I said nothing less or nothing more wanting to end the conversation and sleep. "Night Staffie"

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I had a full day with me, myself and I and to say I was looking forward because I still hadn't found another job to settle into after this was all over, and I definitely wasn't going to get much done with Mason always around.

I dropped Summer off at school and left the rest of the day open to no plans and things to do around the house.

"So how's it been? Have you found a job yet or are you enjoying yourself too much?" Thor asked as he had decided to call but instead of me just focusing my attention on the conversation I put him on loudspeaker and decided to do other chores while talking.

"I haven't been able to look Mason has been a royal pain since I started last Friday, I have done a full week and got one week left and this is the first day that I have completely been on my own, he has been in my grill 24/7, pushing buttons that I didn't know existed," I said as Thor chuckled.

"Sounds like my type of guy, he may like your presence ever thought of that?" He asked as I laughed letting out the ugliest one I have ever made, "Mason interested in me? are you high?" I asked as I could feel him roll his eyes "I am being serious Staf, it's not every day a footie star falls for you" I was washing up letting my mind escape from the stupid conversation that Thor was trying to have with me.

If Mason took a fancy to me I wasn't allowing it, yeah sure It would possibly be a girl's dream to have someone like Mason Mount even look her way, but me? someone who didn't even know who he was, bearing in mind I don't know his type the last thing I will be is his trophy black girl, well, mixed-race girl, I am not going to be an anomaly in his life, imagine! we talk about exes and all his exes are blonde, blue-eyed and skinny...I am mixed race, big frizz and thick thighs for dayzzz.

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After my no needed conversation with Thor, I decided to catch some air because if I couldn't find a job I was good at I know breathing in air was something I was good at.

Close to Jasmine's house was a massive park that had two big football fields and then a little woods that connected to it, I'd never been an outdoorsy kind of person but I would happily now walk by myself taking in nature.

"Mind if I join you?" An oh-so-familiar voice said as I quite literally jumped out of my skin, talk about my only day free of him, to myself and now I am not by myself again.

"Men really need to learn what alone time is for women or just in general, alone means one would like to be by herself with nobody around and no distractions" I stated as I could feel him roll his eyes, I turned to face him and he gave me a cheeky grin, he was sweaty and horrible with a ball placed in his arm, I internally rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, unimpressed.

"Women really need to learn that places like this on their own are dangerous, dangerous something that could cause harm or worse, death" he sarcastically stated back with the same attitude and but more sarcasm that I had.

Before I could think of something smart ass of me to say I stormed off in the direction of the woods, that I was going to head in by myself but seen as Mase is practically stuck on my hip now I am not sure when I'll be getting alone time.

"I have a feeling you don't like me much?" he said as we were walking in silence, peaceful undisturbed silence, but now the man with many questions decided to break that silence I was enjoying.

"What makes you think that?" Deadpanned. no emotion, not even the courtesy to turn around and face such a face, it might throw me off. I didn't want to get thrown off especially taking into consideration what Thor said, because maybe he is right, what if Mason has taken a liking to me then I am screwed because I don't think I see it or feel it.

"The little looks you give me, the unpleasant atmosphere you create when I come around, the little comments, I am not sure what I have done but I must have done something" he was stating facts as if I didn't know how I was coming across, I am queen of mixed signals as well though.

"I thought I was pretty nice, we've had what two occasions when I have been nice to you, but I am just trying to do my job, you wanting to befriend me is unprofessional and if I was your girlfriend...which I am not implying I am, I wouldn't want you making time for another girl that your sister hired to nanny" I said as we came up to an open field with a little old worn out bench, that from this distance looks like it was on its last legs.

We both walked over to this bench and the closer you got the more and more derelict it became, slabs of the bench were missing one of the sides the whole seat had come apart, but you could still see the little gold place that was left in the middle.

To our dearest Friend, Lover, Father,

Anthony Lewis Taylor

May you always be in our hearts and minds

Tracing over the words and feeling a warmth rush over me as I think back to my family, what I had left, running from what had happened with my dad and how I left everything with my siblings, sometimes it isn't until you run away and learn to forget that the past comes back to pay you a visit, then you realise that the way you left wasn't the smartest way, then comes the regret followed with the how do I go back now? where do you even start?

"You wanna talk about it?" here came that voice again but this time softer and quieter than before, feeling him place a hand on my back as I just stood there tracing over the words, I looked back at him and there it was, the reason I didn't look back before, I want to come off cold so that he isn't taking any interest in me, I don't want to come off as available, he's so damn nice and caring and he loves his niece, here I am now mentally listing off the things I like about the boy.

"I left my family a few years ago, unlike yours not everyone can be close and understanding of one another and what they individually go through," I said keeping it short and sweet and not too personal and in-depth. He simply nodded and we took a seat on the bench in complete silence.

A few minutes had gone by and I could see Mason fidgeting with the ball underneath his feet as we sat in comfortable silence, " I know you're itching to speak so might as well get it off your head piece" I said as he looked up at me and weakly smiled.

"I was just wondering, what happens when all of this is done? do we still stay in contact, I know you'll keep in contact with Jas, but what about me, I know I'm a big-time celeb and have a thousand things to do, but I have enjoyed hanging out with you even when I should be somewhere else" I slightly turned my head surprised but also not surprised at his question.

"Are you telling me you are supposed to be somewhere right now?" I asked as the cheeky grin from earlier came back and I shook my head! "Mason! I don't want to get anyone in trouble, if you have a place to be you need to leave now! that is way more important plus I could seriously use the alone time" I said as I hit him in the arm, that is one thing I can't stand punctuation and making me look like the bad person to others around.

He laughed as he rubbed where I had just whacked him, "don't worry I won't tell them about you making me late, nobody will know you are the one having all my time" He said as he looked at me with a little sparkle in his eyes that after a while changed as if something in his mind had changed, as if a light bulb had gone off.

"what about if I was to keep this a secret?" He added as if I was going to understand what this was, what we were doing was illegal and it wasn't anything other than running into each other, well when I mean we he does a lot of the finding me.

"what are you keeping a secret?" and without as much as a hesitation he, with full force smashed his lips onto mine without leaving any time for me to register what was going on or even take a breath to prepare myself. I was taken aback. But I wasn't not liking it.

I WASN'T NOT LIKING IT! Oh, God! I could feel myself leaning into the kissing and actually kissing back, I hated PDA, especially in public where everyone and their mum could see us, but it wasn't pulling away I was moving even more toward him, grabbing his face and taking in every last second I had before we eventually pulled away. What was I doing! What was he thinking?

Before I could comprehend what was happening we pulled away from each other both with bright red raw lips, my head was spinning out of control with all sorts of questions for him and questions for myself as well, there were a lot of what's, why's and how's floating around in my head.

"I'm sorry if that was forced upon you, I didn't really think it through...I should...Leave before I am too late to come up with an appropriate sorry I am late story" he was a bit skittish and all over the shop with his delivery of what some would say was supposed to be a sentence. I nodded still speechless from what just happened.