Chapter Eleven

After that night in Mason’s room, the kiss lingered on Ava’s lips like a secret too heavy to carry.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Mason’s smirk, felt the warmth of his lips on hers, and heard his whisper: “You trust me, right?”But the memory made her heart race and her stomach twist with guilt.

She avoided his gaze at breakfast the next morning, keeping her head low and words short. Sophia was chirping away about an upcoming beach trip, oblivious to the storm between her best friend and twin brother.

To Ava, the kiss felt like a betrayal not just to Sophia, her best friend and Mason’s twin sister, but to herself. How could she fall for the one guy she was told to avoid?

Mason, on the other hand, was relentless. He wasn’t used to being ignored, and Ava’s sudden coldness only fueled his desire to break through her walls. At school, he’d catch her in the hallway, flash that confident smile, and say something teasing like,

“Still pretending the kiss didn’t happen?” Ava would blush, look away, and try to brush him off, but Mason always lingered.

In class, Ava found herself zoning out, replaying the moment his hands had cupped her face, the heat that had bloomed in her chest when he whispered her name.

Guilt gripped her throat every time she remembered Sophia’s laughter, how much she trusted her.

That afternoon, Mason cornered her by the stairwell.

“You’ve been acting weird,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “You regret it, don’t you?”

Ava's heart pounded. “I don’t know what I feel.”

He stepped closer, voice lower. “Because I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

Days passed, but the air between Ava and Mason remained charged, thick with unsaid words and stolen glances.

Ava’s heart waged war part of her craved Mason’s touch, while another part screamed to protect her friendship with Sophia.

Sophia, oblivious at first, began to notice the subtle changes.

Mason’s lingering looks toward Ava, their secret smiles, and the way Ava avoided her usual cheerful self.

One afternoon, Sophia confronted Ava alone in the school courtyard.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Sophia’s voice was sharp, eyes searching.

Ava froze. The guilt burned hot. “No, Soph. Nothing.”

But Sophia wasn’t convinced. “Don’t lie to me, Ava. I can tell when something’s wrong.”

Ava sat on her bed, heart pounding as the memory of Mason’s lips pressed against hers replayed relentlessly in her mind.

The kiss wasn’t just a kiss it was a spark, a jolt, a confusing collision of emotions she wasn’t ready to face.

Her hands trembled slightly as she stared at the ceiling, questions swirling. “Why did I let that happen? What am I doing?”

The image of Mason, his reckless grin, the intensity in his eyes, haunted her.

She wanted to tell herself it was a mistake, a moment fueled by alcohol and impulse. But deep down, she knew it was something else. Something dangerous. Something thrilling. But mostly, it terrified her.

The door creaked open. Mason stepped inside, his usual confident swagger softened by the vulnerability she hadn’t seen before. “Hey,” he said quietly, closing the door behind him.

Ava’s pulse quickened. She wasn’t ready for this, not now. She looked away, biting her lip, fighting the urge to run. “Mason, we shouldn’t…”

He walked closer, voice low but steady. “I know what you’re thinking. That it was a mistake. That it can’t happen again.”

She swallowed hard, trying to find words to push him away, but they caught in her throat.

Mason’s gaze bore into hers, filled with something fierce, something desperate. “Ava, you don’t have to pretend with me. I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

Ava’s breath hitched. The tension in the room was electric, thick like a storm about to break. She clenched her fists, battling the whirlwind inside her fear, desire, and guilt.

“But... Sophia. She’s your sister. And you’re my best friend’s brother. It’s wrong.”

Mason’s expression hardened, but his voice softened. “I don’t care about that. What we have, what I feel it’s real. I’m not the guy I used to be, not when it comes to you.”

She stared at him, the walls she’d built crumbling inch by inch. But the fear wasn’t gone. “What if this ruins everything? What if I lose my best friend because of this?”

His hand reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Then we face it. Together. I’m not giving up on you.”

Ava’s resolve weakened as the silence stretched, charged with unspoken words and undeniable longing.

For a moment, everything else faded, the rules, the doubts, the world outside. It was just them, two people on the edge of something forbidden and unforgettable.

Ava’s eyes fluttered open, meeting Mason’s unwavering gaze.

Her heart hammered fiercely, caught between the magnetic pull toward him and the sharp stab of guilt slicing through her chest.

“Mason, I...” she started, but her voice faltered. How could she explain the mess of emotions swirling inside her? The thrill of his touch, the shame of betrayal, the fear of losing Sophia all tangled in one suffocating knot.

Mason stepped closer, the space between them electric and charged.

“Say it, Ava. Whatever it is, I’m here to listen.”

She shook her head slightly, desperate for control. “I’m scared. Scared of what this means for us, for my friendship with Sophia. You’re her brother... and you’re mine too, in a way.”

His hand slid down her arm, warm and steady. “Look at me,” he whispered. “I’m not your enemy. I’m not here to tear your world apart. I’m here because I care. Because every moment without you feels empty.”

Ava’s breath hitched as the raw honesty in his voice broke through her walls.

But the fear lingered. “What if it all falls apart? What if this is just a dangerous game we’re playing?”

Mason’s jaw clenched, eyes darkening with determination. “Then I’m willing to risk it all. Because what I feel for you isn’t a game, Ava. It’s real. And I’ll prove it to you.”

The room seemed to shrink as tension thickened the air. Ava’s body trembled not from cold, but from the storm raging inside her.

She wanted to pull away, to protect herself, but Mason’s presence anchored her.

Slowly, he leaned in again, softer this time, as if asking for permission. His lips brushed hers, igniting a fire that left her breathless and aching for more.

This time, Ava didn’t pull away. Instead, she let herself be consumed by the kiss, the yearning, the forbidden desire, the intoxicating danger.

But even as their lips met, a silent question lingered in her mind: How long before the world comes crashing down?