Alyssa's PoV:

"You are so done when you get home" I told him as he got in the car not giving a career in the world to what I was saying

"Can I go with you?" I asked Amy

"I am sorry honey, my dad is picking me up so we can go to the restaurant straight away" Amy responded, I poured as I looked to Nate and Selena my last hopes were up to them.

"We are taking the bus" Nate mentioned making me desperate

" The bus takes too long... I need to make my Grammas favourite dessert" I murmured

"Then go with the hot boy" Amy said almost drilling herself over Mason taking off his helmet and shaking his hair from one side to the other. Show-off.

"I don't want to" I murmured to myself afraid of going with him

"Afraid of bikes ?" Nate laughed

"I am not—" I tried to answer but Selena interrupted me

"Really I never knew you were afraid of riding motorcycles "

"Who would be afraid when you get to hug that?" Amy asked butting her bottom lip and looking at Mason, I raised an eyebrow watching my friends turn into zombies by looking at him, practically drooling over him.

He had that bad boy look down pat—tattoos all over his muscular arms that somehow made him even hotter, brownie mid-length hair that was perfect for a small, teasing braid, and those chocolate eyes that seemed to see right through you. His perfect jawline and those amazing dimples that appeared whenever he smiled could make anyone melt and to add up he had a motorcycle, it was like he was written out of a freaking rom-com, like a freaking brunette version of Benjamin Barry. — to everyone who got this reference, I love you.

"Here," Mason said, handing me a helmet with that infuriatingly charming grin. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and it took everything in me not to scowl.

"Thanks," I muttered, snatching the helmet from his hands.

My friends continued their giggling and whispering, probably fantasizing about being in the motorcycle or something else knowing their imagination is wild. But they had no idea how annoying Mason could be. To them, he was a dream. To me, he was my brother's best friend, the guy who knew my secret, the guy I couldn't even stand to glare at.

I put the helmet on, trying to ignore how close we were going to be. Mason swung his leg over the bike and looked back at me, his smile never faltering. "Hold on tight," he smirked while placing his helmet

"Hold on tight" I mimicked knowing he was having too much fun with this.

I climbed on behind him, my heart racing despite my best efforts to stay calm. I wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling the solid muscles under his leather jacket. As the engine roared, I couldn't help but feel a mix of irritation and something else I didn't want to acknowledge.

As we sped off, the wind whipping past us, I tried to focus on anything but my thought maybe the clouds and the way the sky looked like a shade of pink, but then it reminded me... of things I didn't want to be reminded of, of things I couldn't remind myself of...

The wind, the sun, the sky made me travel back as much as I didn't want to, and for moments I imagined myself back at that that summer day when the world seemed to have stopped.

All came back to reality when I saw my front yard and felt us stop in my driveway next to my mom's car.

He turned off the engine and slowly got the motorcycle steady at his own peaceful pace. His calm made me somehow more agitated you know when you just take two shots of expresso and the person in front of you doing things slowly almost like in slow motion and you just want to make the person move faster or do something for her faster than she is already doing which normally is pretty possible and easy.

Mason made me feel like he was way too slow for me especially when I was on a tight schedule, it looked like he was doing it to piss me off... but I know he just did things normally like that, in slow motion.

I hated relying on Mason, of all people, for a ride, but I had no choice. The motorcycle was my only and fastest option. My brother's best friend, the one I could barely stand, was now my rescuer.

I got off of the motorcycle trying to make haste, contrary to Mason, and I took the opportunity to take off the helmet as fast as I could, but for some reason, I was being able to, and as much as I tried the more I failed and the more worried I got because I wanted to be fast and I just getting slower.

"Have you forgot how to take a helmet?" he questioned looking at me

"No I haven't I think this is just stuck" I said as I kept trying

"I already told you, you have to do it slowly"

"I am doing it slowly !" I started

"No" he demanded while taking his visor up " You are not"

"I am!" I said as my fingers couldn't open the goddamn thing of the helmet near my neck

"Can you just... calm down?" he asked calmly, making my body relax and lock eyes with him, but my frown was still on, the only thing I could see was his chocolate eyes trying to find mine behind the dark visor of the helmet. His hand got close taking my visor up, and my eyes were locked with his finally.

I watched some sense of relief in his expression mixed with something I couldn't get a handoff. I watched his eyes get smaller it looked like he was laughing but I couldn't tell due to the helmet.

"Come here" he murmured as his hands landed on the buckle of the helmet making me gulp.

His fingers brushed against my skin as he unbuckled the helmet, and our eyes met. For a moment, memories I had buried deep began to resurface.

I felt a confusing mix of anger and something I didn't want to even know. Just as the moment was about to overwhelm me, my mom gladly stepped outside, breaking the spell.

" oh Honey you are here! Great !" She smiled as I took off my helmet

" Oh, Hello Mason dear! Thank you for bringing her home " She said with a warm smile getting close to us

"Anytime" he said grabbing my helmet

" Where's your brother ?"

"He... went on a date ?" I told her unsure if telling my mom this was a good or bad idea.

"Your brother on a date?" she snorted making me frown and then join her with a laugh "Oh my you are so funny! He comes home for dinner right?"

"I think so yeah"

"Great! Gramma wants to see him." She said sidehugging me and then looking at Mason "Do you want to have dinner with is? " She invited Mason in for dinner, with her cheerful voice. My mom loved Mason she treated him like a son since he as always been around.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart from what happened minutes before. Ignoring the surge of old things.

"It's fine, Mrs. Anderson but I have dinner at home" And although the years passed Mason could never call my mom by her first name.

"Oh it's Friday you are probably eating alone, have dinner with us please..." my mom begged as she held his hand with the glove on. Mason's background wasn't that easy his dad was a workaholic and his mom was not that workaholic which made their marriage very hard. They divorced when he was 13, and I had never seen him sad or mad about his parents' problems, in the meantime that happened he only cared about his sister, who was barely one year old.

His dad married again eventually, which wasn't that hard, he was an important and rich businessman so there were a lot of candidates to be by his side.

His mother left, according to what I know Mason has no idea where she is although she sent him her sister letters. Even after 5 years, he has no idea where his mother is.

So usually... on Fridays and most weekends, he eats by himself since his stepmother is buddy doing shopping I guess... that's why he comes by often or my brother leaves to go to his house and my mom knew that so she invited him, she gets very emotional about his situation.

"I don't think-" he was about to speak

"Oh and Nana misses you too... she really likes you, she will be so sad" My mother was a really great therapist... look at this inverse psychology, so manipulative... I learned with the best.

"Well I guess I will stay and see Nana then" He mentioned giving up on my mother

"Great" my mother clapped happily and went inside. I took a deep breath as I watched him arrange his helmets and the motorcycle and I probably stayed there a long time watching him, he felt my gaze, and his eyes landed upon me.

"What?" he asked as his eyes roamed my face

"Nothing"

"Don't worry I won't bother you today" he mentioned as he leaned on his motorcycle while crossing his arms

"Okay" I murmured but for some reason, I was hoping for some other words, I was hoping he would've said something else but as I analyzed his eyes I realized the words I wanted to hear wouldn't come out so I plastered a neutral expression on my face and went inside.

Whatever that moment had been, I was determined to forget it.

...And I couldn't help but curse my brother mentally for putting me in this position.

"I am here!" I exclaimed as I watched my mother in the kitchen "Do you need help"

"The dessert is on you, your Gramma likes it better when you do it and I need to set the table"

"I can do that" I heard a voice behind me, I looked around to see Mason place his leather jacket on the coat hanger and slide his sleeve up showing his tattoed arms as that shirt seemed to be begging for its life of how tight it looked.

"Oh thank you, honey. Aiden should do it but I have no idea where he is" My mother mentioned looking at me while I shrugged my shoulders and washed my hands.

"Table for seven right?" he asked as my mom nodded

"Where's Dad?" I asked as I took the ingredients to make my Nana's strawberry yogurt cake.

"Getting your grandad's favorite wine"

"Why is he always trying to impress Grandad?" I laughed

"I don't know it's been decades since he knows him but he still wants to delight him" my mother giggled, and a moment after we heard the doorbell ring.

"Do you want me to open ?" Mason asked politely

"Yes please honey, it should be my mom and dad" he nodded to my mother's orders and walked to the door opening it up.

"Hello my dear!" I heard Nana's ringing cheerful voice "Oh Mason! You look so big... and handsome " she said grabbing his face and then hugging him "Oh what a wonderful surprise" she mentioned to his presence

"Hello boy" my gramps came in too

"Hello honey!" my grandma hugged my mom dearly and kissed my cheeks abruptly as I felt like I was about to die

"Hi gramma" I tried to say

"Hello my beautiful grandaughter, what are you baking?" she asked once she saw the strawberry her face lit up and her smile grew "I see strawberries... Is it my favorite cake?"

"It will be ready in 40 minutes" I told her with a smile seeing her excitement

"I'll be waiting! You're my favorite baker" she said kissing my cheek

"So where's my other grandson?" she asked

"I wish I knew but hell be home for dinner" My mother replied

"Well don't stress over it darling, they are at that age of having their own secrets" she said, and as that word fell from her lips, my eyes instantly drove to Mason as my heart ached. Can he keep my secret?