Thump. Deep breath. Thump. Quickening of steps. Thump. Clutching the dress tighter. 

        This was pretty much the pattern repeating over the few minutes I was climbing these rickety stairs. Every sound made me stiff, anticipating the possible source; whether it was a dangerous beast or merely a rodent scurrying over the scratched wooden floor, searching for food. Although, I rather doubted the latter option. 

        As I made my way closer and closer to the top floor, sweat was trickling down my spine, while every few seconds my hands traveled up towards my hair to avoid the humidity that was sticking to me. Pushing my tangled locks back wasn't of too much help; the sun had decided this moment to beat its relentless sunshine over this building. All the while, there was one hope that kept on repeating itself in my mind. Ivana would find some way to reach me. 

        This thought was not the only one swimming in my mind. It was accompanied by another, less likely perception. Mason would come with Ivana to rescue me. Despite the betrayal by Mason, my heart still longed to see him. Why is it so difficult to forget someone? Why does it feel like plunging daggers continuously in my heart? Even though I was sure there was no way I could be with Mason after what he did, being far from him only made my heart ache for him even more. A rebellious part of me didn't want to forget him. This part of me enjoyed fantasizing about Mason, conjuring up dreams to ignore the cruel reality. Clenching my jaw, I tried to dismiss these straying thoughts away from my mind. Then, added a heart-wrenching thought, Mason doesn't care about you, April. He won't come. At this, I had the sudden urge to cry and scream until my throat hurt and until I lost my voice. Although, I suppressed this temptation, no matter how strong. 

        I was too lost in my thoughts to notice when my dress caught on the railing and restrained my feet from progressing further onto the stairs. I may as well have been a zombie trudging up those steps without any sense anymore. I only realized my surroundings when it was too late; when I tripped and lost my balance. I stifled a gasp and squeezed my eyes shut, as if that would diminish the pain that I was certain awaited me. In that exact frantic moment, I braced myself for the impact of the stairs against my body. My arms were flailing, attempting to grasp at something before the fall began; nothing came in contact with my hand.

        I was surprised when the predicted impact never came. Instead of me toppling over the steps and the tiles scratching against my skin like a furious cheetah, my back was cushioned by something soft yet tough. Arms folded themselves around me, holding me tight. I reluctantly opened my eyes at this unexpected realization and then, I panicked. One of the men had recovered! My heart raced and I spun around so suddenly, that the man holding me was forced to take a step backwards onto the stair below. 

        When our eyes met, my stomach dropped, while my heart skipped a beat. That's when I took a deep, relieved breath and finally released the tears that I had been trying so hard to compress. It was Mason, his chocolate brown hair matted from the heat and his eyes shone with relief. I threw my arms around his neck and sobbed onto his shoulder, welcoming his familiar scent of salty water and the earthy fragrance of leaves. I allowed myself to relax when I felt his arms wrap around me, holding me close. For a few moments, we just stood like that, in each other's company. Finally, Mason broke the embrace and wiped my tears with his thumb, his eyes etched with relief and concern. Then, he placed his hands on my cheeks and kissed my head tenderly, the motion bringing a warm sensation that ran through my whole body.

        I stared into his eyes, searching for some sort of indication that he was playing with my feelings, that he was portraying only an illusion, not the reality of how he feels. Although, I saw no sign of betrayal. Either I lacked the ability to read people or Mason's feelings were genuine. My eyes traveled to his lips, my own lips feeling a tingling sensation as I recalled our first kiss. His lips. Red and luscious. My eyes widened for a brief moment at this desire. Dismissing the thought, I decided to keep my guard up because I had no idea whether Mason could be trusted again or not. 

        Ripping my gaze away from Mason, I scoured the room for Ivana. I found her standing in the doorway, smiling contently. I smiled and waved to her. Bunching my skirts up in my hands, I made my way down the stairs and threaded my way through the three unconscious bodies sprawled across the floor. Not seconds after I reached her, Ivana wrapped me in a tight embrace, which I happily returned.   

        "I nearly panicked when I saw your message. We were so worried," Ivana said softly.

        "Thank you so much for coming. You don't know how grateful I am," I replied, genuinely thankful.

        "We're your friends. Obviously we would come. Also, no 'thanks' or 'sorry' in friendship, okay?" Ivana said. 

        This phrase caused a series of emotions to swell within me all over again. These were similar to the words Mason had said a few weeks ago; back when we both were beginning to trust each other. I guess it was of no use as at the moment, the trust all shattered to nothing. 

        "Hey, don't mention it. No 'thank you' in friendship. I don't care if that's a cliché statement, it's true," he had said. 

        Does the offer for friendship still stand? Judging by the way his forehead wrinkled with concern when he saw me, it seemed as if he might actually have genuine feelings for me. Would I be a fool to believe this? Would I be too gullible to think that a wealthy, laid-back, charismatic boy like Mason would fall for a girl like me? Insecure and treated like a nothing? 

        Another loud bang jerked me out of my muddled thoughts. I get pulled out of my continuous thinking too much these days. 

        Glancing at Mason and Ivana, I sighed. "These sounds had started some time ago. I was just going to investigate. As you could see, I'm sure," I muttered, embarrassed at my clumsiness.

        "We sure could," Mason replied with a hint of teasing and smiled. I was pleased to see that his humor returned after such sober filled situations between us. His charismatic and humor-filled nature was what had attracted me towards him in the first place.    

        Against my better judgment, I smiled back. It was a few seconds later that I realized I might have been giving some indication to the fact that I had forgiven him, which was not true. I was still deeply grieving that moment that changed my view of Mason. Also, the proof still remained not yet denied nor admitted. I would need to have a very important discussion with Mason to settle my doubts. Although, they would have to wait as at the moment I was in no mood to explore such deep matters. God knows how much these recent events have worn me out.  

        "We should go check out where these sounds are coming from," continued Mason.

        "Yeah," Ivana chided in. "We had called the police before coming and they should be arriving soon. So, if there is an danger, we'll have back-up."

        "I feel much better. You have no idea how much I was trembling with fear. Who knows, with my luck, it could be more of these ruthless men," I said, shuddering. 

        Mason gave a sympathizing look. He took a step forward, as if coming towards me. He made his way over to where I stood and brought a hand up to touch my cheek. Although, something made him change his mind. He paused and slightly shook his head. It was clear he was struggling to find the appropriate move because his hand hung midair, unable to make a decision. He was most likely remembering our little escapade at the party. A part of me hoped that he would tell me why he kissed me when before he was clearly holding some other girl close. Why would Mason play with both the girl's and my feelings?

        Inhaling a steadying breath, I said, "Alright. Let's see what's up there."

        Now that all three of us were together, and I had this set determination within me, the climb didn't take too long. Within a few minutes, we had reached the top of the stairs, from where the ruckus was almost deafening. This corridor was so dark that we couldn't see a single thing and had to keep our hands on the wall to make any progress. Mason was leading us with me behind him, and Ivana brought up the rear.

        With each step, the racket was becoming louder an louder. Suddenly I bumped into something firm. Mason had abruptly halted.

        "What is it?" I whispered.

        "The sound is the loudest here," he replied.

        I heard Mason reach for a doorknob concealed by the dark. 

        "It's not opening," Mason murmured. "It's locked."

        "Now what?" Ivana asked.

        "I have and idea!" I exclaimed, making sure to keep my voice low. "Ivana, do you have a hairpin?"

        "Yeah. One second," Ivana replied followed by some ruffling sound.

        After about a few short seconds, she said, "Here," and handed me the hairpin.

        Carefully making my way around Mason, I felt around the door for the doorknob. When my fingers brushed against cool metal, I searched for the key hole. When my fingers fell upon it after a few moments of scouring the surface, I brought the pin up and inserted it in the hole. After twisting and turning the hairpin a calculated number of times, we all heard the lock click.

        "It's unlocked," I whispered, proud that I was of some help, which was quite out of sorts compared to my usual self; a welcoming change.

        Getting to my feet from my crouched position, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. Just like the corridor, this room was draped in enveloping darkness.

        Mason came up beside me and I heard him fiddle around the wall. After a few silent, nerve-racking moments, blazing light flooded the room. I brought my hand up to shield my eyes from the glare.

        When my eyes finally adjusted to the sudden light from being encased in darkness for so long, my eyes widened in shock as I gaped at what I was seeing in front of me.

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Author's Note:

Chapter 16! April's feelings for Mason are mixed... she doesn't know what to believe. Will she be able to trust Mason again? Or will their friendship break altogether?

Also, what's behind that door? So many questions, which can only be answered by the future updates. 

If you enjoyed reading, then please share and vote if you would like to. Also, don't hesitate to comment below if you want to share something with me. :)

- Anika