Tick tock. Tick tock.

        The time seemed to freeze, the indiscernible progress agonizingly slow. The scene around me depicted a perfect tableau, as if waiting for my thoughts to finish narrating this particular scene in a complicated -- messed up -- play.  

        I felt my spine go rigid with each passing moment, my hands clenching and unclenching themselves with anxiety. 

        10 seconds. 11 seconds.  

        That's it. I couldn't take it anymore. 

        Feeling my resolve cracking, I let my anger boil my blood. Without waiting for Aunt Morrison -- no, Morrison -- to grant me any sort of permission, I ran to Mason's room, barely escaping the wrinkled hand of my Aunt, that reached out to hold me in place. I could care less what she thought. 

        How many long months had I spent obeying her ruthless commands, doing everything I could to gain some love? In those days, I had hidden my real self, instead dawning a veil to hide my true persona, as if strutting through a dangerous masquerade ball. In this little game, I had taken on the role of a scared servant, hoping to blend in and find acceptance as royalty. Perhaps even a small acknowledgement of the fact that I was indeed human.  

        However, after all this, after all the struggles I went through these past few days, I had thrown the veil aside. I had intentionally tossed it aside to rot on the roads of this little town. My attempts to protect my real self from harshness, had all gone to waste with this one exposure of rebelliousness towards my so called "aunt". 

        "Miss?" the nurse said, her voice hesitant. 

        Jerking out of my thoughts, I realized that I was now standing inside the compact room, my fingers still curled around the cold doorknob. 

        Combing the room with my eyes, I sought out a single figure. My first instinct was to look for him, to assure him that everything was all right, that I was right there, beside him.

        There he was. The single person who managed to bring my old self to the surface. The boy who found a way to find a friend in the childish and sarcastic girl with a shattered heart. He broke through my shell, evading my shyness to get to the easy-going part of me. 

        I took a step closer, squinting in the dim light to get a better look at him. 

        That's when the breath truly got knocked out of me.  

        Mason.  

        He was panting, as if he had just run a marathon, his hands flailing as he only grasped thin air. Two nurses stood on either side of him, attempting to pin his arms down to his side, without much success. Another one stood at the foot of the bed, filling an injection with a clear liquid. 

        My heart broke, a knot clenching itself even tighter in my stomach to the point where I could barely breathe. 

        Nerves tingling with a flurry of panic, I turned to the nurse who had called me in. 

        "What's happening?" I yelled, voice edged with fright. "Why is he acting this way?"

        When the nurse stood frozen in shock, I grasped her arm, unaware of the fact that I was digging my nails into her flesh, until she cried out in pain.

        "I-I'm so sorry," I stuttered, taking a step back, and releasing the stranger's wrist. I had forgotten the impact of my anger in the months I was forced to squelch it with fear.

        "I... uh... he was calling for you, b-but, I don't really know--" the nurse began, only to be cut off by a hoarse whisper. 

        I barely registered the words over the blood gushing in my ears, but I heard it well enough. I could never mistake this voice. 

        April, he'd said. 

        Pushing the nurses aside, I sprinted to his side, barely registering the pain as the bed scratched against my knuckles.

        Mason's arm suddenly sliced the air, barely missing my face as I kneeled beside him.

        Clenching my jaw against the bile rising in my throat, I brought a gentle hand over to his arm, reaching above where his hand hung in mid air. Intertwining my fingers with his, I brought his hand down beside him. 

        "Mason, you're okay. Everything's fine," I whispered, stroking his hair, which clung to his forehead, damp with sweat. 

        Eventually, Mason's breathing leveled, his chest rising and falling at a steady rhythm. 

        His eyes were still squeezed shut, his muscles wound tight, as if he was waiting for someone to bash him across the head.  

        "Mason?" I said slowly, lightly shaking his shoulder.   

        His muscles relaxed, and he opened his eyes ever so slowly. I exhaled a sharp breath through my nose, closing my eyes as relief flooded over me.

        "April," he breathed, "I... i-it r-really is you, right?"

        Feeling my sympathy well up in the form of tears, I shook the tears away. Mason wouldn't want me to feel pity for him. He would hate that. Inhaling a shaky breath, I nodded in answer to his question. 

        He was studying me, the kindness in his eyes still shining through his exhaustion. There was a flicker of something else in his gaze, something darker and deeper. Pain? Frustration?

        I couldn't tell what it was, my inability to read this particular emotion making me realize just how much more I still needed to learn about him. 

        Do I really love him then? 

        Despite the pain this thought caused me, I still couldn't stop mulling it over in my head. 

        What do you really know about him? a small voice whispered at the back of my mind.  

        Clenching my jaw, I tried to get rid of this nagging perception. If there was anything I despised most, it would be someone trying to prove me wrong. In this case, something. 

        Mason's the only person who believed in me when the whole world was a herd of beasts, tearing my pride open with their scornful glares. 

        He is the one who broke through my fake facade, gently slipping through without me realizing.

        As childish as this might sound, the shooting star might have made our paths cross. Perhaps granting me my wish for once.  

        Gentle fingers upon my hand coaxed me back to reality, the cream coloured walls zooming into focus. 

        Looking down, I saw Mason's fingers interlaced with my own, his fingers cold, yet impossibly sending warmth down my arm. I felt heat crawl up my throat as I met his fierce yet polite gaze. I looked away, suddenly aware of my ugly hospital gown and tangled locks. Why hadn't I listened to Dr. Collins and cleaned up before coming? I mentally kicked myself at my carelessness. 

        The room suddenly felt too compact, the walls radiating off relentless heat. Oh, god. What is this boy doing to me?

        "Is it really hot in here, or is it just me?" I said, trying to chase away the awkwardness. 

        It took me a moment to realize that I had unintentionally uttered a pick-up line. There goes my dignity. I had just made things even more awkward than before. Stupid. 

        At this point, I was almost certain of the fact that I looked like a bright red tomato, blushing furiously. 

        I looked back at Mason, embarrassed. Our eyes met for a moment; his gaze filled with amusement, while it took me a lot of courage just to look at him. We stayed like that for a moment, before Mason burst out laughing. 

        My own smile spread across my face, growing wider until we both were laughing like idiots. 

        "Shut up," I said, playfully hitting his arm.

        "Ow," he flinched. 

        "Oh my god," I whispered, my eyes widening. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" 

        I frantically searched his arm for any wounds, my heart beating fast, while guilt flared inside of me. 

        "April," he whispered. 

        I stopped immediately, my panic subsiding at hearing the gentle tone of his voice. 

        "I'm okay," Mason said, squeezing my hand reassuringly. 

        "You almost gave me a heart attack," I muttered. 

        We were quiet for a moment, my eyes still locked on our intertwined fingers. 

        Mason finally broke the silence, "Thanks, April."

        "Huh?" I said, distracted by the veins travelling over the surface of his hands and forearms.

        "I said, thanks. For being here for me. For everything," Mason whispered, his voice soft. 

        "Oh," I muttered, stupidly. "Yeah, no problem."

        Oh, lord. He was so distracting. It felt as if I hadn't seen him in months, my eyes drinking in his every feature; from his wild auburn locks, to his full lips. His defined cheekbones, the sharp jawline, the small dimple in his left cheek. I didn't want to miss anything. 

        "You'll never leave me, right?" Mason's voice drifted into my ears again. 

        These words stopped the whirring of my mind completely, leaving me dumbstruck. For a moment, I didn't know what to say. 

        Will I be able to stay with Mason? Or would Aunt Morrison rip him away from me? 

        Despite Aunt Morrison's agreement floating around in my mind, I whispered, "I don't know, Mason. I really don't. But, I hope I won't ever have to leave you."

        Mason nodded in understanding, and a small smile lit up his face. 

        In that instant, I knew one thing for sure. I couldn't tell if this was love, but I knew that I wanted to be with this one person for as long as life allowed me to. Whatever I felt towards Mason, I could feel for no one else. Whether this was the wonderful love, or merely the laws of attraction, it was a feeling that brought a sort of power in my limbs, sending warmth down my spine.  

        However, my positive thoughts were at odds with the negativity of the situation that took place next.     

        Things really can't stay in my favour for long, can they?

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Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Chapter 28 is finally up!

I am well aware of the fact that it has been almost a month since I last updated. So much has been going on, that I barely found time to write. I still can't guarantee frequent updates, but just know that I will never abandon this book, no matter what. I have put a lot of hard work into this book. Some updates may be very late, however, I will make time to write. Just believe in me. :)

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the little connection between Mason and April. April isn't quite sure what her feelings toward Mason mean, however, the bond between them seems to hint at a particular closeness. Do you think April loves Mason, or does she merely like him because he was a superhero who helped her escape from her aunt?

Have an awesome day, and let me know what you think in the comments! :)

- Anika