Chapter 47: 47

47

Mason's POV

My shoulders were stiff with tension as I leaned against the wall of the packhouse, my ears straining to pick up their voices. Adrian and Bethany were just around the corner, their words hushed, yet I could still hear them.

I wasn't supposed to be here. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to care anymore. But the way Bethany had been distant, the way Adrian had been orbiting her like some kind of protective force—it had been gnawing at me. And now, hearing them speak so quietly, so intimately, I couldn't help but feel my blood boil.

"I mean it, Bethany," Adrian's voice came, low but still firm enough. "You're stronger than you think. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise."

My fists clenched. His tone was too familiar, too comforting. He had no right to be talking to her like that.

Bethany responded, her voice softer, almost shy. "It's not that simple, Adrian. You make it sound like I can just… choose to be okay."