Paige narrates:
After that scene in the elevator we go to dinner, I notice Mason a little stranger than usual, I mean he's always like that, but now he has something I don't know, I get the feeling he's hiding something from me.
I can't blame him, after all our relationship was never the same again after his lie. I haven't wanted to know anything about his lover, I didn't want him to tell me anything, I think it's for the best, besides, I don't have to complain to him, we only have one year left married. This year will go by very fast, and it will be easier than the others because I will be working and so I won't see Mason much. That will help the few feelings I have for him.
During dinner I notice him tense, that's weird, he's always relaxed. I also notice that he's drinking more than he should, I don't say anything, I'm not the one to tell him the things he does, he's too old to know how much he drinks.
After dinner, I take the wheel. Mr. Right decided to drink too much today and isn't in any condition to drive. Right now, I wish I had a chauffeur just so I could rest. The day has been heavy at the office, and now I have to take care of a cheerful and drunk Mason. What a joy.
It's difficult to buckle his seatbelt. He's being very playful, and every time I try to fasten it, he grabs my face and looks into my eyes. It's a gaze I haven't seen before, and it makes me nervous.
"Can you stay still? I need to buckle your seatbelt," I scold him.
"You're so beautiful, did you know that?" he replies, smiling.
"Of course, if you stay still and behave, I'll give you a reward," I say, laughing.
"Anything I want?" he asks, excited.
"Anything you want," I reply without thinking about what he might say.
I sit in the driver's seat and start driving home. Luckily, Emily is with Simba, and he should be asleep and fed by now. When we arrive, it's a spectacle trying to get Mason out of the car and into the house. When I finally manage to get to the living room, I tell him exhaustedly,
"You'll have to sleep here. I won't be able to help you up the stairs; I don't have the strength," I say, breathing heavily from the effort.
"I behaved well in the car, I want my reward," he says, smiling.
"What do you want as a reward?" I ask, putting my hands on my knees.
"Sleeping in our room," he responds calmly, while I almost have a heart attack hearing him say that.
It's been over a year since we shared the same bed. What the hell does he want by asking for that? Could it be that he's been without a trip for too long and needs sex? My mind flies with possible hypotheses about what he asked for. I take a deep breath and tell him it's okay. That excites him, and it's easier for me to go upstairs.
I help him lie down and take off his shoes. Then I go to the bathroom, and when I come out, I almost faint. Mason is lying in bed with only his boxer briefs on. When did he undress? He's lying on his stomach, deeply asleep.
I think about whether it's a good idea to lie next to him, and it's definitely not a good idea. So, I grab a pillow, and as I'm about to leave, he says without opening his eyes,
"I behaved well, you have to keep your word." I jump in fright upon hearing him speak.
"You scared me, I thought you were asleep," I say as I lie down next to him.
I stay far away from him, I hear him sigh, and I turn my back to sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow, and it's already past 2 a.m.
"I'm not drunk, I just needed some alcohol to gather the courage to tell you something," he says, moving closer to me.
I feel his chest against my back, and I tense up from his proximity.
"I like you. You scare me. I'm terrified of feeling something for you because we only have one more year together, and before we separate, I want to be with you," he says, kissing my neck.
I pull away, terrified. Did I hear wrong? It must be. This isn't right, not at all.
"What are you saying? You're definitely drunk; you don't even know what you're saying," I respond, sitting up in bed, surprised.
"I'm not. It's just that every day I see you more beautiful and perfect..." he begins to say, but I interrupt him.
"I think what you need is to go see her, have sex, and clear your mind. What you think you're feeling isn't real; you're just confused," I say, getting up from the bed. "I'll go sleep in another room." I don't wait for a response; I just leave to sleep elsewhere.
This can't be true. How can he say something like that? He must be confused, that's the only thing that can be true. As I walk, figuring out which room to sleep in, I hear the door of Mason's room. I see him come out, looking serious, and when he sees me, he approaches me with determination.
"I'm serious, it's not confusion, but I understand that you don't want anything. I truly understand and respect that. I won't try anything with you. Let's just sleep like we used to before everything got ruined because of me," he says, taking my hand and leading me back to the room he came out of a few minutes ago.
We lie down, and I feel him hugging me and kissing my neck. He simply says goodnight, and I stay as still as a statue. It makes me nervous to have him so close to me, and it seems like he realizes it because he turns me around, putting me on my back on the bed, and climbs on top.
"I'm not joking about wanting something with you, but I know you don't want it. I like you, and it might just be a lack of sex or the alcohol talking for me. It could be many things. Just don't push me away, give me the chance to be friends in this last year we have. I don't like being like this with you, where if we talk, it's only about work. Let's be friends in this last year, okay?" he asks, smiling.
"Fine, okay. Let's be friends in this last year," I respond, sighing.
It's the best I can do. As Mason said, we only have one year left, and when it's over, I don't want to be on bad terms with him for Simba's sake. We haven't discussed what will happen with the baby, but I don't think it will be so bad that I won't be able to see him.