Chapter 3: Love’s Bitter Afterlife

Mason showed up deep into the night, the red candle burned down to a stub. Seeing me waiting for him, he arched a brow and grinned, "Didn’t think you were a night owl, Charlie. Waiting up for me?"

I nodded. Mason always talked nonsense, but that was him. This was the Mason I knew—the cocky, brash young man, not the cold, distant man from last night. His presence filled the room, pushing the shadows back.

"You’re usually so stubborn. Why so sweet tonight? Feeling sorry for your fiancé?" Mason laughed heartily, then teased, "So obedient. How about a kiss for your fiancé?"

I looked up, cheeks burning, nervous but happy. Whatever comes next, I’ll worry about it later. For now, I just wanted to hold onto this moment.

Pop!

I closed my eyes, waiting for a kiss. Instead, he flicked my forehead—hard.

He really knew how to ruin the mood! I rolled my eyes, but my heart felt lighter.

He laughed so hard he nearly cried. After a while, he calmed down. He looked like he wanted to ruffle my hair again, but stopped himself. Instead, he asked gently, "Did I hurt you?"

"You’re getting bold, huh? I’m not your husband yet—you sure you want to tempt me?"

He was still joking, but his eyes were serious. That smile just made my heart ache. There was a sadness beneath the surface, a weight he couldn’t shake.

Maybe Mason wasn’t as calm inside as he looked. My heart skipped a beat, and I gathered my courage. "I could marry you right now."

Saying that, my face burned, my heart pounding in my chest. I bit my lip, not daring to look at him, just fiddling with the friendship bracelet at my wrist. The silence between us felt electric.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have doubts or fears, but none of that mattered with him standing in front of me. For once, I wanted to be brave. I wanted to reach for something, even if it hurt.

I took a deep breath and asked, "Mason, do you still want to marry me?"

"Charlie…"

It was a while before Mason replied. "Charlie, even if youre willing to marry me, I cant marry you anymore." His voice was hoarse, rough around the edges. The words hit me like a slap.

I froze, quickly looking up to see if he was lying, but Mason covered my eyes first. He said softly, "I know what you want to ask. It’s my fault, I’ve changed, I fell for someone else."

"I kept waiting for you to ask, but since you won’t, I’ll say it first. Charlie, there’s someone else I love. I planned to break off our engagement, but died overseas first. Maybe that’s why I can’t move on—because of my guilt."

He sighed softly, his cold fingers trembling, and his voice shook. "Charlie, I’ve wronged you."

I understood every word, but put together, they were hard to believe. My eyes burned, and after a long silence, I asked, "Who is it?"

How could I believe that the boy who smiled at me like sunshine, with stars in his eyes, would just stop loving me? Did Mason really think I couldn’t see all the affection in his letters?

"It’s Lindsay Walker."

"The daughter of the park ranger who once saved me—the one I mentioned in my letters."

I remembered her. I frowned, recalling the story. I remembered Mason writing, "I was rescued by this girl, and now she’s saying she’ll marry me. You’re the only one who doesn’t want me—if I run off with her one day, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself."

I’d felt a bit sour then, and only replied with a single word: "Scram." Later, Mason wrote a long apology and sent me an ugly wooden charm he’d carved. It was the kind of thing only he would do.

He said then, "You’re the only one for me. I’ll spend my whole life chasing after you."

But now, Mason told me, "Charlie, at first I didnt get itI just thought she was annoying. How could there be a girl like her, always there, only ever giving? She stood behind me for so long, and by the time I realized I loved her too, she was gone forever. When I died overseas, it was almost a relief. Charlie, you have someone like that by your side too. Maybe you should look back5"

I pulled his hand away, hard. Half his body was hidden in darkness, the candlelight casting deep shadows on his face.

He smiled, but it looked more like pain. The pain in his eyes was unbearable, like watching a star burn out.