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Chapter 38 - Day 1: The Trip

Kelsey and Mason had been on the road for about an hour and a half. Kelsey felt famished since she couldn't even take a sip of her coffee when Mason dragged her out of the house. As if he could read her mind, Mason pointed to the back seat of the car. "If you're hungry, Georgia prepared us some snacks to eat on the way."

Kelsey stretched her arms and grabbed the lunch box from the back. She opened the zipper and took the container with sandwiches in it. She grabbed half sliced of the sandwich and munched on it. It was baked chicken with humus, lettuce, tomato, and some mayo. "Want some?" She said with her mouthful.

Mason smiled at her chubby cheeks and nodded his head. Kelsey shoved the sandwich she was eating in front of his mouth and he opened his mouth and took a big bite. "Mhmm...It tastes good." He commented.

They ate the sandwiches and finished the fruits as they drove. Kelsey fed him the entire time and she couldn't help but feel as if they were a real couple. She didn't put so much thought on how they were acting towards one another and just enjoyed the moment.

After an hour, Kelsey grew bored and she could feel her butt numbing from sitting too long. "Are we there yet?" She asked impatiently.

"Almost. Five more minutes." He informed her as she nodded her head and stared outside the window. The surroundings were becoming more bare and green. She loved how the bright, blue sky matched the scenario of the place.

Soon enough, they arrived near a hotel and Mason parked the car on the parking lot. They got out of the car and Mason held the keys out to the valet boy. "Just take our bags to our room." He ordered as the man, who looked about in his mid-twenties, nodded his head in obedience.

"Let's go for a walk." Mason told Kelsey as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the beach. Kelsey thought that grabbing and pulling on her was becoming a hobby of his. Not that she was complaining since they were holding hands as if they were really in a relationship. She could feel her heart rapidly beat against her chest and she was a bit flustered.

She then glanced away from their entangled hands and looked at the view in front of her. It was an incredible view. The water was a very clear blue, matching the colour of the sky and the small waves flowed slowly. The air was very refreshing and it was just an amazing sight to see. Kelsey felt relaxed by the atmosphere of the place, taking any stress and tiredness she felt throughout the week.

They halted from walking and watched the sea. "It looks incredible." She commented in a daze. But then she remembered from earlier that Mason said they were heading back Monday evening. She quickly whipped her head in his direction and panicked. "Wait, you said earlier that we're coming back Monday evening."

"Yeah." He shrugged nonchalantly, not even sparing her a glance. Kelsey glared at him and punched his arm. He hissed from the light sting it had caused and rubbed his arm soothingly. "Ow. What was that for?" He asked.

"Mason, I have work. And I need to go to work to pay -"

"I already called Ricky and your manager at work." Mason stated as he cut her mid sentence. "Besides, we're on a vacation, Kelsey. Stress-free, problem-free, work-free." He told her pointedly.

Kelsey scowled at him in annoyance and placed a hand on her hip. "Work-free? Really?" She asked with a raised brow. She knew how workaholic Mason could get. The man couldn't take a second without checking his phone to see if he had any updates.

"Yes. Work. Free." He robotically said as he fished his phone out of his pocket and switched the power off to prove that he was serious. Kelsey still didn't believe him because she knew he probably brought a laptop with him in his luggage. "Okay." Mason sighed defeatedly. "I promise I will do my best. I also told Nina to only contact me if it's a really urgent call or an emergency."

Kelsey rolled her eyes and faced her defeat. She would never win an argument with Mason King. He was too stubborn to accept failure and defeat in his life. He was too egotistical and prideful to even consider her points. She suddenly had the urged to walk along the shore barefooted as she stared at the waves.

She strolled towards the beach, taking graceful steps as she do so. Mason watched her walked and couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked. The white sundress she was wearing flowed gently down her thighs and her hair blew carelessly away from her face. She took the flats that she was wearing and held it with her fingers. She then started strolling by the shore getting her bare feet soaked.

Kelsey loved the feeling of the sea water splashing on her feet. It was a bit cold at first but she got used to the temperature over time. She kicked the incoming wave and laughed and squealed when a few drops carelessly splashed on her face.

Her laughed caused a grin to crawl up on Mason's lips. He felt his stomach flipped from the sight of her genuine smile. She was breathtaking, he thought. Unknowingly, he started strolling towards her and before he knew it, he was already beside her.

Kelsey turned to him, still beaming. Mason sucked in a deep breath at how stunning she looked. Her mouth was moving but Mason couldn't hear what she was saying. All he could sense was the beautiful woman in front of him. "Mason?" She asked worriedly, wiping the smile on her face. That seemed to snap him out of his trance as he looked away from her and shook his head to clear the image of Kelsey, but her profile was already buried and carved in his mind.

"Are you okay?" Kelsey added as she gently placed a hand on his forearm. Mason felt the tingles ran up his arm as he stared at her hand on his arm. He had never felt such odd feelings before and he didn't like it. He felt like a lovestruck teenager. Kelsey sensed his intense stare at her hand and she slowly took it away.

She cleared her throat and stomped on the water. The water splashed on the both of them but mostly on Mason. That seemed to have snapped Mason out of his trance and he stared at her in disbelief. An 'O' shape formed on Kelsey's lips and stared at Mason's drenched shirt. "Whoops?..." She said and started laughing. "My bad." She managed to say in between laughs.

Watching her freely laughed made the ends of his lips curved up in a small smile. He wiped the droplets of water from his face and smirked at her. "Oh it's on!" He challenged as he scrunched down and gathered some water on his palms and splashed it at her.

Kelsey squealed and giggled. Soon enough, they were both scooping water on the beach, getting each other soaked. Mason had never felt so much fun in such a long time. It was relaxing and stress relieving. For the very first time in his twenty-five years of life, he felt genuinely content and happy. He couldn't remember when was the last time he truly had fun.

They laid on their back on the beach sand and gazed at the sky. They were very closed to one another that their arms were touching. Kelsey grinned at the blue sky and pointed at a cloud. "Look, that one looks like an elephant."

Mason tried to find where she was pointing at and squinted his eyes. "No, it looks more like a seahorse." He commented.

"How is that a seahorse?" She asked as she stretched her head towards him, making her head rest on his shoulder. She also squinted her eyes and tried to see the cloud from a different view to determine if she could also see the seahorse. "I don't see it." She stated.

Mason, however, was staring intently at her. Her head on his shoulder felt so right and fitted perfectly, as if they were a piece of jigsaw puzzles fitted together. Mason's heart fluttered at the sight of her smiling figure. He was seeing a totally different side of her. The more carefree, unstressed, and relaxed Kelsey. The sight of her alone made him calm and happy. He didn't know what he was feeling. He had never once felt like that before, not even with Claris. Kelsey was definitely breaking every wall he had built around his heart. She was breaking them without even her knowing.

"Mason?..." She asked worriedly as she turned her face towards him. Her face was literally three inches away from him. The smile on her face faded as she stared at him in concern. "Is everything okay? You've been dozing off a lot. If you really need to check your phone and need to check up on work, go ahead. I understand." She gently said as he laid on his side to completely face her.

Mason placed a hand over her cheek and smiled. "Trust me, work has nothing to do as to why I'm dozing off." He said, rubbing her cheek soothingly with his thumb.

Kelsey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She didn't know what exactly he was talking about and the way he was massaging her cheek made her hormones fly all over the place. "Mason..." She whispered as her eyes fluttered closed from the softness of his touch.

"During this trip, Kelsey. Give me a chance to get to know you in this trip." He stated as Kelsey's eyes slowly opened. She stared into his hypnotizing orbs and found the sincerity in his words. He was really serious. He really wanted to get to know her. But why?, she thought warily.

Kelsey didn't know who was controlling her head but she found herself nodding in agreement. She genuinely smiled at him as she felt her heart softening from the real smile on his face.

Kelsey was ready to lose her heart. She just really hoped that he wouldn't break it to the point of no fixation.

~ * ~ * ~

"Mason King! How could you only book one room?!" Kelsey complained as she watched Mason placed the wet towel on a hanger by the rack to let it dry. His hair was still drenched from his shower after their day at the beach. Kelsey stayed a while back at the beach when he said he needed to shower because his hair were full of sand and he felt sticky.

When Kelsey came back from her adventure at the resort, she went to the reception to ask for her key, but apparently, Mason only booked one room for the both of them. It wasn't just a room, it was more like a tiny apartment with a small kitchen and a living room. But Kelsey was still expecting a two-bedroom reservation.

"We're getting married soon, Kelsey. You have to get use to this setup and I thought this is a good way to practice." He nonchalantly said, shrugging his shoulders.

Kelsey threw daggers at him with her eyes. She wasn't exactly sure what it was he wanted with her. She didn't want to get toyed and hurt by the end, but she knew she was already far too deep in the moment that she agreed to get to know each other better during this trip. Sometimes, she just hated how stupid she could get when she let her heart do all the decisions.

Mason strolled towards her and placed a soft kiss on her temple. "Stop overthinking. Why don't you hit the shower and we'll get some dinner after? I'm famished." He suggested as he left the room and let her get to her business.

~ * ~ * ~

After they ate dinner, they decided to go by the outdoor pool. They sat at the edge of the pool and dipped their feet on the cool water. It was a lovely night, the stars were out and crescent moon was bright.

Kelsey sighed in contentment and smiled. "Thank you for bringing me here. It's incredible" She genuinely told him.

Mason stared at her in awe as the light illuminated her blooming face. He didn't know what exactly came to him when the next few words escaped his mouth. And frankly, he didn't regret saying it at all. "Let's start over again." He announced.

Kelsey turned her head to his direction and tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Let's start fresh." He continued, only furthering her bewilderment.

"I don't think I'm catching on." She honestly stated. "What do you mean?"

Mason took her hands that were lying on her lap and enclosed it with his big ones. He stared her right in the eye in all seriousness. "I mean, let's really get to know each other. Let's give each other a chance. Let's give this a shot." He determinedly said and waited for her response.

Mason tried to read her expression but she was giving nothing away. He couldn't read her at all and he suddenly felt stupid for uttering such cheesy words. Slowly, he dropped her hands and looked up to the sky. He forced a smile out and let out a small chuckle. "Never mind. Just ignore me, forget what I've said." He said, trying to refrain himself from further humiliation. It was clear that Kelsey didn't want anything to do with him. Wasn't the reason why she was overworking herself was to earn some money to pay him back so she could escape him?

That was when realization hit Mason hard. He hated the fact that maybe, just maybe, he was starting to fall for the woman sitting beside him. He could totally get any women he wanted, but getting rejected by this one simple and ordinary girl felt like he was being stabbed in the chest over and over again. The feeling was worse than Claris dumping him to chase her dreams and walking out of his life.

"Okay." Kelsey inaudibly muttered that even the noise of the wind blowing would have muffled her voice.

Mason whipped his head towards her in astonishment. "What'd you say?" He asked, needing to know if he had heard her correctly.

"Okay." Kelsey repeated, much louder this time. "Let's give this a shot." She announced and she watched his mouth form into a big grin. She couldn't help but smile at how pure and innocent his smile was. He was usually always smirking at her so seeing him genuinely smile made her tummy flipped.

"Really?" He asked innocently and shook his head. "That's it, you've said it already. You can't take it back." He finally said as Kelsey laughed at his giddiness and nodded her head in confirmation.

~ * ~ * ~

Kelsey placed the pillow on the head of the couch and laid down, pulling the blanket with her. She sighed in contentment as she reflected back on the events of the day. She knew she could potentially end up hurt and broken, but she was ready to dive all in for him. She wanted to give the both of them the chance. Although that didn't mean that she wouldn't pay him back. Her very first goal was to set everything right. She would return all of his money and start fresh again.

In the mean while, Mason was inside the room checking his tablet for updates from work. So far, everything was going well. Once he was assured that everything was good, he shut his tablet off and looked at the electric watch by the nightstand. It was already 11:30pm and he was confuse as to why Kelsey wasn't in the room yet, going to sleep. Mason took his glasses off and stood from the bed. He left the room and checked where she was.

Mason thought that she was in the kitchen, he was about to go there but stopped when he saw a figure on the couch through the corner of his eye. He strolled towards her and saw that her eyes were already closed.

"Kelsey?" He gently spoke, in case she was already asleep.

"Mhmm..." She sounded out, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Why are you there? There's a king size bed in the room but you're sleeping on the couch?" He asked sarcastically but she only shifted her position and laid on her side. She was very tired that she couldn't even bother to argue with him.

"Please turn off the light on your way to bed. Good night." She dismissed him.

Mason sighed and knew he couldn't say anything that would make her change her mind. He went back to the room without turning the lamp off.

Kelsey opened an eye and glanced around. She sighed in relief when she saw that Mason had left. But she was very annoyed to find the lamp still on. Did she not tell him to turn it off? She thought as she lazily sat up to turn it off. She was about to crawl her way to the lamp next to the couch when Mason came back to the living room.

Kelsey stopped midway and eyed the blanket and a pillow he was holding in his arms. Mason placed the pillow on the carpeted floor, beside the couch, and went to turn off the light. Darkness surrounded the both of them and Mason tried to find his way to the floor. Once he was settled down, he pulled on the blanket and tried to find a comfortable spot.

Kelsey was still bewildered that it took her a few minutes before she finally laid down. It was silent but it was a comfortable atmosphere. She was just really surprised that he would even consider sleeping on the floor. Him? A billionaire who practically got whatever he wanted...

"What are you doing, Mason?" She finally asked, breaking the silence.

Mason placed a hand under his head and closed his eyes. "We had a long day, Kelsey. Good night."

However, Kelsey wasn't done quite yet. She laid on her front so that her head was facing him and eyed his silhouette figure. "Why are you sleeping on the floor? You're going to get a backache tomorrow morning." She warned him but he simply ignored her. Kelsey released a deep breath at his stubbornness. "Fine! Good night." She finally said as they both slept peacefully, their minds full of the memories they had of the entire day.

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