Chapter 3

My mom gasped in horror.

"Don't talk crazy, Kayla!"

But I couldn't listen anymore.

I hung up, spun around, and started walking toward the exit.

Mason grabbed my arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To pick up my parents."

His face darkened instantly.

"Our flight is boarding in ten minutes. If you leave, what happens to the wedding?"

I looked at him, my gaze freezing cold.

"My parents aren't even going to be there. What wedding is there to have?"

Eve's mother let out a soft, theatrical cough.

Mason immediately let go of my arm, turned around, and draped his jacket over her shoulders.

"Mrs. Higgins, is the AC too cold for you?"

The gesture was smooth, practiced, and incredibly caring.

I stood there, suddenly feeling that even demanding an explanation was a waste of breath.

He knew exactly how to care for elderly people.

He knew they shouldn't be subjected to harsh drafts or long journeys.

He understood respect and comfort perfectly.

But that gentleness.

Was never meant for my parents.

Mason turned back to me, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Kayla, stop throwing a tantrum."

"I already took care of your parents."

I quietly pulled my hand away from his reach.

A thirty-hour Greyhound ticket.

A complicated route requiring shuttles and ferries.

And my parents having to swallow their pride and pain just to protect his ego.

That was his definition of "taking care of them."

Just as I reached the exit of the airport, my phone rang again.

It was my mom.

This time, her voice was trembling with sheer panic.

"Kayla... I don't think we can take the bus."

My heart dropped.

"What do you mean?"

The background was loud, dominated by the angry voice of a ticket agent.

My mom whispered, her voice cracking with embarrassment.

"The agent says the tickets are invalid."

"They were booked for yesterday. We can't use them today."

"They're kicking us out of the terminal."

My brain went completely numb.

Mason said he had arranged everything.

And his "perfect arrangement" was buying my parents expired bus tickets.

I squeezed my phone.

"Mom, where are you guys right now?"

My mom quickly tried to defend him.

"Kayla, please don't blame Mason."

"He had so many tickets to book. It’s just an honest mistake."

My dad's muffled cough came through the line again.

"We'll just wait at the station for a bit."

"It's no big deal."

They had just been thrown out of a bus station.

Standing in a strange terminal with heavy bags.

And they were still making excuses for Mason.

My eyes burned. I turned around and walked right up to Mason.

"Did you buy my parents tickets for yesterday?"

Mason’s expression flickered.

"What?"

I shoved the phone screen in front of his face.

"They just got kicked out of the terminal."

"Is this your perfect arrangement?"

Mason finally frowned.

He seemed to realize that this was turning into a genuine hassle.

"My assistant must have messed up the dates when booking."

"Look, don't panic."

He whipped out his phone and made a quick call.

"I'll have my assistant drive over and pick up your parents."

"We won't fly out today."

"I'll rebook all of us for tomorrow."

He spoke rapidly, his tone softening slightly.

He was treating this like a minor corporate hiccup.

But as I watched him, my heart went completely cold.

If I hadn't pushed him.

If my mom hadn't called.

Would my parents have been left sitting in a cold station, clutching their bags, waiting in vain until dark?