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“It wasn’t like that, Lark, I swear,” Mason says, his voice breaking “Please, baby I know I fucked up, but like I’ve been saying since the day I got back, I’ through my head when all this went down I swear to you, I’m not that person anymore I would never betray your trust Not on purpose and not because I was too—”

“Maybe,down my cheeks “But how can I ever know for sure? How can I ever trust you again?”

Mason’s breath rushes out “You can know because you were there with ht in that hotel rooether, with nothing to hide”

“That’s not true” I cross ht “You were hiding so The lease proves it”

“I wasn’t hiding it,” Mason says, his otten about it”

My eyebrows shoot up “You’d forgotten that you’d made plans to move to New York and then lied to me about it for a week before—”

“No!” Mason barks before tucking his head to his chest “No,” he repeats in a softer voice “I hadn’t forgotten I just didn’t think iteyes to ret the way I treated you The lease and everything else I did are all part of the sa I screwed up Royally Terribly I know that But I’ain, and that’s the truth I’ from you”

“How can I know that, Mason?” I ask, le word you say?”

Mason’s forehead wrinkles “Because you know I’ together, as close as two people can get, talking about how many kids ant to have”

I shake my head “We talked about that before You still left”

“Please, Lark, it’s not the saether and lifts his joined hands “Please There is no doubt in my mind or my heart I’m ready to promise my life to you I want to start a family with you I wouldI’ve said from the moment I came back to town until now is the absolute truth”

“I’m sorry, but…I can’t trust that” I swipe at my cheeks “I can’t trust you, and without trust, this… This isn’t going to work”

Mason freezes for a long, silent moment “So that’s it? It’s over?”