I dried my eyes with the napkin sitting on my saucer and stood admiring the baby grand piano. I ran my fingers lightly along the keys and sat down on the plush stool. 

I need to think of someway to pay Jimmy back for being so kind-hearted. He seems to take in anyone who needs help, but surely he needs help every now and then. 

I fiddled around with a few keys before settling on the chords I wanted to play.

As I played I let everything out, a plethora tears streaming down my face and neck. My soul broke more and more as I sung thinking about my parents. I'd spent all of my life trying to please them, trying to be enough for them. At that very moment I felt like I had failed at being a daughter. I wasn't enough for them. Never pretty enough, smart enough, godly enough, selfless enough.

My head collapsed on the piano and I just let myself cry like I was a kid again back in my bedroom.

I heard a quiet "Hey", from behind me. I lifted my head and looked to see who was watching me. Mason stood there with his hands in his jean pockets. I covered my face, ashamed of what I must have looked like to him. There I was crying my heart out like a pansy. I probably looked disgusting!

He sat next to me, pulled me in close to his chest and wrapped his arms around me. I grabbed his t-shirt in my fists and pulled him in closer. I didn't know what else to do and I desperately just wanted to be held by someone. Mason felt safe. He felt like a home i'd dreamt of since i was young enough to read by myself.

"Shhh, it's okay." He whispered kissing the top of my head. He held me in his tight arms for a while until my crying eased and no more tears would come. He pulled back a little so he could see my face and wipe my tears softly. He tucked my hair behind my ear looking into my eyes, a fierce fire blazing in them.

"I wasn't enough for my parents. I'm not enough." I whispered, afraid if I said it too loud it would become even more true.

"You're more than enough to me." He said tilting my chin up to look him in the eyes.

"You are more than enough. To me, you're perfect, flaws and all." He brought my gloved hand to his lips and kissed it through the fabric. I closed my eyes and sighed. His words had filled something inside me that I never even knew was missing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and embraced him. For the first time I was hugging him because I truly wanted to.

I was never held close by my family because 'craving physical affection makes you weak.' according to my father.

"If you crave physical affection it opens up the door to wanting sinful physical touch from others later on." was their reasoning. I didn't care that I was taught this sort of physical contact was wrong. How could something this wrong feel so right?

I took in Mason's sweet scent as I squeezed tightly. His arms enveloped my waist, tensing as he rubbed my back in circles slowly.

"You don't have to change a single thing AmicaMea. I like you exactly the way you are. Beautiful inside and out." He leaned down and left a small kiss on my nose. My whole body tingled when his lips touched my skin, butterflies strong in my stomach. I bit my lip to stop it quivering and felt myself blush. 

Is this what it feels like to be beautiful to someone?

"Can I play you a song?" Mason asked, straightening up on the piano stool. Unable to speak a word, I nodded and he pulled me in closer.

He played the piano looking up at me every few chords making sure I knew there was meaning behind them. Those blue eyes swallowed my heart every time he looked at me. My body felt electrified sitting close to him watching the tendons moving underneath his skin as he moved his fingers along the keys. It made me burn watching his masculine figure playing such an elegant instrument. The juxtaposition made him all the more attractive to me. The more he sung, the more it broke down the defensiveness in me. Why AM i even trying anymore?

We sat in silence for a few minutes before he broke first.

"Can I give you a ride home?"

"Uh, it's okay, I ran here, I don't mind running back to the dorms." I said fiddling with my gloves.

"Please, I'd rather give you a ride and know that you're safe, especially with Chris and the others still roaming the streets. The police haven't caught up with them just yet. Plus, Lexi would castrate me if she knew I left you alone." He pulled a face at the thought of being castrated.

"Lexi? Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah, she called Zach just before and filled us in on what happened. She was worried about you. I came here to finish off some stuff for Jim and you just happened to be here." He looked out from the corner of his eye.

"Bed sounds pretty good right about now." I said standing up and stretching out my arms in front of me.

"Sweet, i'll just let Jim know we're leaving." He jogged around back while I trudged to the front doors with the heaviness of the past month weighing down on me.