Chapter 1669

Sliding into the car, Avery smiled and asked, "What brings you here today?" Mason had shown up first thing in the morning to pick her up, catching her completely off guard. Glancing at her, Mason replied casually, "I didn't want you cramming into a crowded subway." He wasn't lying. Mason genuinely hated the idea of her squeezing onto a packed subway train while still recovering, so he'd made a point to wake up an hour earlier to come get her. That one sentence made the smile on Avery's face freeze. She stared at Mason for what felt like forever before finally looking away. Her smile didn't seem as natural anymore, as if she was trying too hard to play it cool. The awkwardness lingered, making it hard for her to figure out how to respond. It wasn't even 8:00 am, and Mason's words already felt a little too loaded. Was he being serious? Was he just teasing her? She couldn't tell if there was an ounce of truth to it or if he was just messing around. Avery turned her head to avoid h