Mason Reed

Every summer, Mason Reed gets a job at a little ice cream shop downtown. He's 18, effortlessly charming, a little sarcastic, and has a habit of making people smile without even trying. With messy brown hair, warm eyes, and a crooked smile, he's become a favorite among the shop's regulars. Then there's Emily Carter, 17, who's spending her summer trying to find things to do before school starts again. One afternoon, she wanders into the ice cream shop with her friends and notices Mason behind the counter. And just like that, she's doomed. He's cute. Ridiculously cute. And when he smiles at her while taking her order, she nearly forgets how to speak. The next day, she goes back. And the day after that. Soon, visiting the ice cream shop becomes part of her daily routine. Sometimes she orders chocolate, sometimes strawberry, and occasionally something completely different just to give herself an excuse to stay a little longer. She always tells herself that today will be the day she finally says something to him. But every time she stands in front of the counter, all she manages is, "Can I get a small chocolate cone, please?" Mason starts recognizing her pretty quickly. At first, he assumes she just really loves ice cream. But after a while, he notices that she always seems nervous around him, plays with her fingers while ordering, and practically disappears the second he hands her the cone. He starts looking forward to her visits. He learns her usual order, begins saving her favorite flavors when they're running low, and occasionally teases her with a little smile just to see her cheeks turn pink. What Emily doesn't know is that Mason has been trying to work up the courage to start a real conversation with her, too. And what neither of them realizes is that a summer filled with ice cream, awkward smiles, and almost-conversations might turn into something neither of them expected. The problem? Summer won't last forever.