“I’m sorry. Are you okay?’’ I ask, feeling like shit that the first thing that comes out of my mouth is to question her that. I’m just so surprised to see her. When she moved away I never expected to ever see her again. I’ve missed her. It’s then that tears fill my eyes and I struggle to keep them at bay.
“Yes, can we talk?’’ she asks looking around the room unsure. “Alone?’’
“Um yes, of course,’’ I tell her then look to Mason and give him a look to clear off and take his brothers with him. He nods his head getting what I’m silently telling him, but when my eyes drift to Myles, his face is completely pale, his eyes wide and mouth agape staring at Kayla. I notice Kayla giving him sideward glances and I try to figure out what’s running through her mind, but it seems since the last time I saw her she’s perfected hiding her emotions. Well, most of them anyway.
“Myles, bro?’’ Mason calls standing next to him. Myles shakes his head, looks at Mason then back to Kayla and nods his head getting up. He follows Mason out of the room, but not before giving Kayla another one last backward glance.
I knew he said they spoke a few times in the library and once after her attack, but it feels like something else is going on that he totally forgot to mention. The tension in the room was thick enough you could cut into it.
“How are you?’’ I ask again, feeling awkward about what to say. I gesture for her to take a seat and she does, so I take one down next to her.
“I’m okay, better than I have been in years actually. I needed to come and see you, to explain about why I left things the way I did.’’
“I understand Kay. You don’t need to explain anything to me-‘’
“I do. I pushed you away. You were my only real friend apart from Charlie. I shouldn’t have done that to you, I realise now that I needed you more than I let on, and for that I am sorry. I was so harsh to you, for no reason.’’
“I understand why Kayla. What happened is not your fault. You did what you did to protect yourself. Did I get upset I couldn’t be there for you? Yes. Did I hate you for it? No. I knew you wouldn’t have done it maliciously, so please don’t threat over it.’’
“You’ve always been too kind,’’ she smiles, tears in her eyes.
“So they say,’’ I grin, but then lose it when she looks up at me with so much guilt and sorrow.
“Is the girl…’’ she starts, but then takes a huge swallow. “The girl he… is the girl here?’’ she asks, twiddling her fingers on her lap.
“Harlow?’’
“Yes,’’ she nods, her face losing colour, and I can tell she’s scared and nervous as hell.
“Hold on I’ll go get her,’’ I tell her. “Would you like something to drink?’’
“No thank you, I can’t stay long,’’ she tells me sadly. I smile sadly back, not wanting her to leave again. Hopefully this time we will remain in touch.
I leave the room and rush into the kitchen where everyone is standing around and waiting. Mason walks up to me first, wrapping me up in his arms. The feel of him has me wanting to cry, to cry for the broken girl that she now is, for the girl she used to be but lost.
“You okay, Baby?’’ he asks.
“Yeah, just emotional,’’ I whisper. “She wants to see you?’’ I tell Harlow, who is now standing in Malik’s arms. He must have come downstairs when he heard her walk in and looking by the tense expression I can see he’s unsure about letting her go.
“Me?’’
“Yes, please,’’ I beg her, my eyes pleading with her.
She nods her head before turning to give Malik a kiss, I think more to relax him than anything, and then follows me back into the living room where Kayla nervously awaits.
“Hey,’’ Harlow says, ever the loving person.
“Hey,’’ Kayla replies, trying to smile, but she’s so nervous all we manage to get from her, is her bottom lip wobbling before she bursts into tears. Before I can walk over to her and wrap her in my arms Harlow is there pulling her into her arms on the sofa, whispering something into her hair. Movement near the door catches my attention and I turn to find Mason holding Myles back. My curious look matches Mason’s, but once Myles sees Harlow has her his shoulders slump and he walks back out of the room without catching Kayla and Harlow’s attention.
My attention turns back to Kayla and Harlow on the sofa. Both pull away, but Harlow keeps her hands holding Kayla’s and I think it has more to do with giving her strength that she obviously needs at the moment.
“Are you okay now?’’ Harlow asks softly, while I watch silently. I kneel in front of them, making sure I’m close enough to reach out and grab Kayla’s other hand. She flinches when I do, but then realises it’s only me and relaxes.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for what he…. what he did,’’ she chokes out.
“You have nothing to apologise for,’’ Harlow tells her sternly.
“I do. If I had stood up to my mother none of this would have happened. It happened because I’m too weak to stand up for myself.’’
“What you did was survive something unthinkable. Kayla, never and I mean never apologise for something he did. As for your mother, if she’s anything like Denny’s then you have every right to be wary.’’
“Huh?’’
“Long story,’’ I butt in, giving her a small smile.
“What I’m trying to say is, you were young. You trusted your mother to know what was best for you. For that you only have your mother to blame, no one else. She’s just as bad as him in my eyes.’’
“I knew what he did was wrong though, it’s why I kept all those clothes, why I held onto them and the nightmares for so long. Each night I went to bed and closed my eyes I could feel them, taunting me, laughing at me, but I knew I’d need them. I knew I made a mistake in not going taking action with the police, for listening to my mother, but I was just so scared. After he… after he…’’ she chokes out again, her tears falling from her eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay, slow down, breathe,’’ I encourage her, not wanting her to have a panic attack. She’s been through too much already and from Myles reaction to her crying, I’d say her having a panic attack would give him an aneurism.
“After he…raped me, I was in so much pain it killed me to have a shower or a bath. Then when I went to the hospital they did an internal examination which hurt just as much, I didn’t want to go through any more pain, I just wanted it to stop. I could have prevented him from harming other girls.’’
“He didn’t get that far,’’ Harlow says softly, her tears falling down her cheeks.
“You don’t know?’’
“Don’t know what?’’ Harlow asks her warily.
“After the sentencing more victims came forward. Our lawyer seems to think it’s because they knew he wouldn’t harm them. One girl was nine at the time and lived next door to them. Her mother had complained about the noise coming from their house, so one night he did it to punish her,’’ she tells us, her voice sounding regretful, and sickened.
“Oh my God,’’ Both Harlow and I gasp horrified.
“How old was he?’’ I ask, regretting the question as soon as it escapes my mouth.
“According to the girl I met, he was twelve.’’
“You met her?’’ Harlow asks.
“She asked for me, so when the lawyer asked for my permission I said yes, needing to see if it was my fault, but she was his first victim and was always too scared to tell her mom and when she did, her mother was so scared of the family she moved away.’’
“But still… she was a little girl,’’ I cry out, my eyes immediately wandering over to Hope, who is safely sleeping in her moses basket still.
“I know. She must have been terrified too.’’
“She was,’’ Kayla tells us sadly. “But it still doesn’t help the fact I gave him free reign to rape another three, nearly four girls,’’ she sobs out, her breath hitching.
“Oh my God,’’ Harlow gasps, a sob teari
ng from her mouth. She reaches up to cover it with her hand, but it’s too late, Malik rushes in and is by her side. Kayla sees him and flies out of the chair, landing on the floor with a thud, her hands cowering over her to protect her head. We all stop and stare, and my mind goes into overdrive watching her fear for her life when there is no danger.
“Hey,’’ Malik says gently, moving slowly away from Harlow. “Kayla, do you remember me?’’
She slowly moves her hands away from her face and looks around wide eyed and horrified. Her face is bright red, before it drains of colour and more tears fall down her cheeks.
She nods her head ‘yes’ before looking at me with shame in her eyes. She gets back up, making sure to stay clear from Malik and sits back down in her seat, her fingers clinging to the sofa.
“Then you know I’d never, ever, hurt you, or my brothers. I promise you that with everything I am. Harlow is my girlfriend.’’
“You are?’’ She asks, looking to Harlow and seeing her in a new light. “Does he know?’’
“He saved me,’’ Harlow tells her sadly.
Kayla nods her head slowly, her expression seeming to look like she’s thinking that information over.
“Will those other girls go to trial too?’’ he asks, obviously listening on the conversation. I turn and notice the other brothers standing with concern in the doorway, Myles further into the room than the others looking at Kayla with such longing. She doesn’t seem to have noticed them yet, which I think is a good thing.
“Yes. They were too scared to ever speak up, or to tell anyone in case he hurt them too. So when they found out he was found guilty they went straight to the police,’’ she whispers, still on edge.
“That is really good Kayla, really good. I’m glad you finally got justice, and I know it doesn’t change anything, but at least he can’t hurt anyone anymore.’’ Malik moves slowly as he speaks, back over to the other side of Harlow, not wanting to scare Kayla again.
“He did though, and that’s because of me,’’ she tells him, but doesn’t look at him, instead keeps her eyes in her lap.
“No that isn’t your fault, Kayla. Do you blame the little girl he raped first?’’ he asks.
Her head whips up at him. “What? No! Never,’’ she asks completely taken back.
“So why would anyone blame you? The only one to blame is that sick son of a bitch. He doesn’t deserve prison, he deserves to be hung.’’
Kayla winces and cowers back in her seat before turning to look at me. “I’m going to have to go, my dad is waiting outside, but I needed to come and see you. Charlie told me you lived here and that I’d find Harlow here too,’’ she tells me, answering my silent question about how she knew where I lived now.
“You’re always welcome here Kayla.’’
“Thank you,’’ she tells me standing up at the same time Hope starts to cry for her bottle. She jumps at the sound before looking around the room for the cause.
“A baby? I thought you lived here,’’ she says confused.
“I do. Hope is mine,’’ I smile widely.
“Really?’’ she smiles genuinely and she looks so beautiful it knocks me back a step.
“Yes, want to see her?’’ I ask and she nods her head, walking slowly over to the moses basket, careful to walk wide around Malik.
“I’ll get her,’’ Max hollers from another room, rushing in with a bottle making everyone laugh. Kayla freezes at his sound and looks at me fearfully.
“You’re safe,’’ I assure her and she begins to relax a little. She turns a little and I notice a bruise forming at the top her neck and a few on her wrist. I frown looking at them and I know they are recent. My mind is whirling, do I say something? Or should I leave it alone? I don’t want to embarrass her, or scare her by mentioning them.
She stares at Myles for a few more seconds before she shakes herself out of it and turns back to me and Hope. She walks closer and touches Hope’s tiny fingers.
“She’s beautiful,’’ she murmurs, her voice low, and full of envy.
“She is,’’ I agree, then scowl at Max who is standing next to us with a bottle, bib and a nappy tucked under his one arm, holding his arms out for Hope.
“Come on,’’ he whines, looking lovingly at Hope.
“I need to go. Thank you for letting me in and letting me talk to you,’’ she smiles. She turns to Harlow to say something similar and I take the chance to hand Hope over to Max, giving him a glare before grabbing Kayla’s attention again.
I wrap her into a hug, mindful when she completely tenses in my embrace, but after a few seconds she relaxes and lifts her arms to hug me back.
“Please don’t be a stranger. Call me sometime, or next time you’re in town, pop in,’’ I talk into her ear.
She pulls away smiling. “I’m back. I live with my dad now. After what my mom did-‘’ she starts to explain, but then thinks better of it. “Anyway, he’s opening another firm, so we’re staying in the area. Plus, I need to re-do my exams so I’ll be repeating the rest of year twelve at Grayson High,’’ she tells us and I smile big.
“I’m so happy,’’ I gush, squeezing her hands.
“Grayson high? This year?’’ Myles asks, speaking up for the first time since she walked through the door.
“Yes,’’ Kayla blushes at Myles before looking away.
“So you’re moving back…here?’’
“That’s what she said,’’ I tell him, glaring at him from behind Kayla’s back.
He looks to Kayla, back to me, then turns and walks out the door. All of us watch the door he walked out of wondering what the hell just happened.
“So you’re back for good?’’ I grin, wondering how Myles is going to cope with her being in the same school as him again. Something tells me he isn’t prepared to stay away from her.
“I am,’’ she smiles.
The end
Myles and Kayla’s story coming soon
Author’s other work
Standalone novels
If I could I’d wish it all away
Forgotten series
Better left forgotten Book One
Obsession Book Two
Forgiven Book Three
Carter brother series
Malik (Book One) ~ Available
Mason (Book Two)
Myles (Book three) coming soon
Max (Book Four) ~ coming 2015-2016
Maverick (Book Five) coming 2016
Evan (2.5 Novella) coming soon. This book will be about Evan, Denny’s brother.
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Acknowledgements
Due to the time I have left to get Mason published, my acknowledgements will be short and sweet.
I’m hoping that everyone who has helped me during the Carter Brother series process know how truly thankful I am for all their help.
I found parts of this book really hard to write, but with my good friends, Rachel Osbourne, Colette Goodchild and Charlotte Perry, I managed to get Mason typed out. It was a long process, but I got there in the end.
The reviews from Malik have been outstanding. I honestly never expected the responses I had when people read Malik. I had email after email asking for the next book, when it will be out and so on. I had people sending me pictures of their own Malik, writing reviews that had me in tears, and all sorts. I’m just praying that Mason does the series justice, and you’ll keep reading the series. I’m excited for you all to meet Myles.
I will never be able to thank you readers enough for the courage you give me to keep on writing. You guys ROCK!!!
As usual, my beta’s have been amazing and couldn’t ask for a better team. My editor, Lori, thank you so much for helping me. You rock! And hope you feel better soon.
To Cassy Roop at Pink Ink designs, thank you again for the amazing covers. You really are a star
.
Please, if you enjoyed Mason, think about leaving a review on Amazon, Nook, Kobo, or Goodreads, I love hearing from you guys.
All in all, thank you to everyone who has been one step behind me on this journey, whether you are mentioned or not, know that I will always be thankful to you.
Bloggers, readers, editors, friends, beta’s, and family, I love you.
Mason Page 27