“And that was it,” I whispered. “Then she was gone. So I spent years taking all that anger and pain and giving it back to the world that took her away from me. She was the only thing that made me feel whole. Made me feel alive. Made me feel centered. Right up until I met you, Violet. You took my plans and threw them away. I hate myself for that because the road you’re on, babe, it’s a long road. A long fucking road.”
Violet slowly pushed herself toward me. I rolled to my back and she climbed on top of me. She was fully naked, so fucking beautiful.
“And that’s a road I will travel for the rest of my life, Mason,” Violet whispered.
She came down and kissed me. My hands moved to her back, feeling her warm, soft skin.
I didn’t want to talk anymore.
The pain was real. It was raw.
My hands eased down to Violet’s hips and I started to rock her back and forth.
She was my drug.
I was a hopeless junkie.
The surprises between us, however, were far from done…
24
A Strange Call
(Violet)
I grabbed the sheets and the pillows on the opposite end of the bed. It all felt so fresh inside me. Mason had opened his heart and poured it out to me. Looking at him, you’d never guess a man like him could feel what he felt. Or go through what he did. Not that it made anything he did right, it at least made some sort of sense of it.
I hugged everything in the bed tight and that’s when I noticed the letter.
I popped up and grabbed the piece of paper, my heart racing.
Violet -
Just went for a little ride. Need to clear my head. Thank you for being you. Never stop caring, babe. No matter how bad I fuck things up.
At least with Mason I could believe in his honesty. Then again, didn’t everyone fuck up in a relationship? That was the point of it all. Finding out how much it was worth being with the other person. That’s what made the adventure fun, wild, hard, but at the end of the day - worth it.
With a sheet around my body, I walked to the kitchen and made coffee and something to eat. I felt at home. I was supposed to be living in Mason’s apartment already. But then his wife fucked that up. Well, I fucked it up, too, by leaving in such a hurry. Not that it mattered now. I knew the truth. I knew the story. And I knew that he had met with lawyers to make that marriage go away.
So, it was all going to work out.
I smiled, remembering Dad telling me that in life you have to learn to walk through the storm. When things happen you can’t run and hide and wait it out. That sometimes you have no choice but to walk right out and just keep going. That no storm lasts forever, no matter how bad it is or the damage it does.
Well, I went through the storm. One hell of a storm.
And was it all worth it?
Yeah, it was.
I finished my breakfast and went to my laptop that was still on the counter. I answered some emails for the investors, chatted with Victoria, and settled into the morning by realizing that everything was working out. We had the money to back the next rollout of the app. I had submitted my techie stuff for the other apps. And we were still getting paid for all the work.
For the first time in months, I was able to take a deep breath and ask myself what I wanted.
Buy a car? Buy a house? Take an expensive vacation? Buy Dad a new truck? Buy Mom something really nice.
“A hot shower,” I whispered.
That’s what I really wanted.
A long, hot shower. Without a worry in the world. Without a care in the world.
So that’s what I did.
I got in the shower and just enjoyed it.
I lost track of time.
So much so, that I didn’t hear Mason enter the bathroom. When he opened the shower curtain I let out a scream that sounded like a horror movie sound effect.
“Violet,” he said. “It’s just me.”
“Shit, Mason!” I yelled. “I was… you scared me half to death.”
“Hey, babe, you left your phone out on the counter.”
“Yeah? So what? I wanted to take a shower without a worry. Why not, right?”
Mason nodded. “Yeah. Exactly. Hey, uh, your phone was ringing like crazy.”
“Probably Victoria,” I said. “Or the investors. I’m taking the rest of the day…”
Mason reached into the shower and turned it off. The sudden loss of hot water made me shiver. He grabbed a towel and quickly draped it over my shoulders.
“Hey,” he said. “Look at me, Violet. It rang a lot. The same person. So I answered it. It was a strange call and I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t invading your privacy, I promise.”
“Who called?”
“Your mother,” he said. Then he swallowed hard. I shivered even more. “There’s some news about your father…”
I sat at the dining room table, feeling cold. So fucking cold.
Mason walked from the kitchen and brought me a fresh mug of coffee. He stood behind me, my protector. My lover. My everything.
Mom and Dad were at the table, silent.
I couldn’t remember a time when we sat at the table in silence. The dining room table was where we sat to eat dinner and talk about our day. We’d laugh, vent, and just be a family.
“We didn’t want to say anything over the phone,” Dad said.
I looked at him. “How bad?”
“Eh, it’s not all that bad,” he said.
I looked at Mom. “Mom?”
“It’s spread,” she whispered. “That’s all I really heard.”
“Violet,” Dad said. “Look at me. They found that some of it started to spread. Keyword… started. That’s all. Good news is that they are ahead of things. Yeah, sure, finding the first cancer was a shock, but this? Doctors are going to poke at me for the rest of my life. I won’t be able to get a head cold without a team of doctors attacking me. Which is a good thing.”
I felt Mason’s strong hands touch my shoulders.
Dad looked up at Mason.
So did Mom.
Hell, even I looked up at Mason.
Somehow he became the final piece in my family.
“So what’s the plan, Hank?” Mason asked.
“Fight it,” Dad said. “Whatever they say to do.”
“What did they say so far?” I asked, trying to hold it together.
“More treatment,” Mom said. “Heavier treatment for a month or two. And then see how his body reacts.”
“I need to move in here,” I blurted out.
“No,” Dad said.
“Yes,” Mason said.
“Yes?” I asked, looking up again.
“Of course,” Mason said. “This is your family, Violet.” Mason looked at Hank. “Don’t be stubborn on this one, Hank. Let people help you. Don’t run from it. Trust me…”
I felt Mason’s hands shaking.
I reached up and put my hand over his.
“I want normal,” Dad said. “I don’t want doctors here. I don’t want special treatment. If I give in then I give up and I lose.”
I glanced at Mom.
“I’m going part-time at work,” she said. “I talked to my boss. Everything is okay.”
“What about… the bills…” my voice trailed off.
“Violet,” Dad said. “That’s not your worry.”
“You’re right,” I said.
But I had a plan in my head. I had enough money to take care of my parents. So they could focus on each other. Focus on healing. Whether they liked it or not, I was going to take care of them like they took care of me.
Silence fell again.
Dad finally slammed his hands to the table and pushed, forcing himself to stand. “Well, I for one am not going to sit at this goddamn table and be upset. Now, I’m hungry.”
“Let me make you something,” Mom said, popping up.
“No,” Mason said. He reached into his pocket and took out some cash and threw it to
the table. “Pizza. On me. We sit and talk. We tell stories. We laugh.”
“I love it,” I said.
“Yes,” Dad said. “Yes. I’ll tell you about the time I pulled my own pickup truck out of a ditch. With my bare hands.”
“And a tow truck,” Mom said. “He paid the driver…”
“Barb,” Dad said.
“I want to hear about Violet,” Mason said. “I want the most embarrassing stories.”
“The makeup pictures,” Dad said.
“No,” I said. “No, no, no…”
“Makeup pictures?” Mason asked.
“Stop. Everyone stop.”
“When Violet was eight she decided she wanted to wear makeup,” Mom said. “But she didn’t know what it really was.”
“She used food,” Dad said. “Ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce…”
Mason laughed.
I threw a high elbow and dinged him in the stomach.
“Okay,” Mason said. “Let’s order some pizza and then embarrass the hell out of Violet.”
Everyone agreed on that. Except me.
Even though secretly I was loving it all.
Mom called for the pizza while Mason and Dad went to the kitchen. I watched the way Mason walked next to him. Close enough to help him but not actually helping him. Just there for comfort and just in case.
That was why I loved him so much.
Mom caught me staring and gave me a wink that made me blush.
A few minutes later the doorbell rang.
I looked at Mom, surprised. “That was fast…”
“Pizza time,” Dad announced. “Hey, Mason, did you know that I know how to throw dough in the air and catch it? Spin it on my finger?”
“What he forgets to tell you,” Mom said, as I walked toward the door, “is that he could do that with a toy pizza. The kind that came with Violet’s kitchen set when she was a kid.”
Mason and Mom laughed. Dad let out a grunt of annoyance.
I opened the door with a smile on my face.
But it all faded fast.
It wasn’t the pizza guy at the door.
It was Davis.
25
One Punch
(Mason)
I heard the name and a switch flipped.
I turned and saw Davis standing in the doorway to the house.
Fucking Davis was there. Ready to cause problems. That’s the only reason he’d be there.
I took two steps and stopped when Barb looked at me.
“Mason,” she whispered.
“I won’t kill him,” I said. “But this can’t stand.”
“He’s right,” Hank said. “Barb. Get Violet and you two go in the kitchen.”
I looked back at Hank and he gave the nod of approval.
I walked through the house to Violet. As much as I wanted to knock the fucker out, I wanted to give Violet the respect to handle herself.
“Oh, look,” Davis said. “There he is. The tattooed douche.”
“Davis,” I said.
“Eat shit, man,” Davis said. “I lost my job because of her.”
“No, you didn’t,” I said.
“Davis, you get out of here,” Hank said. “Right now.”
“Make me, old man,” Davis said.
I stepped forward.
Violet threw her hand out. “Davis, don’t do this. You know how this is going to end. Walk away. Don’t ever come back again.”
“You were fucking him all along I bet,” Davis spat.
I saw the color of Violet’s cheeks. Saying something so crude like that in front of her father. I’m sure her parents already assumed whatever was happening with me and Violet but there was no need to announce it that way.
“Violet,” I whispered. “Let me get him off the porch and out of here.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Violet said.
“I’ll take care of it,” Hank announced. “I’ll knock you upside the head with my fist, you little shit punk.”
“I’ll fucking…”
I didn’t give Davis the chance. I stepped forward and put my hand to his weak chest and walked him out onto the porch. Hank followed me and shut the door.
I pushed Davis to the railing and held him there.
He clawed at my hands, swinging feeble punches at my arm, not hurting me at all.
“Fuck you,” he said. “Fuck you, asshole.”
“You know what?” I said. “You can hate me. You can think anything you want about me. But you were the one cheating on her the entire time. And what you did to her before that… scumbag. You hear me?”
“Eat my ass,” Davis said and cackled.
I spit right in his damn face and pushed away from him.
I told myself not to hit him.
“Get the hell out of here,” Hank said. “Get off my porch or I’m going to call the police.”
“Go fuck yourself you crippled bastard,” Davis said.
I saw Hank move his right foot back. If he tried hitting Davis and something went wrong, he’d end up hurting himself. Then I saw Davis curl a fist.
Davis made the first move.
He tried to hit Hank, but I wasn’t going to stand for that shit.
I threw a left hook and clocked Davis in the jaw.
That’s all it took, too.
One punch and Davis flew back. He slipped off the stairs and fell, rolling down the three concrete steps to the ground. He fought to get back on his feet quickly, holding his jaw, looking ready to cry.
I stepped to the edge of the porch and balled up my fists tightly. “You come back here again, and I won’t just hit you once. And if you try to go to the police, we’ll all say you showed up and refused to leave and were making threats. Move on, man. It’s over.”
“Fuck you,” Davis said. He stumbled away and took off down the sidewalk before getting into a black car and speeding away.
There was silence for a few seconds.
“Jesus, that was a great hook,” Hank said.
I turned and laughed. “Yeah. Hard not to go after him, though.”
“He’s not worth it,” Hank said. “Little pencil-neck pecker. I’ve wanted to hit that kid from the day I met him. I played cool, though, for the sake of my daughter.”
“Tell you what,” I said. “Anyone asks, you punched him. Not me. You get the win here, Hank.”
Hank laughed. “Thanks, Mason. Hey. I’m going to fight this thing and win it.”
“I know you are,” I said. “Just don’t forget to accept help. It’s not out of pity, it’s out of care and what you’ve given to them for so long and now they can give something back.”
“You talk like you’ve been through this before,” Hank said.
“I lost someone I cared about. Someone I loved. So I know what it feels like. I don’t want that pain for Violet. Ever.”
“You’re a damn good man, Mason. I hope you know that.”
“Um…excuse me?”
I turned to see who had spoken, and a teenage kid stood at the bottom of the porch holding pizza.
“Hey,” I said, “the pizza guy is actually here this time…”
“Tell me the truth,” Violet said.
She jumped up and planted a kiss on my lips. I tasted something fruity with the hint of booze. She and her mother had been working through a bottle of wine, and Violet was feeling a little goofy.
I loved it.
“What truth?” I asked as I stood on the back porch steps.
“Dad is in there acting out the punch he threw to knock Davis off the steps… that’s the truth?”
I sat down on the steps and pulled Violet down. I put my arm around her, and she put her head to my chest.
“That’s the truth,” I said.
“You liar,” she said.
“If Hank says it…”
“Then it’s probably either made up or at least exaggerated.”
“Violet. If he makes your mother smile with that story then it’s worth it.”
; Violet looked up at me. “They went to bed. Wanted me to say goodnight to you. You know what that means…”
“What?” I asked.
Violet made a quick move and was straddling me. My hands grabbed her ass and pulled her tightly against me. We were eye-level with each other, and she was already rocking her hips, grinding herself against my cock, bringing it to life.
“Right here,” she whispered. “I want you right here.”
“Whatever that wine is…I’m going to make sure we get a whole fucking case when we get home.”
Violet giggled.
I slid my hands up her shirt and grabbed her ribs.
She squirmed and laughed.
Our little moment of lust cooled down as something else kicked up. Just hearing her laugh. Just touching her. Feeling her against me. The undeniable proof that I really did love her.
“Hey,” I whispered as my lips brushed against her smooth neck. “I fucking love you, Violet. And whatever happens, I hope you never forget that.”
Violet grabbed my shoulders. “What do you mean whatever happens?”
“Just life, babe. The ebb and flow of it all. I gave you so much to digest and if anything bothers you—now or a year from now—I want you to tell me. So we can talk.”
“Nothing bothers me, Mason,” she whispered. “I promise.”
“Promises,” I said. I kissed her chin, slowly seeking her mouth. “Lots and lots of promises…”
“I’ll keep all of mine,” she said a second before my lips touched hers.
Then it was on.
Holy fuck, was it on.
I looked back and saw that the door was well out of my reach. If we were going to do this, then we’d have to take the risk of her parents catching us. But that made it all the better.
Kicking and groaning, kissing and moaning, our bodies colliding, and Violet biting her lip as she fought back giggles. She managed to kick off her shoes and take her jeans and panties off, tossing them to the back door. As for me, I just needed to slide my jeans down to my knees, letting my cock pop free and stand tall.
Violet then straddled me again, hovering over my cock, trying to tease me.
HATE ME AGAIN: a bad boy romance novel Page 19