I turned and walked away. The last time I left Davis I did so like I was slinking through the night. Sneaking around and avoiding all confrontation from him. This time… it was better. It felt better.
And it was all because of Mason.
I got in my car and knew I had to find him and get a final answer.
It was either playtime or romance… and I knew what I wanted.
Victoria threw her arms around me. I envisioned wine dripping all over my back and butt, staining my clothes. But she somehow kept the wine from spilling. She backed up, shaking her hair like there was music playing. Then she drank the entire glass of wine. She put it on the table and grabbed my wine glass.
“You didn’t drink yours,” she said.
“I’m good,” I said.
“I’ll drink it!” she yelled and went to town on it.
We had every right to celebrate right then. The app was launched, downloaded by a crap load of people, and everything we put together was coming to life. The investors were happy, actually they were thrilled. We saw results and we saw numbers. And the numbers were really big.
Like, really, really big.
Victoria already had her sights on a new sports car off the lot and wanting a new apartment uptown.
Our video chat call ended with our main investor holding up a check with a lot of zeros - before the period - as a down payment on our next idea. An idea we didn’t even have just yet. But he was happy and serious. We come up with one more idea and the check was ours to get started.
“What’s wrong with you?” Victoria asked.
Mason.
That was what was wrong.
I hadn’t seen him in days. Not since he was at Davis’ door. Either fate was keeping us apart or he was avoiding me. Or he was gone on some binge of booze, trying to hate himself. He didn’t answer my calls or my texts either. I even went as far as to call him while putting my ear to his wall to see if I could hear his phone. Then again, his truck and motorcycle hadn’t been at the apartment at the same time in days either.
“It’s Mason,” Victoria said. “The mystery neighbor that you fell in love with.”
Victoria got the short version of me and Mason’s saga. She knew he was my first. She knew about the Davis situation too. It was all a big mess. At the same time, Victoria knew nothing about a real relationship either. So for her, it was love, lose, move on. If that didn’t work, drink wine, cry a little, and find a new boy toy.
That wasn’t my style.
“I’m just empty right now,” I said.
“How? Did you see that check? Did you see what we’ve done?”
“I know. That’s what makes it harder. Everything I’ve worked for is here. Yet, I feel empty.”
“Because of a man. Dammit.”
“No. Because of the situation. I never got the full picture. I didn’t do enough. I stood there when he was at the door, in shock. Davis tipped him, thinking he was a flower guy. I just let it all happen.”
“Let me ask you this… why?”
“Part of me was comfortable near Davis, for about two minutes. Then I realized what he represented. Yeah, he was the hometown thing for me. The first love. The first everything, including heartache. But then I thought about my parents. I even asked my mother once about she and Dad being together so long. They never got mad that I left. They never got mad at me, ever. Because they trusted me like they trusted each other. I don’t trust Davis, and I don’t think I ever will. But I trust Mason. Call it crazy, but I do.”
“Then tell him that.”
“I’ve tried,” I said. “I can’t find him.”
“Oh, Violet, you need to play the crazy bitch card.”
“The crazy bitch card?”
“Stalk the asshole,” Victoria said with a smile. “Go to his shop. Find him. Or better yet, just sit outside his damn door and wait. No matter what, wait. Or text him with an emergency. You want his attention? Then get it.”
Victoria was right. I wouldn’t fake an emergency… well, that would be my last resort if I had to do it.
“But let me ask you this,” Victoria said. “Is it worth it?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Look. We’re sort of rich right now. And we’re going to get richer. Not that money should dictate love or anything, but we’re going to be able to do whatever we want. Do you really want to be in a relationship right now? Do you want to keep chasing Mason because of his past?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I’m in love with him, Victoria. I don’t care about money. I care about him.”
“Then go get him and figure this out. You’re draining me here a little. I don’t like it.”
“Sorry. This is a big night for us. Pour some wine.”
“For myself,” Victoria said. “You go find your man and do your thing.”
I laughed. “Thanks. I’ve never been in this position before. I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be. If it’s meant to be…”
It was just like Mom told me when I asked her about it. She and Dad were just meant to be so it worked.
Mason was very different, though. He expressed emotions in ways that made people hate him.
That didn’t matter. I still loved him.
But he was going to really try and hurt me.
I was in the hallway and thought about going straight to his apartment. I skipped that and wanted to play his game for a second. I was going to write him a letter. A long letter. I was going to write the letter to Kate. I was going to explain to Kate that I was in love with Mason. That I would honor her and what she meant to Mason. That anything I found out about her I would keep guarded in my heart because it was a symbol of love and trust from Mason.
Inside my apartment I went to my bedroom. I had a little diary kind of notebook that barely had anything written in it. I made a New Year’s resolution one year to write in a notebook every day. That lasted three days.
As I flipped opened the pages, I heard a noise.
Through the wall.
I heard a woman’s voice.
I told myself it was all in my mind.
But then I heard a noise. Louder. Clearer. The groan of a woman.
I shook my head. Mason was probably trying to mess with me again. Like he did before. Watching porn or something.
Then came a thud against the wall.
The headboard of his bed.
Smashing against the wall.
I didn’t have the pen to paper when I stood up and faced the wall.
I heard the moaning, the thudding, even louder.
I swallowed hard and walked to the wall. I put my hand to the wall and dared myself to listen some more.
When I put my ear to the wall, I heard a voice clear as day moan, “Oh, Mason!”
I jumped back.
My jaw dropped.
Mason, what did you do?
I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. It was impossible. But it wasn’t impossible. Not with Mason. He would do anything to get to me. To hurt me. To make me hate him. But here was the thing. Mason had changed me. The woman who used to run wasn’t going to run now. The woman that got her heart broken before and took off wasn’t going to let things linger. I wasn’t going to find a new apartment because of Mason either. If I wanted to move it was going to be because I wanted something nicer.
I hurried out of my apartment and stood in the hallway again. I didn’t know how long I stood there, but it felt like days. My heart racing. My mouth dry. My palms sweating. I wanted to run, but I refused to let myself do it.
I took one step. Then another.
I stood at Mason’s door, trying to figure out what to say to him.
I lifted my hand to knock and stopped.
I backed up until my back hit the wall. I covered my mouth. Tears filled my eyes. My heart twisted up tight and started to hurt.
He really hurt me.
He really, really hurt me.
The one thing he war
ned me about. The one thing he never lied to me about.
I hate you, Mason. I hate you so much.
I began a woeful retreat back to my apartment when I heard the door open behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw a woman emerge from Mason’s apartment.
She was fully dressed, looking perfectly put together.
The pain swirled through my entire body even more.
The woman looked right at me.
“Your neighbor is fucked up,” she said.
“Tell me about it,” I whispered.
“Oh, I will.” She was stumbling. Drunk. “Brings me to his place and won’t touch me. Plays me like crazy. Makes me sit there and waits for you to come home.”
“Wait, what?” I asked.
She waved her hands and made a weird sound with her lips. “Yeah, exactly. He wanted to make you jealous. So he told me to yell his name. Practically begged me to do so. All because you were home. So whatever you are to him… good luck with that guy.”
I was flabbergasted, again.
I shook my head. “I have no idea…”
“Whatever,” the woman said. “My ride is coming for me. I’m done with this. What a waste of a night.”
“Just wait a second,” I said.
The woman stopped. She glanced back at me, raising an eyebrow.
“He didn’t touch you?”
“I kissed his cheek and neck twice. He wouldn’t touch me. He wouldn’t kiss me. But the second your door opened and shut, he dragged me to the bedroom. Teased me with his smooth words, telling me to scream his name. So he could get an idea of what it would sound like.”
My eyes were wide. “Holy…”
“There’s nothing holy about that guy. He’s evil. I hate him.”
“I hate him too,” I said. “So much.”
“Whatever. Goodbye.”
The woman walked away.
“I hate him,” I whispered again. “But I love him.”
“Yeah… well I fucking hate and love you too.”
33
Hate / Love Forever
(Mason)
I stood with just feet between us.
Violet looked at me. She wasn’t going to move and I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t going to move either. We were both defiant, and in love.
“What are you trying to prove?” she asked.
“I should ask you the same. How’s Davis?”
“Mason…”
“I came there to fight for you,” I said. “But you know what? Letting you go was the right thing. The right way to fight. Because of your parents. Your town. Your old flame. It all works, Violet. Doesn’t it? It’s the easy way to do things. The right way.”
“I’m standing here,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere. Nothing happened. I’m sorry for what you saw and what you thought. I never had closure, Mason. You know why?”
“Why, Violet?”
“Because I ran,” she said. “I was afraid. But you changed that in me, Mason. You showed me who I could be. What it felt like to be wanted, needed, and loved. So that’s why I was there. His grandmother was an important woman in my life. I went to say goodbye. And I did. Then Davis wanted to talk. So I let him. Then he heard me talk. I came after you, though, Mason. But you were gone. I couldn’t find you. I called you. I texted you.”
“Are you hurt right now?” I asked her.
“Yes.”
“Me too, Violet.”
“Why are you hurt?”
“Because I’m in love with you. And it hurts to be in love. If I just hurt you enough…”
“You can’t. You won’t. You had the chance. You could have slept with that woman, but you didn’t. You wanted to see what I would do. I stood at your door and almost cried. That’s what it would do to me. For the record.”
Violet then made a move to her apartment.
I finally moved, too.
I hurried after her and grabbed her by the waist. I spun her around and put her against the door.
“Being with me is being with hurt. Is being with hate. Is being with pain.”
“Being with you is being with love, too,” she said. “You know that. You prefer all that other stuff because it’s easier.”
“I have nothing right now,” I said. “I gave everything up. I’m half tempted to just pack a bag and leave. Shit, that’s what I should have done. But every time I seriously consider it, I can’t imagine it without you next to me.”
“Then you don’t have to go anywhere,” she said. “I’m right here. You’re right here.”
“We’re right here,” I said.
There was silence for a few seconds.
All the shit was bubbling inside me. The waves of hate. Anger. Years of stuff just sitting there. Yet, Violet knew how to make it go away. She was the only one who did it.
“It’s a big job to keep me at bay,” I said.
“I like everything big about you,” she said.
I touched her face. It felt good to touch her. It felt like it had been years. I lowered my head down, putting my forehead to hers.
“I love you, Violet,” I said, finally getting those words off my damn chest.
“I love you, Mason,” she said back. I went for a kiss and she put a finger to my lips and stopped me. “But I also hate you. Remember that.”
“You love, hate me?” I asked.
“Exactly.”
“Well, I love, hate you right back.”
She moved her finger and I kissed her.
My hands swept her up off her feet and I walked right into her apartment like I owned the place. I kicked the door shut behind me. I had a one track mind and that was to the fucking bedroom. I couldn’t stand waiting any longer to have her body again.
I threw her down to the bed and she bounced up, sitting, grabbing for me. I took my shirt off as she opened my jeans. I then pulled her to her feet as her right hand jutted down my jeans, her fingers sliding against my thick cock. I tore every fucking piece of clothing off her body. The sounds of cloth ripping only served to turn me on even more. Whatever she had been wearing would need to be thrown out.
I didn’t give a damn.
The moment calmed just a little once we were both fully naked.
Her hands sliding along the rounded curves of my shoulders as my hands slithered down the curves of her hips. Her breasts were pressed against my body. My cock rested between us, throbbing, ready to have her. I slipped a hand between her legs and felt her soaking wet cunt. I let all my fingertips graze her wet folds and then spread her wetness along her mound and belly like a clear jelly. My hand then kept going, putting space between us so I could touch her breast. My fingertips teased her nipple, making her wildly hard. I rested my palm against her and pushed. She started to fall back with a yelp as her nails dug into my shoulders. I put my hand to her lower back to catch her.
“Never worry, babe,” I said. “I’ll always catch you. I’ll always make you hate me. I’ll always make you love me.”
Before she could respond, my mouth moved down to her breast. I then had her on the bed, my cock positioned right against her tight slit. One hard thrust forward and was right back inside her. Right where I fucking belonged. I held there, her cunt clenched against me. Our eyes met. Goddamn, there was love pouring from us. Real love. True love. Love I thought I knew once before, but I didn’t. That was the wrong kind of love. Violet was the right kind of love.
I put a hand to her face and slid my fingers through her hair. I then pulled back slowly and bucked my hips forward. We kissed and I fucked her nice and slow. That only lasted a few minutes though. Romance was great. It was empowering to feel love from a woman like Violet.
But my blood was still running hot, running angry, fueling hate.
There’d be plenty of time in our lives to make love to each other.
Right then, I wanted to fuck her.
I turned Violet around and grabbed her by the waist. I pulled her ass high into the air. I looked at her pink slit, down at my h
ard cock, and I went right at her again. My hands rested on her ass and I fucked her.
This time it was her headboard smacking the wall. The sound could probably be heard in my empty apartment.
Violet threw her hair back and then looked back at me.
Our eyes met again and I saw the pleasure spreading across her face. I moved a hand up to her shoulder and pulled, keeping her body tight to mine. So she could feel every inch of my cock. So I could feel all of her body.
I grunted and gritted my teeth as my heart raced.
My heart raced with pleasure. My heart raced with love.
I moved my other hand from Violet’s perfect mound and down, finding the bud of her clit. I drove my finger hard against her clit and twisted. She let out a yell and thrust back at me.
“Mason!” she cried out.
“Violet,” I growled. “Fuck, Violet… I love you.”
Violet smiled and then bit her lip. She reached back with her left hand. Her fingers touched my stomach. “I fucking love you too.”
Our night was just getting started though.
I had nothing left to give Violet but time.
And she could have every last second of my life.
34
The Big Move
(Violet)
“Is a vibrator going to fall out?” Mason asked as he carried the last box through the hall.
“No,” I said. “I don’t need that anymore.”
Mason dropped the box just inside his apartment. “That was a big move.”
“Ten feet,” I said with a smile.
It was crazy, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to be with him all the time. So I gave up my apartment and was moving in with Mason. I had enough money from the app and other saved up money that I could have bought a house or rented a really nice apartment. Same for Mason. His cash out from the business was quite a bit. And the lawsuit ended up falling through. The guy suing him got busted for some kind of gambling thing and was heading to jail.
Hunter had offered to kill the deal on the shop, but Mason had his mind made up. He was out. Hunter was the owner of RN Custom Rides.
HATE ME: a bad boy romance novel Page 23