All Time Love

by Beverley Hollowed

  “Okay boss man,” Jilly said as she began to stand up. “I’ll go.”

  “No, I’ll go, you finish your coffee,” Amelia said beating her to it. She stood up and kissed her dad on the cheek. “You are such a slave driver.”

  “But you still love me, Monkey Face,” Charlie said with a big grin.

  “Yes, I still love you,” Amelia laughed. “Old man.”

  “Ouch,” Charlie said and faked a wounded heart. “That hurt Amelia. That was low.”

  Amelia laughed as she picked up her note pad from the table and walked down toward booth three, still smiling to herself.

  “Welcome to Shenanigans,” Amelia said as she reached booth three. She wrote the booth number on the top of the page and looked up at the customer with a smile, but her smile quickly faded.

  “Amelia,” Mason said giving Amelia a broad smile, but Amelia could see fear in his eyes.

  What the hell is he doing here?

  Chapter 11

  Mason stared at Amelia, unsure of how she was going to react to him being there. The look on her face told him, she was completely thrown to see him sitting in her parent’s restaurant. For the first time since he walked into the restaurant, hell since he climbed into his car and keyed the address into his GPS, he thought this may have been a mistake.

  This was a bad idea, he thought to himself.

  He had played this moment over and over in his head all week long. He planned everything he would say to her, but sitting there his mind was blank, a feeling that was very alien to Mason. He always knew exactly what he wanted to say, right when he needed to stay it. Now, all he could think about was how much he wanted her, and how much he regretted what had happened between them.

  He had called into the book store, the day after Amelia’s neighbour told him she was gone. He hoped that her boss would be able to tell him exactly where she was, but the old woman was protective and didn’t give him any real new information.

  He remembered Amelia saying her folks had a restaurant in Hartford and that seemed like the best place to start. With a little digging, he found out the name of the restaurant. All he needed was to find the courage to go and face the girl who haunted his dreams.

  What the fuck is wrong with you? Mason thought to himself. Why does this girl make you do crazy things?

  He tried to think quickly about what his next move should be.

  “How have you been?” He asked, knowing he needed to say something. His instinct was to get up and take her into his arms, but he needed to give her time. He had hurt her, the look on her face told him that much.

  “What are you doing here?” Amelia asked, and Mason could hear the nervousness in her voice. He was surprised at how nervous she seemed and he wondered, if she was like this, solely because of him, or if there was more he wasn’t seeing.

  “I came to see you,” he replied not knowing what else he should say. “I came to make sure you were okay.”

  “Well, as you can see,” she said squaring her shoulders, trying to looked confident, but the crack in her voice gave her true feelings away. “I am fine, so you can leave now.”

  She turned to walked away, but Mason reached out and took her hand. Amelia turned and abruptly pulled it free from his grasp.

  “Don’t you dare touch me,” she growled in a low hushed voice. “You should not have come here. This is my home; this is my world. You don’t belong here, now go to hell.”

  “Amelia, please,” Mason begged but he knew he was not going to get through to her. Still, he had to try. “I’m sorry.”

  Before Amelia could respond, Shannon appeared next to Amelia, and Mason could see the panic in Amelia’s face. She looked into his eyes and gave him a pleading look.

  “Is everything okay?” Shannon asked looking from Amelia to Mason, then back to Amelia. “Milly are you okay? You look like you have seen a ghost.”

  “I don’t feel very well,” Amelia replied and Mason could see the guilt she felt for lying to this woman, written all over her face. “I think I will just call it a night, if that’s okay, Mom?”

  The minute she said the word Mom, Mason could see the resemblance between the two. He also learned a little more about the gorgeous Ms. Wells. She loved her parents, her mother at least. Also, she was a good girl, she wasn’t comfortable lying to her mother. This made Mason smile.

  “You want me to get your dad to drop you home?” Shannon asked, looking at her daughter with concern. Mason watched them closely. It was clear Amelia was close to her parents and that they doted over her, almost in an overly protective way. He had thought, that although Amelia was quiet and reserved, she was a strong, confident girl, but the way her mother was so protective of her, he wondered just how wrong he had been about the lovely Ms. Wells.

  “No,” she said as she briefly glanced at Mason before she turned back to her mother. “I will walk. The fresh air will do me good. Besides, Dad is busy. I’ll be okay.”

  “You know your dad isn’t going to be happy about you walking home alone,” Shannon sighed. “You know how he gets.”

  “Mom, I walked around New York City all the time,” Amelia said as she kissed her mother on the cheek. “I think I can survive the ten minute walk back to the house.”

  She pulled her apron off and handed it to her mother, along with her notepad and pen. Then, kissing her mother again she turned and hurried towards the back of the restaurant.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” Shannon said, as she turned her attention back to Mason. “Are you ready to order?”

  “I…um…can I have another few moments,” Mason said, not really sure what he should do next. He spotted Amelia’s reflection in the mirror behind the bar as she slipped out the side door of the restaurant.

  Without even thinking, Mason stood up and grabbed his jacket.

  “You know what,” he said realising he needed to offer some explanation to Amelia’s mother. “I actually don’t feel so well myself. Must be something going around. I think I will come back another time.”

  “Oh, okay,” Shannon said, looking surprised by what Mason had said. Mason apologised again before he excused himself and headed for the door.

  When he stepped out onto the street he looked for Amelia. For a moment he couldn’t see her and he felt a wave of panic wash over him. He had messed everything up. He caught her off guard and she ran. He had no idea where to look for her now, and he doubted she would come back to the restaurant anytime soon. He could get her parent’s address from the P.I. he used for the law firm, but he really hadn’t wanted to turn up at their door and scare her completely.

  He was just about to give up, when he spotted her crossing the street, a couple of hundred yards away from him. Mason hurried after her, walking quickly at first, but then breaking into a sprint.

  “Amelia,” he called as he gained on her. She glanced back over her shoulder but she didn’t slow. “Amelia, please. I just want to talk.”

  “I have nothing to say to you,” she replied without missing a step. Mason reached out and took hold of her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

  “GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!” She screamed as she tried to pull herself free, but Mason held her tighter. “I said I have nothing to say to you.”

  “Good,” Mason said, as he held her tightly by the arms, so she didn’t run away from him again. “Because I don’t want you to talk, I want you to listen. I’m sorry…”

  “I don’t care…” she quickly interrupted him as she tried to pull her arms free. “I don’t want your apology. I am a big girl, so you can go home with a clear conscience. I will be just fine.”

  “Damn it, Amelia!” Mason exclaimed. “Can you just, for once, drop your damn walls?”

  “I DID!” She shouted angrily. “I dropped my guard and you used me. You got what you wanted and you discarded me like used trash.”

  “Is that what you think?” Mason asked stunned by her words.

  “That’s what I know,” she replied. “You have no idea what it took
for me to allow you…to allow anyone as close as I let you. I let myself believe I could actually trust you…”

  “And you can,” Mason replied, desperate for her to see that he was not the monster she believed he was. “If you can just let me explain. You might think you are the only one with trust issues. You might think you are the only one who keeps people at arm’s length, but you’re not. I wrote the book on trust issues. I just deal with it in a different way than you.”

  Amelia just stared up into his face, unsure how she was supposed to respond to that, but she was completely lost for words.

  “Amelia, you look at me and see a confident, arrogant asshole,” he said, this time his tone was a lot calmer. “And yes, for the most part that’s what I am, because that’s what I want people to see. I hide the real me because I don’t want people to get close to me. I don’t want people to see the weak side of me.”

  Mason sighed and stared at Amelia.

  “There is so much you don’t know about me,” he continued. “I am not a nice man. I am selfish and self-centred. I use people and discard them when they no longer are of benefit to me. It’s how I protect myself. I let few people close to me, and fewer see the real me. Yet you have gotten to me, Amelia. You have gotten beneath my skin. Last week I ran because when we were…together, I knew I wanted more and that scared the hell out of me.”

  “More?” Amelia repeated.

  “I want all of you, Amelia,” Mason replied. “Even though I could never be the right man for you. You are kind and caring, where as I am too selfish and set in my ways. Still I can’t stay away from you.”

  Amelia just stared at him, and Mason had no idea what she was thinking.

  That was one of the things he liked about her. She wasn’t obvious or ordinary. She was so much more.

  “I am asking you to give me a chance,” he said as he released her arms and took her face in his hands. “Please.”

  Leaning down, he softly pressed his lips to hers. At first she didn’t respond and Mason thought she was about to pull away, but instead she suddenly sank into his kiss and returned it passionately.

  Mason slipped his arms around her and drew her closer to him. It felt good to have her in his arms again. She was all he had thought about for the past week and now that he was holding her, it hit him just how hard he was falling for this girl.

  He slowly parted his lips from hers and stared down into her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he softly kissed her forehead.

  “I’m sorry, too,” Amelia replied, much to Mason’s surprise.

  “Why are you sorry?” Mason said with a half laugh, but suddenly he got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

  “Mason,” Amelia said taking a step back. “I am not going to lie. I have feelings for you. If I am honest, I have thought of nothing but you for the last week, the last three weeks really…”

  “But…” Mason said and he could feel his heart quickening.

  “But,” Amelia began. “It has taken me such a long time to feel like I could take a chance on someone, and you hurt me. I know that you had your reasons, and I understand that and respect them, I really do, but…it made me realise, I am still not ready to put my heart on the line. Maybe I never will.”

  “You can’t keep your heart locked away forever, Amelia,” Mason said taking hold of her hands. “You have the right to love and to be loved, and I hope more than anything that you will take that chance with me.”

  “I wish I could give you the answer you want, Mason,” Amelia said with a sad smile. “But I am scared. I am afraid that if I did, you would consume me and I would lose myself completely. We come from such different worlds. You are a successful lawyer; I work in a book store. We could never work.”

  “I think you’re wrong,” he said and smiled. “I wish I could tell you that I will respect your wishes and walk away from you forever. But I can’t. I can’t walk away from something that I know is so right.”

  “Then I will walk away for you,” Amelia said as she leaned up and kissed Mason softly on the cheek. “Goodbye, Mason James.”

  Mason stood and watched her as she turned slowly and walked away. His breathing caught in his chest but still he just smiled. He had no idea why the girl had captivated him, but she had. Kissing her only sealed that. He couldn’t walk away now. He would be patient and bide his time until Amelia saw what it was he saw.

  As Amelia disappeared around the corner, Mason smiled and dug his hands into his pockets, then turned and walked back towards his car parked outside Amelia’s parent’s restaurant.

  As he slipped in behind the wheel, he pulled out his phone and brought up his assistant, Sophie’s number.

  “Mr. James,” Sophie said when she answered the phone and Mason knew she was surprised to hear from him on a Friday night. “Is everything okay, sir?”

  “Yes,” Mason replied quickly. “I need to you find a good hotel for me in Hartford, book me in for tonight, and leave it open for me to stay longer if need be.”

  “Certainly, sir,” Sophie replied immediately.

  “Send the address to my phone,” Mason instructed.

  “Yes, sir,” Sophie replied.

  “Have a good weekend Sophie,” Mason said unsure why he did. Normally he was abrupt and short with her. That was just his way.

  “T…thank you, Mr. James,” Sophie replied and Mason could hear the surprise in her voice. He hung up the phone and smiled to himself.

  Oh Ms. Wells, he laughed in his mind. What have you done to me?

  Chapter 12

  When Amelia walked into her parent’s house, she blew out the breath she had been holding most of the way home. She looked down at her hands and saw they were shaking. She paced up and down the hallway, trying to process what had just happened and calm herself down. Her heart was hammering in her chest so fast.

  What the hell just happened? She thought to herself as she continued to pace up and down. Mason James turned up! HERE! He turned up at my parent’s restaurant! HE IS HERE IN HARTFORD!!

  This was just too much for Amelia to take in. Her mind was racing with everything he had said. She had no idea what to think. She hurried up the stairs and headed straight to her room. When she reached it, she threw herself on the bed and tried to calm her breathing down.

  She was determined she was not going to cry over Mason James anymore, but seeing him today threw her. She buried her face in her hands and despite herself, she began to cry.

  She was so upset; she didn’t hear her dad coming up the stairs or coming into her room. It wasn’t until he sat down next to her on the bed, that she even realised he was there.

  “Hey, Monkey Face,” he said in a soft, hushed voice, holding out his open arms to her.

  “Daddy,” she cried as she sat up in the bed and hugged her father tightly.

  “It’s okay, Sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

  She sobbed harder, finally letting all the emotions she had been holding inside for the last week free, while her father just held her tighter.

  Finally, the tears stopped and Amelia got her breathing under control. They both sat there on the bed in silence and she knew he was waiting for her to be ready to talk. She also knew she could no longer put off having this conversation. She sat up, dried her face and gave her dad a smile.

  “Why did you come home?” She asked him as he handed her a tissue from the box on her night stand.

  “Mom said you were sick,” he said with a concerned look on his face. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I’m fine,” she lied, unable to look her dad in the eye.

  “Somehow, I am finding that a little hard to believe right now,” he said with a half-smile. “Look, I know you think I am this old dinosaur who doesn’t get it, but I was your age once, too. I know what it’s like to fall in love and to have your heart broken.”

  Amelia gave him a questioning look.

  “Hey,” he laughed. “I read books, don�
��t I?”

  “I don’t think that’s quite the same thing, Dad,” Amelia replied but couldn’t help but smile.

  “Okay, so I was lucky,” he sighed. “The minute I met your mom, I knew she was the one. So maybe I have never had my heart broken like that, but I can still listen. I can still help.”

  She looked at him for a moment and considered what she should say. She needed to talk to someon, but he was her Dad, and she didn’t want to worry him.

  “Okay,” she finally said but quickly added. “But you can’t get all Dadish on me.”

  “I give you my word,” Charlie replied and smiled.

  “I met someone,” Amelia began nervously without looking at her dad. “Someone very different from me. At first I thought he was an arrogant ass, but then I got to know him a little more, and he seemed nice and caring…”

  She hesitated, unsure of how much she should say.

  “So,” Charlie said, and Amelia knew he was trying to appear a lot calmer than he actually was. “What happened?”

  “I thought he was different from other guys,” she shrugged as she nervously picked imaginary lint from her clothes. “I let him close, and then he hurt me.”

  “Did he touch you? Because I swear I will…” Charlie exclaimed, standing up abruptly.

  “Dad!” Amelia said giving him an angry look. “You promised, and no, he didn’t, not like the way you mean.”

  “You’re right,” he said sitting back down. “I promised, I’m sorry. Please, continue.”

  “He said he had made a mistake,” Amelia continued a little less convinced she should be discussing this with her dad. “That I should forget him…”

  “But you can’t,” Charlie replied and Amelia just shook her head in response. Her dad didn’t say anything else either, he just waited for her to continue.

  “I came back here…” Amelia continued. “To hide I guess. I felt stupid and used, but more than anything I felt sad.”

  “It’s okay to come back to somewhere you feel safe,” her dad said as he reached out and took her hand.