“Where’s Amelia?” Charlie said from behind Mason. Mason’s stomach knotted tighter, knowing he had probably messed things up with Amelia’s dad, too. He sighed knowing what was coming and he knew he deserved whatever Charlie now threw at him now.
“She left,” Mason said, and saying the words out loud hurt more than he thought they would. “I don’t know where she went, but she said she needed time to think.”
“She is angry,” Charlie said, surprising Mason by how calm he sounded. “When she is mad, she walks. It gives her time to calm down and sort things out in her head.”
“I don’t think she is going to calm down this time,” Mason said as he slowly turned to face Charlie. “I know I have messed up big time. I know it. She is hurt and angry and has every right to be. I have gotten this whole thing so wrong. I just wanted to make things right for us, but I made them worse.”
“You did what you thought was the right thing,” Charlie replied, shocking Mason. “Amelia will see that in time too.”
“I don’t think she will,” Mason sighed as he suddenly felt tired. The doors of the elevator pinged open, but he didn’t step inside, instead he walked over and leaned against the wall, then slid down to the floor. “I have never seen her so angry. She was like a different person.”
“Yeah,” Charlie said as he walked over and sat down on the floor next to him. “She can have quite a temper. She gets that from her mom, but don’t tell Shannon I said that.”
Despite how broken Mason was feeling at that moment, he couldn’t help but smile but then it quickly faded. They sat side by side in silence for a few minutes.
“She said she hates me,” Mason said as he recalled Amelia’s words and how she looked at him. Like she was looking at a stranger.
“She doesn’t hate you,” Charlie replied with a sigh. “We say things when we are hurt and angry but it doesn't mean that's what we truly feel. It doesn't mean that it is real.”
“What I feel now is real,” Mason replied looking at Charlie. “This sadness that is consuming me, feels very real. How do I make this right?”
“You don’t give up,” Charlie said looking at Mason. “Look, I know we didn’t get off to the best start, but one thing I know for sure is Amelia loves you. When she thought she lost you, she thought she lost her world. I get why you did what you did. You did what you thought needed to be done to protect your family. I respect that and I know, in time, Amelia will too.”
“I knew Simone wouldn’t stop,” Mason explained. “I knew that the night of the car accident. I watched Amelia that day when we left the hospital. She was terrified, and I was, too. I was so scared I would lose her. I thought that even if Simone didn’t get to us, Amelia would never be able to be happy with this hanging over our heads and she would leave. So I asked Andrew to help me. I thought that ending it sooner rather than later, was the only way.”
“Okay,” Charlie said and waited for Mason to continue.
“So he got one of his CIs, one he knew he could trust,” Mason continued. “We had him approach Simone a couple of days ago, said he had history with me, and that he wanted to make sure I got my payback. There was some history between us, so if Simone checked it out, it would back up his story.”
“And she took the bait,” Charlie replied.
“Hook, line and sinker,” Mason nodded. “Andrew sorted out the theatrics. Fake blood, blank bullets, the whole nine yards. All I had to do was poke a bear. So I paid her a visit this morning, and told her she had until five today, then I was going to the police with all her dirty little secrets. I knew she couldn’t let it go.”
“And she didn’t,” Charlie replied.
“No,” Mason said. “She made the call the moment I left her home and there was no turning back.”
Mason stopped for a moment and Charlie looked at him, waiting for him to finish.
“The hardest part was,” he finally continued. “We knew she was watching Amelia. We knew she would wait for confirmation before she paid out. Andrew wanted to tell Amelia the truth, and he probably would have, too, only Jeremy was in the shop when he got there and Andrew had no idea who he was. So he kept his mouth shut. He thought it would be best then to wait for them to pick up Simone and then for me to come and explain everything to her myself.”
“At least it’s over now,” Charlie said with a deep breath.
“Yeah,” Mason nodded. “But at what cost? Amelia has left, Sadie is mad at me, I don’t think Libby and Lori are happy either. Even Shannon looked like she could have killed me.”
“They are angry because they love you,” Charlie explained with a half laugh. “If they didn’t, they wouldn’t get so mad.”
“I guess I still have a lot to learn about love and letting people close to me,” Mason sighed and he rubbed his tired eyes. “But right now, that doesn’t help me with Amelia.”
“You need to talk to her,” Charlie replied as he stood up. “You need to tell her what you told me. She will see you did what you did, because you love her and the baby.”
“And if she doesn’t listen?” Mason asked looking up at Amelia’s father. Mason thought it was ironic that in the end, it was Charlie that was the one that was on his side.
“She will,” Charlie replied, knowingly. “Trust me.”
“Okay,” Mason said as he too stood up. “But first I need to find her, and I have no idea where to begin.”
“Oh,” Charlie said with a smile. “I think I know where she’s gone.”
Amelia slipped her key into the lock of the bookstore and opened the door. Closing it behind her, she hurried to the panel on the wall and turned off the alarm. She didn’t bother with the lights, as she knew her way around the shop so well, she didn’t need them.
She made her way down through the bookshelves and to the two large armchairs at the back of the store. She dropped onto one of the chairs, pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, to try release the pain she was feeling in her chest, but nothing came. Not a tear, not a sound. There was nothing left.
When she left Mason’s apartment, she just walked and walked. She was so angry, she was barely able to breathe. Her mind raced with everything that had happened that day.
When she thought Mason was dead, she thought her life was over. Then when she woke to find him sitting on the edge of their bed, she knew she should have been happy. She should have been jumping for joy that the man she loved was alive and their nightmare was finally over, but she wasn’t. She was hurt and angry that Mason could have lied to her, and let her believe the worst had happened.
However, the more she walked, the more she realised, what he had done had been done to protect her. He did it for them.
She thought of Mason and the baby, and she knew she would walk through fire to protect them, and that’s exactly what Mason had done.
Then she thought of the things she said had to him, of how cruel she had been. She could still see his face when she told him that she didn’t love him, that she hated him. He looked so sad, but more than that, he looked scared.
Of course she hadn’t meant it, she was just lashing out. She was angry and wanted him to feel as hurt as she had. The problem was, now she had said it, she didn’t know how to take it back.
She felt tired and her head hurt. She rested her head back on the armchair and closed her eyes. Soon exhaustion took her and she was fast asleep.
“Hey,” Mason whispered as he softly brushed Amelia’s hair back from her face. Amelia slowly opened her eyes and smiled when she saw him kneeling down before her.
“What are you doing here?” She said as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“I came to take you home,” Mason replied with a nervous smile. He reached up and tenderly pressed his hand against her cheek. "Please don't hate me.”
“I could never hate you, Mason,” she whispered as she placed her hand over his. She smiled but couldn’t hold back the tears that
were suddenly stinging her eyes. “I’m sorry for what I said. I swear I didn’t mean…”
“Shhh,” Mason said as he quickly pressed his lips to Amelia’s and kissed her softly, stopping her mid-sentence. Then he pulled back slightly and looked down into her eyes. “You have nothing to apologise for.”
“I was just so mad,” she continued. “I thought I had lost you and my heart was beyond broken. Then you were there and I was angry that you had lied to me, but I get it now. Mason, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you and the baby safe, so I understand why you did what you did. I guess I just wish that you had trusted me enough to tell me.”
“Of course I trust you,” Mason quickly replied. “But it’s my job to protect you and that is never going to change.”
“I don’t want it to change,” Amelia said as she leaned up and brushed her lips against his. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Amelia,” Mason breathed against her mouth. “So much, it makes me do crazy things. I would move mountains to make you happy.”
He slid down to the floor and rested his back against the bookshelf next to the armchair. Taking Amelia’s hand, he reached up and pulled her down onto his lap.
“Promise me you will love me forever,” Mason said as he took her face in his hands.
“I promise,” Amelia smiled.
“I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy,” Mason said as he wrapped her in his arms and drew her close to him.
They sat there on the floor for the longest time, wrapped in each other’s arms, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Amelia lifted her head and looked at Mason.
“Take me home,” she said with a sleepy smile.
“With pleasure,” Mason said as he stood up, then pulled Amelia to her feet, too.
Suddenly he stopped and gave her a strange look.
“Is everything okay?” She asked unsure what was wrong.
“I was just thinking,” Mason said, taking Amelia by the hand and pulling her to him. “Despite everything we have been through, we have survived.”
“Yes we have,” Amelia replied with a bright smile.
“I knew that first time you crashed into my life,” Mason whispered as he held her closer. “That my life would never be the same. I knew that day, if I fell in love with you, that it would be an all-time love.”
He kissed her softly once more then looked into her eyes for a moment.
Suddenly a big smile spread across his whole face.
“Marry me, Amelia Wells,” he said as his eyes locked with hers and he held his breath. For a moment she didn’t say a word, instead she just stared into his eyes.
Finally, she returned his smile as she leaned in and kissed him again.
“Yes,” she whispered against his lips, then she laughed and threw her head back. “YES!”
Epilogue
One Year Later
“We are going to be late,” Amelia said as she stuck her head in through the nursery door and sighed before she disappeared again.
“But it’s good to make an entrance,” Mason called after her with a laugh. “And I am so worth the wait.”
“You are so not funny,” Amelia called back down the hallway. “Now get your ass dressed.”
“I am bonding with my daughter,” Mason replied with a laugh as he made a funny face at Charlotte and was rewarded with a tiny giggle. “See, you think I am funny.”
Once again Charlotte squealed happily.
“Hey, Charlie,” Mason said in a hushed voice. “Did I ever tell you how I got your mom to agree to live with me? Well it’s a very romantic story and one in which I ended up renting three apartments I was never going to live in.”
Then he added in a lower voice. “But don’t tell Mom, because she has no idea.”
“Don’t be so sure about that,” Amelia laughed from the doorway. “Andrew told me all about the apartments the night of the wedding.”
“All this time,” Mason said as he stood up and walked towards Amelia with Charlotte in his arms. “You knew about the apartments? I really need to stop telling that blabbermouth my secrets.”
“Well,” Amelia said as she gave Mason a big smile before she leaned down and kissed her baby daughter on the head. “I should have known from the day I met you that you had stalker tendencies, but I still love you.”
“I love you too,” Mason replied, then looked down at Charlotte lying in his arms. “It’s hard to believe she is four months old already.”
“I know,” “Amelia replied looking up at Mason. “It’s going by so fast. Too fast.”
“Maybe it’s time we started working on a little brother or sister?” Mason said and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Oh God,” Amelia laughed. “Let me get used to having little sleep with this one first.”
“But you do want more kids?” Mason asked and gave her a questioning look.
“Yes,” Amelia replied. “I do. How could I not, I mean look at her, she is so perfect. I want ten of her.”
“Sounds good to me,” Mason said then leaned in and kissed Amelia on the lips softly.
It was a little after seven when they reached Shenanigans. When they walked through the front door, they were immediately greeted by Jilly.
“Oh there is my precious angel!” She exclaimed as she took Charlotte from Mason’s arms. “She is getting prettier by the day.”
“That’s because she looks like her grandpa,” Charlie said as he joined them from the back of the restaurant.
“Happy Birthday, Dad,” Amelia said as she gave Charlie a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, Monkey Face,” Charlie said as he wrapped his arms around Amelia and hugged her tightly.
“Sorry we’re late,” Mason said as he reached out and shook Charlie’s hand and laughed. “But it took Amelia forever to get ready.”
“Oh my God!” Amelia exclaimed with a laugh before she playfully hit Mason on the arm. “Don’t believe a word, it was all him.”
Charlie laughed as he turned his attention to his granddaughter, snuggled in Jilly’s arms. He held out his arms and Jilly immediately handed her over.
“Hi, Charlie,” Charlie said and kissed his granddaughter on the forehead. “Have you come to sing happy birthday to your old grandpa, too?”
“Her name is Charlotte,” Amelia sighed but she knew when it came to Mason and her dad, it was an argument she was never going to win.
“Hey Sweetheart,” Shannon said as she joined the rest of her family. Then she turned her attention to the baby, too. “How is my favourite girl?”
“She is happy,” Charlie said with a proud smile. “She is with her grandpa.”
“Mason,” Shannon said turning her attention to him. “Sadie and the rest of the family are here. They are all over there waiting for us.”
Amelia and Mason followed Shannon and Charlie to where Sadie, Andrew and the rest of Mason’s family were waiting for them.
“Where is my gorgeous granddaughter?” Sadie said as she stood to greet Mason and Amelia, before she turned her attention to the baby and Charlie reluctantly handed her over, Amelia couldn’t help but smile.
“Are you okay, Mrs. James?” Mason asked as he slipped his arms around Amelia from behind and drew her closer to him.
“Couldn’t be better, Mr. James,” Amelia replied as she leaned into her husband, feeling completely happy and content.
After they brought out the cake and sang happy birthday to Charlie, he stood at the bar to say a few words.
“This has been quite a year,” Charlie said. “Though it didn’t have a great start, it has ended on such a high note. We gained a son, and a whole new family. Now Amelia and Mason have come home, well a couple of blocks from home, but our girl is back in Hartford. She published her first book, and became the huge success I always knew she would be, and finally we welcomed our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte, into the world. To say my life is perfect is an understatement. This last year has taught me, there is nothing more
important than family.”
He looked at his family and smiled, then raised his glass.
“To family,” Charlie said, and the whole restaurant raised their glasses and repeated. “To family.”
The rest of the night was filled with lots of laughter. Mason gave Andrew a hard time for spilling the beans to Amelia about the apartments but Andrew explained he thought he owed it to her after breaking her heart by lying to her.
“How can I argue with that?” Mason said holding up his hands and admitting defeat. Amelia slipped her arms around Mason’s waist and gave him a hug. Mason looked down at her and gave her a strange look. “Are you okay?”
“I couldn’t be better,” she said with a smile, but then she nervously bit her lip and pulled something from her back pocket. She moved Mason away from the others. “I was going to wait, but I guess now is a good as time as any.”
She handed him a tiny little box, with a bow neatly tied around it. Mason gave her a curious look, before he carefully pulled the ribbon open. Then he lifted the lid off the box and was surprised to see a pregnancy test stick inside it.
“Is this what I think it is?” Mason asked giving Amelia a big grin.
“The doctor said I am about four weeks along,” Amelia said giving Mason a broad smile.
“We are having another baby?” Mason asked as his smile grew bigger.
“We are having another baby!” Amelia confirmed with a laugh.
“WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!” Mason shouted at the top of his voice, as he picked Amelia up and twirled her around.
Everyone in the restaurant cheered and Amelia blushed.
I love you Amelia,” Mason said as he kissed her again.
“I love you too, Mason,” Amelia replied, happy that she had found her all-time love.
The End
All Time Love Page 25