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FLAWLESS
Copyright © 2017 by Alyson Reynolds.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For information contact :
www.authoralysonreynolds.com
Book and Cover design by Alyson Reynolds
Edited by Cat Parisi
ISBN: 123456789
First Edition: June 2017
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For Charlotte,
Just thank you. I’ll try to keep them coming.
Mason Davis was perfect. I’d spent my entire life loving him. And I knew with one hundred percent certainty that he loved me back. From the time we were kids growing up, my parents had loved him. When we’d started dating in high school they were ecstatic. Every time we would break up and get back together in college they would breathe a sigh of relief. In their eyes he was the one I would end up with. Sometimes I thought they just might be right.
He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. We were celebrating Mason passing the bar exam with our friends. Lexi had flown in from where she was doing her superstar residency program. Stephen and Violet weren’t filming anything at the moment, so both of them were able to be there. Aaron, Violet’s annoying husband was there, drunk off his ass and being obnoxious like normal. Taylor was here too. She was leaving for Morocco in the morning, but tonight she was all mine.
Not to mention, all of Mason’s siblings were here. Kaleb was home on leave. Aubrey was living in our guest room, so we knew exactly where she was, but she wasn’t off with friends. She’d opted to grace us with her presence tonight. This was the first time in a few years that we were all actually in the same place at the same time. Normally we were missing one or two of us, but tonight we were all celebrating together.
“Congratulations, councilor,” I whispered as I pulled his arms tighter around me.
“Thank you ma’am.” God, I loved his drawl. He had a southern accent that could drop panties in two seconds. Thankfully, mine were the only ones that would be dropping tonight.
I kissed Mason’s cheek and rested my forehead against where I’d kissed. “Are you having fun?”
He smiled. “I am. It’s nice to have everyone here for a change.”
“Um hm.”
“Will you two get a room already,” Lexi said grinning. ”You two are worse than anyone I know. When are you going to get married anyway?”
I tensed. Mason and I had deliberately been avoiding this conversation. Our parents asked us weekly when they would get grandchildren, nevermind the fact that I was only twenty-five and had just graduated from law school. The ink on our diplomas wasn’t even dry and they already wanted us to start popping out babies.
Mason laughed. “Just because you treat prego women all the time doesn’t mean we need to have any. We’re on our own time table here, Alexis.”
She laughed. “At least your answer never changes, Mase. So when do you start at your dad’s firm?”
He rubbed my arm gently, allowing me to relax against him. “Next week. He’s already got me a corner office picked out.” He groaned. “I’m dreading it already.”
Kaleb, Mason’s brother, handed him a beer and sat down on the couch across from us. “Better you than me. I’d kill Dad by the end of day one. Are you guys settled into the house now?”
I nodded. “Finally. Momma came over and helped me finish painting the last room yesterday, but not before suggesting we paint it a pretty yellow, so we can use it for the nursery. The woman is trying to kill me.”
“What color did you go with?” Lexi asked, hiding her grin behind her drink.
“Beige,” I deadpanned.
Kaleb started laughing. Mason even chuckled behind me.
“Guess there’s no question there.” She giggled. I could just see your momma now, Emmy darlin’, you need to get ready for this baby that’s not coming for two to three more years. Pick a gender neutral color because that’s what all the PC people are doing now. Who cares what will be in style then. I want you to be prepared for the future now.”
I snorted a laugh because it sounded exactly like my momma. Mason dug his face into my neck, trying to muffle his laugh.
“So are you guys thinking of getting married anytime soon?” Lexi asked.
I glanced back at Mason. He grinned at me and shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll see what happens. I’m pretty happy right now. Emmy’s starting at the recording studio next week, writing contracts and all that jazz. I can already see the writing on the wall, her and Luke are going to spend every spare second they can recording. My dad is all excited for me to start.” He took a deep breath. “I feel like we’re finally settling in for the first time in a while.” He squeezed me once before letting go. “I’m going to go get another beer. Does anyone want anything?”
Everyone said no, and I watched him walk to the kitchen. Lexi winked at me as I leaned forward. “Go get a second alone with him. I know you guys have been entertaining for days.”
I tried to hold back my smile, but I couldn’t. I wanted that second alone with Mason. He moved through our kitchen with ease, like we’d been living there for years, not weeks. Mason smiled when I wrapped my arms around him from behind.
“Have I told you how amazing you are for putting up with all our friends and family this week?” he asked.
“Every day.”
He turned so his arms wrapped around me and he could hug me closer. “Did Lexi’s questions freak you out?”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Me? You’re Mr. Anti Marriage.”
“Maybe not anymore.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. “Mase, we always said we would wait until—”
“I know what we said, but maybe we should talk about it sooner.” He smirked. “Would it be the worst thing in the world being married to me?”
I fought back a smile. “I don’t know. You do have a tendency to leave open cabinets. You know how much it drives me nuts. I’m not sure I could live with it forever.”
He tickled my side and kissed me when I started to fight to get away. “I love you, Emmy.”
“I love you too, Mase. We can talk about it once everything settles down. Okay?”
He nodded. “I’m okay with that plan.”
I watched the brilliant beams of colorful light bounce around the car as sunlight hit my engagement ring and wedding band while my hand dangled loosely on the top of the steering wheel.
Ten days.
I was married for ten days before it had fallen apart. More like exploded in my face. Even though my relationship with Mason had lasted for ten years before we got married, one elop
ement in Vegas and a small honeymoon period of two weeks, proved to be too much. And the person that was supposed to love me forever, my husband, had asked for a divorce.
Husband.
That was a fucking joke. Mason was supposed to be my ex-husband, but the bastard never filed the paperwork. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that he wouldn’t file the documents. Mason Davis was so thorough in everything he did—always crossing his T’s and dotting his I’s, a real type A personality. It never occurred to me, a year after I left for New York, I would still be married.
I’d watched him sign the papers that night. Mason was a lawyer; this was his job for God’s sake, so how did he screw this up so badly?
I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel again. My hand was going to ache by the time I got to my parents house. I thought I was over him—I was over him. But now all these emotions and memories were coming back to me in Technicolor. I could taste the sense of bitterness I’d had when he’d told me it was over, see the scowl on his face when I begged him to think it over, and feel the sadness when I had moved into Lexi’s apartment in New York alone.
God, I was a sap.
With each mile I came closer to my hometown, the memories came faster, each more vivid than the last. I couldn’t tell if they were a good omen or a bad one. How did one get in the position of coming back to your hometown, over 2500 miles away from where I lived my life now, to ask my husband I hadn’t talked to in over a year, why he never finalized our divorce? My life was a hot ass mess. After an entire year of living out some of my most ambitious dreams, it was time to go back home to Savannah and time to ask Mason some of the most humiliating questions ever uttered by a human.
I was being dramatic, but really my life was like a soap opera. I guess it could always be worse, but after everything I’d been through with Mason, I thought he would have treated me better than a one night stand.
I could still hear the disdain in his voice when he told me he was done with being married and that he wished we had never gone through with it. All because I was offered an amazing job in New York. When I asked him to come with me—hell, I practically begged him—it ended in one of the worst fights we had ever had. Mason could be a successful lawyer there instead of our hometown just outside of Savannah. In the end, I agreed to sign the divorce papers and leave without him. To say I was bitter was a bit of an understatement. It had taken me months to finally pick myself up and start living my life again.
What I didn’t understand was why he never filed for the divorce, especially since he was the one so determined to get it in the first place. Now, I was seconds away from committing adultery because I had actually moved on with my life, or at least I was trying to. There were so many torturous ways to make his life miserable, and believe me, I’d considered plenty. I just couldn’t pick the best one.
I pulled over to the side of the highway and laid my head down on the steering wheel and let the tears come. I didn’t try to stop them or brush them away. I was a fool for believing that a relationship I started back in high school would be the real thing and last forever.
It wasn’t entirely Mason’s fault that things had gone south. I’d caused just as many issues in our relationship as he did, maybe even more. Mason might have asked for the divorce, but I knew if he hadn’t relented and agreed to come with me to New York, I would have eventually either asked him for one or filed myself. We didn’t communicate the way a couple should. We honestly never had. Maybe it was the lawyer in both of us, preferring to argue the point to the death instead of acquiescing and coming to a reasonable agreement. Either way, it didn’t matter now.
With big heaping sobs, I pulled out my phone and dialed. I didn’t even get a word out before Alexis Davenport proved why she was one my best friends in the entire world.
“You drove the long way home from the airport didn’t you? And now you’re thinking about all the shit you’ve been putting off trying to work through.” She sighed. “Do you want me to come out there and kick his ass for not filing the papers, then walk his sorry ass down to the courthouse myself?”
Her southern accent rang through loud and clear, signaling her anger. She always sounded more southern when she was upset. It made me miss her even more.
Choking out a watery laugh, I answered, “No, but that’s exactly why I love you. I know you would do it in a heartbeat if I asked.” I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. “Everything just hit me hard. I’m like ten minutes out and I had to stop before I passed by the house. I know I’ll fall apart again as soon as I see it.”
“I still vote we burn the bitch to the ground, preferably with Mason in it, but you were the one that vetoed that idea.”
“One, that’s still not justifiable homicide as you keep insisting. It was premeditated as soon as it came out of your mouth. Two, as a doctor, didn’t you swear an oath to do no harm?”
“Technically yes, but for Mase I would make an exception. Fuck him.” I heard Lexi’s muffled voice as she spoke to someone else. Belatedly, I realized Lexi had probably stopped some meeting at the hospital to cheer me up and badmouth Mason.
“Lexi, go. I know you’re busy and have big important doctor things to do. If I need you to come use some experimental drug on Mason I’ll let you know.”
“It’s just Adam; we’re having lunch between rounds. He was just telling me to tell you hi and that he misses you. He wants you to call him later.” I could hear the teasing lilt in her voice. “You guys are sickening you know that? Seriously, I think I might throw up on one of my patients later when I remember how sweet you two are together.”
“Alexis Davenport, you shut your damn mouth about my...relationship. Tell Adam hi for me, and that I’ll call him tonight.” I sighed again. “I’m sure I’ll call you breaking down again after I confront the bastard, but right now, I really need to get into town and get some sleep. I’ve been awake for over twenty hours. People are going to start wondering who the crazy lady crying on the side of the road is if I stay here much longer.”
Lexi laughed, told me goodbye, and disconnected the call. I gave myself a few more minutes to cry before taking a deep calming breath and slowly pulled back onto the road that would lead me to my own personal hell. Refusing to give in to the memories any longer, I focused on what needed to get done for work as soon as I got back to the city.
I did pretty well keeping the memories at bay, until my house with the beautiful plantation style wraparound porch came into view. It was everything that I had wanted and loved, but because I was leaving Georgia, I left it to Mason in the divorce. The house brought everything back in a blinding rush. My indecision of loving or hating Mason Davis weighed heavy on my heart, and suddenly I was afraid that I would never be able to guard myself against him again if he had a good reason for not filing for the divorce.
I didn’t know if I could make it home before I emotionally broke down, but I had to. That was another issue I was going to have to figure out and soon. The house we’d shared was Mason’s in the divorce decree, but because he never filed I assumed that I still had rights to live there. Technically. It had been way too long since I had studied real estate law. Well, any kind of law at all really. I graduated from law school the same year as Mason, but I’d never wanted to actually practice. The only reason I went was to make my Daddy happy.
Mason might not like it if I came in and kicked him out of the master bedroom, but at this point I really didn’t care what he thought. After six hours on a plane, an hour and a half delay due to a storm, three additional hours of driving and dealing with Atlanta Hartsfield Airport because I couldn’t get a flight into Savannah, I was ready to crash anywhere I could find a bed. Even the backseat of the rented Audi SUV was looking pretty good right about now.
First sleep. Then I would make the bastard pay.
***
It’s amazing what a few hours of sleep can do for someone. I couldn’t stomach staying with my parents. Hell, I didn’t even want them t
o know I was in town if I could help it and I knew I couldn’t stay at the house. I would show my hand too early if I showed up there. Luckily, Vi’s apartment was empty and she told me I could stay there. As I showered and got ready for the evening, I was slowly formulating a plan that would rival the Trojan horse. Armed with my best pair of skinny jeans, a low cut black top, four inch red stilettos, and my sister’s-in-law promise to meet me in an hour, I was ready for battle. I’d even spent the extra time to curl my long caramel colored hair and do a full smokey eye. My hazel eyes stood out against the deep plum colors I’d used. If I looked amazing, maybe I could convince everyone that I was doing better than I was.
The plan was to confront Mason at his brother’s bar. Kaleb might not appreciate the drama, but who cared. It wasn't my problem anymore. Mason brought this to his brother’s doorstep, so he could incur the wrath of a pissed off Kaleb. I cringed a little thinking of what my ex-marine brother-in-law might say to him. It worried me, but not enough to change the plan. I honestly had no idea if anyone knew Mason never filed the divorce papers, and I wasn’t brave enough to ask. But I sure as hell planned on letting everyone know by the end of the night if they weren’t privy to that information already. He should have thought about that before making the idiotic decision not to file in the first place.
December in Georgia wasn’t normally cold, but it seemed to be unseasonably chilly this year. It was cold enough that I decided to wear a bright red pea coat that matched my killer heels. I was thankful it would give me a distraction as soon as I walked in the small bar. I turned to take off my jacket, hanging it up on one of the pegs by the door. With my back to the bar, I could almost feel the eyes on me. In a town this small, someone new, or someone returning home in my case, always caught the attention of the locals. If Mason was here, he would be looking. My cover would be blown as soon as I turned around because at least three people I graduated with would be sitting at one of the tables surrounding the bar. Mason’s sister, Aubrey, would be waiting for me too.
Flawless: A Relentless Series Novel (The Relentless Series Book 4) Page 1