Page 75 of Without Judgment

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Avery

“Time to wake up, princess.”

It wasn’t Mason’s words which alerted me that something was off, but the fact they weren’t coupled with a hard, male, naked body in bed with me. I opened one eye to see him standing next to the bed, his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans.

“I can think of better wake-up calls. Lose the clothes and try again.”

He didn’t laugh. It was clue number two something had shifted.

“We can’t. We need to go.”

Say what? “What do you mean, go?” Now I was coming awake.

“I need to get back to Austin, and your brother is expecting us.”

I sat up in bed, the sheet gathered to me. After he’d made love to me last night, I’d sensed something had shifted between us. A more emotional connection. Yet here he was, cutting it off completely. “Expecting us where? Why?”

“Something has come up, and I need to get back home. He’s meeting us at the Austin airport to fly you to Dallas with him.”

“When did this all happen?” We’d gone into town yesterday, but I hadn’t thought Mason had talked with Trevor.

“Last night, I called him. His flight is arriving in the next hour, so we need to get going. I’ll leave you to wash up. Tub already has warm water in it. I’m heading outside to start packing the truck.”

“Wait. How could you have called him?” We didn’t get a cell signal up here in the cabin.

He sighed. “I can get spotty service down by the lake.”

“Which you went to last evening to call my brother?” After he’d made love to me. Did he think the timing was lost on me? What sudden business did Mason have in Austin? If it was true and he had to leave, why did he have to call my brother? Mason could have discussed with me his need to be somewhere else and let me decide where I was going next.

His gaze didn’t leave mine. “I went to get water. Received a text I was needed in Austin, then phoned your brother.”

He didn’t elaborate further but chose to walk outside instead.

By the time he came back in, I’d washed up and had worked myself into a temper. I took it out on the sheets I was now stripping from the bed.

“You mad at the sheets or at me?”

“What do you think?”

“Look, Avery, this is exactly what I wanted to avoid. You getting your feelings hurt when we had to leave.”

I spun around, hands on my hips. “You are unbelievable. I’m not angry about things ending. We both knew they would. What I’m pissed about is you making the decision to call my brother. You should’ve asked me if that’s what I wanted. You, of all people, should understand how it makes me feel to have people make decisions for me.”

He opened his mouth and then closed it, considering my words. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you. But I didn’t feel comfortable having you go anywhere alone.”

It was tempting to ask exactly why he had to go to Austin, but I knew it was none of my business. I turned back around to finish stripping the bed, gathering up the sheets. After the last few days, they would need a good washing. Although my anger was dissipating from his apology, I wasn’t over it. “If you’re in such a hurry I could’ve called an Uber or something.”

“There are no Ubers around here.” He took the sheets and put them into a mesh bag, which I assumed he was taking back to his house to launder.

“Fine. I’m ready.”

We loaded up everything. Then I swept out the cabin while Mason went about securing it.

After climbing into the truck, I was quiet. I didn’t like that he’d been aware things were ending while I’d thought we had at least one more day. I recognized my displeasure was a sign I should get out before I got in too deep, but he didn’t have to know that.

“Still mad?”

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