Page 9 of A Second Chance At Forever

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.

“Well, he sort of smacked me today.”

She sat up quickly and sat her drink down with a little too much force. “What? Why?” Before I could explain, she was up pacing the floor.

I leaned back in my chair so my eyes could follow her pacing. “I don’t know. We were okay last night, I stayed over. Then this morning, I woke up and took a shower. When I came back to the bedroom to get dressed, he pulled me down into bed,” I looked at the brown liquid in my glass, it was calling my name. “When I showed my lack of interest for morning sex, he got mad and slapped me across the face.” I tossed back what was left in the glass.

“Has he ever done anything like this before?” Alissa finished her drink and slid the empty glass back to me.

I refilled both before sliding it back. “No, I mean, he’s always seemed to have anger issues. He would lose his temper at the drop of a hat, but never with me. I just don’t know what to do. I can’t call off the engagement one day after I’ve accepted, but I can’t marry him either. What do I do?”

Alissa finally took her seat across from me. “I really don’t know,” she shook her head. “Have you talked to him since? Do you think it was an accident or something?” Alissa was reaching, trying to process any way she could.

“It wasn’t an accident.”

We sat in silence for what seemed like hours, thinking over the situation.

Finally, Alissa broke the silence. “I don’t know what to tell you to do. I understand why you feel like you can’t break the engagement, but you can’t marry him either. What if he does it again?”

“I don’t know anymore,” I poured myself one more drink and tossed it back. “I think I should get some sleep.” I needed time alone.

“Okay, I will see you in the morning. Call me if you need anything.” She leaned in, giving me a hug.

After locking up behind her, I made my way back to the office and turned on the computer. I searched Mason’s page once again.

I looked at the picture I had seen before, of the two of them. I studied over the image. Mason looked happy, his ice-blue eyes were bright. He had let his facial hair grow out just enough to give him a rugged, sexy appearance and his dark hair was no longer shaved short, it had a longer, messier look to it. He looked good. He looked older and even sexier than he did before. I looked at his cocky grin and a shiver ran up my spine, just from thinking about where those lips had been.

Then, I turned my attention to her. She had a round face, almost childlike. She had green eyes, but darker than mine, and her dark brown curls fell over one shoulder. She was pretty, but not pretty enough for Mason. I got annoyed looking at her face and forced myself to keep scrolling.

There were several more pictures I came across. One of Mason on a boat, he was looking out over the ocean with the sun setting, casting an orange glow across the water.

The second was a picture of Mason sitting behind his desk at work and another of him sitting on his balcony. I missed that balcony.

Then the last picture turned my stomach.

It was a picture of Mason and her. They were cuddled up close. The top of Mason’s shirtless chest was showing in the picture and so was her bare shoulders. I could see the edge of a blanket they had thrown over them. I could tell by the look in his eyes that they had just had sex. I remembered that look like I remembered my name. That glossed over, hazy look haunted my dreams.

Feeling angry and confused, I shut the computer off and grabbed the bottle of Jack.

I went to my room where I stripped off my clothes and crawled into bed, alone. Well, not completely alone, I had Jack.

Tears escaped my eyes as I laid on my bed, rubbing my thumb back and forth across the black label.

I had everything any girl would want, I had love.

True love. The kind that only comes around once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. I thought about the first time we met and how we couldn’t take our eyes off one another. Our first date where I talked him into getting me a shot and watching his eyes light up as he laughed because I made a face at the horrible taste.

The boat, on the same night where we got a little too close. I remembered the burning desire in his eyes when he pulled away from me.

The first time we made love, and I gave him my virginity. I remembered his hesitation and the soft way he touched me. Just the thought of his rough fingertips trailing over my skin brought on goosebumps.

I brought the bottle to my lips and took a long drink. I welcomed the burn, knowing it would make me go numb soon.

Numb was familiar to me. It was basically the only thing I had felt since I had left him. If it wasn’t pain, sadness, or regret, it was numbness. It was probably the only way I had managed to stay away as long as I had.

“Tell me to stay,” I whispered.

Mason placed the palm of his hand on my cheek. “I can’t do that. I love you too much to ever ask that of you. Please, understand why I can’t say those words.” His eyes were pleading with me.

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