Page 31 of The Hero's Bride
She dipped her chin in a nod, wondering how much Mason had heard.
“Sorry.” Vivienne bit her bottom lip, her big blue eyes wide. “I should’ve saved some of the heavier stuff for later. You’ve been through so much—”
“I’m glad you told me, and that everyone is healing.” Together they walked up the sandy driveway toward the house. Her friend offered her a watery grin and slid an arm through hers as Iron unlocked the door and ushered them inside.
The interior was simple yet comfortable. No one would ever imagine that Vivienne would crave that type of setting, but Thalia instantly understood why her friend looked so at home here. Her parents’ estate had been a luxurious prison that she’d been desperate to escape.
“Make yourselves at home,” Iron said wrapping an arm around Vivienne’s waist. “There’s a second bedroom down the hall, and we can always make up the couch tonight. Why don’t you get settled, and Vee and I will grab some drinks and meet you outside whenever you’re ready?”
Vivienne was much shorter than Iron, but looked up as he spoke with such love, Thalia felt like she was watching a private moment. There was a pang in Thalia’s heart. She wasn’t sure what the future held for her and Mason, but with each day that passed the thought that no man would ever measure up to him solidified. What could she offer him, though? For so long, she’d simply been in survival mode, first as a child who struggled in poverty then as an adolescent who was at the will and whim of others. Women her age who hadn’t grown up in similar circumstances had time to explore who they were and what they wanted out of life. Something she’d never dared to examine. Now that she was free, she still didn’t know who she was as a person and how she intended to participate in society.
“Sounds good.” Mason tagged her hand and began moving down the hall, stopping at the bedroom Iron had gestured to. Family photos hung on the wall, mostly featuring an older couple and two boys, who must be Iron’s parents and brother. Mason stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. After putting their things down on the bed, he turned to her, raking his hands through his hair. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay and explain why I didn’t say anything more about what happened after you were taken. The last thing I wanted to do was add extra stress when we were already running for our lives. I knew Hannah had made it out of the surgery fine and Vivienne was being well cared for. I recognize now that I should have told you. I know how strong you are. I’m just trying to give you an opportunity where you don’t have to be. Where you can lean on me and not feel so alone.”
She was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Maybe she should be frustrated or upset, but all she felt was the easy acceptance of his decision. He’d rescued her after a month of being held, not sure if she’d be tortured or killed. A month of being constantly on edge, never expecting for anyone to look for her. The knowledge that if she wanted to escape it would rest solely on her shoulders was overwhelming. How would she get away with no one noticing? If she escaped, where would she go? How would she survive? Then Mason had charged in. She let her eyes trail over him. Every inch the warrior, both in body and spirit, but it was his unbreakable honor to do what was right that had her falling. “If you’re looking for my anger, you won’t find it.” She stepped forward, placing her hand over his heart.
“We shouldn’t leave Vivienne and Iron waiting any longer,” she murmured.
“Something tells me they understand.” He leaned closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “But I agree. Let’s go find them.”
The home was quiet as they walked through the living room and kitchen, but when they approached the screen door, Vivienne’s laughter was audible. Fate had seemed to touch them both, bringing good men into their lives. Would Mason be a constant in her life or just a fleeting patch of sunlight? She’d lived through terror and sadness, and she wasn’t about to waste the time she’d been given pondering the validity of the feelings that crashed over and consumed her when she was with Mason. She’d take as long as she had with him and be grateful for it. He reached around her, holding the door.
She stepped out and breathed in the salt-tinged air. Rolling waves crested and crashed onto the shore as the sun receded toward the horizon line. Vivienne was on Iron’s lap, her hand on his chest. Although they were from different worlds, it struck her that Vivienne’s experiences were so much like her own, and now, they were both free. Vivienne had been brave, grasping on to who she wanted in her life and holding on tight. How she wished she could be that self-assured woman, too.
Mason pulled out a chair for her and she sat, taking in the shades of gold, green, and blue stretched around them. Off to the side was a beautiful pergola that stood straight and tall, hugged by vines that laced up the sides.
“Vee helped me fix that up last weekend,” Iron said following her gaze.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, but when she turned her attention back to Iron, his eyes were on Vivienne. She couldn’t have stopped the smile from spreading over her face if she tried.
“Took some time, but I’m happy with the progress.” Iron kissed the tip of her friend’s nose before angling back toward the table.
“Sorry I don’t have any beer or wine to offer you. I don’t keep it in the house, but I can tell you Vee makes one hell of a punch.” He tipped his head toward the pitcher beaded with condensation from the lingering heat of the day.
“It looks too pretty to drink.” Oranges and raspberries filled the pitcher and on Vivienne’s face was a look of pride at what she’d created. She hopped up from Iron’s lap and started pouring tall glasses. A few seconds later, there was a distant knock and Iron stood.
“Pizza’s here.” He left the table and reappeared with three large boxes just as Vivienne finished pouring drinks. He placed them on the table and gave them each a plate.
“Have you ever had pizza before?” Vivienne grinned.
“No.” Thalia shook her head, accepting the large piece that Vivienne put on her plate. Her mouth instantly watered at the smells drifting up from the food.
“I hadn’t either. Now it’s my absolute favorite.” Grin still in place, her friend took a big bite. She glanced at Mason, and if he was surprised by Vivienne’s admission, he didn’t show it. An outsider would only see what Vivienne’s family would want them to through carefully planned photo shoots, social media posts, and modeling engagements. No one would have ever guessed the darkness and control behind the façade. She smiled and took a bite, savoring the flavors that exploded on her tongue. Conversation was light as they ate and her breath bottled in her chest as the sun set, casting the sky in a ruby and tangerine glow that mirrored the drinks in their glasses. When they were finished, the men cleaned up the table, bringing the plates and boxes inside the house.
“Could we stay out for a while and talk?” Vivienne asked.
“I think I could stay out here all night.” Her sentiment was true. Thalia was full of the delicious pizza, contentment with her companions, and saturated in the showy colors that only nature could produce. As Mason and Iron came out of the house, each carrying a blanket to wrap around the women’s shoulders, Thalia knew her stomach wasn’t the only thing full, but her heart as well.
“Let us know if you need anything,” Iron said, and she felt the weight of Mason’s kiss on the top of her head. The door shut silently behind them, lost in the sound of the rolling surf. For several minutes, they soaked in the music of the waves as they played against the surf.
“Freedom looks good on us, Thalia.” Vivienne’s voice was barely audible, but she felt every word, straight to her heart.
“Are you ever afraid it will be taken away?”
“Oh, yes.” For a moment, the only sound was the roll of the sea. “Iron tells me fear of losing that freedom is always on his mind and in his heart. For him, it’s being free from the addiction that chained him. Slightly different, but still so much the same. When your choices aren’t your own, your decisions ruled by an outside force, there’s so much that stands to be lost. Maybe a little of that fear allows us to truly appreciate the ability to have control and to live how we want.”
“He said you saved him,” Thalia said looking out at the dusky sky.
“Iron fought his addiction long before we met.” The unshed tears in Vivienne’s eyes glistened in the glow of the tabletop lamp. “The thought of him trying to claw his way out, all alone because he’d distanced himself from everyone he cared about, makes me so thankful he’s still here. Still breathing. His strength to remain sober and face his PTSD, to choose a new path and help others…it floors me. That was all him though, not me.”
