Page 32 of If You Could Only See
I could feelspikes of anger needling at me. “I expected you guys tonot think I’m a piece of shit whogets off on hurting females,” I spewed.
“We know you’renot like that, Mason,” Gabriel chimedin, looking regretful. “It’s just that…”
He trailedoff, and I suddenly felt outof the loop. “It’s just what?”
“Shane’sspecial, Mase,” Michael pickedup where Gabriel left off.
I couldn’t control myscowl. “I know she’s special. Why the fuck-”
“No,Mason. We mean she’sspecial,” Aiden added this time.
What in thefuck?
I crossed myarms over my chest and demanded, “One of youmotherfuckers better start explaining what you mean,and you better do it fast.” I knew Shane was special. I couldn’tpinpoint what it was about her, but she called to everything that Iwas. I was very aware of how she made me feel and how special thatmade her in my eyes. But I had no idea what point my brothers weretrying to make.
Michael let outa deep sigh. “I know you don’t seeit like we see it, because you’re in love with the girl andall, but that girl has a broken soul, Mason.”
I knew that.Evenif I hadn’t known abouther childhood, I knew Shane felt deeply.
“Yeah, andbecause she’s yours, that makes her all of ours toprotect and heal,” Aidenadded.
“Andthat means protecting her fromevenyou, if we have to,”Gabriel informed me.
Michael’snextwords kept me from goingafter Gabe. “Mason, Shane’s strong, but she is one hiccup away fromshattering from whatever is weighing on her soul. Anyone can see itif they just took the time to look into her eyes andsee. She’s beautifully broken on the inside and the factthat she’syours, just makes herthat much more exceptional to us.”
And just likethat, all my anger dissipated, because they were right.
I knewthatShane grew up in fostercare. The second I knew she was it for me, I had a thoroughbackground check done on her, and while it told me a lot, it hadn’ttold me everything. She may have suffered evils that hadn’t beenlogged on the report. I was counting on her opening up about herlife, eventually, but the guys were right. Until I knew what I wasdealing with, she needed all of us.
Before I couldconcede, Aiden was following up on Michael’s point. “She’s thefirst and onlygirl to meansomething to you, Mase. That means guys and girls, alike, will begoing after her. We’re going to have to make sure she’s strongenough to stand up to how catty the girls are going to be and howforward the guys will be. She’s going to have to know thatweallhave her back.”
“Shemattersbecause she’syours, Mason. And she will be the one to test whatwe’re really all made of,” Gabe chimed in.
Theywere right. Girls would bejealous or try to use her to get to us, and guys were going to becurious about what’s so special about her that she got me to cometo heel.
But, more importantly,Gabriel was right about her significance in our lives. She wasgoing to be the catalyst that would determine my future and, inturn, determine theirs.
Myfatherwas going to lose hisshit when he found out about her, and if it happened before wegraduated, it would shift everything.
Shanewasspecial. She was an extraordinary kind of special.
I hated theidea of lying about her and trying to keep our relationshipa secret, but I knew my demon of afather and I knew him well. If he couldn’t control me, he had noconscience about trying to control me using Shane. I could see himthreatening to ruin her chances at a degree or making it hard tofind a job after graduation. He possessed that much money and thatmuch power.
“Yeah, okay,” Irelented.“You guys are right.She is…fuck...”
Michael clapped me on theback. “It’ll be okay, Mase.” He jerked his head at Gabe. “We’regoing to go get some last-minute shit before school starts onMonday. Do you guys need anything?” As soon as Aiden and I said no,the twins took off.
“You know thatfact that she was a virginchanges shit, right?” Aiden asked.
All I could do wasnod. “I know, Aid.”
“She has noexperience with assholeshitting on her, Mason. We-”
Ipierced my brother with aheated glare. “I’ll kill anyone who touches her,” Ihissed.
And Iwould.
And I knewthey would, too.
