Page 40 of If You Could Only See
I wasn’texpecting her voice to sound so strong andresolute when she said, “If you have, even anounceof respect for me, you’ll let me walk out thisdoor and not subject me to anymore of your father’s verbal abuse,Mason.”
Well, fuck me.
What the fuck was Isupposed to say to that?
I didn’t wantto let her go, but she wasright. She didn’t deserve to be subjected to the venom my fatherwas emitting. My brothers and I were used to it, but shewasn’t.
Or worse,she was.
Either way, shewas right, and she didn’t need to be here for this. “I’ll call youlater. After your shift,okay?” Shane just nodded, and I stepped back to let herleave.
She was halfwayout the door when Aiden’s voice reached her. “Do you need aride home?”
Without lookingback at him, she shook her head. “No, thank you, Aiden,” sherepliedand then shut the doorbehind her.
The second thedoor clicked shut; I knew Ihad fucked up.
I should havetold her all about my family and its fucked-up dysfunction. I should have gone after herfreshman year and said to hell with my father and BuchananIndustries. I should have done a lot of shitdifferently.
I couldonly pray now that she’ll hearme out and forgive me my stupidity.
“You went afterher mighty fast for someonewho doesn’t matter to you, Mason,” my father said, his voice smug,as if he won some side bet or something.
Iturned to him and I had neverfelt hate for another human being as I did in that moment towardsmy father. “No matter who or what she is, she didn’t deserve yourscorn,” I pointed out.
He justshrugged a shoulder. “Can’t say Icare, son.” He headed towards the same door Shane just walkedout of. My father took a second to stare each of us down beforesaying, “Now that that’s taken care of, I expect the rest of you tohave learned something from this. Either get your dick sucked by aprofessional, or at least a girl of good breeding.” And then he wasout the door before I could murder him.
It wasn’t afull minute before Michael lost hisshit. “What the fuck, Mason?!How could you just stand there and let him talk about her likethat?!”
Gabejoined in. “Yeah, Mase, whatthe fuck was that all about?”
I ran myhands through my hair and justpulled.Fuck! Fuck!Fuck!“He blindsided me,” Ianswered, pathetically.
“And, so, what?” Aidenasked. “That’s reason enough to let him talk to her like that?Talkabouther like that?”
I knew Aidenwas pissed, and I didn’t blamehim. “No! No, it’s not, but…fuck!”
And then I knewI was really fucked when Gabriel voiced his disapproval. Gabriel was always loyal to us,no matter what. “You should have left her the fuck alone, Mason,”he seethed. I looked over at him and I knew he was struggling. “Wetold you she was special. We warned you,” he reminded me. “Youshould have left her the fuck alone and let her give herself tosomeone who would be man enough to choose her.” He crossed his armsover his chest before delivering the final blow. “She’s beenrejected enough times in her life, Mason. She didn’t need toexperience it again fromyou.”
Gabe’s aim wasperfect and deadly. I just stood there staring at my brothers knowing I fucked up beyond asimple ‘I’m sorry’. But Gabriel’s words, though true, weren’tenough to make me walk away from Shane. “She’s mine, Gabe.” Ilooked at all my brothers and said, “She’s fucking mine. And I know I fucked up, but that doesn’t changeanything.”
“It’s not us you need toconvince, Mase,” Michael said, calming down.
“She doesn’tget a choice,” I snapped. “And fuckDad. I’ll do this without him or his money, if I haveto.”
“Mason, you need togo after her,” Aiden advised.
Ishook my head. “I can’t.”
“Why thehell not?” Gabriel barkedout.
“Because she’s going towork and I know how important work is for her,” I explained. “If Ishowed up and caused a scene or got her fired, then I’d really befucked.”
But I had afeeling I was already wayfucked.
Ifailed my first test where she wasconcerned.
Iwasn’t sure what I was going to do ifshe didn’t forgive me.
