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“I just have a question before we go,” Zach said, staring down at his hands for several seconds before he went on. “Do you love him?”
Her head jerked back in surprise. She considered his closed-off expression before saying, “I don’t know how you want me to answer that.”
Zach lifted his head, forcing himself to meet her gaze. It looked like it took monumental effort. “I just want you to tell me the truth.”
Hoping this wasn’t a huge mistake, she said, “Yes, I do. More than I ever thought possible.”
He let his breath out with a soft sigh. “I’m glad. Because I’m positive he’s in love with you.”
Heart thumping madly in her chest, she asked, “Are you sure?”
“Oh, come on. He literally drove you to New Mexico.”
Addison blushed. “Yeah, okay. Fair.”
“Since having him for myself isn’t an option, I just want him to be happy.” He gave her a watery smile. “He’s happier now than I’ve ever seen him. So I’m glad you feel the same way.”
Relinquishing their table to the teenagers, they headed back out into the cold.
Addison barely even felt it. She was in a sort of a daze, practically floating along the sidewalk to Zach’s car.
Mason loved her.
And she was sick and tired of wasting time.
CHAPTER 20
Mason
What a fucking week. After abandoning Tara for the emergency trip to the wildlife center, he paid extra special attention to his most loyal guest for the rest of her stay. Luckily, she felt so fucking good by the time Saturday morning rolled around, Wednesday’s fiasco was long forgotten.
But that meant he hadn’t been able to do more than send Addison an occasional text for the last few days. Given how succinct her replies had been, he had a feeling she wasn’t too pleased about that. Time to head to the kitchen and start making it up to her.
He rounded the stairs into the back hallway just as Jonathan came out of the study. The head Dom stopped in his tracks, regarding Mason for a few seconds before a determined look firmed in his eyes. “You have a minute?” Jonathan asked.
Mason nodded. Addison’s shift didn’t end for another twenty minutes anyway. “I actually wanted to talk to you, too.” He followed his friend into the study, shut and locked the door behind him, and settled into one of the leather armchairs.
Pouring them each two fingers of scotch from one of the decanters on the sideboard, Jonathan handed him a tumbler before claiming the chair opposite.
“Can I please say something before you tell me all the ways I’ve been fucking up?” Mason said, setting the drink on an end table without taking a sip.
Surprise flitted across Jonathan’s features, but he didn’t even try to deny it, instead gesturing for Mason to continue.
“I’m sorry. It’s probably deeply inadequate to say that, though I hope it’s at least a start.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I haven’t handled things particularly well for a while now, but I had no idea why until recently, so I couldn’t figure out how to fix it. None of you should’ve had to put up with my bullshit. I just hope you can all forgive me in time.”
Jonathan’s hard, determined look melted away, concern bringing out faint wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. “Are you willing to talk about it now that you know?”
Staring down at his hands, Mason didn’t answer at first. Could he talk about this? Telling Addison had felt like lifting the weight of the world from his shoulders, but this was Jonathan for Christ’s sake. The only concrete detail he’d ever shared with the man was that he no longer spoke to his family because they were assholes.
But Jonathan had been the one to convince him to find a therapist back in their California days. He probably already knew a lot more than Mason gave him credit for, in fact. The man was far too observant for his own good.
With a sigh, Mason said, “I never told you how alone I felt when I was a kid. But I’m sure there were signs.”
Emotions Mason didn’t know how to name flashed through Jonathan’s eyes. “You want to know what I thought the first time I met you?” he asked, a slight catch in his voice.
“Oh God, do I?” Mason tried to chuckle, but it came out more like a strangled groan.
Jonathan’s answering smile was kind. “I thought you looked like you believed it was you against the entire world, and no matter how shit the odds were, you were going to make damn sure you came out on top.”
