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He felt like a selfish bastard for wanting both Ash and Sparrow, because he was in no position to have both of them. He had been lucky as fuck when he found Ash, and although he certainly never thought he would have been in a relationship with a man, or even fall in love with one, that was exactly what happened.
“Can I ask you something?” Her voice was low, and she tried to act like she was busy dressing the wound, but he heard the slight quiver in her voice.
“Yeah, Sparrow, you can.” And he meant it, because Mason didn’t want to hide anything from her, not after what happened. It pissed him off that his little bird being taken had knocked some fucking sense into him, and it made him realize that this chip he carried around on his shoulder was only holding him back.
He couldn’t go back to only confiding in Asher when he felt like it or to keeping even the man he loved at a distance more times than not. He wanted Sparrow, and not just because she was gorgeous and the first woman he had really seen since the infection had spread and he lost her.
Mason wanted Sparrow, because she was the first woman who opened his eyes and his heart and showed him that losing the ones he loved didn’t mean he could never feel again, but that he needed to open himself to the possibilities that were right in front of him. She reached down and grabbed her bag, riffled through it until she found what she was looking for, and set the pill bottle on the nightstand.
“I found some antibiotics at the pharmacy. You’re not allergic to anything, are you?” He shook his head, and she nodded. “Good. I’ll have you take one of these three times a day, just in case. The last thing you need is an infection.” A beat of silence stretched between them.
“My allergies weren’t what you planned on asking me, was it?”
She licked her lips and glanced down at her lap. “No, it wasn’t.” Another second passed before she lifted her head and stared into his eyes. God, her eyes were so blue and pretty. “What does your tattoo mean?” She reached for the tape, tore off one more long piece, and secured it on his shoulder. But before she could move away too far, he reached out and took hold of her hand.
A small noise left her, and he knew she also felt the electrical charge at the contact. He held her hand for probably a moment too long, but her skin was so soft, and her hand so much smaller than his. Reluctantly, he let go or her and rested his head against the pillow.
He might as well start from the beginning, because he eventually planned to tell her anyway. If she was going to be staying with them—and Mason wanted that desperately, and he knew Ash did too—then he needed to be honest with her. This world didn’t need any more secrets. He certainly didn’t want her thinking that he was this big fucking asshole because he liked being like that. She deserved the truth.
“I got the tattoo after my stint with the Navy ended.” He had a few other tattoos on his body, ones he had gotten with his buddies while an active Navy SEAL, ones that were for honor and courage and to remember his fallen brethren. But this one was different and meant something far different. “I was married with a son.” His throat clogged up. The only other time he had ever spoken about this was with Ash, and that had been one of the hardest conversations he ever had.
“If this is too hard to talk about, we don’t—”
He shook his head, stopping her. “No. I want to tell you, need to tell you. You need to know why I am the way I am and why I will always be like this.”
“Like this?”
He scrubbed a hand over his eyes and breathed out. “Yeah, Sparrow. I’ll always be a hardheaded bastard at the best of times. My frustration and anger are a never-ending cycle inside me. I won’t ever be like Asher. He’s sweet and kind, gentle, and will treat you like a delicate piece of china.”
Her eyes were wide, and although he didn’t want to scare her or make her uncomfortable, there was no denying that she had to hear everything. She placed her hand right over his, and his heart slammed against his sternum.
“This tattoo represents life, of what I lost, but what I want to have in the future.” He turned more on his side so she could fully see the tree that covered an entire side of his abdomen. Pushing down the waistband of his jeans, he then pressed his arm across his chest so nothing obstructed her view. He gritted his teeth from the movement and the pain it caused. There was a small sound that left her.
