“Mom!”Sky gave her a pleading look. “I don’t need it to be vivid, I just need the truth.”
“That’s it, as far as I know,” she replied and looked around for Mason.
He had reappeared in the foyer behind her, in a fresh pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt. “I don’t know anything else. Except that Nana said there was at least one—or possibly two—other children Lance may have fathered,” he added carefully. He raised his hands, glancing between Sky and Adele. “That’s all I know, I swear.”
“There you have it,” Adele declared with an irritated huff. “You know all of our family’s darkest secrets and his name is Lance Gifford. Are you happy now?” she asked Sky.
“No…” He shook his head, not sure why she would think he would be happy. “I don’t think I ever want to see you again or step foot in our house or Sutton House ever again.”
“Ha! So I’m the villain in all of this?” Adele spluttered angrily. “Lance had plenty of opportunities to tell you. Your father could have told you during any of his endless lectures. Nana could have told you.Hecould have told you,” she said as she pointed at Mason.
Sky’s face twisted. “How many of our messes is Mason going to clean up? I’m not even sure if telling me was a good thing but you…” He flailed wildly, overwhelmed as questions and memories clogged his brain and his synapses misfired, causing his skin to prickle as he started to sweat and his ears rang. “Why would you do this to me? I don’t feel good,” he said and reached for Mason.
“I was never going to tell,” Mason growled at Adele. He rushed to the sofa and sat next to Sky and put an arm around him.
“Okay! I’ll delete the pictures and we can forget this ever happened!” She swiped and tapped, then held out her phone. “See? They’re gone! Calm down, darling,” she said in an attempt to comfort Sky but he held her off. “I didn’t think you’d take this so poorly.”
“You didn’t think—? I don’t want to see you right now.”
“But… Darling, we don’t have to make a big deal about?—”
“Can you just go?” Sky begged, his head pounding harder than his heart, making him dizzier and angrier.
“You should go, Adele. Give him some time,” Mason said softly, but firmly enough to make her nod and leave. He rocked Sky and shushed soothingly. “Let’s go upstairs so you can pull as many pillows and blankets over your head as you need to. I have some Jell-O in the pantry, and we have the house to ourselves for the night. You can cry and scream as loud as you want,” he added as he helped Sky to his feet and guided him to the stairs.
“Sex first, then screaming, then Jell-O,” Sky said as they climbed.
“Whatever you need.”
They didn’t talk as Mason led Sky upstairs and to his bedroom. The sex was just as hard and fast as Sky needed and he was able to lose himself in the rhythmic bliss. He floated fora few brief minutes, his senses honed in on the slamming of Mason’s body into his and the waves of pleasure rippling from his core. Sky came harder than he had in months, harder than he had since…the last time Mason fucked him. As soon as Sky caught his breath, he ripped off the condom and ordered Mason to come all over his face and tongue and lick him clean.
“How are you?” Mason asked after feeding Sky Jell-O and coaxing him into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. He helped him into bed and massaged the rest of the tension out of Sky’s system.
Sky stared at the ceiling, an arm draped across his brow, and considered. His body was loose and he was no longer shaky and filled with pressure, like a soda about to explode. “Better, but I’m still going back to the city tomorrow. I can’t be here now, and I can’t do this again.”
Mason sat up and turned toward Sky. “Are you mad at me because I didn’t tell you? Part of me wanted to, but I had no way of knowing how badly Adele would blow up once you found out. I was afraid she would do more damage than help,” he explained in a quick babble.
Sky held up a hand. “I understand, and I promise I’m not mad.”
“Why do you have to shut me out again? I know it doesn’t change anything, but I’m done seeing other men.” Mason reached for Sky’s hand and gave it an urgent squeeze. “I know this won’t fix anything, but I’ll come to the city whenever I can get a night away. And you can stay here with us when you want to get away from the city. You can just see me and Sina and Sam. You don’t have to see your mom or Sutton House.”
“No, Mase.” Sky shook his head, but he didn’t let go of Mason’s hand. “I can get past whatever happened at Sutton House and still love it because of Nana and all the time we spent there, but I don’t want to be Stewart and Lance, 2.0.”
“We wouldn’t be?—”
“Yes. We would be exactly like them, and it wouldn’t be long before we started hurting other people with our lies. Think about how bad this would be for Sammy if it got out that his dad and his uncle were having an affair.”
“Fuck!” Mason pulled Sky’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “We’ll figure something out before it comes to that. I love you, Sky, and Iwantto be with you. I’d give anything if there was a way to do it without wrecking everyone’s lives.”
“I know,” Sky said with a sad laugh. “It’s why I love you, and it’s why I have to end this. No matter how much I want you, I can’t have you, and this will only cause me more pain and hurt the people I love the most.”
“Sky, please.” Mason was crying as he covered Sky’s hand in kisses. “I’ll find a way if you’ll just give me time.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’m going back to the city tomorrow, and I won’t answer your calls or your texts. I have to let you go and move on. I’ll figure out something with Sarina and Sam once I get my shit together.”
There wasn’t much to say after that. Mason held onto his hand for at least an hour, whispering apologies and offering impossible solutions. Eventually, he gave up and used his lips and his fingers to make Sky come again before they passed out in each other’s arms. Sky woke as the sun was rising and slipped out of bed without waking Mason, but he caught Sky in the living room as he was putting on his sneakers.
“At least let me make you breakfast before you go,” Mason begged as he leaned against the wall, looking sleepy and so adorably pathetic. All Sky wanted was to tangle his fingers in Mason’s messy, chestnut waves and feel the weight of his body pinning him to the bed.
