Page 3 of Unfold
I paced continuously while the others sat behind me in the waiting room. The doctors had sent us out of Mason’s room to examine him, but I didn’t have the patience to wait for the news. He had opened his eyes, held my arm, and whispered my name. Soon, I hoped, the doctors would tell us Mason was fully recovered and could go home. I longed to see those wires he was hooked up to removed from his body. He looked so frail with them and nothing like the lively Mason I had come to know.
I felt arms around me and I could tell immediately that they were Jake’s because his heavy, masculine scent filled my nose. It was something I had learned to do, distinguish each boy by their scent. While Jake smelled like wildflowers and rain, Aaron had a lovely scent of roses, and Mason smelled like cinnamon and morning dew.
Melting into his arms, I let Jake hold me and paused my pacing as we awaited any news. I cocked my head to the side and saw my mom was nodding off. Aaron returned with cups of coffee and offered her one. The smile she gave him was both thankful and fatigued. Once again I felt so much anger directed at Mr. and Mrs. Welsh for choosing to attend their socialite events rather than spend time with their sick son. As far as I knew, they were the only family Mason had. At least the boys and I were here for him.
Shifting in his arms, I turned around to face Jake. “Do you think he’s okay?” I asked in a faint, helpless voice, looking to him for some reassurance.
He brushed the tendrils of my hair that had escaped from my ponytail away from my face, before dropping a tender kiss on my lips. “Of course he will be okay. Mason is stronger than you know, Katrina,” he pulled back and said. For once I didn’t feel like kissing Jake back. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I was too tense.
Aaron walked up to us and I immediately fell into his open arms, whilst searching for any sign of jealousy in Jake’s features; I saw none. The boys really seemed to be okay with my indecision, at least for now. I had no idea why. I had seen Jake with Noelle a while back and freaked out because I couldn’t bear seeing him with any other girl. I was sure it must be the same for Aaron and Mason, too. So, I didn’t understand how they seemed unbothered by my feelings for all three of them.
This time, it was Aaron’s arms that wrapped around me. I needed the solace he provided and the embrace was short and tender. Seconds later, I heard footsteps leaving the hospital room and making their way into the waiting room.
Untangling myself from Aaron, I rushed toward the doctor, the boys trailing behind me. My mom slept in the chair, her weariness too deep for the coffee to overcome. My own cup lay forgotten on the tray by the foot of the chair.
“Is Mason going to be okay?” I asked Doctor Francis, getting straight to the point. If there was something wrong, I needed to hear it without beating around the bush.
The doctor scratched his scraggly white beard and placed a hand on my shoulder as he addressed all three of us. “Mr. Welsh is going to be fine. He is fully aware of his surroundings and is quite responsive. That is a good sign that the surgery went well.” At our relieved smiles and laughter, he raised a finger, causing my heart to skip a beat and my happy expression sour. “However, he is still in quite a lot of pain so he must stay here for a few days before going back home. As soon as his pain has become manageable, he will be discharged.”
I nodded, taking in every word the doctor said. At least Mason was awake and would stay awake; that was all that mattered. “Thank you, we really appreciate it.”
“Is it okay if we go and see him now?” asked Aaron as I pleaded with the doctor with my eyes.
He sighed. “Of course, but I should warn you that he is still pretty fragile. So don’t do anything to agitate him,” he said pointedly and we quickly agreed. “I’ll need one of you boys to come with me and take a look at some paperwork.”
“I’ll go,” Jake offered and he left with the doctor.
I asked Aaron to wake my mom and tell her the news. I couldn’t wait any longer to see Mason. I walked toward his room and opened the door gently, not sure what to expect.
The wires were gone - well most of them anyway - and he didn’t look frail anymore. He was pale, but the smile on his face reassured me that my Mason was back. He was sitting up, one hand outstretched for me to take.
I quickly rushed to his side, placing my hand in his. He pulled me closer and captured my lips with his in a kiss that made me crave for more.
He pulled back, our foreheads connected. “Kat,” he whispered.
CHAPTER THREE
The ride to Mason’s house - or mansion rather - was quiet and content. I sat in between him and Aaron in the back seat. My hand held Mason’s tightly, unwilling to let go, while my mom sat in the front seat and Jake drove.
It had taken another week in the hospital before Mason was discharged. Going to school when he was awake had been even worse than when he wasn’t. I barely listened to anything the teachers said and I was pretty sure I was going to fail the calculus test we’d had that Friday, but I didn’t care. All I had wanted was to get back to Mason and be in his arms again where I was sure nothing bad would happen to him. As stupid as it seemed, I did believe that I could protect him by staying at his side.
His grip on my hand tightened when the car jostled, as if afraid to let me go, so I turned to him smiling before raising my head and kissing him with a deep blush. He smirked when he saw the color tinge my cheeks, but did not point it out. My eyes met my mom’s in the car mirror.
I quickly averted my gaze; it was possible that my mom had seen me kiss all three boys and had no idea what was going on. Even I didn’t understand the situation between us. Still, I wasn’t ready to let go of them yet.Was I being selfish?Maybe, but I couldn’t help myself.
We finally pulled up to Mason’s mansion, and the door opened when Aaron leaned out of the window to press a button by the gate.Damn, talk about fancy.I was from a wealthy family too, and my parents enjoyed spending money, but our home had never been so huge and cold. It had been warm and modest.
Jake drove in and memories of the last time I had been in this house came rushing back. A girl had pushed me into the large swimming pool to “avenge” her friend’s death, which she thought I had been responsible for. I had struggled and was unable to swim because of the trauma over my father’s death, whose body had been found in his car and at the bottom of a lake. The next day, I heard the news about the girl’s death, and she had been right, both hers and her friend’s death had been my fault. I had caused it.
I shook my head, refusing to think about one of our close friends, Liam, who had turned out to be a psychopath killer. As if he knew what I was thinking, Mason pressed a kiss to the side of my head, and I instantly felt better.
A middle-aged, average height woman with auburn hair dressed in maid’s clothing ran out of the huge house to meet us.
“I didn’t know you had a maid, why didn’t she come to the hospital to see you?” I asked, and almost instantaneously, the boys shared a look. “What?” I asked, feeling suspicious.
“She was busy,” Mason simply muttered, staring right ahead at nothing in particular.
I scoffed loud enough for everyone to hear. “You don’t know that. You were on a hospital bed, in a co…” I stopped, finding it hard to say the word ‘coma.’ “How do you know she was busy? And even if she was, she could have at least found time to visit you at the hospital.” The woman had reached the car by now, and she had clearly heard me. She lowered her head in shame and guilt. Good, let her be ashamed.
