I swallowed, my throat catching with the action. “You terrify me.” The words were out before I could stop them. The brutal truth.
Mason froze, his fingers still at the back of my neck. “Why?”
I had nothing to lose by telling him the truth. Maybe it would scare him away, and I would have my solution. But the thought of Mason walking away was almost too much to bear. “You already mean too much to me. That gives you the power to destroy me. I’ve been ruined before, Mason. I don’t want to go there again. I don’t want to give someone everything, only to have them break me apart and spit on the pieces. I never want to feel that alone again. If I keep my heart to myself, that will never happen.”
Mason didn’t look away as I spilled everything in my head. He listened. And then he was quiet. “I don’t know how to ask you for a shot when you’ve been through so much. But that doesn’t change that I want it. So, I guess I just have to ask. Take that first step. Just one. We can go as slow as you want, and I’ll meet you wherever you’re at. Just one step.”
I felt a tugging somewhere deep inside. As if my soul wanted that step so badly, it was already on its way. My heart hammered against my ribs, almost seeming to rattle them with its force. The two halves inside me warred for supremacy. But it was the reckless side that won.
I took a single step forward so my body was flush with Mason’s. His eyes flared, the green in them almost seeming to shift to gold. He moved in a flash, taking my mouth in a hungry kiss. I lost myself for a moment, nothing existing but the press of Mason’s body, the feel of his tongue tangling with mine, the way my nerve endings woke with the promise of more.
My phone buzzed in my front pocket, making us both jump. I let out some sort of ridiculous giggle, my fingers flying to my mouth. My lips tingled. “Sorry, I should check it in case it’s Keisha.”
The hearings had started, but Keisha had warned us that staying away until we were required to testify might be the best thing. She was smart and could already tell that my father was using these legal maneuverings to hurt me. She didn’t want him to have that opportunity. She’d told me and Mason that she thought it would increase my dad’s frustration, and that those cracks in his veneer would eventually show in court. Keisha was clearly a master at the legal game, and I was thankful for it.
I slid my phone out of my pocket, unlocking the screen. A text from an unknown number popped up. A photo filled the screen, but even on that small space, it still had the ability to turn my blood to ice. It was of me, walking down the street, Lyla holding my hand and Justin grinning up at me. The text read:Do you really think you’re fit for the role of mother? Wait until your little town knows all of the skeletons in your closet.
“What the hell?” Mason tugged the phone from my hand and unplugged my headphones. He trailed up the text chain, seeing the article I’d been sent earlier. Clicking on it, his jaw went hard. “Why didn’t you tell me someone had been texting you this shit?”
My spine stiffened. “Not that I owe you a report of who has texted me, but I forgot. I was on a call with Keisha when the text came through, and we were dealing with more important things.”
Mason straightened to his full height, and I was suddenly aware of just how much taller he was than me. “I want to know if someone’s messing with you.”
“It’s probably my dad.” Though something about that didn’t sit right. He was far from techy, and I didn’t think he’d be able to find my unlisted phone number. But he could’ve hired a private investigator. If he’d tracked Derek and Jeff down, someone must be helping him.
“I don’t care who you think it is. This is the kind of shit you share with me.”
I took a slow breath, not wanting to let my temper get the best of me. “Make that request nicely, please.”
Mason closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please, for the love of God, tell me when someone texts you something like this.”
“That’s better. Your tone could use a little work, though.”
Mason pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head. “I need you safe.”
“I am safe. Someone’s just trying to mess with my head.”
“They were close enough to take this photo, and you didn’t even notice they were there.”
A chill skittered down my spine. I pulled back to look at the phone. “This was yesterday. When we went to pick up the bench. You were just out of frame.”
Mason studied the photo. “You’re right. Hold on.” He pulled out his phone and tapped a few things on the screen. “Hey, Dante, it’s Mason.” There was a brief pause. “Anna has been getting some weird texts. Can I forward them to you and see if you can trace them?” Another pause. “Thanks, man.”
He did something with my phone, and I heard the whoosh of texts being sent. Then Mason handed the device back to me. “He’s going to try to trace the number.”
“I hope it’s my dad.”
Mason pulled me in close again as if he couldn’t bear even that little bit of separation between us. “Why do you say that?”
“If it’s him, then we’ll have even more evidence for the court.” I’d take any harassment if it meant I got Justin and Lyla.
He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “We’re going to get custody. We won’t stop until we do.”
God, I hoped he was right. But something told me that my dad wouldn’t stop. And I knew how vicious he could be.
23
Mason
