He handed me back my phone. “Lunch?”
“Sure.” I wasn’t hungry in the slightest, but I could force some food down.
We climbed out of the SUV and headed for the kitchen. I began pulling things out for turkey sandwiches. I didn’t stop moving. If I stopped, the last five hours would hit me like a freight train. Instead, I washed lettuce, sliced tomato, cut thick slabs of my favorite sharp cheddar. I layered honey mustard on bread.
Hands landed on my shoulders. “Anna.”
“I’m almost done. I just need the turkey.”
“Stop.”
“I’m almost—”
Mason spun me around, concern lacing his features. “Talk to me.”
My hands balled at my sides as if keeping them locked tight would keep every emotion bottled up, too. “Hard day.”
“I know.” He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I’m sorry my sister made it so much worse.”
“Mason, you can’t cut her out of your life.”
He blinked down at me. “I thought you’d be relieved.”
“I’ll never be relieved by something that hurts you.”
Mason brushed the hair away from my face. “Don’t worry about me.”
“This is a two-way street. I don’t think it’s possible to care about someone and not worry about them.”
His expression softened, and he brushed his lips against mine. “Always feeling for others.”
My hands fisted in his shirt, and I tugged him closer to me. “I’m serious. She’s your entire family. I don’t want you to lose that.”
“I won’t. She will come around eventually, but I can’t have Juliette acting the way she is now. I won’t have her around you like that. Justin or Lyla, either.”
“It’s not like I want her over for family dinner, but you should still see her, talk to her. Maybe she’ll soften over time.”
He stared down at me. “Do you honestly think I could bear to be in the same room as someone who would say the ugly things she said about you?”
“Mason,” I whispered.
“I can’t. It’s like I don’t even know her anymore.”
“You do. She’s just…going through something.” And she was spoiled. Mason had always let Juliette have her way. But it seemed as if that might be changing.
He stepped out of my grasp, pacing the kitchen. “That might be true, but it doesn’t justify her behavior. I’ve never known Jules to be cruel for no reason. Especially to someone who’s important to me.”
“Have you introduced other people who were important to you to Juliette?” I didn’t know much about Mason’s dating history. I didn’t want to know. The thought of him with someone else made me want to vomit.
He stopped mid-stride and turned. “I dated, but there was never anyone serious enough to introduce to her.”
“She feels threatened and she’s lashing out.”
“Hell,” he muttered. “There are better ways to deal with it.”
“I know. But you need to give her time.”
He moved into my space, boxing me in against the counter. “I’ll give her time, but she doesn’t get to take her anger out on you.”
