Chapter Twenty-one
Maria
I’m sitting at my desk trying to focus on work, but my mind keeps drifting back to Mason. He hasn’t responded to any of my calls or messages for two days. What in the heck is going on? A growing sense of unease is filing me, knotting my stomach up. I hate that I feel this way, hate how much he’s grown to mean to me. I’m in love with the man. I’m not sure when it happened, or how, but it’s snuck up on me, and I don’t like not being able to communicate with him.
I’ve told myself I won’t message him again. I’m sure he’s busy. This doesn’t keep me from checking my phone every five minutes though. I’m doing what I despise other women doing. I can’t seem to help myself though. It also makes me feel even worse about my blackout weekend. It really sucks when you can’t get ahold of the person you love without any explanation of why.
I hear heels clicking on the floor, and look up to see Nikki walking into my office. She shuts the door behind her. I’m shocked to see her cheeks pale while she holds her phone. She moves closer.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, instantly concerned.
“Maria, have you read this?” she asks, her voice trembling.
“Read what?” I ask. If someone has come after her, I will hurt them.
She hands me her phone. “There’s no way you look this calm if you’ve read this,” she warns.
I look at her phone and see the article I wrote. I look back at her.
“Of course I’ve read this. I wrote it,” I tell her, confused.
“I don’t think you wrote this ,” she says. I shake my head.
“What in the world are you talking about?” I turned in the article three days ago. It was perfection, showing the brothers clear love for each other, hinting at possible collaborations, and showing what a loving family they have as well as incredibly successful careers, without sharing anything that they wouldn’t want me to.
“Read it,” she demands. She sits back and waits.
I roll my eyes, but then begin reading the article. After the first few paragraphs my blood runs cold. I hold my breath as I continue reading. This isn’t the article I wrote. There is barely any of my words at all in this entire thing. I read it until the end while Nikki stays silent. I then read it again to make sure I just read what I think I read.
This article is a tell-all filled with false information on Mason, his brother, and even his team. It contains personal details and private conversations I’ve shared with Mason but absolutely have shared with no one else. I gasp as my breath finally releases. My heart stays lodged in my throat. Is this why he isn’t talking to me? Does he think I wrote this, that I’ve betrayed him?
“I don’t know what happened?” I gasp. “This isn’t my article.”
“I know it’s not. How did this information get out? How did they switch the article?” she demands. “Have you talked to Mason?”
“He won’t answer his phone,” I tell her. “He has to be furious thinking I’ve betrayed him.” I’m fighting tears.
“This is bad, Mar,” she says.
“I know,” I say. “But I just need to explain to him this wasn’t me.”
“It’s your name on the top of the article,” she reminds me.
“I don’t understand,” I say again. “This is nothing like what I wrote. I have the original article I turned in,” I tell her. “The editors have twisted it all.”
“How did they get this information?” she asks again.
“I don’t see how they could’ve gotten access to our conversations,” I say.
“Is your place bugged?” she asks.
I look at her with horror. “There’s no possible way,” I say. But again, how could they have gotten access?
“Did they hack your phone?”
“That can’t be easy to do,” I tell her.
“Not for someone who knows what they’re doing,” she says.
“I need to talk to Mason,” I tell her.
“He’s got to be thinking this is you. It might be smart to figure this out first,” she suggests. “If I read this article I’d feel utterly betrayed.”
“But I didn’t do it,” I say again. “He’s shut me out before giving me a chance to talk to him. What does this say about him? What does it say about us?” I’m starting to get a little mad. I didn’t do this, but he’s quick to think I did. Is our relationship truly that fragile?
“You’ve got to make him listen,” she says.
“I can’t make him listen if he doesn’t want to. I’ll try to get it fixed, but if he cares so little about me that he’s willing to believe the worst in me, do I want to fix anything?”
“Mar, you guys are made for each other,” she tells me.
“I thought so too.” I let out a sigh as a tear falls down my cheek. “I’m in love with him, Nik, but if he doesn’t love me back, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
She comes up to me and pulls me in for a hug. I cry with her for a few moments. I need to talk to my boss, but this is more important. Maybe if he looks me in the face, if he realizes this wasn’t me, his anger will end, and he’ll know this wasn’t me.
Nikki offers to go with me to his house, but I need to do this on my own. She walks me to my car, and I make my way to his place with a heavy heart. How can things go from so beautiful and perfect to an utter nightmare in a matter of hours?
I arrive at his place, then hesitate before going to his door. My heart’s thundering when I finally get brave enough to step out of my car and walk forward. I knock then wait for what feels like an eternity for him to answer. When it does open the man standing before me isn’t the person I’ve fallen in love with. He’s a stranger staring at me with cold eyes and firm lips.
“What are you doing here?” he asks. I’ve only heard this tone of voice once before, and that was with his ex when he was clearly telling her she wasn’t welcome. I remember thinking then I’d never want that expression and voice aimed my way. Here it is. It feels worse than I could’ve ever imagined.
“We need to talk,” I tell him. “You have to give me a chance to explain. I didn’t write that article. Someone twisted everything I had to say.” The words rush from me as I pray he’ll listen.
He shakes his head as he lets out a humorless laugh. “I’m impressed with you, Maria. You got me to once again let my walls down, then utterly betrayed not only me, but my brother and team as well. You’ve done what no other person has ever been able to do before.”
“It wasn’t me, Mason,” I say again, tears spilling down my cheeks.
“I trusted you. Clearly it was the wrong thing to do. I’m used to being sold out. I didn’t expect it from you, though. But you’re the one who pushed and pushed for this interview. I ignored the rumors about your company. I thought my brother was a completely separate deal from me. I clearly was wrong. We have nothing else to talk about. I want you to leave.”
I try one last time. “Are we so fragile that you won’t even give me a chance?” I gasp.
He again shakes his head. “Women have used tears before, Maria. They used to work, but I’ve grown smarter now.” I see just a tad of the Mason I love in his eyes before he hardens his expression again. This is done. He no longer trusts me. I have nothing else to say. He takes a step back, and then the door shuts firmly in my face.
I stand here for a full minute, a wave of hopelessness washing through me. Slowly, I turn and make my way back to my car. I move down the street out of view of his house before I pull over and let the tears fall. I’m not sure how long I sob in my vehicle before I’m finally composed enough to drive back home.
I have no idea how it all went so wrong, but this isn’t something that will easily be fixed. I think I’m going to have to accept that it’s over with Mason. As far as work is concerned, I can fix that. It’s not going to happen today, but I’ll fix it. Nobody will use my name in this way . . . nobody. Anger takes over my sadness and I head home to make a plan. When all else fails in life I can always count on work. I can always count on fixing what can be fixed.