40. Chapter 40
Cameron
My bed was unbearably empty as I stared at the ceiling, listening to the rain pattering on my window.
It was so gloomy outside that it barely looked like morning, but the clock on my nightstand said it was just before eight a.m. That meant for the first time since Dale captured me all those years ago, I slept in .
I knew I should be up and helping the kids get off to school, I also had a couple pieces of farm equipment waiting in the old barn for me to fix them up. But, I couldn’t force myself to move. For the first time in over two decades, I was free .
That was a thought I could barely wrap my mind around.
Dale was actually done with me. When I skipped church on Sunday, I thought for sure he’d pop up at the house.
But he never did. That meant I was free to enjoy the last few weeks of Mason’s pregnancy.
I was free to hold my baby in a few weeks and watch her grow up. I was free to–
“What do you mean you don’t want to come to the ultrasound tomorrow?” Mason’s sadness carried through the oak door separating us.
And that was my sign to finally get my ass out of bed.
I tugged on the pair of gray sweatpants on my floor before heading toward Mason’s voice .
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to go,” Lucian said, frustration leaking into his words.
“You said you had other plans.” Her voice cracked. “You had other plans last week.”
From how close they both sounded, I was pretty sure they were arguing right in front of my door.
“And I did , just like I do today.”
A sick feeling filled my stomach as Mason whimpered at Lucian’s words. I thought the two were getting better. But, it seemed like Lucian would never learn how to stop letting Mason down.
“You’re supposed to be my husband .” Her voice grew weaker, trembling at every single inflection. “You haven’t even been alone with me since last week. Now you don’t want to go to see our baby?”
I’d all but forgotten about their engagement. And, honestly? If I was her I’d call it off. It wasn’t like they were already married, and right now, she deserved better.
My ear pressed to the door as I waited for Lucian’s response, silently praying he wouldn’t say anything stupid.
“Rosie isn’t my baby. She’s Cameron’s.”
Oh my God.
Mason’s shocked gasp pierced my ears and my heart skipped a beat. Instantly, I opened the door so fast I was a little surprised I didn’t tear it off its hinges.
Lucian and Mason both looked shocked as they turned my direction. The tears collecting in the corners of Mason’s eyes damn near killed me. She looked between Lucian and I, suddenly seeming a little embarrassed about being seen like this.
Her breathing stuttered as she squared her shoulders, but even that gesture didn’t prevent her from looking small.
Lucian threaded his fingers into his hairline as he used his thumb to rub his temple.
For the past few days, he looked like he was on death’s door.
He was pale, sweaty, and constantly shaking, but today he had a little color back in his cheeks.
Still, he lacked a certain spark in his eyes which let me know he wasn’t entirely himself.
“Look, that came out wrong,” he said.
Mason wiped her tears with the sleeve of her sweater. “Then how was it supposed to come out? Because that seemed very clear.”
I had the opportunity to let Lucian dig his own grave if I wanted. In my eyes, nothing he could ever do would make-up for him risking Mason and Rosie’s life. But… Mason loved Lucian, and I was a better man than him.
“Sweetpea, I still don’t think he’s feeling well.” I stepped between them and put the back of my hand to his forehead.
He was cool as a cucumber.
Lucian melted into my touch slightly, and I yanked my hand back.
“You’re burning up, you need to go lay down,” I lied, hoping to save Mason’s feelings.
He closed his eyes as his shoulders slumped before he pulled away. I’m sure he would have thanked me if Mason wasn’t at our heels. But, I didn’t save his skin for him.
When Lucian walked into his room, Mason let go of the torrent of tears she’d been denying. She buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook so violently I worried she’d pull something.
I tried to step closer but she swatted me away like she genuinely couldn’t stand the idea of me touching her right now.
“Mae, I—“
“I hate you,” she sobbed.
Every muscle in my body went stiff. She realized she was talking to me and not Lucian… right?
“I beg your pardon?”
Her eyes met mine as fat tears slipped through her freckles. She’d been crying a lot recently, and Seb constantly reminded everyone in the house that Mason was hormonal. It wasn’t her fault, and she wouldn’t always be like this. That didn’t make the raw edge in her voice any easier to swallow.
“ I hate you ,” she repeated, this time with conviction.
And, that made it hurt more. But, years of dealing with Lucian had made me skilled when it came to dealing with misplaced rage. Between that and knowing her mind was wired a little differently than mine, I wasn’t even upset at her for saying something so hurtful.
“I ain’t gonna tell you not to say that. I just want to know why.”
My question seemed to cause her tears to dry as she stared at me. Her expression rested in the gray area of anger and despair, and I wanted to scoop her up in my arms and make everything wrong in the world just go away.
“You can go ahead and speak. I ain’t gonna yell,” I soothed.
Her reddened eyes narrowed into a dirty look. “You don’t get to comfort me right now.”
“...Do ya want me to yell?”
Her glare intensified, but under the surface I could sense she was struggling with her emotions. Somewhere in her mind was probably a tug-of-war between wanting my understanding and her desire to lash out at me. Either way, I’d accept her with open arms.
After all, against every odd, Mason was the woman to give me my life back.
Before now, I’d never even dreamed that I’d actually become a dad, that I’d have my happily ever after.
With her around, I didn’t have to morph my wants and goals into what would fit best with Cameron Cole’s agenda.
Instead, even if I’d rather die than be called my birth name, I could be–
“ Calvin Waters .” Mason said my name with the anger only a mother could. “You don’t get to just be perfect! You have a fake name–”
Instinctively, I clamped a hand over her mouth. But, just as quickly as I’d done that, the little brat licked my palm.
I yanked my hand back, wiping her saliva onto my sweat pants.
While I was distracted, Mason parted her lips.
But, while I’d actually let this girl get away with murder if it came to it, this would never be a conversation she and I had in the middle of the house.
So, I did the only thing I could do, and picked her tiny ass up like a caveman would.
I made sure not to hit her belly as I manhandled her into my arms before forcing the two of us into my room.
Once the heavy oak door I had barely just emerged from was once again sealed, I planted her squarely on the ground.
That’s when the second part of her sentence soaked in, rendering me unsure which part to tackle first.
Mason called me perfect .
The thought made me stand a little straighter, a little prouder even. For a second, I considered kissing her cheek and thanking her. But, I quickly realized that would have been the wrong move.
“That ain’t a hallway conversation,” I warned.
“Why not?” she challenged. “It’s who you are.”
My lips pressed into a thin line as I realized she was right. Just not completely.
“It’s who I was ,” I whispered. “Only you, me, and Seb know about that, and that’s the way it needs to stay.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t go around parading the fact that I was abducted by a cult?
” Did she even need to ask that? Probably not, but that wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have.
Instead, I wanted to focus on what she had just said moments earlier.
“Mae, with everything you know you’re more than right to hate me… You do hate me, right?”
Something about hearing those words made her shrink in on herself. She looked down before reaching up to toy with the bottom of her hair.
“I don’t think hate is the right word.” Her accent seemed thicker, and I wondered if that was intentional on her end.
“Then what is?” I closed the small gap between us, resting my hands on her shoulders.
A nervous squeak escaped her as she looked up again.
“You ain’t afraid of me, are ya?” Honestly, any sane person would have been.
She shook her head. “You said you’d never hurt me.”
And I wouldn’t. As long as I was breathing nothing was allowed to touch Mason. And, if anything tried, I’d bring the wrath of Hell with me.
“Look, I ain’t upset you know. But, that needs to stay between us.” I gestured from her to me. “Because you’re the only one who knows, and I want it to stay that way. ”
“You just said that Sebastian knows too ,” she added matter-of-factly.
“He don't count.” Not in the way I wanted him to, at least. “Mason, you need to promise that you won't tell anyone else what you know.
Sebastian probably already had her promise something similar. Still, I couldn't be too careful with something like that.
She hesitated a moment before nodding.
With that out of the way, I could turn back to more important matters. My hands trailed up her neck, cupping her chin as I forced her to hold my gaze.
“Now, why on earth would you ever think you hated me?”
“Because all of this is your fault.” She answered me with confidence, but that didn’t mean I understood her.
“What’s my fault?”
Mason gestured wildly to herself and then vaguely to the direction of Lucian’s room.
“For the last month, Lucian has been the one to go to my appointments with me. And if I wasn’t pregnant, there would be no appointment for him to miss,” she elaborated.
…Was that it?
For a second, I considered reminding her both Seb and Sophia would gladly go with her, then I remembered our conversation in front of the bookstore.
She didn’t like feeling like I pushed her off onto other people…
and, Dale wasn’t an issue for me anymore.
Plus, I really wanted to see Rosie’s little face for myself.
“I can go with ya,” I offered.
She blinked and all traces of anger vanished. “You… What? You’ve avoided my appointments like the plague.”
I let a small smile fester on my lips as I shrugged. “You said you were worried I’d end up like your dad. This is my promise that I won’t. So, can I come with ya?”
Mason gave me two small, short nods.
“Now, do ya still hate me?”
“No,” she sheepishly admitted .
Her tone was softer now. I didn’t particularly like hearing my old name, but I wondered what it’d sound like if she said it right now.
“Good. ‘Cause you’re stuck with me for at least the next eighteen years.” I pulled her into a hug, her soft shuddering breath warmed my chest as the tension in her shoulders dropped.
“I just feel lonely,” she murmured against my skin. “Lucian’s been weird. You and Sophia have been focused on him.”
“You have Seb,” I reminded her.
He’d been pretty much stuck to her like a tick the last few days. The more I thought about that, the weirder it seemed. Didn’t he have a job to do or something?
“I have four partners. I deserve variety,” she whined. “My life is too short for me to not have amazing sex.”
Her protest caused me to chuckle. That complaint was a cute one, but it wasn’t sure if she was actually serious or not. After a moment of consideration, I realized she was right.
Mason usually had sex more often than most people brushed their teeth. But, since Lucian’s bullshit started, I hadn’t touched her and neither had Sophia.
“If I toss you on the bed and fuck you right now, will that make it all better?” I laughed, only half joking.
She paused like she was actually considering it.
“No. I want foreplay.”
I couldn’t believe we were actually having this conversation. But, my one job right now was to keep the mother of my child happy.
“You tell me exactly what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”