Chapter 18 Mason
Mason
I stretched out on my side, watching Thomas sleep.
He’d passed out on my bed after an intense make-out session that left me wanting more.
Now I was too amped to sleep. It was exactly how I felt the night before the Super Bowl, both excited and nervous about the next day.
Even though we were fully clothed and exhausted, I wanted to commit his words to memory from our kiss in the rain.
There was no way I could stop smiling, much less sleep after that.
He inhaled deeply, then opened one eye. I smiled as his mouth tipped up. “Why aren’t you sleeping?” he whispered, reaching out to run his hand through my hair. My eyes closed, wanting to savor and memorize every touch.
“I can’t. Every time I close my eyes, my brain goes right back to you. And I’m too excited.”
Thomas’s soft chuckle made butterflies swarm in my stomach. “As much as I love knowing I affect you that way, you’ve got to sleep, Champ. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
He was right, but I wasn’t concerned about Axel any longer. I wanted the other word. “I like the other name better.”
Thomas leaned closer until his lips met my forehead. “You prefer sweetheart?”
I opened my eyes as his palm cupped my face while his thumb skated across my cheek and lips. I loved him touching me like that. “Yes, that’s the one. Makes me feel special.”
His eyes were heavy. “You are, Mason. If I promise not to disappear, will you try to sleep?”
I sighed. “Can I hold you?”
His face lit up like I was the most precious thing ever. “Absolutely. How do you want me?”
My cock stirred, making an untimely appearance. “That’s a loaded question. Are you a side sleeper?”
“I can sleep sitting up, thanks to the military. You learn to catch z’s whenever you can. How do you sleep?”
I breathed deeply. “On my side.”
“Would you rather I hold you?”
The butterflies did their thing again. “Yes, but I think I need to spoon you to make my brain shut off.”
“Done,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss me lightly on the lips.
I wanted more of that, but he was tired.
When he turned over, he scooted back until we were in the middle of the bed.
Reaching behind me, I pulled the quilt over us as I nestled against him, wrapping my arm around his middle.
Thomas laced his fingers with mine and released a contented sigh, making my heart squeeze.
I drifted to sleep, happier than I’d ever been in my life.
The next morning, we woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Rolling to my back, I reached for it on the nightstand. Axel’s name flashed across the screen.
“Good morning,” I croaked into the phone.
“Morning. How did you sleep?”
I looked over at Thomas. “Like a rock,” I said, yawning. “Are you finished with your meeting? I don’t even know what time it is.”
He chuckled in my ear. “It’s almost ten. I stepped out to check on Mum. Perry said she was having a good day if we wanted to come by.”
My gut clenched at the thought of meeting her. Before I passed judgment, I wanted to hear her side of the story. People with money could get anything they wanted. I just hoped she hadn’t chosen that over me.
“Mason?” Axel called.
“Yeah, sorry. That sounds good. What time are you thinking?”
“I should be finished here about one, so let’s say two. Will that work?”
I looked over at Thomas and held up two fingers. He nodded.
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Later, Brother.”
Axel ended the call as I turned to look at Thomas. “Two o’clock. She’s having a good day.”
He smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes. There was a sadness there I don’t ever remember seeing. “Are you prepared that she might not remember you?”
I hadn’t been, but I knew it was a possibility. “I hope she’ll know me. If she doesn’t, then… I’ll deal with it.” I ran my hand over my face. “I’m in this weird headspace, caught between what I feel and how I think I should feel.”
“What do you mean?”
Looking up at the ceiling, I tried to explain it.
“She’s my mother. I should love her and feel a connection, but I don’t.
Her absence from my life doesn’t hurt because I never had her to begin with.
Melinda was all I knew. It leaves me more numb than anything, which makes me think if she doesn’t remember me, it won’t hurt as much as my father keeping it from me. ”
Thomas reached for me, and I went into his arms eagerly. “It’s going to be okay, either way.” His touch reassured me I wasn’t alone.
We had breakfast and went for a run around the neighborhood. The cloudless sky overhead had to be a good omen, and when we arrived later that afternoon, I was sure Thomas and Axel could hear my heart beating.
“Is this where you grew up?” I asked Axel as I took in the white brick cottage. The walls were draped in Ivy, with a small garden. It was beautiful.
“No,” he said, following my gaze. “I bought it for them a few years ago. It was a better location for her, and for Perry.”
I needed to pay for half of this, too. But before I could mention it, the door opened. A kind-looking man stood with wide eyes.
Axel took over introductions. “Perry Jones, this is Mason. And Thomas Kingsley.”
I extended my hand. “Nice to meet you, Perry. Thank you for allowing us to stop by.”
He smiled kindly at me. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mason. You boys really are identical,” he mused. “Come on in. She’s in the den.”
As we entered the foyer of the house, Thomas stopped to greet Perry, while I followed Axel.
Perry put his hand on my shoulder when he passed me as he entered the room.
I stopped in the hallway to look at the wall filled with photos.
I watched as he leaned down and spoke gently to her.
“Shannon, Axel has arrived and brought someone for you to meet.”
Axel gestured for us to follow. When she came into view, her back was to the door. Axel looked back over his shoulder. “You ready?”
I nodded, all of a sudden tongue-tied. He squeezed my shoulder and smiled before he walked into the room. “Mum,” Axel said, entering the room. “How are you today?”
I watched as she turned to look at him. He circled in front of her and held out his hands. She stood as he took her in his arms. “Axel, sweetheart. What are you doing in London? I thought you were in Germany.”
He cut his eyes to me as he hugged her. “I was,” he said, pulling back. “But it’s the offseason. I have to return in a few weeks. Pre-season training and all.”
She looked at him and patted his face. “That’s nice, son. Perry and I love to watch you play.”
“I know, Mum. Listen, I have someone for you to meet. He’s come a long way to see you.”
“Really?” she asked. “Who would want to meet me?”
Axel’s eyes met mine when he motioned for me to enter. When she turned and looked at me, it only took a moment for her eyes to fill with tears as she covered her face. Thomas’s hand went to my back, urging me forward.
“Mum,” Axel said, gently, “do you know who this is?”
Her tears streamed down her face as she stepped forward. “Mason,” she whispered, “is that really you?”
Relief pushed away my anxiety as I smiled and walked to her.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s really me.” My voice broke on the last word as she reached for my hands.
I folded her in my arms as she cried. All my life, I’d wanted a mother to treat me like she loved me.
Two seconds with Shannon, and I was where I should have been my entire life.
Axel looked on with a smile as she clung to me. “I didn’t know you were going to wreck her, baby brother,” he teased. “She’s never cried over me like that.” He smirked as he held out a box of tissues for us to use.
Without looking, she swatted at him, still unable to speak as she pulled some tissues to wipe her eyes.
His perfectly timed humor did the trick, giving us a moment to get ourselves together.
She sat down on the sofa next to her husband, and I took a seat across from her, beside Axel. Thomas moved to my other side.
“And who is this?” she asked, her eyes rolling over Thomas.
I introduced him to her, still unsure how to define who we were to each other, other than friends. I watched her eyes drink Axel and me in, side by side, taking in every nuance and feature. “Do you still live in Connecticut?”
Maybe it was irrational to be hurt that she hadn’t kept up with me.
I wanted to think my father kept her apprised of my life while they were involved.
At the very least, all the important things.
Yet she had let me go. “No ma’am. I live in California.
I play professional football for the San Diego Storm. ”
Her smile grew. “I should have known you’d be an athlete like your brother. Tell me about your life. Are you married? Do you have children?”
I tried to smile, but the overwhelming sadness of my life settled over me. “Not married, and I don’t have kids. Football has been my life. But I have good friends and two sisters I adore.” I looked down at my hands clasped together. “And now I have Thomas.”
He slipped an arm around my waist, grounding me further. She smiled at him, then turned her attention back to me. “What about your parents?” Her eyes were hopeful. “I’m sure you’re close to them, right?”
I chuckled, humorlessly. Lying was an option, but my life had been so consumed with secrets that I couldn’t do it anymore. “No, ma’am. I was close to my father for a long time, until a few days ago when I found out about Axel.”
Her eyes filled with tears again. Was she concerned about my relationship with him? “Not your mother?”
I laughed and wiped my hand over my beard.
“No. She favored my sisters.” It wouldn’t do her any good for me to tell her how my life had been.
Hopefully, she didn’t need me to spell out how Melinda treated me.
Anyone looking in could see I had money and any material thing I could ever want.
But the one thing I really needed was sitting across from me.
Her hand went to her cheek as her face crumpled. “It’s my fault. He promised me you’d be loved and cared for. And he would return to me.” She looked frantic as she reached for Perry. “I never should have agreed to that. But he promised you would be fine.”
Anger licked a fire up my spine for everything my father had stolen from me.
Feeling my mother’s love, growing up without my brother, and living a life where I felt like I belonged.
I had to remind myself that my rage would get us nowhere, so I pushed it down and tried to smile.
It was obvious she’d suffered enough, and even though she had played her part in this scheme, I couldn’t stand to bring her more pain. It wouldn’t change anything.
Leaning forward, I held out my hands to her. When she took them, I spoke softly. “I’m so sorry he did that to you. I can’t imagine how difficult that was, and I don’t blame you for the choice you had to make. But if you could, I need to know what happened from you.”
Another stream of tears trailed down as she agreed. “My memory is not the best, but the things I regret most in my life have stayed with me. I suppose that’s my punishment.”
My automatic reaction was to soothe her fears and reassure her that it would be okay. But I couldn’t promise that yet. When Axel saw where we were headed, he stepped in to stir things up.
“So Mum, how did you meet our sperm donor?” Axel deadpanned.
Our mother released my hands and stiffened her spine. She shot him a look that told him to behave. “Maxwell, I understand very well how you feel about your father.”
He grunted and rolled his eyes. “Just call it as I see them.”
“Be that as it may, he’s still your father. He loves you.”
Axel scoffed. “He loved me so much that he did what was best for himself. Not me. Not Mason. And sure as hell not you.” My brother was indignant about the topic, making me regret that I’d asked the question. But Thomas’s hand landed on my back again, rubbing soothing circles over the fabric.
Perry stepped in with a comfortable ease as if he’d been mediating this discussion for years. “Okay, you two. While I agree with both of you, let’s keep in mind that we only have Mason with us for a short time. Let’s focus on him. Shall we?”
I nudged Axel. “Relax, Cujo.”
He zme back, but the moment I saw the smirk on his face, I knew he was okay. “Who the bloody hell is that?”
Thomas snorted as I chuckled. “Never mind. Let’s not crash the nets the first five minutes, okay?”
He grunted, but enjoyed my analogy as I turned back to our mother. She was smiling as if seeing us for the first time. And in a lot of ways, she was.
“Can you tell us what happened? Axel said you wrote me letters, but I want to hear it from you first. If that’s okay?”
She sat back against the cushion and shredded the tissue she still held. Allowing herself to feel it all again, a tear slipped down her face as she told us the story.