Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
Mase
Two weeks later…
Nina Anderson is the flightiest woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I’m at one with the fact that I will spend the rest of my life fighting against the tide to keep her with me. Because I love her.
“You’re making a big deal out of this,” Charlie tells me from his spot on the weight bench. “She’s been at your place every night since Lowerwick.”
“Are you still pussyfooting around this? Just ask her already,” Elliot says, grunting as he does another bicep curl. His eyes follow the brunette who coincidentally needed to walk around the rigs to get to the treadmills.
“Shut up, dick.” I whip him in the gut with my towel. “You have no idea what it took to get her to move in the first time.”
“What did it take?” Elliot asks, dropping the weight to the rack and smirking as if he already knows.
I wish it was as easy as sex. “I took her to Paris.”
“Oh,” Elliot says, disappointed.
“Charlie’s right, Lowell. I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Lance tells me, stepping up to us and swiping his brow with a towel.
“Is it too soon?” I ponder. “It doesn’t feel too soon, and we’ve never been good at going slow.”
“You have a kid together, of course it’s not too soon,” Elliot mutters, running his fingers through his blond hair. “It’s Nina, mate. You’re not moving on, are you? So just get on with it already.”
Nina
I’m almost finished washing up when Lucy and Megan come bouncing into my apartment. Their faces are bright and excited, and I frown as they approach me. “Why do you look like that?” I ask, placing a saucepan into the cupboard.
“Look like what?” Megan smirks.
“Like you have a secret up your ass.”
They look at each other. “Maybe we do.” Lucy’s grin is so wide, I’m surprised it doesn’t crack her face.
Lucy’s wearing white jeans and a powder blue silk shirt, her heeled ankle boots making her a good foot taller than me. My eyes flick to Megan, noting her suede skirt and polo. “Where are you going?” I ask, trying to figure out if I’ve missed something.
“Megs, go get Ellis.” Lucy bounces on the spot, pulling an envelope from her clutch.
“What’s this?” I ask, watching as Megan skirts off down the corridor. “Megs, don’t wake him up!”
“Shh! Open it,” Lucy fusses.
I shake my head, pulling open the seal.
Angel.
I need you to bear with me here.
I ask that you follow the clues to each location.
I’ll make it worth your while.
M
My forehead creases as I look up at Lucy. “What’s this all about?”
She shrugs, but the look on her face tells me she knows exactly what it’s about. Megan rushes up next to her, eagerly looking over at the note in my hand.
“You opened it already?!” she complains, readjusting a sleepy Ellis on her hip. He looks around at us, confused.
“Turn it over!” Lucy tells me.
I flip the paper.
Where lay the keys is where she found her passion.
“Eh?” Megan wrinkles her nose, not understanding.
I look at Lucy, unsure. “My old studio?” I guess.
A smile takes over her face. “Come on, Vin is waiting, and you need to get changed.”
Lucy dresses me in what she considers the perfect outfit—yoga pants and tank.
The thought of going to the studio has my stomach twisting.
I have no idea what Mason has planned, but I presume this is all part of his elaborate ‘date’ he is yet to give me.
I’m excited but extremely apprehensive as I slide into the Audi.
“Hey, Vin. You going to tell me what’s going on?” I ask, leaning in and kissing his cheek.
“Nope.”
I roll my eyes and pull on my seat belt. Megan has taken Ellis back to hers. Apparently, it’s all a part of the orders she was given. “Well, I hate this. I don’t want to be a brat but it’s the worst kind of a date.” I wring my hands in my lap, hating not knowing what’s going on.
Lucy and Vinny both laugh, eyeing each other in the mirror. “Go with it, love.”
We pull up to my old studio minutes later, and instantly I feel a pang of sadness as I look up at the new signage. Lucy jumps out of the car, her excitement not slowing her down. I look over my shoulder at Vinny when he places a hand on my shoulder.
“I know he wanted this to be a surprise, but he doesn’t always think things through before he does them—”
“Vin.” I sigh, my nerves ramping up with his admission.
“Just remember that he only does what he does to make you happy, that’s his only driving force. Do one thing for me today, please?”
“What?” My stomach twists at the idea of what he might’ve done.
“Remember that you deserve everything that comes to you. You’ve worked hard, you’ve endured more than you ever should have—the both of you.” He gives me a reassuring smile. “And you’re entitled to what he wants to give you.”
My eyes well as Vinny’s words sink in, and I twist in my seat to pull him into a tight hug. “God, Vin, I’m scared.”
“You shouldn’t be. I’m thrilled for you.” His eyes hold so much sincerity and pride it makes a warmth spread through my entire chest, giving me all the confidence I’d need to take on the world.
“Thank you,” I mumble into his shoulder. “For everything.”
“You don’t ever have to thank me.” He nods to Lucy who is waving her hands at me through the car window. “Go on.”
I step from the car and walk to the gym doors, frowning when I see that the inside is under construction.
“It’s going to be a bakery! It was a printing house for most of last year but then it sold. If it has a café, we’ll have to check it out!” Lucy pulls out a set of keys, unlocking the door.
“You have a key?” I ask, looking around, feeling like a criminal for no reason.
She grins at me over her shoulder as she rattles the key in the door. “You have a man who knows how to get what he wants,” she tells me, grasping me by the hand and pulling me through the door.
I swallow past the lump that seems to be lodged in my throat as I follow her up the steps at the back of the room.
I should be excited—it’s my studio. But something in my gut makes me hesitant.
It feels tainted. Everything about the studio was a twisted lie, and I never had a chance to come back here. It was ripped out from under me.
“You’re sweating!” Lucy frowns, swiping her thumb over my brow and wiping it on her jeans. “Trust me, okay?”
I nod. My teeth ache as I clamp them together. I peek around the door as she starts to open it.
“It’s exactly how I left it,” I murmur, walking past her and into the studio.
“Here.” She holds out another envelope. “I’m not allowed in. I’ll wait downstairs, okay?”
She leaves the room and I chuckle as I take it all in, my eyes not knowing where to look. What on earth? My gaze falls on the bay that once housed Ellis’s piano. It feels cold and empty without it. I miss the days—and the nights—I spent here.
I tear open the envelope with shaking hands, unsure where this is going.
With so much regret came new beginnings.
A new space to find her passion.
But first, she deserved one last dance.
A tear slides down my cheek. I always knew Mason was sorry about the studio. It wasn’t ever his fault; he just didn’t handle the situation right in the moment. So much happened here, so much I will never ever forget. I’m proud of what I achieved in these four walls. Everything I built for me.
Looking around the room, I spot a speaker in the corner.
Dropping my head back, I inhale a deep breath, trying to stop the emotions from spilling out of me.
Sliding out of my shoes, I pick a song and let it drift into me.
I take the closure I never knew I needed as tears pour down my face, hope and excitement driving me to move not only around the studio, but forward, towards a new beginning.
I feel lighter when we step out the doors and onto the street. I let the fresh air blow through my hair, whipping away the last of my ties to the building at my back.
“Do you know where you have to go next?” Lucy asks, looking over at me.
I squint my eyes as I think, then check the note again. “A new space to find her passion.” I look at Lucy, her brows popping as if it’s obvious.
“Come on.” She grabs my arm and tugs me towards the Audi. “You can figure it out on the way.”
Five minutes later, we’re pulling up outside of the gym. “Here?” I smile.
“Yep. Here.” Lucy snorts, climbing from the car.
Vinny chuckles in his seat, not looking at me. “What?” I ask.
He looks at me then away again, focusing on the windscreen. “I’ve said enough.”
I’m not as slow with my steps as I head towards L&M, linking my arm with Lucy’s and pushing into the reception.
“Hello, ladies!” Gemma greets us with a face-splitting grin.
“Hey!” I go to stop and chat, but Lucy forces me past her. “We can catch up after. Sorry, Gem!” I yell around the staircase. “Luce! What’s the rush?”
“I’m excited,” she admits, quite literally buzzing at my side.
I shake my head, following her through the gym and over to Logan’s office. “Ahh, here she is.” Henry’s smirk is arrogant and knowing.
“You’re in on this too, aren’t you?” Is there anyone who doesn’t know what’s going on besides me?
“Maybe.” He chuckles.
“Is it safe yet?” Lucy asks Logan who’s leant back in his office chair.
“Sure is!” He nods to me, a pleased look on his face.
“You ready?” Lucy asks, her shoulders bunched.
“No,” I say, honestly. We’re going upstairs, and the thought of what he’s done terrifies me. Lucy guides me from the room and lines me up in front of the stairs that lead to the room above the gym.
“Go for it,” she tells me.
I pull open the door and instantly notice the light that shines in the stairwell. “Lights!”
“Lights?” She laughs all goofily, and it sparks so much excitement inside of me. “Oh girl, you just wait.”
Not wanting to wait a minute longer, I run up the steps, throwing open the door. “What the fuck?” I stop on the top step.
My stomach bottoms out, tears springing to my eyes and falling quickly.
“Why are you crying?” Lucy panics.
“Are you serious?” I splutter. I’m pretty sure I now have snot on my face.
“You hate it?”