Chapter 25 Anna/Mason—Shakespeare and Tiger Woods
Anna
Anna hadn’t seen Mason since Sunday morning, choosing instead to go straight to her dad's. James was sympathetic and furious at Mason. He didn’t own weapons or even a sports bat, but he had greeted her car in the driveway with a shovel in his hand in case Mason had followed her.
Shane dropped in nearly every day, and while she felt her dad thought she may be rushing into things, she could tell he genuinely liked Shane.
The two bonded over their military experiences and James respected his strong work ethic.
Mason had been blowing up her phone since Sunday morning, but she hadn’t responded.
She knew he was too much of a coward to come face her father, so staying with James was like her oasis.
After a blessedly Mason-free and Shane-full week, Anna returned to her old home to gather her last things.
Rosa and Mel had been kind enough to pack most of her stuff, but she wanted to do a final sweep.
She’d thanked her two amazing friends profusely, but Rosa insisted that being in the house with Mason was its own reward.
She’d worn her “Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater” t-shirt, which she’d bought specifically for Thanksgiving at her dad and Pauline’s house, while packing Anna’s things, and completely ignored Mason when he tried to talk to them.
When she finished packing, she sat on the living room floor (after telling Mel loudly that the sofa was too stinky to sit on), drinking champagne from Mason’s favorite coffee mug, blasting Short Dick Man from her portable speaker while Mel danced.
Mason must really be down in the dumps because apparently he didn’t even try to antagonize Rosa, and that was his favorite hobby.
Mel said he just slumped into a kitchen chair and looked at his hands.
Her friends had dropped off her belongings at James’s house, complete with her beloved Barnabus in a cat carrier. James wasn’t really a cat person, but even he was pleased to see the grumpy floofer.
Fun times. Anna pulled up at the house, noticing his car in the drive. Was he working anymore? She entered the house and began walking around but didn’t spot anything she wanted to keep. He could keep it all. Who knows what other furniture he had defiled.
“Anna, it’s good to see you,” Mason said in a small voice as he came out from the bathroom.
“Can’t say the same thing,” she replied blandly, rifling through drawers in the kitchen counter. She hadn’t seen her expensive knife set yet and that was one thing she wouldn’t let him have.
“I am so fucking sorry. I don’t think there’s a man on Earth who’s sorrier than me,” he said, lowering his head.
Anna spun around.
“Why, Mason? And for how long? Wasn’t I enough? When did you realize it was about the money?”
“I didn’t, I swear. I would never have taken your money. I got myself into a stupid situation and didn’t know how to end it. By the time I realized, I was in so deep. I was in debt, and she was threatening to tell you,” he said in a soft voice, his words hurried.
“How long?” she demanded.
“Four months,” Mason admitted. “But there was a lot of flirting in the month leading up to that. And I can’t tell you why.
I wish I could. I was flattered, I guess.
I don’t know. I never thought I loved her.
I told her I did, but I didn’t mean it. I mean, I really thought I liked her, I found her attractive, but it’s the biggest regret of my life.
I knew I loved you. I don’t know why I . ..”
Anna stood and stared. He placed his hands on the counter.
“You brought her here. Into our home. I’ve seen the video and all the texts. By the way, your nudes need some improvement. No woman wants to see a photo of a limp dick. Debatable if they even want to see a photo of a hard one. And she was faking for sure.”
He winced.
“She came over here once. And the sofa stuff ... the time I ... what you saw on the video was all we did here. It was that one time on the sofa.”
“Am I supposed to thank you for that? Don’t you dare try to minimize what you did, here or anywhere else. And be a big boy. Use the words. You ate out another woman on our sofa while I was at work.”
Mason looked at the ceiling, blinking rapidly.
“I saw who she really was, how ridiculous and contrived our whole relationship was—”
“It wasn’t a relationship, Mason. It was an affair.
Own it. And what do you mean, you saw who she really was?
Even if she was Mother fucking Theresa in Angelina Jolie’s body and your destined soulmate, what you did was fucked up.
You hurt me, the person you supposedly loved.
You proposed. I never asked you to. I never rushed you.
The fact is, if she had been a Mother Theresa/Angelina hybrid, you’d have left me.
You’d have left me and taken my grandparents’ money.
That makes you a complete asshole. A heartless piece of shit,” she spat.
Maybe I'm not completely over the anger stage?
“Okay, it was an affair,” he winced at the words. “I agree. I’m a piece of shit. But you say ‘loved’ in the past tense. I still love you. I made mistakes, huge fucking mistakes, but I love you. I’ll do counseling, I’ll sign a prenup, I’ll do anything. Anything but walk away from you,” he pleaded.
“That’s a shame because walking away from me is the only thing I want from you. And I notice you never responded to my statement that if she was worth it, you’d have left me,” she said.
He put his head in his hands. “I wouldn’t have. I don’t think I would have. I don’t know. I’m a fucking mess.”
“How much debt are you in? Is that why you need me?”
"40K, plus interest.” He hung his head. “But no, that’s not why I want you. Yes, I would have used your money to pay back the loan, but I’d never have taken half. I never planned to leave you.”
“You’re a damned fool, Mason. You spent $40K in four months?
How did you ever think I wouldn’t notice that?
Get some help. I’m not saying that to be vindictive.
I’m saying that because a man who goes into that level of debt to invest in an ego boost needs help.
You never went into debt for me, nor did I expect you to. You need therapy.”
“I’m going home to Mom’s. She is furious with me, but I’m going to change. I’ll come back to you a better man,” he promised.
“Don’t come back at all,” Anna said in disbelief. “I don’t want you. I’ll never want you. Better yourself for you, Mason, but don’t imagine for one second I’ll be here waiting for you.”
“It’s him, isn’t it? Shane?”
“Yes and no. Yes, I’m with him now, but we’re taking it slow. And no, I don’t need an external reason to not ever want you back. I’d be alone for the rest of my life rather than be with you. Shane is a beautiful part of my life, but he’s not the whole happy ending.”
Ah! Knives located. She took the knives out of the drawer and Mason took a step back.
“Relax Tiger Woods. I’m not angry enough to stab you. I’m barely angry at all anymore. Been there, done that. Time to move on,” she said.
“Tiger Woods? I don’t like golf,” he said, confused.
“No, but you’re a fucking cheater.”
He looked at the floor, rising up on his toes and then rocking back on his heels.
“I’m outta here. You can have all the furniture. Sell it to pay your debts. Don’t imagine the sofa will sell for much though,” she retorted.
Anna reached into her purse and pulled out a small box, placing it on the bench as she left the kitchen.
“Sell the ring,” she said, not unkindly. “Pay some of your debts so Marla doesn’t have to put up with you for longer than she has to.”
As she strode to the front door, leaving her former life, she felt strong. She felt whole. She didn’t even turn back when she heard Mason’s sobs. It was over.
Mason
All my bridges are now burned, he thought. He’d lost Anna. Forever. She wasn’t coming back. She could barely be bothered speaking to him. Her flat tone hurt more than her words. He apparently wasn’t even worth her anger anymore.
He stared at the ring through his tears, remembering when he had proposed.
His whole heart had been in it, and that hadn’t ever really changed.
That was a problem. Anna was right. How could he love one woman so much and mess around with another on the side?
Ego. Pure ego, vanity, and pride. If he was honest with himself, he’d known that from the start.
His pride had come before Anna. He’d opted to self-medicate for his own insecurities rather than prioritize the woman he wanted as his wife.
He wished that the Incredible Hulk had at least punched him that day in the car park. He deserved some physical pain.
He looked at the ring again. There is no way he could bring himself to sell it. If he still had the ring, he still had his link to Anna. He’d keep the ring, he decided. He’d rather sell his car than sell his last connection to Anna.
He was reminded of his mother’s favorite Shakespeare quotes. It was really about alcoholism, and Marla had often quoted it to Uncle Colin, but it also fit him and his stupid pride:
To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast!
A fool and a beast indeed.