You Are My Reason - Willow Winters Page 0,63

because she dumped your ass on Madison Avenue?” The question comes with a laugh and he closes the space between us. I already know this is going to end badly; I’m only waiting for the right moment to strike at this point. “What’d you do that had her running out of that car, Mason? You fuck her over too? Just like you fucked—”

I can’t stop what’s started. He shouldn’t have brought up Jules. I can’t control myself when it comes to her.

My fist comes out of nowhere, hitting him square on the jaw and sending him flying backward. Twice in one week I’ve hit a man. And for the second time, I don’t give a shit.

My knuckle flares where the cut from the last punch is still healing and my shoulder screams with pain from the impact. My vision clouds, anger making it redder by the second. Everything rages inside. The anger of her leaving me, the disappointment of my father, the regret of what I’ve done all mix into a deadly concoction. I take two steps forward with my hands up, ready to beat the piss out of him, ready for the fight he obviously wants, but he’s limp on the floor, blood leaking from his nose.

Crouching down, I grip the lapels of his jacket, pulling harder than I should but I can’t stop myself, panic warring against everything else. He’s motionless and unresponsive. I fist his jacket in my hands, shaking him. “Liam!” Dread courses through me. What the hell did I do? I slap him lightly across the face, but he doesn’t respond.

I hold a hand over his nose just to make sure he’s breathing. The warm air confirms that he is. Thank fuck. My body aches as I stand, running my hands through my hair and then down my face as I pace the floor.

I look up to the clock and I only have five, maybe ten minutes before everyone arrives at the office. I lean my forearm against the wall of windows, feeling defeated and like a fucking idiot. This isn’t who I am now. This isn’t the man I wanted to be. I lean all of my weight into the glass. I’m spiraling, all from the mention of her name.

The realization that I just knocked out Liam weighs heavily on my shoulders. The one man I could occasionally refer to as a friend.

I stare at my own reflection as I realize how badly I’ve fucked up.

It doesn’t take long before I decide I need to call an ambulance and I’m very much aware they’ll call the police. I clench my jaw and swallow my pride. It’ll be a fucking spectacle.

He shouldn’t have talked about Jules, though.

He had to know this was going to happen.

Julia

Why do you haunt me so?

You take control of my thoughts,

You consume my sleep.

How do you wound me still?

You need to leave me alone,

I’m not yours to keep.

“It can’t be true.” I only parted my lips, but the words tumbled out without thinking. Sitting around the same small table in the coffee shop feels surreal as I read the article. We were just here not even a month ago and it’s unreal how everything has changed.

“You broke him,” Maddie says somewhat jokingly to try to lighten the mood.

His company, his friendships, his father. I know the tabloids make up a good portion of their content, but the mug shot is something that can’t be denied.

“It’s all dropped and he’ll be fine,” Sue says airily as if it’s no big deal.

The newspaper falls to the table and the faint sound of the paper rustling is all I can hear.

“I don’t understand what happened,” I say, thinking out loud. “He never said anything to me about his father or about the business.”

Sue shrugs. “Sometimes people don’t talk about the things that bother them. He’ll be fine.” How can I not know, though? I shared so much of myself with Mason. I was raw and open and giving of so much of me. I know he did the same. I could feel it between us. It wasn’t one sided. I hid the darkest secrets from him … and he did the same with me. A new form of regret wraps itself around my throat. I should make sure he’s all right like he did for me. That’s an excuse I can use to run back to him.

“Coffee?” Kat asks as she sits down and places a hot ceramic mug in front of me. It’s