I’ll never do that again.
I pull myself up to a sitting position, ignoring how it kills me to do so. Bringing my hands to Mason’s face, I touch him gently and say, “I’m done with making decisions without you. I know it’s going to take me a long time to gain your trust back, but I promise you that from here on out, I’m yours for life, and I’ll spend the rest of it showing you I mean every word of what I’ve just said.”
The Mason staring back at me is the boy I loved as a child. The boy who showed me his hurt when his father wounded him. I’m looking at that same kind of wound, and it pierces my heart. I never want to put this kind of look in his eyes again.
I bring my lips to his and kiss him softly. I can’t manage more than soft, but that doesn’t matter because he knows what I’m promising in this kiss.
When it ends, he gives me his eyes. “I fucking love you, and if you ever try to walk away from me again, I just won’t fucking let you.”
I smile, and it’s from such a deep place within that not even my injuries and the pain it causes can stop how big it becomes. “You are my greatest favourite, Mason Blaise.”
“Thank fuck, because you were always mine too.” He moves off the bed. “Now, let’s see how fucking hard it’s gonna be for you to get ready to go see your dad. I swear, if this hurts too much, I’m not fucking doing it.”
Still smiling at him, because I love him and his bossy, grumbly ways, I say, “I won’t complain about any of the pain. You won’t even know I’m feeling it.”
“Baby, I never hear the fucking end of it when you have a headache. There’s no fucking way I’m not gonna hear about this.”
And just like that, Mason helps wipe away some of my pain. Just by being him. Just by being my man. Just by loving me.
Mason helps me shower and dress, and I only complain about some of it. Every time he gives me that look of his that signals he’s almost reached breaking point of dealing with my pain, I pull back on letting him know how bad it is.
He drives me into the city and escorts me up to Dad’s office. I phoned ahead to let him know I was coming, so he’s waiting for me. And he doesn’t look happy.
“Chelsea,” he greets me after shooting Mason a filthy look. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Your favourite son-in-law decided I wasn’t a good enough wife.”
Dad’s eyes widen. “He did this?”
It strikes me that most fathers would have a far different reaction to their daughter turning up looking like I do. My entire body is covered in bruises. I’m black and blue and swollen. I can’t open one eye. After this, Mason’s taking me to the doctor to ensure I don’t have any broken bones. And yet, my father just stands there staring at me like he can’t quite believe I’m telling him the truth.
“Yes, Dad, Joe did this.”
“Where is he? I haven’t been able to reach him.”
Mason and I haven’t spoken about where Joe is, but I can guess. That’s a conversation we’ll have later, but it’s not a conversation I’ll ever have with my father. “I don’t know. I called Mason after Joe left me beaten in the backyard, and I haven’t seen Joe since.” I straighten my back and shoulders as much as I can and add, “And I don’t plan on seeing him again.”
“You’re married to him, Chelsea. You live with him,” Dad says. “You can’t not see him.”
“And you seriously think I’ll choose to stay with him after he did this?”
He looks between Mason and me. “We have an agreement for that, yes.”
Mason has been standing next to me quietly even though I can hear his thunder slowly building. At what Dad just said, he snarls, “This voids that fucking agreement, Novak.”
I place my hand on his arm and look at him, sending him a plea to let me handle this. Misgiving flashes in his eyes, but he begrudgingly turns silent again.
“I’m divorcing Joe, Dad, and you’re not going to stop me.” He doesn’t need to know a divorce won’t be needed. All he needs to know is I’m done with the marriage.
Fumes of anger billow from my father. “Over my dead fucking body are you divorcing