Mason (Carter Brothers #2) - Lisa Helen Gray Page 0,56

it over, and I know for a fact my life would have been better if she hadn’t been in it.

“I don’t have proof, but I swear your mom cut those brakes. The front of the car took most of the hit and Katie died. I barely made it out of there alive myself.

“When we came home from the hospital I couldn’t walk, so your mother had to take care of me,’’ he whispers looking ashamed. “She didn’t treat me well when I was in her care and because of the depression of losing Katie and nearly you, I just let her do what she wanted. I felt like I deserved it when Katie had just lost her life.

“I questioned your mother about the car. I told her that I’d leave her as soon as I was better when she said to me, ‘Charles, look what happened the first time you left me, you wouldn’t want Denny to die next would you?’ It was then I realised I needed to stay, too scared to get on her bad side.’’

“Why did you let her treat me the way she did then? No... Why did you treat me the way you did?’’ I snap, starting to feel angry with him. All those years he was in a loveless marriage, one where he could have gotten away. He could have just taken me away as soon as I was old enough, but he stayed, letting her torment me that much more.

“I was scared of what she would do to you.’’

“I’m eighteen, dad. It’s taken you eighteen years to tell me all of this? Why tell me all of this now? Why couldn’t you have taken me away from her? And why did you ignore me for all these years?’’ I cry, tears running down my face.

“I didn’t want her to have more ammunition to hurt you. Whenever I paid you attention as a kid it caused her to be cruel to you. The further I pushed you away, the more she left you alone.’’

In a way he’s right, she ignored me for the most part, but then there were days when she would be so cruel I questioned her reasons for having me. Now I know why.

My father’s money.

“You’re a coward,’’ I snap on a sob.

“I’ve left her,’’ he cries on a whisper. “I won’t live without you in my life Denny. I can’t. All I’ve lived through, all I’ve had to stand back and listen to has been to keep you safe, to keep you in my sight. I was so scared that one day she would take you away and disappear. She threatened me on so many occasions to do it, and I knew she wasn’t lying.’’

“Why leave her now?’’ I question, wiping the tears from my face, ignoring the stares aimed at our table. If I look I know I’ll run and I need answers.

“Because I have nothing to stay for now you’re gone. I need you in my life Denny.’’

“So why has it taken you until now to leave her?’’

“I needed to know you were safe. I needed to make sure that you had people to protect you when I couldn’t.’’

It all feels so surreal. I know my mother is a bitch, but to hurt her own child... okay, I do believe she would. I don’t know why I questioned it really; she’s never cared about anything other than herself and my dad.

“And am I?’’ I ask, rubbing my stomach where my baby girl wiggles, kicking out inside of me.

“Yes. She’ll be leaving by the end of the month. She has nothing left for herself here now that I’ve taken all the money she would have gotten from the divorce. I offered a one way ticket out of here and we’ve got an agreement that if she leaves quietly, I’ll buy her a house wherever she is going.’’

“None of this feels real,’’ I mutter, resting my face in my hands.

Harlow’s hand reaches for my leg under the table, her gentle touch soothing my raging hormones.

“What will you do now? Where do we go from here?’’ I ask, wondering how we can repair our relationship. That is, if what he is saying is the truth. “And how can I know this is the truth and not your way of being in my life?’’

“It’s true girl, your dad asked me to be a witness for his will. I read the terms of his contract and I questioned him about copies of the