Where Would I Be Without You - By CJ Hawk Page 0,52

had his jaw tense and his eyes glaring came through quite clear on how he felt.

"Are you always this short tempered with everyone in your life?" He said it with the same tone I have heard myself use a time or two on people I have run out of patience with. I knew he was referring to the fact that I jumped in and defended him, briskly with a curt tone at his parents' house. Now that I had time to replay my tone of voice towards his father and family, not to mention the few nasty words I said on the car ride home that Sunday, I had not exactly come across as a southern belle, more like a bull in a china shop puffing out steam.

Either way, that did not change the fact of how confused I feel at the moment. I was not about to accept the 'story' he was giving me about naked 6D. He could go find himself another woman that was a bit more reserved than me. I don't need some Johnny come lately fly by night sexy as hell man who's good with his hands and has a brain on him that will make him the president of his father's corporation one day. I don't need a man like him if he thinks I'm crazy enough to share him with 6D.

Something in me steeled hard, with all the anger of things gone wrong in my life, my mother's constant disapproval and nagging, and the need to just feel as if I fit in with his family when I really should not have met them that early on in our dating. As I felt the anger rise within me, I directed it at Mason, even though it was the last thing I really wanted to do. "I think I need more than just a short break from you Mason. I need a permanent one."

He glared at me with hurt, then his whole face went cold; he looked distant and aloof. "Nice. Have it your way." He took a deep breath and then let me in on what happened with 6D. "Just so you know; I was taking a shower when Sarah broke into my place and surprised me naked. If you watched a moment longer, you would have seen me push her off me, then insist she leave my apartment. However, something tells me you don't want to hear the truth; you just want to jump to conclusions. And that goes for my family. They are truly sorry by the way." He turned and walked right out of my apartment without even closing the door behind him. At least four neighbors were in the hall standing just outside my door staring the direction from which I stood and Mason just left.

He was already down a flight of stairs before Ms. Handly, the old lady who lives two apartments away from me shot off a smart-aleck remark. "Even with my hearing aid turned down, I can hear you all the way down the hall. Keep it up princess and I might start selling tickets to the show."

I heard some mumble from Mr. Miller from the other direction down the hall, as he spoke loud enough so Ms. Handly could hear over her turned down hearing aid. "That girl has some growing up to do. Might do her some good to get married and pregnant."

Nice. That comment stung. With Marion and Carl pregnant, and the front-runner for potential mate just storming away, I was now thirty and nowhere closer to where I wanted to be in life at twenty-nine. I seem to have followed in my aunt's footsteps of crazy chaos and party poopers instead of getting my act together.

I stared at my neighbors, and then decided I had enough. I slammed my apartment door shut and practically ran into my bathroom where I slammed and locked the door shut. I doubted he had a way to unlock this door. Although, he is the super for both buildings and he probably could unlock every door in the place, including Sarah from 6D.

Now that he has stated with what he says is the truth, I didn't see us working this thing we had going on. I guess if he had stayed in my apartment and announced his love for me and begging for my forgiveness, I might have believed him. As all that sank in, it did not take me but a minute to have myself into