Black Butterfly

Chapter 13

I slowly treaded over, aware of everything. I don't know why I felt so scared. There was something about this man that screamed, Don't cross me. Don't breathe wrong around me. I finally reached the table and Jo quickly pulled out a seat for me, but my mouth wasn't working enough to say Thank You. 

I almost couldn't meet Mason's stare across the table, almost. When I met those brown eyes I wanted to collapse. Relief, sadness, anger and fear. Almost raw, undiluted fear. I looked at Nick who was right next to Mason, and he tried to give me a reassuring smile, but it didn't meet his eyes. It seemed he had some fear as well. 

The whole table seemed tense actually, except for the red-head. She popped a piece of gum in her mouth and sat back, crossing her arms. The older man looked at me, with deep set brown eyes and hair so dark it was almost black. Suddenly he spoke, 

"What happened?"

I couldn't stop it. It all spilled out. How we'd gone to the club, how when Mason went to go get a drink somebody put a gun to my back and almost kidn*pped me. My voice didn't waver and I didn't cry. And when I finished he asked, "Did he say anything to you?"

"Only to keep my mouth shut and not raise suspicion." I replied. "And then something about, 'The Ark will get her. You'll have nothing left.' That was it." 

Nick ran a hand over his mouth and Olivia's eyes went wide. "Jo, leave us." The man said, and after she scuttled out he looked to Nick:

"Take her home." 

Mason rose to object but the man shut him down. "You will sit your ass down and listen to me, boy." 

He crossed his arms but didn't back down. "Can I at least say good-bye?" 

The man huffed, "Make it quick." 

Both boys walked over to me and led me to the door. Nick turned to me and said, "I'll be in the car." And left us alone. 

We looked at each other. Mason looked behind him. More silence until Mason murmured, "I'll get your stuff to you." 

"Mason, I-" 

"Here." Mason said, handing me a flash drive. "I'll be there for the project." 

"Mason please-" 

"Goodbye Calsy." He interrupted and walked away. 

I furrowed my brows, stung by the informality. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised, he did this to most girls. But he didn't sleep with me. I shook my head, If he can be cold I can be cold too. 

I walked out of the house. I wanted to look back, to run to Mason and tell him, I'm okay. Stop being an ass. But I didn't. I looked forward to the car Nick was sitting in, waiting to take me home. Tears stung my eyes, but I had no idea why. I blinked them away and opened the car door. 

I slipped the seat belt over me. Nick started, "Calsy, I-" 

"Don't. Just drive." 

He shut his mouth and thankfully did as I asked. I looked back up and could swear I saw a curtain rustle, as if someone had been watching but left. I wanted to cry, to break down, but I had no true reason to. I'd been through a lot the past couple of days, but Mason's rejection had hurt the most. 

-

About halfway to my house I finally broke the silence between Nick and I. "Who was that?"

"Our cousin Ivy." 

"I mean the man."

He hesitated, the answered "Mason's father." 

"Oh." I looked down. 

"Calsy, I'm sorry. About everything." 

"It's not your fault, Nick."

"I mean about Mason. He-" Nick paused. "His father sees weakness. Can smell it like a wolf to meat."

I only nodded.

"You know he was worried." 

"What?"

"He was frantic when called me. He was distressed." 

"He was?" A bit of hope filled my chest but then I heard the icy goodbye again and it was smothered. 

"Calsy, he likes you."

"Sure as hell doesn't seem like it." 

Nick shot me a sympathetic look. I didn't want sympathy. "I'm sorry Calsy." Was all he said, and that was the end of the conversation.

-

When we pulled into my driveway but I didn't want to get out. I didn't want to answer the questions my mom probably had waiting for me. I had to come up with some good lies and fast. I mumbled a quick, "Thank you." to Nick and got out of the car. 

He didn't leave until I got into the house, and probably stayed a bit after that. I didn't question it. My mom wasn't home, Grocery Run her note said, and Anthony was also at a friends. I managed to pull myself up the stairs and just about dropped down right there. I almost fell asleep in the bathtub, the scalding water relaxing my muscles. I kept my left arm out, but scrubbed it down.

I sat there in the tub and realized I hadn't set up Mason's part of the project. I didn't want to leave the haven of the tub but unfortunately grades were more important. I opened my computer and plugged the flash drive in. There were only two files on it, one labeled: 

Get To Know Me 

And another labeled:

For later.

The second one didn't make any sense to me, so I ignored it. I looked back at the other file. I didn't want to open it, to look at it. It almost felt to personal. It could all be fake, I thought, He could've lied about everything on here. But somehow I knew it wasn't true. I knew Mason wouldn't do that. He couldn't, not to me.

I stared at the file for what seemed like hours until I finally gathered the courage to open it. 

Some of the information I knew, but most of it I hadn't known. It was deep personal feelings. Dreams. 

Memories. 

It was his reality. 

It was hard to look at, to read. Nobody knew any of this. 

Except me. Some childish part of me didn't want to share, wanted to keep these parts of Mason to myself. It was definitely more than I needed. Another part of me wanted to show people how wrong his appearance it. 

I kept some of the things on a separate file on my own computer, things I didn't want anyone else to know. Some of the things I kept on the project. 

As I was putting the final touches on the presentation, making it look like mine, another slide appeared at the bottom. 

It was about me. 

All the memories that we had shared. It brought tears to my eyes. He had taken the time to leave a slide for me, even through not talking to me.

As I went to sleep that night, I texted him. 

Me: Thank you. 

He didn't respond.