Chapter11
940 Words
CHAPTER ELEVEN – THE BREAKING POINT
Mason Kingston had made a mistake. He never made mistakes, never let his guard down.
He had kissed her.
And worse—he had liked it.
No, liked wasn’t the right word.
He loved it. He didn't know who he had become anymore.
He had lost himself in her.
The taste of her lips, the heat of her body pressed against his—it had shattered every wall he had spent a lifetime building.
And that was unacceptable.
He just couldn't let a woman have so much power over him.
For her safety,and his sanity.
But Valerie Grey wasn’t just another woman.
She was his weakness.
And in his world, weakness got people f*****g killed.
Mason pulled away so suddenly that Valerie nearly stumbled forward.
She caught herself, blinking up at him in confusion. “Mason?”
He stepped back, breathing hard, his expression unreadable.
He hated the look in her eyes.
"That shouldn’t have happened," he muttered.
Valerie’s brows furrowed. "What?"
His hands clenched into fists. "This. Us. It can’t happen."
Something in his voice made her stomach drop.
Somewhere or some part of her knew he was going to do this.
But she decided to trust him. She wanted to trust him,and she wanted him to trust her as well.
She took a step toward him. "Mason—"
"Don’t."
The single word was sharp, cutting through the space between them.
Valerie froze.
He lied to her. He told her he wasn't going to push her away. And now he just did.
He turned away, running a hand through his hair. His body was tense, like he was at war with himself.
But she wasn’t going to let him run from this.
Not again.
"You kissed me," she said quietly.
Mason let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. "I know."
She scoffed.
"And now you’re pretending it didn’t happen?"
Silence.
“You said you weren't going to push me away “
Silence.
“Mason”
Valerie’s chest ached. "You can’t keep doing this. Pulling me in, then pushing me away."
Mason turned, his dark eyes unreadable. "Yes, I can."
Valerie’s breath caught.
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "Why? just give me a good reason why, just one reason.”
Mason exhaled sharply, his gaze flickering with something she couldn’t place.
Then he spoke.
"Because you mean something to me."
Valerie’s heart pounded.
That should have been a good thing, right?
“That's a good thing right?”
No answer.
But the way he said it—like it was a curse—made her blood run cold.
She spoke again.
"And that’s a problem?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Mason’s jaw tightened. "In my world, caring about someone is a death sentence."
Valerie swallowed hard. "I can take care of myself."
Mason’s smirk was bitter. "Not against men like me."
Her stomach twisted. She didn't like what was happening.
He always did this, push people away.
She should have been angry. She should have fought back.
But deep down, she understood.
Mason Kingston had spent his entire life surviving.
He didn’t know how to hold onto something without destroying it.
And that realization shattered something inside her.
"You think you’re protecting me by pushing me away?" she whispered.
Mason didn’t answer.
Because they both knew the truth.
He wasn’t protecting her.
He was protecting himself.
Mason turned toward the door, his shoulders rigid.
He hated himself for making her feel this way.
The look in her eyes. No, he wouldn't care. She had to leave.
"Go to bed, Valerie." His voice was quieter now, but no less firm.
She stepped forward. "Mason—"
"That’s an order."
Her breath caught.
He was back to his old tone. The one she hated so much.
Because that was the difference between them.
She had been starting to believe this was something real. Something more.
But to Mason, this was just another thing he could control.
Just another fight.
Just another war he had to win.
Valerie’s hands trembled at her sides.
She wanted to scream at him. Shake him. Make him see what was right in front of him.
But instead, she just exhaled. She wasn't going to push this any further.
She would just give him one last chance.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me," she said quietly.
Mason’s muscles tensed.
He didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Then, slowly, he turned to face her.His expression was cold. Emotionless.
She couldn't recognize him again.
And when he spoke, his voice was steady.
"I don’t want you."
Her heart shattered.
Not because she believed him.
But because she knew how much it had hurt him to say it.
Mason Kingston was a liar.
And this?
This was his biggest lie of all.
He was fighting this with everything in him. She knew it, hell they both knew it.
Valerie nodded once, forcing her chin up.
"Then I won’t make the mistake of wanting you, either," she said, her voice strong despite the c***k in her chest.
“Good.”
Mason’s expression didn’t change.
But something in his eyes flickered.
She turned, walking toward the door.
She didn’t look back.
And neither did he.
The moment the door clicked shut behind her, Mason finally let out a slow, shaky breath.
He pressed his hands against the desk, his head hanging low.
This was the right choice.
She would be safer without him.
W
ithout this… thing between them.
So why did it feel like he had just lost the only thing that had ever mattered?
- Writer
