Aftermath Book Two Crash Series

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Mason

            “It’s so beautiful.” She’s right it is. The sky is lit in a stunning blend of purple, pink, and orange. The perfect procession to announce the Sun’s arrival to its throne, another day to watch over its realm. It’s too cold to go on the balcony, instead, we settled on the window seat getting comfy as we waited and watched.

            “This was my grandmother's favorite spot. She’d take her coffee and eggs in front of this view every morning.” My grandfather had every window in every room along this side of the house converted into a window seat for winter days similar to today. Each has a cushion that matches the décor of the room with decorative pillows and a blanket to top it off.

            “Really? What was she like?” She turns her head up to me with interest as she tugs the blanket tighter around us. My legs are cadging her in as I lean on the pillows pressed to the walls. She’s slouched on my chest so I can see around her crazy, s*x hair.

            We haven’t taken a shower or gone to sleep all of which can wait until she gives me the details I’ve been patiently waiting on. But Aria really was greedy, I got a better workout with her than I did the whole time I was in London. And like always after a good work out it requires some fuel, and this conversation deserves my undivided attention. Coffee and breakfast are in order before we shut the blinds and waste the day in bed…sleeping.

            “She was headstrong, the moment a thought crossed her mind you could consider it done. She didn’t let anyone stand in her way. You can imagine the fights that created between her and my mother.” Looking back now, I can see the similarities between Aria and my grandmother, they would have gotten along well. To see the two of them united against my mother, I would pay good money to see that.

            I miss both of my grandparents, the ache in my chest and the girl that owns it are heavy reminders. Sure, I’ve missed both of them for as long as they’ve been gone but it’s more obvious now, or maybe I just understand love, connection, and family better. I had a warped view when they were alive and well, I still spent time with them, and they knew I loved them but looking forward I can’t help but mourn everything they’ll miss and everything I missed out on out of ignorance and immaturity.

            “Oh, she sounds amazing!” Aria giggles and yawns before continuing, “I can just picture Cynthia giving this sweet old lady a death glare because the turnups weren’t plated properly but your grandmother insists it’s okay.” Well, that’s pretty details but not wrong.

            “Basically, sometimes more brutal but my grandfather never allowed the disrespect in front of him and wouldn’t accept any tear or complaint from my grandmother. He was her biggest defender; I just don’t think she ever really needed defending. She could whip a room into submission with her whistle alone. She was respected and loved but most importantly she was kind.” The sky is more blue than golden now, with the sun risen and working. Dropping the side of my face down I rest it on top of her head, we need to get moving but damn am I tired.

            “That’s why your mother clashed so much, she hates being second to anyone, I’m sure she’s still compensating for it now.”  She sighs again as she wraps her hand around mine, weaving our fingers together.

            “You’re probably right. And here you come along and now she’s having flashbacks and feeling threatened by you.”

            “That’s stupid reasoning on her part if that is what she thinks. I don’t want to show her up or take her spotlight, she can keep it all to herself.”

            “You take the spotlight without even trying, Babe. You might not want to outdo her but you do every day just by being authentically you.”

            “If I wasn’t scared, she’d make me do a thousand wedding things I would call her and help her plan something spotlight worthy so she could claim it back. Now enough chit-chat. Wyatt and Levi will be here any minute if they aren’t already and I want to whip up some baked apples with oatmeal and yogurt for them to bring over to the soup kitchen for a treat with lunch. Paul will have to reheat them, so I’ll leave them slightly underdone.” I groan as she rips off the blanket and drags me to the kitchen.

            As soon as she’s set up and ready to go, she makes me take a seat at the barstool across from the counter and places a warm cup of coffee in front of me. Thank God for Ray. The bitter blend hits wonderfully and tastes like home, London’s coffee is good, but I love my brand. I love my routine.

            Clearing her throat, she sets the music low and starts. “I needed to go back to Shirley’s to finish up the tarts that I made, and I wanted to make these last night, or something for today, so after Dr. Tussing’s Connor and I made our way to Shirley’s.

            “I didn’t realize the alarm didn’t go off when I opened the door that was my first mistake. My second was letting Connor clear the place by himself. If we didn’t split up, we may have stood a better chance and maybe he wouldn’t have gotten a concussion.” She keeps her eyes downcast as her voice stays low.

            “Dibb said he’ll be okay, he’s just going to take a few days off, Dibb’s orders.” I try to reassure her, but my words come out harsher than I intended as my anger flares. Maybe I won’t sleep, maybe it’s time I make an appearance at my parents or the country club. Wherever the f**k my father is.

            “He should take more than a few days! I was so frightened he was dead!” She sniffles as she turns away, she may not have broken earlier but she’s falling apart now.

            The chair scrapes across the floor in an echoing sound as I make my way around the counter. She’s hollowing out an apple over the garbage can so I grab another on my way and a knife so I can try and help her. Even if I don’t rest, she needs hers.

            “He’s not, he’s okay you both are.”

            “For now! I don’t even understand it, Mase!” She turns so fast her elbow smashes into my arm with the apple sending it flying out of my hand before it lands and rolls across the floor. Well, that one's garbage. “I don’t get why he was there or what he wanted.”

            “We’re going to figure it out, but I need more details.” If she was anyone else, or this was a business setting I wouldn’t hesitate to push her story along, to show her my own boiling frustration. I need to know everything.

            She throws her head back and groans before she walks that apple to the cookie sheet on the counter and grabs two more before making her way back over here. She hands me one, but I’m more interested in monitoring her than I am the apple. I’m not sure I’m being much help at all.

            Breathing out she keeps her eyes averted from mine while she processes and my gut sinks. She doesn’t want to tell me, and I don’t know how to take it, or what to prepare for. She might not want to tell me but she will, I just can’t guarantee it won’t push me off the deep end.

            “I was looking at the display case when there was this crash and shattering sound from the kitchen and then all of a sudden your dad was behind me. Only he wasn’t your himself, scratch that I meet the real him for the first time yesterday.

            “He has pure hatred and rage in his eyes. He looked evil and unrestrained. He started talking about how he warned me to stay away and that I’ve been nothing but problems, but I really pissed him off by outing his affair with Lauren. I checked and it’s been all over the news. I don’t know -if you’ve been paying attention but it’s all over. Even the mostly political outlets are talking about the scandal.” I have been paying attention and I’ve been cleaning up the mess, for Dixie not my father in any means. We’ve lost some contracts with advertisers and suppliers which makes for a huge headache, but Michelle is working on it and I’ve had conversations on the side with the CEO’s, most of them are willing to partner back up if I get Edward out of the picture and clear our name.

            Still, I’m not worried and neither are Dixie’s board members or shareholders. Yeah, this is a setback but with a company as big as Dixie we just need to let the PR tide settle and they’ll be back and begging for a contract once more. I know that and so does Edward. It has me questioning what happened that I don’t know about. What effect did we cause that really has him worried? Worried enough to put himself at a huge risk by actually getting his hands dirty?

            “Anything concerning Senator Amitrano is breaking news, there’s been some corporate fall out from it but nothing we can’t weather.” I hope she isn’t feeling guilty about what outing them, she had every right. Still, I don’t regret it and I hope she doesn’t either.

            She just shakes her head as she continues, “He had someone with him, as soon as I saw him, I knew I was in trouble. I figured I could get the upper hand on Edward, but I knew getting through them both to get help for Connor would be pretty much impossible. So, I waited like you taught me, I waited for my opportunity.

            “He cornered me against the wall and…” Her voice grows lower and her shoulders sink in as she again moves away from me, giving me her back and avoiding my eyes. I can hear her sniffles and I can feel the tension in the air, this is the part she doesn’t want to tell me, and my mind runs wild with ideas.

            The knife goes too far into the apple, with too much pressure on my end, causing the apple to split in two. Dropping the apple in the trash I throw the knife on the counter and make my way to Aria. She may want to avoid this, but I need to know, I need to see the truth in her eyes.

            Walking up behind her I grab her shoulders and turn her to face me, her eyes are red as she looks at me with regret and what seems to be sympathy? I don’t understand but I need to. I need to know. “What did he do?” Swiping away back her hair I hold her troubled gaze.

            “He-he was…he did…” She’s struggling to get the words out only making my panic rise, I’ll kill him. “He touched me. Barley but he was trying.” With strength or maybe pride that seems to come out of nowhere, she shoves her shoulders back as she works on pulling herself together.

            “He touched you?” I can’t. I just can’t. I can’t breathe, I can’t move, I can’t process the words.

            “He put his hand under my shirt, and he touched my breasts. Until I kneed him in the balls and shoved him to the ground. I wish you could have seen that part, Mase. He flung backward right into Muscle man which worked out really well. It gave me enough time to round up and kick him in the face before I made it to my purse.” She’s quick to move on and I’m proud to hear how well she did at defending herself, but my mind is stuck.

            “He had his hands on your chest?” I barely get the words out through my clenched teeth. Her shoulders slouch and her sticky hands come up to my face to comfort me. Which makes me angrier. Why the f**k is she trying to comfort me right now? She was assaulted by my father. “What were his intentions?”

            “I don’t fully understand but he wanted to make both of us pay and he was going to use me to get you to do what he wanted. I just don’t know how.”

            “No, why was he touching you? What were his intentions?”

            “He wanted to force me to sleep with him.” I notice how she avoids the R-word, I’m not sure if that’s for her benefit, mine, or both but I see f*****g red.

            I don’t know what his plan was but I’m going to find out and he’s going to pay.