Embedded

Her Ex

She paused, collecting her thoughts and bracing herself for what she knew she had to say. “I took that money and used it to get my degree,” she said. “I wanted to make something of myself, so I went to school and got my Ph.D. in Psychology. I guess I was determined to make the best of a bad situation. With the rest of the money, I started my business.”

Mason tenderly wrapped his hands around Thea’s and looked deep into her eyes, his expression calm and loving. “It’s alright, Thea. You don’t need to explain anything to me,” he said with a soft smile. “You know I don’t believe a word of what my mother says.” Thea’s lip trembled, and the tears began to well up in her eyes. She furiously wiped them away, willing them to stay put, but the more she tried to contain them, the more determined they seemed to be. Mason watched on, his face contorting with a deep pain. Mason gathered her in his strong arms, rocking her ever so slightly, and sniffed back the tears threatening to spill from his own eyes. His voice wavered as he whispered, “I knew,” he admitted.

Thea stepped away and swiped at the tears streaming down her red cheeks. Her voice shook as she asked, “What? What did you know?” she sniffed, her nostrils flaring with each breath.

He averted his gaze and looked at the floor, his jaw clenched, and his voice lowered to almost a whisper. “I knew about your abusive ex before tonight.”

Thea’s mouth opened in surprise as she stepped back, her hands flying to her chest, “You did? Since when?”

Mason swallowed hard, and the knot in his throat bulged visibly. His cheeks flushed with heat as he nervously ran a hand through his slick hair. He paused, steeling himself before finally speaking, “After our first night together, when you asked if being my submissive included hitting. I couldn’t help but do some research and dug into your past, where I found the case. I thought you would tell me about it, but I didn’t expect my mother to be the one to bring it up in such an abrupt manner.”

Thea stood in stunned silence, her mind reeling with confusion. Genevieve’s accusations were rough and harsh. Yet, Mason’s confession came out in a whisper, his face ashen and defeated. She wanted to say something, but her mouth felt filled with cotton wool, and her hands trembled as she tried to make sense of it all. She took a deep breath and tried to ground herself, forcing her racing thoughts to slow down. She knew that taking a moment to gain a more objective perspective would help her develop a better action plan.

Mason moved towards her with a cautious hesitancy, his arms eventually wrapping around her body and pulling her close. He leaned back, his gaze soft and his hands coming up to stroke a strand of hair away from her face. She closed her eyes, feeling the tension ease from her shoulders as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a comforting kiss. His embrace was warm and secure, and she felt like all her worries were melting away. “You know why I’ve been going easy on you?” he murmured.

Thea’s voice was flat and defeated when she asked, “Why? Do you pity me?”

Mason studied Thea, his eyes serious. His mouth was slightly open, and a pang of regret flickered across his face. “No, I didn’t want to scare you away,” he said quietly. He ran a hand over his hair, pushing it away from his forehead. “I really like you, Thea. I like who you are now, and I don’t care about your past because that doesn’t concern me whatsoever. All that matters to me is who you’ll be in the future with me.”

Thea’s chest heaved, the adrenaline from her discovery still coursing through her veins. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Mason had feelings for her, too. Was it real? Could it be? But no matter the answers, one thing was certain. The knot in Thea’s stomach, the warmth in her chest, and the pounding of her heart were all real sensations that she could not deny. With this realization, Thea mustered up every ounce of courage and let out what had been aching in her heart for so long, “I have feelings for you, too.”

Mason held her tight as the weight of his confession settled between them. His smile broadened, and his eyes shone with elation as she said the words he had longed to hear. That she felt the same way about him. His smirk seemed almost smug, satisfied at her response, “You better,” He leaned in to capture one final kiss from her sweet lips before asking, “Are you ready to go home?”

Thea smiled, wiped away a few happy tears, and exhaled. “I’m so ready,” she said, feeling light, free, and full of hope now that their feelings were out in the open.

Mason bent down, pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. “I need to find Addison first,” he said, his voice low and tender. “Can you meet me by the entrance?”

She lifted her chin in a nod of agreement before turning towards the coat check. With a quick and purposeful step, she handed her coat ticket to the attendant, barely glancing at him before her eyes were already on the parking lot outside. Anxiety churned in her stomach as she imagined the ride home and what would happen once they crossed the threshold.

As if on cue, a voice permeated through the air, calling out her name, “Thea?”

Her legs grew heavy as she heard an all-too-familiar voice, and she slowly turned around to see Greg, her ex-boyfriend. His green eyes burned into her as time seemed to stand still.