“I promise you won’t be late, Nina.” He leans in, planting a soft kiss on my lips. “I need to apologise for what I said to you on Saturday night. It was a heat of the moment comment, which is no excuse. I know I hurt you.”
I drop my head, sitting quietly for a moment, not knowing what to say.
He lifts my chin. “Say something.”
I swallow hard, unsure what the right thing to say is. “I want to start fresh, forget about everything that’s happened.”
“Start fresh.” He frowns. “That simple?”
I lean into him, giving him a long, deep kiss. “Nothing’s ever that simple, Mase.” I smile sadly. “But as far as my mum goes, I want you to forget. I can deal with her. If I need your support, I will ask for it, and I’d like to think you’d do the same with your dad. I only want to know the things you’re ready to tell me.” I pause, thinking about my journey home with Vinny. “I actually have a confession to make, and you aren’t allowed to get mad.”
He frowns, waiting.
“I was in the car with Vinny when you called him on Sunday morning, and I was the one who sent you my number. I needed a lift home and didn’t know who else to call. I asked Vinny not to tell you. I’m sorry. For leaving… and about your dad.” I drop my shoulders, feeling like a weight has been lifted.
He pushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “Vinny already told me.”
My eyes shoot wide. “What?”
“I pay him a lot of money to tell me, Nina. He called after dropping you off at the studio.”
“That bastard! So I can’t trust Vinny. Great.”
Vinny was my favourite.
He chuckles at my dramatics. “Vinny’s a safe bet. If you ever need to trust a man, you’d be wise to pick him.”
I roll my eyes. They clearly have a good relationship with the way they both seem to defend one another.
Mason seems to be lost in thought, staring at his hand on my hip.
“What is it?”
He lets out a deep breath, hesitating before speaking. “Nina, I need to tell you something, something I found when I looked you up. Purely for your flat number, I should add.”
“Yeah, okay, creeper,” I joke, trying to laugh off the knot forming in my stomach. “There’s nothing in my past I want to talk about.” I lick my lips, wanting to retreat away to my safe space again. “Please drop it.”
“I don’t think you know about what I found. I think it was hidden from you. I could be wrong, but?—”
“What? What could you possibly know about me that I don’t already? I mean, it’s my flipping life after all.”
“Nina, calm down, please.” He cups my cheek, pulling his lip between his teeth.
Whatever it is, he doesn’t want to tell me.
Dread fills me.
“Tell me, now, Mason.”
He works on a swallow, rolling his lips. “Have you ever met your father?”
His hand clamps down on my waist the second I go to move. “Wait, please. You said you want to start fresh, and if I don’t tell you this now, then it will come back to bite me in the ass down the line.”
Down the line? Like the future?
“Have you? Ever met him?” he asks.
“No.”
