Mason settles a hand on my shoulder, and I lean into him until my back settles against his front.
“I’m Mason. Charlie’s boyfriend.”
It’s possible I squeak. The last of Gavin’s smirk definitely falls. And I’m sure Mason’s only making the declaration because he knows exactly who Gavin is and exactly how fast my brain is spinning right now.
“Boyfriend?” Gavin sounds confused. Maybe even hurt. I suddenly feel much better.
“Hey, pretty girl.” Now it’s Mason’s turn to get down on the floor so he can let Athena greet him properly. “We were so worried.”
“Yeah. Uh...” Gavin’s mouth is hanging open, and he can’t take his gaze off Mason. “I was coming home from Isaac’s, and she ran in front of my car.”
“Isaac?” Pretty sure the guy I caught Gavin in bed with was Dave or Dan or something with one syllable.
“Yeah.” Gavin picks at his nails. “Dean and I broke up, I...” He shakes himself like a wet dog. “Anyway. She was loose, and I figured I should bring her home.”
I glance down at Mason, and he’s watching me. His features are set, and if I need him to, he will undoubtedly come to my rescue and give Gavin what’s coming.
But I need to do this.
“When was this?” I ask.
“Last night. About seven thirty.” He doesn’t seem worried about disclosing this detail.
“And what time is it now?”
“Quarter past eight,” Mason says.
“In the morning,” I add, in case that’s not clear. “So you’ve had her for more than twelve hours?”
“Come on, Charlie.” Gavin uses a smile I once found roguishly charming. “I didn’t want to drive across town again.”
“And you couldn’t call? Or text? Not like you don’t know my number.”
“She was safe.”
“And I was freaking out.” I take a step forward, but Mason softly clears his throat, and I stop. “She’s my dog, and she—”
“She was my dog too,” Gavin says, but his smile falters.
“Mine!” I say it louder than I mean to, but it makes Gavin flinch, so I don’t care. “You left us.”
“You kicked me out.”
“You can go now,” I say, holding tight to Athena’s leash. “We don’t need anything else from you.”
“Charlie,” he says.
“No.” This time I do move toward him, and Athena comes with me, barking excitedly while she bites at his ankles. “I’ve always let you get away with things and set the terms. You controlled everything.”
He frowns. “I thought that’s what you—”
“It wasn’t. It never was and I didn’t know how to tell you and that’s on me. But you don’t get to steamroll me anymore, and that includes things like taking my dog hostage.”
“Hostage?” He laughs. “Charlie, you’re overreacting.”
“Actually,” Mason says quietly as he stands, and whatever is on his face is enough to make Gavin blanch. “I don’t think he is.”
And I could kiss him, because he’s been amazing since the minute I called him. He’s put up with my babbling, my fears, and he’s helped me find myself again. I can’t say I’m suddenly a whole new me—and maybe the point is there was never anything wrong with me, I was just with the wrong person—but the fact remains: I’ve made more progress to being happy with who I am in the time I’ve known Mason than in all the years Gavin and I were together.
