“It’s okay, sweetness,” Mason murmured.“We’ll figure it out.”
But it wasn’t okay.None of it was.How could it be?
ChapterForty-Four
Audrey
Despite Cash and the PI’s protests—a seriously shady PI, considering he’d been willing to act as a hired goon, like something out of a bad movie—Audrey agreed to press charges.They had the camera footage, clearly showing everything that had happened behind the bakery.The PI knew they were there, but apparently had thought his disguise—and Cash—would ultimately protect him.
Instead, the police came and hauled both of them out of there.Cash was already calling for his lawyer, of course, and threatening everyone left and right.She watched as the cops dragged him out of there, doing her best to ignore the people who were videotaping with their phones.Another viral moment.Lovely.At least it would be good for business, but she would much rather not have had any of it happen.
“My parents are going to freak,” Audrey said dully; all emotion and color seemed to have been leached from her once Cash had said they were involved.Mason tightened his arm around her.He hadn’t let go of her since Cash had revealed that he wasn’t the one in charge of today’s little show, and he didn’t intend to.“They want this deal, and not only did I say no to Cash’s proposal, but I just got him arrested.There’s no way his parents will go through with it after this.There’s going to be a public record.”
“Hey.”Mason turned her to face him, letting go of her only so he could hold her face in his hands and make her look at him.“You didn’t get him arrested; he gothimselfarrested because of his choices.No one forced him to go along with this delusional plan of theirs.”
“It doesn’t even make sense,” she said plaintively.“How stupid do they think I am?Did they really think I would fall forCashshowing up to save me from an attack?”
Maybe she’d fallen for it for a moment when a literal gun had been pointed at her face, but once her adrenaline had faded, she would have realized.There was no way Cash was the type to go running into danger.And the PI’s lines had been like something out of a bad movie.She hadn’t realized it when she was in a panic, but once she had calmed down, she would have.
The lack of respect her parents had for her intelligence was kind of infuriating.And saddening.But she was clinging to anger, because if she didn’t, she wasn’t sure she could do what she needed to do.
“Itdoesn’tmake sense.Maybe they’re panicking.Maybe something else.I don’t know.It doesn’t really matter because, regardless of their reason, it was unacceptable.There is no good reason.”Mason’s calm, implacable condemnation of her parents’ actions helped bolster her.It was a relief to hear him confirming the feelings swirling inside her, completing the half-formed thoughts buzzing around her head.She wasn’t alone.
“You are amazing, Audrey, just as you are, and if they can’t see that, that’s on them.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling tears spark in her eyes as she gazed up at him, unable to look away because of how he was holding her face.Her hands rested on his chest, and she could feel the beat of his heart through her palm.
Mason studied her face for a moment, a pensive expression on his.
“I completely panicked when your panic button went off,” he said in a low voice.The hum of the people around them seemed to fade away entirely as she focused completely on him.“All I could think about was getting to you on time.Whether I’d make it in time.”
“You did.”
“I did.And you were never in any real danger, thankfully.But just the thought of it…” He closed his eyes, swallowing hard, as a little shudder went through him.“I’ve been accused in the past of being closed off.I love my family.My friends.But sometimes I’ve wondered if I’m even capable of falling in love.”
She opened her mouth to protest that, of course, he was, and she immediately wanted to go fight anyone who had ever made him feel otherwise, but he put his thumb over her lips.
“I know now that I am because I’m falling in love with you, if I’m not already there.”
Audrey’s eyes widened; for some reason, that was still the last thing she’d expected to hear from him.
“I don’t want to be closed off with you.I don’t want to keep myself apart.I want you.All of you.And I want you to have all of me.”
Now he removed his thumb so she could respond.
“I’m falling in love with you, too.”She moved her hands up his chest to slide around his neck, going up on her tiptoes as she pulled him in for a kiss.He shifted to cradle the back of her neck with one hand, the other going to support the middle of her back.
The sound of applause had them finally breaking apart.Audrey flushed as she realized that everyone was watching—and videotaping—them.Including Ashley.She scowled at her erstwhile employee, though she couldn’t make it stick for more than a second before the corners of her lips attempted to lift in a smile.Ashley just grinned and gave her a thumbs-up before stopping the recording and tucking her phone away.
Good grief.
Audrey looked back up at the man who had become her rock through all of this.
“Will you come with me while I call my parents?”she asked.
She wanted him there.While she might not want an audience for this incredibly unpleasant call, she wanted him.And his support.She didn’t even want David there, even though he’d been through the same thing, because she knew his anger on her behalf would just make things harder…
But she wanted Mason there.
