I followed Landon and Mason, who was carrying my bag, outside. Mason helped me into his truck, and we were on our way. I guess I was going back to Lavender Farm.
Igroaned and rolled over, not ready to get up.
It was light outside, and I checked my phone for the time. I almost dropped it when I saw that it was past ten. After a lot of huffing and more groaning, I managed to shuffle out of bed and stand up.
Mason insisted I stay home today, and I wasn’t in any state to argue with him last night. When we got back to his place, he inspected every inch of my body.
He even made me lift up my shirt. I had a small bruise on my side but was otherwise fine. My arm wasn’t hurting anymore either, after I took a few painkillers. And other than hitting the table and being dragged around, I was fine. Things could have gone a lot worse for me if Mason and Landon hadn’t shown up.
When he was done playing doctor, he sat down next to me and shook his head, his jaw a granite slab, his hands balled into fists.
“Shit, Stella, you scared the crap out of me. When Nora called—”
I put my hand on his leg. “Thanks to you and Landon, I’m fine. I owe you guys.”
He inhaled deeply and before I knew what was happening, I found myself cradled on his lap.
“What are you doing?” I asked and tried to sit up.
“I just need to hold you for a while.”
The sincerity in his voice made me still, and I studied his pinched expression. I was almost certain he cared. A warm feeling engulfed my chest, and despite my terrible night I felt like smiling.
And what was a girl to do other than put her head on his shoulder and settle in when faced with an opportunity such as this?
“This is not something a normal parent would do, you do know this, right?” Mason asked after we had been sitting in silence for a few minutes.
I was momentarily confused what he was talking about, having been lulled into a sense of contentment from being cuddled with such care I started to believe this was real. “I know. But I can’t change my family. My mother is who she is, and she does what she wants. Things are just going to get worse once she’s the mayor.”
“Has it always been like this for you?”
I took a deep inhale and for the first time in my life I wanted to talk about my unconventional upbringing. And at this stage, I had nothing to lose. Might as well go all in.
“When I was ten, I had this teacher at school. She thought I was a talented artist. She encouraged me to draw and even looked into scholarships for me. My mother found out about it. You have to understand that the only acceptable thing for me to study was either politics or law. Definitely not arts. Her response to the teacher’s encouragement was to pull me out of school. I was homeschooled from then on. I was devastated but would never speak up or disagree. Her word was law, and everyone did as they were told in our house. At least I didn’t have to take online classes but managed to convince her to let me go to Winchester University.”
I stopped, gathering my thoughts. I knew lots of kids had worse upbringings. For all her faults, my mother never raised a hand at me. Her dragging me out of the office was the most physical she had ever gotten. She never even so much as touched me. Not to hug me or to slap me. That’s why her actions at the office put me in such a state of shock.
“I’m not weak. But if you grow up where one person’s word is law, you tend to go along with it. Especially when you are a child. I wasn’t allowed to have friends, and the only time I was allowed to talk to anyone outside of our staff was when she had events for her campaign that required her family.”
I snuggled closer, and Mason trailed his fingers up and down my back, offering me his silent support.
“Our housekeeper, Maria, was my only saving grace. She was affectionate, loved me like I was her own daughter, and never let me forget that there was more to life than pleasing my mother. She’s the one who encouraged me to move out as soon as I turned eighteen. And once I met Maisie and Willa, my life changed for the better.”
“I’m sorry, Stella. I didn’t know,” Mason said.
I lifted my head to look at him. “It’s all right. We already called a truce, remember?”
“I feel like an asshole for judging you like that.”
I put my hand on his cheek and he leaned into it. “Honest, it’s fine. You apologized and more than made up for it tonight. I need to apologize too. I’m sorry for my knee-jerk reaction and just taking off. That was a shit thing to do.”
He turned his head and kissed my hand, surprising me with the gesture. “Wanna watch some TV?”
“Best offer I’ve had all night.”
He laid down on the couch, taking me with him. After he pulled me tight to his front, he turned on the TV and started a movie.
I didn’t make it past the opening credits before I fell asleep.
