“Easy,” Mase coos, then takes me into his arms.
The second I hit his chest, a loud sob rips from my chest. My body convulses as the pain of losing my best friend tears through my body.
When I catch my breath, I bang my fists against his chest. “You’re lying,” I shout in pain. “You’re lying.”
Mase sits there, tears running down his face, letting me use him as my own personal punching bag.
“Madeline,” he whispers.
“Whyyyy?” I sob. “Why, Mason?”
He wraps his arms around me and rocks me side to side like he often did when we were little.
“Shhh. Take a breath.”
I try, but it takes me a long time to calm down. Mase is patient, holding me in his arms until I can take a full breath.
“Mase,” I whisper. “What happened?”
His whole body deflates. I know this is hard for him too. “Her ovarian cancer returned when she found out she was pregnant. She didn’t want anyone other than her immediate family to know.”
“Oh my god. The baby.” I cover my mouth as the words leave me. “What’s going to happen to Claudina?”
About six months after our trip to Spain, Camila found out she was pregnant from a one-night stand, something she’s never done before. And though she might not have known the father, she was ecstatic about the arrival of her little baby girl.
“Harrison was granted full custody.”
“Harrison?” I ask, shocked.
Camila grew extremely close to Harrison as we got older, but she’s equally close to her other older brother, Sebastian.
Her biological brother.
Mase nods. “Sebastian…he hasn’t been handling this well and has gone into a deep depression. She didn’t want to put the burden on Rosa and Javier as they get older, and Nate and Leo are only just starting out. The family decided all together that it would be Harrison.”
Oh.
I drop my head. How could this be?
How could my sweet friend be gone, and right after she gave birth to her baby?
One life born, and another taken too soon.
I wish she had confided in me. I would have gone to New York to stay with her. I would have looked for a new job soonerand moved there. I would have done anything for her, to be with her and take care of her during this time.
It’s my fault, I know that, and I will never forgive myself for it. I distanced myself because I couldn’t think straight at the time, and I let it go on too long.
“I don’t want her to be gone, Mase.” I lean forward and scream into my hands. “How can she be gone?”
“Madeline…”
“I want to see her again! I want to see her right now,” I cry into Mason’s chest when he pulls me back into his arms. His chest vibrates with emotions that he can’t hold back any longer.
We stay like this, embraced, for a long time. Until I ask, “When are the services?”
“Tomorrow. We leave tonight, and we’ll stay at my place in New York.”
I nod absentmindedly, then get up and pack for what feels like the worst day of my life.
