As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Mel sitting at the table reading the newspaper. Another source of media I was avoiding. I didn’t want to read what was being written about Mason or his dad, John.
“Good morning,” I sing-songed, trying to be cheery.
She glanced up at me briefly then went back to the paper.
“So, what are the plans for the day? Do you want to do some more shopping with me? I really need to get a bedside lamp.”
I was trying to get Mel out of her own head. Things at Slone & Cline had been rocky, and she feared her job was on the line. John was forced to take a leave of absence while they investigated his involvement in embezzlement and things involving trafficking women. When the news spread to Mel, she was flabbergasted. She couldn’t believe she’d worked with a man who was capable of doing such things. And then when it came to Donicko and his name being flashed all over the news, things went from bad to worse.
She liked him more than I’d realized she did. With the news spreading that he was the head honcho of the whole corporation, she lost it. She didn’t know how to handle that the man she was secretly sleeping with could have taken her and sold her off to the highest bidder. Like Mason had said, I didn’t believe that to be true, but there was no reasoning with Mel. She was terrified and broken. She felt disgusted for sleeping with him, stupid for believing he actually liked her, and guilty for all the lives he’d probably ruined while he was with her.
I tried to continuously tell her that she couldn’t have ever known, that she needed to move past it, but I knew it was all words. This was hard on her, just like it was on me.
“Have you spoken to Mason?” she asked without looking up.
I poured my coffee and turned to look at her. It was the first time since the news broke that she’d asked me about him. I wasn’t sure if she was too consumed with what was going on with her job or if she was waiting for me to bring it up.
“No,” I answered honestly. I hadn’t talked to him since the night I walked out on him.
I diverted my eyes and stared at the floor, remembering that night. A part of me wished I hadn’t left, but the other part knew I needed time to think.
“Tim stopped by yesterday afternoon,” Mel blurted, setting down the paper to pick up her mug.
I furrowed my brow. “What?” I asked unbelievingly. “What did he want?”
She shrugged. “You, I guess.” She sipped her coffee and set it back down. “He said he’d heard about your professor and wanted to see how you were handling it.”
I scoffed. “And why the hell would he care?” I mumbled to myself before walking to the table to take a seat.
“I think he really misses you,” Mel stated softly.
“Yeah? Well, I still don’t.” I looked at her questioningly. “Why would you even mention that? You know there’s no way I would ever get back with him.”
Mel sighed. “I know, but I just want you to get Mason off your mind, Em. You might think I haven’t noticed, but I can see your face. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
Her words fueled fire in the pit of my stomach. “Don’t you think that’s my decision?”
“No,” she stated as she sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t, because you think with your heart and not your head.”
“I haven’t talked to or seen him in over a week, Mel,” I exclaimed, my voice raised. “You’re acting like he’s dangerous or something, but he’s not.”
“How do you know that?” she asked, flailing her arm.
“Read the paper, Mel. He was only seventeen when he was brought into all that crap. He was young, underage, scared, pressured. Take your pick.”
She shook her head. “That’s the thing about journalism, Em. Just because it’s written doesn’t mean all the facts are right.”
But I did know. She just didn’t know I received my facts from the source.
“Plus, you don’t know what kind of men Donicko or John dealt with. Do you think they’re going to be happy with losing money? What kind of damage do you think Mason caused? There are going to be some pissed-off people, and Mason is the cause of it, Em. Right now, he’s dangerous to be around. I’m only looking out for you,” she stated with a sympathetic look.
I understood her concern, but I didn’t think he was dangerous. Shit. I don’t want to put myself in danger, either.
She had my mind whirling in a ton of possibilities. Things I didn’t need to think about because I hadn’t talked to him and didn’t know if I would.
I missed him. I missed him more and more as the days went on.
I was falling for him before he’d told me his sordid past, so what had changed? I still thought he was a great man. Smart, sexy, dominant, gentle, caring—so many things I was just discovering. I didn’t want to think of the possibility that he could be dangerous. I needed to talk to him first before I would come to that conclusion. I had no idea what was happening on his end, what actions he’d taken or what exactly to believe.