Incineration (Heart of Stone) (42 page)

We spent Sunday sight-seeing, eating and making love; Mason
kept his promise of making love to me in every room. He was back to his usual
happy, loving self and I didn’t give his early moodiness another thought and
much to my displeasure Monday morning rolled round much too quickly and we were
soon back in London on our way home in Sam’s car.

Mason had sat in the front with Sam to talk about some
business and I was listening to my voice messages and replying to some texts
when my phone rang

“Hello” I said to the unknown caller “Hey, it’s me” Kade
said “Hey Courtney” I cringed slightly as Masons eyes flicked to mine and then
back to Sam. Kade sighed angrily “I take it he’s there” his voice held a touch
of resentment “Yeah” I answered, shifting my guilty look through the window “I
need to see you Ava, it’s killed me knowing you spent all weekend in fucking
France with
him
” he breathed and my stomach clenched “Erm I can’t” I
said, chewing on my little finger

“Please Ava” he pleaded and I swallowed “Erm when?” I asked,
hating myself for yielding to his requests so easily “Tomorrow, I have an
apartment now so I can have you all to myself and this time I’m gonna come
inside you Ava, make you scream and fill you with my cum” he said with a growl and
I squirmed at the flood in my knickers, terrified Mason could smell my arousal.

Mason was studying me and his gaze kept lowering to my
mouth. I dropped my hand to my lap and forced a smile on my face. His eyes were
searching mine and I looked back through the window.

I knew what I had to do and the chance to be alone with Kade
gave me the perfect opportunity to end our relationship “Okay, lunch?” I asked
and I could sense his grin “Only if I can eat you Sweetheart” he said huskily,
“I’ll see you later Courtney” I said “I’ll text you the address and time. God I
can’t wait to see you” suddenly I was struggling to breathe and the lump in my
throat was getting painful “Yeah bye” I said quickly and ended the call.

“You okay Ava?” Mason asked over his shoulder, his eyes
narrowed on me. I nodded “Yeah, just feel a bit sickly” I lied “it must be
Sam’s driving” I laughed nervously and Sam harrumphed. He seemed to be
mollified and turned back to Sam but I could see him secretly sneaking peeks at
me through the mirror and I was suddenly desperate to get back to the house.

Later that afternoon Mason had gone to meet Rebecca at the
hospital and I was baking between doing bouts of laundry. The house phone rang
and Sam’s voice greeted me “Hey Ava, is Mason there?” he asked “No, he’s at the
hospital with Rebecca” I near growled out. There was a long pause “Shit!” he
bit out “What’s wrong Sam?” I could hear him clicking his tongue “Erm, I’ve
left Lee Benedict’s file in Mason’s office. Can you run up and see if you can
find it, I need his bank account number to check something?” “Sure” I said
taking the stairs two at a time and I sat behind Masons desk, searching for the
file “I can’t see it Sam” I heard him clicking his tongue in thought again

“Try the top drawer Ava” I pulled to open it but it wouldn’t
budge “It’s locked” I told him and he swore “Oh wait Ava, the key’s under the
plant pot on the bookshelf” he told me and true to his word, there was a little
key under the ceramic pot “Does Mason know you know where the key is?” I
smirked “Erm no, so don’t tell him or he’ll move it” he chuckled and I
snickered “You naughty boy” unlocking the drawer I quickly flicked through some
files until I came to the brown manila file and read out the account number to
Sam “You are a star Ava, thank you” I smiled and ended the call.

As I went to put the file back a large brown envelope caught
my attention, the wording on the front grabbing my stomach and clenching it
severely ‘Your Whore” it said in a typed out sticker.

 Swallowing heavily I pulled it out and placed it on the
desk in front of me. Did I really want to see what it contained? Taking a
steadying breath I reached in and pulled out the contents and my head swam and
my breath froze.
SHIT!!!!
 

I was hyperventilating and my hands started sweating. My
eyes wouldn’t move from the photos in front of me as the bile rose. Twelve of
them, all of me and Kade in his pool, having sex; in the water, kissing and
groping, me sat on the pools edge with Kades head between my legs, Kade knelt
before me while I blew him and others of me straddled over Kades lap, both our
heads flung back in ecstasy. 

I rested my head in my hands as my heart broke for Mason; it
must have ripped him in half to see these “You fucking bastard” I shouted to my
stalker. Now I knew why he was emotional over the weekend but why hadn’t he
said anything; why hadn’t he shouted and screamed at me, why hadn’t he tore
Kade limb from limb, or me for that matter and why had he still asked me to
marry him? “Oh Mason” I sobbed.

I heard my phone ringing somewhere in the house but I
ignored it, my mind and body numb and frozen as I cried, wept for Mason and
what I had done to him. I hurriedly placed all the photos back in the envelope
and drawer, making sure I found everything as I had found it and locked it back
up, replacing the key and dragged myself back to the kitchen.

Perching on a barstool my phone rang and I saw it was Kerrie
“Hi Ava” She said and I returned her greeting “Listen Ava, Mason told me your
news. I’m so pleased for the pair of you” she cried happily and a sob erupted,
guilt and self-hatred breaking free.
Shit not now!
 

“You okay Ava?” I screwed up my face “Oh yeah, sorry. Just
reading a sad book” I lied and she chuckled “Oh God, you are as bad as me.
Anyway I was wondering if you and Mason would join me for dinner tonight. My
treat” she asked and I closed my eyes in distress “Erm, yeah that’s sounds
lovely, thank you” I grimaced “Great La Roche, tonight at 8 O’clock. I’ve
invited a few others so it will be like a little engagement party. Nobody else
knows yet so I thought it would be a great opportunity to tell people” she
giggled and I grit my teeth “Lovely” I said, trying to keep the bitter tone
away and I don’t think she caught it as she chirped on about everything and
nothing for a while and I blew out a huge breath when she finally ended the
call.

Groaning I buried my face in my hands “Ava?” Mason asked
behind me, startling me “There I go again Baby” he grinned and I smiled,
pulling myself out of my stupor “You okay?” he asked, cocking his head.

I wanted to scream at him ‘No I’m not bloody okay and
neither are you’ but instead I said “Headache” and looked away from him. He
stood silent, regarding me with narrowed eyes for a while and I kept my gaze
out of the back window

“How did you get on?” I asked without turning “Okay” he
answered simply.

I turned to look at him; my own eyes now narrow “Just okay?”
I scoffed and he shrugged, reaching into his jacket pocket and retrieved a
small piece of paper and handed it to me. It was a scan picture.

 I stared at the tiny little image of Mason’s baby; I wanted
to rip it into a thousand pieces and throw it at him. Was he showing me this to
hurt me, revenge for the other photos he had in his possession? Was he doing it
to torture me, laughing at me, tormenting me?
Revenge is sweet Ava!!

I couldn’t look at him “Wow I’m happy for you” I gulped and
placed it on the island

“Bathroom” I choked out, keeping my face hidden behind my
hair “Shit Ava, I’m sorry” he rasped and reached out to me “No” I shook my head
fiercely, still keeping my tear filled eyes away from him as I raced upstairs
and huddled myself into the bathroom, locking the door behind me and huddling
in the corner.

This was payback; in fact this was fucking vicious payback.
I wanted that scan to be of my baby, I wanted my baby inside me and at that
moment I hated Rebecca with everything I had and felt.

I quietly sobbed in the solitude of the bathroom, trapping
myself in as my heart tore itself to shreds. My life was spiralling out of
control and I was desperately trying to claw it back. I needed to take stock
and sort myself out. I needed to end my relationship with Kade and give Mason
every single piece of me, but could I?

Did I deserve this cruel punishment? Perhaps I did and the
thought that I deserved every piece of shit thrown at me made me realise that
maybe I didn’t deserve Mason either.

What sort of person was I? If he had fucked Rebecca the way
I was with Kade it would break my heart and I would never forgive him, yet here
I was doing the exact thing I wouldn’t accept from him.

The bathroom doorknob rattled “Baby, let me in” Mason said
softly “I’m okay, I’ll be down in a while” I said, trying desperately to
control the quiver in my voice “Ava…I’m so sorry, I didn’t think” he rasped “I’m
fine Mason, I won’t be long” I repeated and there was a few minutes silence
until I heard him retreat down the stairs. “I need to get thoroughly pissed” I
said to myself and then groaned when I remembered Kerries meal and groaned.

At 8 O’clock Mason held my hand and led me into La Roche.
The urge to get drunk intensified when I saw Kade sat at the table with Brian,
Brenda, Sam, Mason, Liv, Nate, Greg and Marcy and Courtney “Oh God” I groaned
under my breath.

Mason narrowed his eyes on me “What’s wrong?” he asked quite
sternly. I shook my head and smiled “Nothing” he regarded me and then leaned
into me “Don’t you want our friends to know about our news Ava?” from his tone
I couldn’t work out if he was hurt, angry or mocking and I nodded happily at
him “Of course” he gazed at me but then turned and walked over to the table.
I
so need a drink!!

Everybody stood and greeted us and I refused to look at
Kade, knowing Mason would now be watching us very closely.

I was sat next to Courtney and she frowned at me, she could
always read me explicitly and she was immediately aware that something was very
wrong with me. I saw her scrambling about under the table with her phone and a
second later I felt my own vibrate in my bag. Retrieving it I saw a text from
Courtney

COURTNEY

Babe?

Xxx

ME

Mason knows!!! He doesn’t know I know he knows

Xxx

I heard her gasp and her hand slid under the table and
grasped mine, squeezing tightly “AVA!” Mason barked and I jumped “Sorry, what?”

He glowered at me “Drink?” he asked sarcastically with a
raise of his eyebrows “Oh er, vodka and cranberry” I said and he nodded once
“Make it a large” I shouted after him and he narrowed his eyes on me.
This
was gonna be a long night!!

I managed to make it through the first few hours but it was
obvious Mason was angry with me, constantly snapping and barking at me and all
the other guests were looking at him warily. At one point Kerrie whispered
harshly in his ear after he bit my head off as I had requested another drink
but he was managing to down more alcohol than me and at a shocking rate.

I was becoming slightly nervous as he was slipping nearer
and nearer to getting completely plastered.

My phone vibrated and I sneaked a peek under the table

KADE

Why won’t you look at me?

I was just about to text back when Mason stood up “Well I
suppose I better tell you all why Kerrie has so generously arranged this dinner
this evening” he looked at me and cocked his head but his eyes were soft and
then turned back to the group, looking at each one and finally rested his eyes
on Kade and I noticed they darkened slightly “I am so happy to tell you that
Ava has agreed to be my wife” he said loudly and a slight smirk on his lips.

Give Kade credit, he managed to hold it together but I
noticed his lips part and his shoulders stiffen and his eyes flashed angrily
but he stood with everyone else and congratulated Mason with a handshake.

Everybody worked their way round to me, kissing my cheek and
congratulating me and when Kade reached me he leaned in “He knows” he whispered
as he kissed me, I nodded once and smiled politely and turned to Greg who was
stood waiting to kiss me. The maître d brought champagne and Mason popped the
cork and seemed relaxed and happy.

The night flowed well and so did the alcohol until I was
just on the edge of oblivion. After the announcement Mason got very drunk and
was being extra attentive, kissing me and touching me frequently and when he
started making lewd remarks about our sex life I pulled him to one side

 “What the hell are you doing?” I hissed and he narrowed his
eyes on me “What?” he bit back “Not everybody wants to hear about our sex life
Mason” I snapped and he laughed bitterly “Everybody?...Or just Kade?” he asked
with menace and I froze.

He smirked and leaned into my ear and I noticed Kade
watching us “Oh! I know all about your little tryst with Kade Ava” he slurred;
obviously he’d had more to drink than I thought and I noticed his pupils were
dilated…he’d had a hit!  

My eyes shot to Kades and I mouthed “GO!!!” to him. He shook
his head and I flapped my hand at him. Courtney caught what I was doing and her
eyes widened and she shot a look at Kade, snatched up her bag and scurried over
to him “Time to go!” she said as I read her lips.

Mason was pulling away and I grabbed his arm “I know you
know” I told him honestly and he narrowed his eyes on me and he snapped his
head to one side and grabbed my wrist. His eyes glinted in rage and he was
biting his bottom lip severely “I think I better go” I breathed, highly aware
of how much fury he was holding in.

Kerrie approached us and her eyes widened when she saw how
tightly Mason was gripping me “Mason! Let go!” she shouted as her hand closed
over his fingers. He slid his gaze round to her, the coldness in his eyes made
me shiver “Mason, you’ve had too much to drink” she hissed at him, still trying
to pry his fingers off my wrist