Mason (Trinity Academy 2)

He brushes my hair back over my shoulder, then says, “Hear me out before you respond, okay.”

“Okay.”

“Preston is good with computers.”

Huh?

He smiles when he sees my confusion, then continues, “I needed you to know that because he compiled the footage we aired today. As soon as it was done airing, he deleted it from the internet, so it’s not out there.”

“Okay.”

“You saw with Layla’s incident we blurred all the faces out except for Serena’s?” Mason asks, and I begin to get a niggling suspicion where this is going.

“Yes, I’m glad you did that.”

“We did the same thing with the footage we got from the indoor pool.”

With a hawk eye, he watches for my reaction.

“But Preston took it down, so it’s not out there, right?” I ask to make sure I understood him.

“Yes, only Preston and I have a copy, so I have the evidence to hand over to the DA’s office, for them to proceed with prosecuting the Senator and Serena.”

“Prosecute?” I ask.

“Yes, so the Senator can be charged with embezzlement and Serena with assault.”

There’s a twinge of sadness for Serena, but it vanishes as quickly as it comes. “Am I a horrible person for feeling…” my words trail away when I realize I’m not sure how I feel, “relieved?”

Emotion floods me like a tidal wave when I realize the full impact of what has happened today. When tears rush to my eyes, I look down at my hands where they’re resting on my leg. A tear splats against my knee, and I quickly swipe it away.

“Babe?” Mason shifts closer to me, and placing a finger under my chin, he nudges my face up. “Are you okay?”

Meeting his eyes, I whisper, “You kept your promise.”

“I told you I would,” he replies with his worried eyes not leaving mine.

“You did all of that for me?”

He nods, and the corner of his mouth curves up. “Don’t you know I’ll do anything for you?”

The moment makes me finally comprehend the relationship between Mason and me is really happening. We’re not just fooling around.

“Thank you, Mace.” I shuffle closer to him on my knees and framing his face with my hands, I say, “Thank you for not letting me die.” I struggle to stay in control of my emotions as tears spill over my cheeks. “Thank you for making her pay.”

Through my tears, my eyes caress every inch of Mason’s face, and I feel a fluttering in my chest. It’s deep and warm, and it fills me with hope and dreams.

It’s knowing, Mason won’t hurt me, and it’s safe to dream of a future with him.

I lean forward and press a soft kiss to his lips, then I whisper, “I just fell for you.”Chapter 28MasonI finish up my work and checking my watch, I see that it’s almost time for dinner. I close the laptop and head to the living room where Lake’s in his usual spot.

“Have you ordered food?” I ask as I sit down on the other couch.

“Is that a trick question?” he quips.

“Just checking.”

“Falcon ran down to get the Chinese. He’ll also call the girls and Preston on his way back up.” Lake doesn’t take his eyes away from his phone.

“Are you texting with Lee-ann?” I ask. “She’s arriving this Saturday, right?”

“Yes, Lee’s flight is landing at three pm.” He smiles as he sets his phone down.

“You already shortened her name?” I ask.

“We’re getting married in July,” he answers wryly.

“Right, I guess it’s not too soon,” I agree. Even though I’ve asked him a million times by now, I can’t stop from asking again, “Are you sure about this marriage?”

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Not a hundred percent.”

His answer shocks me. “Why?”

“I’ll only know for sure once we’ve spent some time together. For me to say I have no doubts at this stage would be stupid.”

“True.”

Falcon opens the door and comes in carrying bags with Chinese take out. The girls and Preston follow right behind him.

When Kingsley tries to sit down next to me, I take hold of her hips and pull her down on my lap.

She immediately smiles and presses a kiss to my cheek. “I haven’t seen you in forever,” she jokes.

“Right,” I grin back at her. “It’s been like… four hours.” I let out a chuckle and my eyes land on Lake who’s watching us with a warm smile.

He tilts his head, and a rare serious expression settles on his face. “You have no idea how happy it makes me seeing the two of you together.”

“Thanks, buddy,” I reply, knowing he means every word.

Layla sets the food out on the dinner table, then calls, “Get your butts over here so we can eat.”

Lake’s up like a flash which has me chuckling. I help Kingsley up and walk over to the table. I pull out a chair, and once she’s seated, I take the one next to her.