Restraint (Mason Family 1)

Holt’s eyes go wide.

“I didn’t realize …” He starts toward me but stops. “I didn’t … Oh, fuck.”

“Yeah. Well, now you know.”

He glances so quickly at his watch that I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t paying acute attention.

“Just go on,” I tell him.

“This conversation isn’t over.”

Tears sting my eyes again. “I think it is.”

He throws his hands up and growls into the air.

I can feel his frustration rippling through the room. I want to tell him we’ll talk about this later.

But we won’t. Because there’s nothing left to be said.

Even if there was, I wouldn’t begin to share it with him now.

“It’s fine,” I tell him, my voice softer. “And if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think you ever lied to me. I just … hoped.”

His body stills in the doorway. He worries his bottom lip between his teeth as he watches me with an expression I can’t name.

“I’m sorry, Blaire. Just … tell me you’ll be here when I get back. Please.”

He backs away slowly. My heart breaks as I accept his final answer. Whether he wants to admit it or not, this is over.

Maybe it never started.

I’ve never felt smaller. I’ve never felt as vulnerable and raw as I do standing in front of this man.

It won’t happen again.

“Please be here when I get back,” he repeats.

I know he needs to go, and that his decision has already been made, so I nod.

I only hold back the tears long enough for the door to close behind him.

Twenty-Nine

Holt

Every muscle in my whole fucking body hurts.

I loosen my tie as I speed too fast down Cobblestone Way.

Blaire hasn’t answered my calls or texts all day. It’s unusual for her, and despite knowing that she’s pissed at me—rightfully so—I’m surprised. I almost sent Larissa to my house to make sure she didn’t leave, but I don’t really think she would’ve.

She said she loves me. She couldn’t leave after that. Could she?

I shiver as a chill blasts through my body.

I step harder on the gas pedal.

I’d hoped some time apart could give us some space to figure this shit out. How it got so convoluted, I’ll never know.

That’s what I tell myself, anyway.

It got convoluted the moment I saw her.

I slow down for a man on a bike. He gives me a wave, and I wave back. He seems so carefree as he pedals down our street and enjoys the evening sun, and it pisses a part of me off.

Why does he get to enjoy his night when I don’t?

“Because you’re a fucking idiot,” I say aloud.

I don’t know how our conversation will go when I get home. I also don’t know how much of my chat with Oliver she heard. But what I do know is that I need her to understand the context. I need her to know why I said those things—because I don’t want to hurt her.

Which I inadvertently already did.

I slam my palm against the steering wheel.

My stomach twists as I think about her overhearing any of what I said to my brother. I can’t even remember all of what was verbalized in the hallway. I only know that I made it clear that I can’t be what Blaire needs.

And that remains true.

“If you didn’t want me to fall in love with you …”

Surely, she didn’t mean that. She couldn’t have. Blaire Gibson wouldn’t fall in love with a guy like me—a man so busy in his own life that he can’t take care of hers.

She has to know she deserves better. How could she not realize how special she is? How could she not demand more for herself? She needs someone who won’t walk out on her like Jack.

And like me.

A bubble of rage fills my stomach as I acknowledge what I’ve done.

I left her when she needed me. And whether I had something else to do or not, I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what my options were, but I should’ve figured something out. There were too many irons in the fire, too many people calling. Too much to handle all at the same time.

I grip the steering wheel.

My phone rings through my car, and I answer it without looking to see who it is.

“Hello?” I say.

“Just heard from Graham Landry,” Oliver says. “Tomorrow morning at ten. We’re heading to their offices. He wants our final offer.”

I’ve waited for this day for weeks. It should feel like a milestone getting to the finish line.

I sigh.

Oliver, Wade, Boone, and I killed it today. Even though I was distracted as fuck, I was able to promise myself I’d have time to make things right with Blaire later and focus. We filled every potential hole, came up with a viable solution to every argument Landry could make, and secured an investor who will make things much smoother.