Page 36 of Between Regrets and Promises (Between Us Trilogy #2)

“That’s not the same thing and you know it!” I shout as I step closer to him, daring him to push me right now. I don’t fucking care who he is or where we are, I’m so goddamn tired of him bringing up my past and throwing it in my face anytime it suits him.

“Mason…” Serena calls my name in the distance, her heels clicking on the pavement behind me. “We should go.” She tugs on my arm.

“You’re welcome, by the way.” His snarky tone makes my blood boil. “You’d spent the weekend in jail and would be going through weeks of court shit without my evidence today.”

“Go to hell,” I spit, seething as I give him an earful of what he deserves.

“That wasn’t for me, and we both know it.

You moved on and got yourself a new cookie-cutter family.

You can’t stand that I didn’t follow in your footsteps, and trust me when I say, it’ll be a cold day in hell when I do.

Just once can’t you be proud of me for me? ”

“Mason…” Serena warns, squeezing my arm.

“It’s okay,” my dad says way too calmly, holding up a hand toward her. “Mason’s always had a temper, so I’m used to his wrath.”

I have the opposite of a temper until someone pushes me too goddamn far, and he’s been pushing me for the past five years.

“Why don’t you and this girl you spoke about come over for family dinner on Sunday?”

The only thing I can do is laugh in his face. He’s lost his damn mind if he thinks I’d ever do that. “No, thanks. Gonna be busy.”

I take a step around him, walking toward Serena’s car with her next to me.

“Mason, wait.” I pause but don’t look at him. “You need to lay low while the media covers the story. Just because you’re walking away doesn’t mean you’re off the hook entirely. You’re on leave until further notice.”

If Serena wasn’t next to me, piercing me with her eyes to stand down, I’d be clawing at his throat for bringing my job into this. He knows I’m at his mercy, considering I work in one of the departments his position oversees.

Finally, I face him. “For how long?”

He shrugs, grinning. “I’ll let you know. Stay out of trouble and it won’t be too long.”

I anxiously shake my leg as Serena drives me back home.

My father knows what buttons to press, and if he didn’t hold my future in his hands, I would’ve told him to fuck off or worse.

Hell, I don’t know, but I can’t stand his shit anymore.

Though there’s not a damn thing I can do about it as long as he’s the DA.

“You alright?” Serena asks when she parks in my driveway and kills the engine.

“Well, I’ve been better,” I say sarcastically. “On one hand, I’m happy I didn’t get charged, but on the other—” I don’t finish my colorful thoughts about my father, but I don’t need to because she understands.

“I know, Mase. He’s not an easy man to love, but whether you like it or not, he is your father. He came today, got your ass off a potential homicide charge, and you walked out a free man. I mean, I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

“You would’ve eventually gotten the charges dropped in discovery,” I tell her with a small grin.

“Well, obviously. I kick ass in the courtroom,” she gloats, and we both laugh. “So, do I get to meet her?”

I furrow my brows, confused. “Who?”

“The infamous Sophie,” she teases. “I think I should meet the woman you killed a man for.”

“Really?” I deadpan.

“Oh c’mon, you know I’m giving you a hard time. It’s been five years, Mason. You haven’t been dating.”

I glare at her accusation. “And how would you know, hotshot? You basically live in that new fancy office of yours.”

“Liam gives me a weekly update.”

I snort. “He does not.”

“Okay, maybe not, but I see your social media pages, and I do talk to Liam at least once a month. He says you’ve been after this woman for a while.”

Rolling my eyes, I groan and make a mental note to punch Liam later for gossiping about my nonexistent love life. “And I suppose he tells you all about his traveling adventures and dozens of one-night stands?”

“Oh totally. We talk all about them over brunch. I’m starting to get concerned his dick is gonna fall off soon, though.”

“Starting to?” I chuckle. “I’m surprised there isn’t a line down the block to get to him.”

“According to him, there’s a girl named Maddie who’s been quite relentless.”

I smirk, nodding. “Yeah, that’s Sophie’s little sister. She’s a handful.”

“How young are we talking? Legal, I hope?”

“Like Liam would ever touch someone underage? She’s twenty, but she’s innocent, though she doesn’t always act like it. She enjoys tormenting him as much as she can.”

She nods, smirking. “Good. He needs to be kept on his toes.”

“No shit.” I grab the door handle and step out of her car. “Well, come on.”

Serena follows me into the house, cackling. “Wow, love what you guys have done with the place,” she teases. It’s been a year since she’s been inside, but it hasn’t changed a damn bit.

It’s only after nine a.m., and I’m surprised to see Sophie isn’t on the couch. “Soph?” I call out as I walk through the house.

“Mason?” she shouts, rushing out of the kitchen and charging right at me. “Oh my God, you aren’t in jail!” She wraps her arms around me and squeezes hard.

I hold her to my chest, inhaling the top of her head that smells like sweet strawberries. Chuckling, I shake my head. “Nope.”

Sophie pulls back, looking into my eyes. “What happened? How’d it go?”

Before I can respond, she blinks and notices Serena behind me. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you had company.”

Serena steps closer and smiles. “I’m Serena, his lawyer. It’s very nice to meet you.” She holds out her hand, and Sophie’s eyes light up.

“Wow, you’re very pretty.” Sophie smacks a hand over her mouth as she uses her other to shake Serena’s. “Sorry, that was a weird thing to say.”

“Definitely not the worst thing to hear on a Monday morning,” Serena teases. “Thank you.” They drop hands. “How are you doing, by the way?”

“I’ve been better, but I literally owe my life to Mason, so I’m damn grateful too.” Sophie looks as if I hung the moon, and by the smirk on Serena’s face, she sees it too.

“Well, you’ll be glad to know Mason’s case got dismissed, and he’s a free man,” Serena explains. “There was video evidence plus the witness statements. Yours helped too, Sophie. Thanks for being so honest.”

Sophie lunges for me again, and this time, I don’t care that Serena is watching and will give me shit for it. Once we pull back, I wipe away the tears on her cheeks.

“I was so nervous you were gonna get locked up or something. All these crazy scenarios were running through my mind, and I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if you were punished for something that was my fault.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I remind her. “But you don’t have to worry. Things will eventually go back to normal.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, studying my features. “Did something else happen?”

“I have to take a leave from work.” I shrug. “My dad thinks the press is gonna be on his ass, which means I need to lay low for a while.”

“Oh, Mason. I’m sorry.”

Before I can respond, Serena chimes in. “Perhaps he can use his time off to liven up the place.” She winks. “Help him redecorate or something.”

“Hey, it’s my bachelor pad,” I defend.

“Smells like one too,” she retorts.

Sophie giggles, and after a moment, I walk Serena out of the living room and tell her I’ll be in touch. She gives me shit but understands why I’m smitten with Sophie. She’s ragging me so hard, I nearly kick her ass out the door. But she laughs all the way to her car.

Once I shut the door, I lean against it and sigh. It’s already been a hectic day, and it’s far from over.

“Soph,” I say after we eat breakfast and finish off a pot of coffee.

She looks up at me, her eyes so damn sad and tired. “Yeah?”

“We should probably get your things from the house. I assume at some point his family is gonna have to go through everything there, and you won’t get the chance then.”

She nods as if she’d been thinking the same thing. “Will you come with me?”

“Is that seriously even a question?” I’m not letting her out of my damn sight again.