Page 20 of Finding Forgiveness

Connor

We’re just finishing lunch when I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket; I forgot it was still on silent. I slide it out, flip it over, and see my sister’s name on the screen.

“Jaz,” I say with a lazy smile when I answer. The four beers I had with Mason did their job. I’m finally feeling relaxed.

“Connor,” she cries down the line. My body instantly tenses as I sit up straighter in my seat.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Cassie?”

“She’s gone, Con.”

“What?” My heart drops into the pit of my stomach as I stand so abruptly my chair topples backwards, landing on the marble floor with a loud thud.

“Her mum had her discharged under her care … I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see her again,” she sobs.

I take a moment to absorb her words. She’s notgone, gone, she’s just been discharged. Why the fuck didn’t my sister lead with that? I think I just lost five years off my life. “Are you still at the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’m coming there now. Fuck, I’ve been drinking.”

“I’ll drive you,” my father offers.

“I’m coming too,” Mason chimes in.

“What’s happened?” my mum asks.

“Jaz, we’ll be there soon, hang tight. And don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted.”

Although four beers were not enough to get me drunk, the tipsy feeling I was experiencing earlier is gone, and I’m now super focused as we drive to the hospital. I’m formulating a plan in my head. In my heart, I know Cass isn’t safe under her mother’s care and there are avenues we can take if need be.

We find my sister waiting outside the front of the hospital when we get there. She looks crestfallen, and it has me immediately reaching for my seat belt, but Mason beats me to it. He’s out of the car the moment it comes to a stop and engulfing Jacinta in his arms.

Although they’ve been together for months, I’m still trying to get used to the fact that I’m no longer her protector. Before him, I was the one who she always turned to. I may not have been happy when these two first got together, but I’m good with it now. It was Mason’s prior lack of commitment to women that concerned me, but he’s more than proven himself. He loves her, that is evident, and I couldn’t ask for a better partner for my sister.

I blow out a frustrated breath when I see her wrap her arms around his waist and sob into his chest. It’s only then that I notice the huge motherfucking diamond on her ring finger. “What’s that?” I ask my dad, pointing towards her hand.

“What’s what?”

“That ring on her finger.”

“Jacinta and Mason got engaged. They didn’t tell you?”

“No.” I knew their relationship was the real thing, but marriage? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’m now sporting a frown as Mason cups my sister’s face in his hands and swipes the tears away with his thumb. She nods at whatever he just said, and when he leans in to brush his lips against hers, I’m forced to look away. I’m in no way jealous of them—I simply want what they have. It’s just unfortunate that the only woman I’d be willing to make that kind of commitment with isn’t interested in me in that way.

As soon as they’re seated in the vehicle, the first thing I do is ask Jacinta if she’s okay—assuring her that we’ll get this mess sorted. Only then do I address the huge motherfucking elephant in the room … or should I say car.

“I just spent the last few hours with you, Bradley,” I grumble. “When where you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That you’re going to marry my sister,” I snap, turning in my seat and narrowing my eyes at him.

He rolls his in return. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re the one that stated we aren’t chicks and don’t do deep and meaningful bullshit.”

“This is completely different, cocksucker, and you know it.”