Page 27 of Mason

Her smile falters, lips parting as if she's about to protest, but the words die before they’re spoken. Instead, she nods, stepping back to lead me into the living room. The silence between us is heavy and suffocating.

"Talk then, Mason," she murmurs, wrapping her arms around herself like she could hold together the pieces of her breaking heart.

I shove my hands in my pockets, because they're itching to reach for her, to hold her close one last time. But that’s not why I’m here.

"Darlin', this thing between us..." My jaw clenches. "It's gotta end."

"End?" Her voice cracks, disbelief etched in every feature. "But I thought—"

"Thought what? That we could ride off into some fairytale sunset?" I bark out a laugh that sounds more like a growl. "There’s no happy ending for us Carlie."

"Mason, please," she steps closer, reaching for me. But I step back, putting distance between temptation and the inevitable.

"Listen to me," I insist, the words tearing at my insides. "Walker, he's gunning for me, for my brothers. And he won't hesitate to use you to get to me."

"Then let's face him together—"

"Dammit, Carlie! You think I’d ever put you into that position?" I shout, my hands balling into fists. "You're one more thing he can use against me. One more thing to lose."

"Is that what I am to you? A thing?" Tears glisten in her eyes, but there's fire there too, burning bright and fierce.

I sigh with regret. "No, Darlin'. You're everything." And that's exactly why I have to do this. "But I can't... I won't have your blood on my hands."

"I’m willing to take that risk! You don’t get to decide. I get to decide."

“God damnit, Carlie!” I slam my fist against the wall leaving a hole in its place. "I won’t let you. For once in my damn life, I'm gonna do the right thing. You have to forget me, move on with someone who isn't gonna bring you nothing but heartache."

"Mason—" The way she says my name, it's a caress, a plea, a knife all at once.

"Please, baby. For me." I lean down, press a kiss onto the crown of her head, breathe in the scent of her shampoo one last time. “Be safe. Be happy.”

Turning my back on the only light I’ve known in a life full of shadows, I walk out the door, out of her life. The roar of my bike drowns out everything else—her sobs, my conscience, the whisper of a better man dying in the night.

CARLIE

The door slams shut, and the echo feels like a cruel reminder of the empty space Mason’s departure leaves behind. I stand there, frozen, the cold from outside creeping into my bones asmy world tips sideways. My legs give out, and I collapse against the wall, slowly sliding down until I’m sitting on the cold tile, hugging my knees. Sobs start to shake me, each one crashing over me like waves in a storm, pulling me further under.

“Mason,” I manage to choke out. His name is like glass scraping against my throat, but I hold on to it, even though it feels like holding onto something that’s already gone. The house, once full of warmth and laughter, now feels unbearable in its silence.

I hear the roar of his motorcycle fading away, the sound twisting the knife deeper. He’s gone. Another ghost in my life, another piece of me ripped away, leaving a wound that won’t heal.

A knock on the door jolts me. “Carlie?” The voice is familiar, worried.

“Go away,” I whisper, but the door creaks open, and Jenny walks in. Of course, it’s Jenny. No need for knocking between us—never has been. She takes one look at me and her eyes soften.

“Oh, honey.” She crosses the room in seconds and drops down beside me on the floor.

“Mason’s gone,” I say through my tears. “He’s gone, and he’s not coming back.”

“Shh, I’ve got you.” Jenny pulls me into her arms, holding me tight. Her embrace is fierce, like she’s trying to hold me together with sheer force of will.

“Everything’s broken, Jenny. He broke everything.” My voice barely comes out, strained and raw from crying, from the weight of everything crumbling around me.

“Listen to me,” Jenny says, pulling back just enough to cup my face in her hands. She makes me look at her, even though I don’t want to. “You are the strongest person I know. You will get through this. We will get through this together.”

I lean into her hands, needing that strength she’s offering, needing something solid to hold onto. Jenny is the only thing keeping me from drowning.

“Remember who you are, Carlie. You’re not just some biker’s old lady. You’re Carlie Meadows. The woman who can handle anything.” Her voice is firm, like she’s trying to will me into believing her words.

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