Page 39 of The Art of Dying

Will made it to us first, bending down to speak. “I’m sorry,” he began.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she hissed. “You knew we were going to be here tonight!”

“I did,” Will began. “But so did Mason. I don’t know how. I came to run interference.”

Alecia thought about that for a moment and then relaxed a bit. “Keep him away from her.”

“I’ll do my bes—”

“Hello, ladies,” Mason said, walking up behind Will.

Will stood, looking defeated.

“I’m going to say this once,” Alecia said. “Get the fuck outta here, Mason.”

Every hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end, every cell on high alert. I was afraid of Mason on a molecular level, and all the trauma I thought I’d let go of instantly returned. I couldn’t respond, smile or frown; all I could do was stay still, staring at my beer, waiting for him to walk away.

“That’s not very nice.” He pulled up a chair, its high back hitting our table. Mason straddled it and crossed his arms over the top’s edge. “You’re still beautiful.”

I swallowed, then looked to Alecia for help.

“C’mon, Mason. Don’t start trouble,” Will pleaded.

“What trouble?” Mason said with his perfect, Cheshire smile. Those teeth were some Quincy orthodontist’s masterpiece, and what I first noticed about him. “I just wanted to come say hi to my girl.”

“I amnotyour girl,” I seethed. It took me a moment to calm down. “Get away from me, Mason. I mean it.”

He held up his hands and backed away, and I hated myself for flinching. “Don’t act like that, c’mon. I feel bad for how it ended.” He let his hands fall to his sides. “I know I’ve been gone too long. But it wasn’t because I didn’t miss you. It’s because it was too hard to be here. Everything here reminds me of us.”

I stared forward.

“C’mon, Mack. Will you at least acknowledge me? Please?”

I met his eyes, trying to keep all emotion from my face.

He smiled, the same one that made me fall for him. The same one that made me forgive him. The same one that trapped me in the nightmare that was loving him.

“I came over here, in front of everyone, knowing what everyone thinks, because you deserve that much from me. You know me. That was… that was me at my worst. I’m not that guy, you know that. Sorry isn’t enough, but I know I owe you one big fucking apology.”

“Apology not accepted! Piss off!” Alecia yelled.

The laughter and conversations around us died down, and I felt the entire bar watching us.

I closed my eyes. “Please go. I don’t want your apology. I don’t want anything from you except for you to leave me the hell alone.”

Mason leaned in, inches from my face. I could feel his breath on my cheek when he spoke. “I can’t. I’ve tried.”

“Dani, you’ve got a rat problem,” a woman yelled from behind us.

I turned, seeing Kelita Vazquez standing behind me in plain clothes. I sighed in relief.

Mason stood. “It’s been a long time, Kelita.”

“Not long enough,” she said, turning his chair around and sitting in it. “If I see you come within fifty yards of Mack again, you’ll be grabbing your ankles in a cell by bedtime.”

Mason’s mouth fell open as he laughed once and then he looked around. That was when the façade faded away, and I saw the rage return to his eyes. “You can’t do shit. What are you going to arrest me for?”

“Mason, let’s go,” Will said, grabbing his arm. “Now.”

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