Page 44 of Mr. Almost

“That’s sweet, but you don’t have to.” I move to pull out of his hold, but Mason doesn’t let me go.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. You deserve the break.”

I bite my lip as I think about it. It’s what Chloe said. That I should be giving him more parental responsibility. The little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me to keep her close, though.

“What is holding you back?” he asks.

“It’s hard for me to trust. There’s still a lot of hurt here.” I rub over my chest.

“What if we stay here for the night? We won’t leave at all, even to get ice cream. I will have everything delivered. You can check in by phone anytime you want.”

My nerves start to recede as he says what I need to hear. That he is willing to do this at my pace and on my terms. Those weren’t even terms I would consider, but now that he has said them, I realize that is what I needed.

“Are you sure?” I ask reluctantly.

“Positive.”

“Chloe did mention she wanted to get together tonight or tomorrow night.”

“Call her back and set it up,” Mason encourages me.

“Are you positive?”

“Absolutely.”

I step out of his hold and grab my phone from my back pocket. I shoot Chloe a text asking her if she still wants to get together.

“Thank you,” I tell Mason as I wait for her to respond.

“You don’t have to thank me for doing the bare minimum, Livvy,” he says gently.

I nod as Ari comes back into the room with her brush in hand.

MASON

As soon as Olivia answered the door, I could see the defeat on her face. Then, when Arianna sassed back, I knew it had been a morning. I wanted to scold her for talking to her mother like that, but I kept my mouth shut.

I don’t know how Olivia would take me stepping in on her behalf and reprimanding our little girl.

“How about I brush her hair and you take a minute for yourself?” I offer.

“You really want to tackle all that sass?”

“Yes.”

Olivia’s shoulders sag, and she whispers, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I watch her as she walks down the hall. Her shutting the bedroom door quietly has me moving across the room to Ari.

“Are you ready for me to help you with your hair?”

Ari looks up at me and frowns. “I thought Mommy was going to do my hair.”

“I told her I could do it,” I tell her as I sit down next to her.

“But you’re a boy.”

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