Page 48 of Love Me Ever After
My head snappedaround at Mason’s words. His tone sounded serious. What did we need to talk about? Everything was fine. Since we’d got back from seeing his parents, any doubts I might have had disappeared. Thanks to Georgie and Sara’s advice, I was simply enjoying how things were going between us.
“Sure, let me dish up and we can talk.” I tried to keep my voice light and breezy. Why I immediately thought there was something wrong, I didn’t know. Perhaps he’d been given a bonus. Perhaps one of his candidates had accepted a job. It could be anything. It didn’t have to be about us.
I banged the plates down on the table, then sat down opposite Mason. We’d taken to eating in the kitchen, rather than on the sofa, when we were both home for dinner so we could talk. When Sara wasn’t around, it was like we were a proper married couple. I smirked at the thought. We were so far away from that, it wasn’t funny.
Picking up my wineglass, I clinked it with his. “Cheers.”
Mason didn’t speak, pushing his food around the plate and avoiding looking at me.
Now I knew something was wrong.
Itwassomething to do with us.
“Mason?” This time my voice wasn’t as confident. “What’s going on?”
He dropped his fork onto his plate with a clatter and stared directly at me. “I’ve been offered the opportunity of an interview for a job.”
“But that’s good news, isn’t it?” I didn’t understand why he wasn’t shouting from the rooftops. If he had another company interested in him, who knew where that might lead?
“Is it?”
“Okay, you’re being weird. What’s so bad about this job that you can’t get excited about it? I thought you were all about the career progression.” I put a forkful of curry into my mouth and chewed. Mmm, not bad, although I could maybe have put a little less onion in. I’d have to work on that recipe.
“It’s in New York.”
Those four words hung in the air as silence descended between us.
All of a sudden, I was back in Anna’s Kitchen where Mason told me about the secondment. He’d taken me there so I couldn’t make a scene in front of other people. But tonight, it was just us at home. And there was a very strong possibility I was going to make a scene.
“Is it the same people you were on secondment with?” I said, keeping my words measured. I knew I should be pleased for him, encouraging him to take the next step in his career, to go for it. But we’d been here before. Why couldn’t he be happy with taking a job in London? Why did the best chance for him have to be in another country?
“Yeah, Gareth would be my manager and I’d be working with Whit and Tia again.IfI got the job.” He took a swig of his beer. “I’d have to go over there for an interview.”
I frowned. “Why? You’ve already worked there for a while. Can’t you do a Zoom call instead?”
Mason shook his head. “It’s a proper assessment centre. There are all sorts of group exercises and presentations, not to mention a panel interview. I’d have to be there in person.”
I twisted a strand of hair around my finger, so tightly I almost cut off the circulation. “When is the interview?”
“I haven’t decided whether I’m going to go for it yet.” Mason stared directly at me. “I wanted to talk to you first.”
“That’s very noble.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I know we’ve only just got back together.”
“Which clearly means absolutely nothing to you.” I placed the fork down on my plate carefully and deliberately. Anything to quell the anger threatening to bubble up in my stomach. “How can you even think of going away again after everything?”
Mason sucked in his lips. “It’s a great opportunity.”
He was choosing his career over me—again—I stood up and pushed my chair back with such force it fell to the floor. “I’m sure it is.” Not wanting to talk to him any further, I stalked out of the kitchen and went to my room, Mason close behind.
I went to shut the door behind me but Mason jammed his foot in the gap to stop me from closing it completely.
He huffed out a breath. “Don’t do this to me, Ems. We can talk about this.”
I flung the door open. “Why bother? You didn’t give two fucks about me the last time, so what’s different now?”
Hurt crossed his face. “Maybe I’ve learned from my mistakes.”
