I flinch, my heart constricting in fear of it breaking completely.
“I’m one of your brother’s best friends. It would look like I took advantage of you. I’ve thought things through, and I can’t tell him. I can’t tell anyone. It would cause havoc between our families, and you know damn well we don’t come from normal families. When I turn eighteen, I’ll be thrust into a position as head of the cartel to take over my family’s real legacy. My father is in politics. He can’t watch over things forever. Not in his position.”
Tears fill my eyes, the heartbreak etching across my face. “So that’s it then? You expect me to just forget about it? Forget about my feelings for you?”
He lets out a deep breath. “I don’t want you to forget about what we shared or how you feel. I’m still here to be your friend and protect you. We just can’t be together, not like that. It would be unfair to keep sleeping with you, knowing I can’t be what you deserve. You can’t fall in love with someone like me.”
I let out a strangled laugh and wiggleout of his grasp. His touch was warm and inviting for one minute and then turned cold like dry ice on my skin. “So, that’s it for me?” My voice cracks. “I have no say? I have to accept this?”
He steps forward, but I take another step back, avoiding his touch. A forbidden touch I desperately crave. My heart is cut wide open at the reality that he’s letting me go. He isn’t going to fight for us to be together.
“Please, Lucy. Understand. My father wants me to follow in his footsteps, even if I don’t want to do things his way. The guys and I have a plan, but none of it can happen for a while. Right now, we are both trapped in our families’ expectations. All of us are. We all live adouble life. One life is real and the other a facade. In between both lives, we don’t get to choose.”
I seethe, shaking my head in anger. It’s better to feel fury than cry over a guy I thought wanted me more than anything.“That is bullshit, and you know it. If you felt this way, then why?”
He looks up before his gaze lands on mine. “I know it’s selfish of me, but Ineededto have you. Even if it was only just once. I realize that isn’t fair, but I couldn’t go one more day doing the shit we are ordered to dowithout knowing the taste of your lips or the way you feel when I’m inside you, making you mine.”
A tear slides down my cheek and my stomach clenches. How could he do this to me? Why won’t he fight for me? Why is he giving up?
He grimaces. “Pleasedon’t cry. I hate the fact that I made you cry.”
I’m trying to blink back the tears, but they keep falling. I sniff. “Stay away from me, Mason.”
“Don’t say that. Lucy, please.”
I move to get away from him, but Mason’s grip is strong when he reaches for me, pulling me back against his chest. His arms crush my upper body, holding me, and I can feel his heart beating rapidly against my chest. I struggle to get free of his hold and just as I was taught, as he whips me around, I step back before he can grab me again. I throw all my weight into my open palm and it soars through the air into a slap, a crack of thunder smacking across his cheek, echoing against the walls of the garage.
Mason stays stunned, releasing me, holding his hand against his cheek that’s reddening by the minute against his golden-brown complexion.
I press the garage door button on my key fob, drowning out anything else he wants to say.Without looking at him, I yank open the door of my Porsche and slide inside. The sound of the SUV’s engine fills the garage space as Mason reluctantly goes and moves Colton’s car so I can back out. He watches me with what looks like anguish, processing what just happened,but I know it must be guilt. He feels guilty because he doesn’t want anyone in our families to know about us.
Heprefers to let me go because his friendship with my brother is more important than wanting to be with me. It hurts to know I’m not part of his plan. That he didn’t love me. Even if he did, it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.
I drive around for hours, crying my heart out, knowing senior year is going to be the hardest yearof my life because the boy I love and gave my heart todoesn’t loveme back.
* * *
I walk out of my doctor’s appointment, still in shock.
I’m pregnant. Never in a million years did I think I could be pregnant. We only had sex once, but according to the doctor, that’s all it takes.
I’m eight weeks along and I’m nervous, but most of all, I’m in love with the little baby growing inside me. It makes sense now why certain smells make me feel like throwing up, whymy perioddidn’t appearfor the second month in a row. Thank God I made an appointment to see if something was wrong or if I needed birth control to regulate my period. I should have gone to the doctor sooner, but I didn’t see the point of getting birth control if all the guys at schoolhad already beenwarned that they could not come near me or they’ll feel the wrath of the Kings of Hillside.
Plus, I never thought in a million years Mason and I would have sex that night. He’s stopped coming to my room and avoids me now. Sometimes when the guys are hanging out at the pool, he will glance at me. But when I turn my head in his direction, he averts his gaze.He meant what he said about us and as much as I cried myself to sleep at night, I accepted his decision and avoided him as much as possible until I got over it.
Walking to the parking lot, the car unlocks, sensing I’m near, and I slide onto the leather seat and start the engine. My mind is reeling that I’m pregnant with Mason Montgomery’s baby, trying to figure out how I’m going to tell him. He deserves to know. I decided as soon as I heard the little heart beating like a wild horse that I’m keeping the baby, and no one will talk me out of it. My baby deserves to live and feel loved because in my heart, he or she was made with plenty of it. At least from me. Mason was right when he told me I would never forget that night or the moment he was inside me. No matter how hard I’ve tried to forget, the result of what we shared is now growing inside of me.
When I drive through the gates at my house, I see Mason, Colton, and Aiden are here. Anxiety is coursing through my veins but I’m also relieved Mason is here because it will give me the chance to tell him. Knowing Mason, he would be disappointed if I kept it from him and hate me for not telling him something so profound. We are both seventeen, but we will be legal adults in the coming months and we both have trust funds to help us through. On my side of the family, my mother will probably be the only one thrilled. She always talks about one day being a grandmother and having a grandchild on which she can dote.
I make my way through the quiet house, my sandals slapping on the pristine marble floors as I search for the guys.
My eyes scan the empty patio and pool area. The pool house door is ajar and I make my way there. An inkling of feeling has my stomach clenching in dread, but I ignore it. The last time I opened a door like this was when I caught Colton and Leo having a threesome with Jessica and I almost threw up. Colton and Leo are like my brothers and watching them naked with their cocks deep inside a girl I know is an image I’d rather forget. I wanted to bleach my eyes when it happened. The feeling is probably just the fact that I’m pregnant and my body is changing like the doctor said when I asked what to expect.
I hear Mason and Colton’s hushed voices, but I can’tmake out what they are saying. Maybe Mason and Colton are discussing business or something. Sometimes they talk inside here instead of the main house because of the housekeeper and they normally use the pool house to shower and change since it’s an additional living quarters with a full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room. It is modern, with an open concept, so you can see everything when you walk in.
My hand pushes the door and when it swings open, my eyes burn with a sudden rush of tears. Mason looks high, stumbling, trying to pull on his shirt while Gloria is on her hands and knees and it is obvious she was giving him a blow job. She doesn’t move after him because Colton is thrusting inside her from behind.
Her tongue darts out, licking her lips. “Mm, Mason. You have the most delicious cock. I would love nothing more than tasting myselfall over it when it has beeninside of me,” she moans.