Read Online MASON (Second Chance Novels Book 2) by Kemmie Michaels - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kemmie Michaels
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subject drop.
"It's going to affect all of us when this hits the fan. So like I said, what are you going to do about Shelby?"
"Shelby and I are solid, Ledge," I say with a degree of annoyance.
"If you truly believe that, you're an idiot."
"Fuck off."
"Not this time," he says plainly, with a hint of 'don't fuck with me' in his voice. "Sorry, Mason, but you seriously have to think about this. Shelby's going to have her heart broken, and soon. Cam will be pissed. We all hang out at the bar. Dig's been in a few times, and she gets along with everyone. It wouldn't surprise me if she becomes part of the crowd. How do you think this is going to play out?"
"You asshole," I nearly shout. "So this is why you suggested camping?"
"Part of it. When else could I have this conversation?"
"Ok, then think about this conversation: we're in the woods. Plenty of places to hide your body. Trust me, no one will ever find you."
Ledger smirks and drops the subject for a moment. In semi-awkward silence, I stoke the fire and he pulls out the steaks and gets a flat rock ready to serve as a searing-stone. I foil the potatoes and come up with every other excuse not to talk to him. Once the meal is cooking and our plates and drinks are ready, he opens his fucking mouth again .
"So what are you going to do about Shelby?"
"I'll tell you one last time. FUCK OFF," I say, now genuinely angry. I stub out the last bit of my cigar on a rock and then throw it hard into the woods. A cigar offers no satisfying weight or crash, so I pick up a rock and do the same thing. A hickory tree takes the brunt of my anger, but then my shoulders drop and I take another drink of beer. I'm pissed at myself, not Ledger. "I don't fucking know."
"Can I help?" Ledger asks genuinely.
"Should we hold hands and kumbaya while we share our feelings?"
"Now it's your turn to fuck off," he says with more anger than I expected. "Seriously, don't be such a jackass about this! Don't try to play the humor card with me, either. I know how full of shit you are with half of that. Be real for once. If you don't want Shelby anymore, then end it now."
"But I do want Shelby," I tell him. "Look, you know enough about my time in the Army to know that life was never simple…I was always on the edge. I'm done with that . I want stable, calm, and happy. That's my time with Shelby exactly. That's what I'm working toward. That's my goal."
Ledger actually fucking laughs out loud.
"And what is so damn funny?" I grit out.
"Happiness with Shelby is your goal ? For someone so smart, you're dumber than shit."
And that's the end of our special little talk. We eat in silence. He doesn't need to press any further, or to point out that a happy relationship shouldn't be part of a goal. Nor did he press to talk about Dig, because we both know what he'd say. Ledger looks at me again with his eyes narrowed. Fuck his ability to figure people out. About ten seconds of his silent glaring and he shakes his head and walks toward his sleeping bag while he mutters "idiot" one more time. Fuck him.
The next day we climb and keep the conversation about work and sports. I confess more about my Army days, but not much. He talks about the next property he wants to buy, but every word is superficial and we both know it. Neither of us can forget last night's conversation, but neither of us revisits the subject.
We climb most of the day and by mid-afternoon, Ledger's ready to buy his own set of climbing gear. Physically spent, we return to camp for dinner, then relax with one more cigar. Ledger finally confesses what I already knew about this weekend.
"I didn't want to leave her," he says shaking his head. "And I made sure Shelby would be around in case Cam needed anything, but God, closing that door was the hardest thing I've done since we found her."
"I know. Frankly I was surprised when you asked to come out here."
"Yeah. She needed this so she can trust herself to be without me. Neither of us want her
"It's going to affect all of us when this hits the fan. So like I said, what are you going to do about Shelby?"
"Shelby and I are solid, Ledge," I say with a degree of annoyance.
"If you truly believe that, you're an idiot."
"Fuck off."
"Not this time," he says plainly, with a hint of 'don't fuck with me' in his voice. "Sorry, Mason, but you seriously have to think about this. Shelby's going to have her heart broken, and soon. Cam will be pissed. We all hang out at the bar. Dig's been in a few times, and she gets along with everyone. It wouldn't surprise me if she becomes part of the crowd. How do you think this is going to play out?"
"You asshole," I nearly shout. "So this is why you suggested camping?"
"Part of it. When else could I have this conversation?"
"Ok, then think about this conversation: we're in the woods. Plenty of places to hide your body. Trust me, no one will ever find you."
Ledger smirks and drops the subject for a moment. In semi-awkward silence, I stoke the fire and he pulls out the steaks and gets a flat rock ready to serve as a searing-stone. I foil the potatoes and come up with every other excuse not to talk to him. Once the meal is cooking and our plates and drinks are ready, he opens his fucking mouth again .
"So what are you going to do about Shelby?"
"I'll tell you one last time. FUCK OFF," I say, now genuinely angry. I stub out the last bit of my cigar on a rock and then throw it hard into the woods. A cigar offers no satisfying weight or crash, so I pick up a rock and do the same thing. A hickory tree takes the brunt of my anger, but then my shoulders drop and I take another drink of beer. I'm pissed at myself, not Ledger. "I don't fucking know."
"Can I help?" Ledger asks genuinely.
"Should we hold hands and kumbaya while we share our feelings?"
"Now it's your turn to fuck off," he says with more anger than I expected. "Seriously, don't be such a jackass about this! Don't try to play the humor card with me, either. I know how full of shit you are with half of that. Be real for once. If you don't want Shelby anymore, then end it now."
"But I do want Shelby," I tell him. "Look, you know enough about my time in the Army to know that life was never simple…I was always on the edge. I'm done with that . I want stable, calm, and happy. That's my time with Shelby exactly. That's what I'm working toward. That's my goal."
Ledger actually fucking laughs out loud.
"And what is so damn funny?" I grit out.
"Happiness with Shelby is your goal ? For someone so smart, you're dumber than shit."
And that's the end of our special little talk. We eat in silence. He doesn't need to press any further, or to point out that a happy relationship shouldn't be part of a goal. Nor did he press to talk about Dig, because we both know what he'd say. Ledger looks at me again with his eyes narrowed. Fuck his ability to figure people out. About ten seconds of his silent glaring and he shakes his head and walks toward his sleeping bag while he mutters "idiot" one more time. Fuck him.
The next day we climb and keep the conversation about work and sports. I confess more about my Army days, but not much. He talks about the next property he wants to buy, but every word is superficial and we both know it. Neither of us can forget last night's conversation, but neither of us revisits the subject.
We climb most of the day and by mid-afternoon, Ledger's ready to buy his own set of climbing gear. Physically spent, we return to camp for dinner, then relax with one more cigar. Ledger finally confesses what I already knew about this weekend.
"I didn't want to leave her," he says shaking his head. "And I made sure Shelby would be around in case Cam needed anything, but God, closing that door was the hardest thing I've done since we found her."
"I know. Frankly I was surprised when you asked to come out here."
"Yeah. She needed this so she can trust herself to be without me. Neither of us want her
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