Tolerance (Heart of Stone) (25 page)

 
I stood as they
approached “You okay?” I asked casually as I pretended to pay attention to my
phone instead of her, trying to let her relax. She nodded and Nate smiled “Everything
okay with you Ava?” he asked and I nodded “Yeah, Williams offered his help” I
told him as we exited the club and he glanced at me with narrow eyes “What
exactly is he helping you with Ava?” he asked cautiously but I shook my head
slightly “If I told you I’d have to kill you” I said with fake sincerity. He
huffed and shook his head at me “I’m worried about you Ava” he divulged as we
climbed into his car “Don’t be Nate, honestly. I know what I’m doing” I told
him. He eyed me thoughtfully but nodded

“Oh is it okay if I finish about 3:30 on Monday? It’s
just I’ve offered to take Kerrie to her chemo session because Mason seems to
have conveniently forgotten about her and she’s been struggling” I asked Nate
and he nodded “What the hell has gotten into him lately?” he scowled and I
shrugged “Damned if I know but he can get ready when he gets back” I growled
and Liv nodded in understanding “God help him” Nate chuckled “God won’t fucking
help him” I stated.

The next week dragged as I felt emotionally and
physically drained after caring for Kerrie. After her chemotherapy on Monday
she succeeded to explode from every orifice on her body for three days. She was
upset, humiliated and absolutely and horrifically ill and I silently cursed
Mason for letting her struggle through like this. She eventually settled back
down and I moved back into the cottage on the Thursday, exhausted and
heartbroken at what Kerrie had to go through.

As soon as I got to work on Thursday morning I ordered
her two large bunches of flowers and an open weekend at a health spa, giving
her something to look forward to when all this was over.

 
I had managed to
double check all my work from last week now that Liv was back and covered her
own work downstairs and she arrived at lunchtime to spend time with Nate before
she covered for my ante-natal appointment and I grinned to myself as she locked
his office door behind her.

I was nibbling on my peanut butter and curry paste
sandwich when my phone rang and I reached for it while perusing a website about
twin births “Hello” I chirped as I answered “Hi” Mason said softly and
hesitantly and I froze as my chest hurt immediately, the pain of what he had
done slamming through my body again. I ended the call, there was no way I was
having this conversation with him over the phone.

It rang again but I declined it and switched it off. I
knew he would turn up and I cringed as I rang through to Nates office “Sorry
for disturbing you both but I’m gonna get off to the hospital now. I’ll warn
you that Mason has just rung and I declined his call. I am presuming he’s back
in the UK, so he might turn up here. Please don’t tell him where I am” I said
into the intercom “No problem Ava. Liv says let her know what you’re having”
Nate said “I will. See you tomorrow guys”

 
I packed up my
things quickly and headed out of the building and climbed into my car just as
Mason sped into the car park and screeched into a parking spot. I slid down my
seat and watched him stealthily through the wing mirror as he stormed out of
his car, slammed the door shut and ran up the steps and into NSC.

I floored the accelerator and raced to Courtneys, beeping
her manically until she flew out of her house in a frenzy “Jesus Ava, I’m
coming” she puffed as she climbed in “Where’s the fire?” I took off again
before Mason came here looking for me and then settled down into a steady pace
of driving “Masons arse is on fire” I told her holding back laughter as I
recalled the fury on his face as he jumped out of his car.

She narrowed her eyes on me “I’ve just put the phone down
on him twice, so he’s after my arse” I chuckled “Oh God” she cried and buried
her face in her hands “Fuck him. He can piss off to America for a fortnight
without telling me but I’m not allowed to put the phone down on him without him
throwing a hissy” I scowled and as we pulled into the hospital car park my
phone alerted a text:

MASON

Where the hell are
you?

ME

Nowhere near
America!!!

MASON

Tell me where you
are Ava and don’t be fucking smart!!

I was ready for blowing up at him so decided to just
breathe and ignore him. My phone rang this time and I looked at it nervously
but it was Nate “Hi” I answered and he puffed loudly “You are in sooo much
trouble Ava. He was livid” he warned and I sighed “Fuck him. He didn’t have a
go at you did he?” I asked worriedly “No, but only because Liv was with me I
think. I told him you had finished early today but I didn’t know why” he
informed me and I exhaled loudly “Thanks Nate, I owe you” he snorted “I don’t
envy you when he gets hold of you Ava” he said slowly but I laughed “He’s gotta
catch me first”

“One of each” Ethan declared happily and me and Courtney
squealed like giddy teenagers “Yay, that’s brilliant” I grinned as Courtney
squeezed my hand.

I sighed contentedly as I watched my babies fight, fidget
and bounce about “Hey peanuts” Courtney waved to them and I half expected them
to wave back “They’re getting big now Ava” Ethan said as he measured them on
the screen “Big and healthy” he smiled as he wiped the goo off my stomach “Daddy
not here today?” he asked as I cringed when it smeared into a big glob “Nope” I
said with a pop of the ‘P’ and he raised his eyebrows at me “Don’t ask” I
warned just as the door flew open and Mason stormed in, his face was tight and
angry, his jaw was tense and his eyes scanned the room and then froze on me

“Ava” he nearly spat as Courtney moaned and shifted
uncomfortably in her chair. Ethan’s eyes shot from mine to Masons then back to
mine “Oh Hello, Mason isn’t it?” I said petulantly and his stormy eyes narrowed
further “Don’t be fucking smart Ava” he glowered and I rolled my eyes, his
chest was rising and falling heavily with each deep breath “Why didn’t you tell
me you had a scan?” he asked slowly and I could tell he was only just holding
it together “I would have but you obviously can’t send or receive my calls in America”
I told him brashly as though he was stupid.

 
I stood up and his
hand shot out to help me up but I just stared at it with disgust and refused to
take it. He dropped it back down by his side and glared at me “How are they?”
he asked softly and I snorted loudly, Courtney cringed as Mason growled and I
glared at him, my own rage surfacing at his attitude. I hadn’t seen him for
nearly three weeks and he comes storming in, temper frayed and had the cheek to
be angry with
me

“Go home” I said despondently and his eyes flashed
angrily “I won’t repeat myself Mason” I looked at Ethan and pointedly ignored
Mason “The pictures ready?” I asked calmly and he nodded, passing me two.

I smiled and ran my finger over the photo and then handed
one to Courtney “Oh Erm thanks” she said, giving Mason a furtive glance. Mason
bit his lip savagely and his fists clenched “Ava…Don’t do this here” he warned
again and my own eyes flashed this time “Go home Mason before you make a fool
of yourself and get kicked out” I hissed to which he scoffed “I don’t think so
Ava” he said cockily and I shook my head in exasperation “Oh that’s right, I
forgot you’re God” I sighed

“OH FUCK THIS!!” he boomed and stormed out of the door. I
breathed a huge sigh of relief and picked up my bag from the floor “Thanks
Ethan, I promise not to bring the entertainment next time” I laughed bitterly
and he nodded but gave me a sad smile “You look after yourself Ava” I grinned,
nodded and walked out “I will”

I called in to Brian and Brenda’s on the way home to tell
them the sex of the babies and then climbed straight into bed when I arrived
back at the cottage. After the week from hell I fell straight to sleep and
didn’t wake till late afternoon, feeling better already.

I made coffee and picked up my phone to text Liv the news
when I saw two missed calls from Mason. I chose to ignore them again and rang
George “Hey” I grinned when he answered “Hello princess, give me the verdict”
he chuckled “One of each” I smiled as he cheered “Oh Ava, that’s brilliant” I
nodded to myself as I lifted a foot onto the chair next to me and started to
paint my nails a bright red “I know, perfect” I sighed happily “And how’s the
father to be?” he asked cautiously, always highly aware of mine and Masons’
volatile relationship “Oh the usual” I sneered and he sighed heavily “I’m gonna
knock both your heads together” he declared and I took his scolding, not daring
to tell him about Masons impromptu visit abroad with notifying me “I know, I’ll
get over it. How are you anyway?” I asked and we chatted happily for a while,
filling each other in on our lives but I held back most of my happenings
knowing George would go mad with me for the plans I had. We said goodbye to
lots of tears from my end. I really could have done with a hug from him today
but I got the usual chastisement from him.

I decided to bake and placing my IPod in my pocket,
headphones in my ears and hair in a ponytail I weighed, whisked, baked and
danced, singing along loudly to Olly Murs. I took the apple and raspberry
muffins out of the oven singing along to ‘
Hey
There Beautiful’
and turned to place them on the worktop and met the amused
expression of Mason sitting at the table.

 
I dropped the
tray, scattering the buns across the floor and grit my teeth in fury “Get.
The.
Fuck.
Out!”
I bellowed. He
narrowed his eyes, stood up and stalked over to me. I refused to be intimidated
by him and stood my ground. He reached me, cocked his head and pursed his lips
as he regarded me “Will you please let me explain before you blow off?” I
raised my eyebrows in shock “What the hell Mason? Don’t even try to make
excuses for what you did because I don’t wanna fucking hear them, now get out”
I seethed through clenched teeth and bent to pick up the ruined muffins

“LEAVE THEM AND FUCKING LISTEN TO ME” he yelled and my
fury rose “Don’t you dare come here fucking bellowing at me. I have had enough
Mason, I can’t do this anymore” I shouted and he flinched at my words “What
would you have done Mason if I had fucked off to America with Kade? Huh? I can
fucking imagine and it wouldn’t be letting me stand here trying to give
pathetic excuses and lies” I bit out. His face was dark but a haunted look
flitted over his face and I shook my head sadly at him

“Go home Mason, please. I can’t cope with this nightmare
relationship anymore. We’re killing each other and I’m not going to let our
babies suffer for our fuck ups” I turned to the window, refusing to let him see
the tears in my eyes “Ava please” he pleaded but I shook my head “No Mason. You
hurt me too much this time” I spun round to face him “I fucking sat here, meal
on the table for hours waiting for you like a sad twat, stupidly thinking you
were just running late and that you wouldn’t just not turn up without letting
me know and then after 12 hours I started worrying, actually fucking terrified
that something had happened to you”

I took a step towards him “thinking you might be laid
dead somewhere in a fucking ditch” another step closer “thinking you were
overdosed on coke somewhere” another step “And then I had to phone Sam. You
fucked off with Rebecca but I, fucking
me
,
had to phone around to find out what had happened to you” I swung my hand back
and slapped him hard across the face, his head shot sideways but his face was
expressionless.

We stood glaring at each other, our angry eyes locked and
heated and our breathing heavy but steady. I grabbed his hair tightly and
yanked his mouth to mine, kissing him like my life depended on it, hungry and
violently, my tongue exploring his angrily as he sucked harshly on mine.

My hands gripped his shirt and yanked it open, pinging
buttons all over the kitchen floor as he grasped the neckline of my top and
tore it open. We fumbled frantically with each other’s trousers, yanking them
and our underwear down each other’s legs and he spun me round to bend me over
the table.

He impaled me a brutal thrust “
Oh God!
Yes Ava
” he
hissed as he plunged right to the tip of me. He pulled back and speared me
violently again. I screamed in a mixture of pain and pleasure as he yanked my
hair back so he could latch on to my neck as he pounded into me relentlessly,
ruthlessly and roughly “Fuck Mason, I’m coming” I yelled loudly as he thrust
once more and joined me in my ferocious orgasm, both of us crying out each
other’s name as our climax tore through us aggressively.

“Jesus Baby” Mason panted, resting his head against my
back. I panted silently and then the tears came; the angry, exhausted and
miserable tears as I still rested against the table “Oh baby, I’m so sorry” he
choked out as he turned me, lifted me and carried me upstairs and laid us both
down in bed “I’m sorry Ava, I’m so sorry” he repeated and pulled me close,
enveloping me tightly and securely while I wept.

“I couldn’t get in touch baby because I didn’t know I was
going. Rebecca had it all planned as a surprise” he started to explain “She
picked me straight up from the club Saturday afternoon and took me straight to
the airport. I had left my phone in my office and there wasn’t any way to get
in touch with you before we went. I didn’t do any of it on purpose Baby.
 
I told her I didn’t want to go but she was
adamant she had sorted it out with everybody at work and that she had been
planning it for weeks. I soon found out the reason for the visit though” he
scoffed and I peered up at him through my tear splattered lashes “She took me
house viewing” he divulged and I frowned “What?” he nodded “Oh yeah, she wants
us to move out there after the baby is born” he sighed heavily and I bit my
bottom lip harshly “And are you?” I asked cautiously.