Tolerance (Heart of Stone) (30 page)

Nate turned to me, a huge grin erupted on his face and he
picked me up and swirled me round “You did it Ava” he laughed and I laughed
with him as tears of freedom streamed down my face. I couldn’t describe what
this meant for Mason “Way to go Girl” he beamed as he put me down and I
breathed out slowly, the euphoric feeling coursing through me. I closed my eyes
and enveloped myself in the utter feeling of finality and liberation.

I pulled up in Mason’s driveway and stole a minute for a
deep breath against the heartache and excitement of seeing him again. He was
due to leave for America on Monday and I knew he would be here packing and
sorting his business out. I took hold of the clear evidence bag and popped it
into my bag and exited the car, approached his door and rang the bell whilst
trying to calm my breathing.

 
The door swung
open to a confused Mason “Ava?” he frowned but his eyes were shiny and hopeful
“Can I come in?” I asked quietly and he froze “Erm…Rebecca is here” he said
quietly and I smiled slyly “Oh good” I said and he regarded me carefully “I’d
still like to come in” I stated and he frowned again but nodded “Sure, sorry”
he moved to the side and let me past.

I stood in the hallway and took a deep breath as Rebecca
strode out of the kitchen “Ava, what a pleasant surprise” she smirked and one
side of my lips curled “Isn’t it” I mocked and walked over to her “Where’s
Debora?” I asked and she looked at me with utter disgust as if I shouldn’t
mention her “Well, I don’t think it has anything to do with you but she’s at
home with the nanny” she sneered, as though the mention of a nanny made her a
bigger person “That’s lucky for Debora then” I chuckled and she frowned “Why?”
she scowled “Because she won’t witness this” I snarled and punched her cleanly
in the face, she shot backwards against the wall and slumped to the floor.

 
I sighed happily
and closed my eyes in utter contentment. I grabbed her hair and pulled her up
and slammed another fist into her face “Ava!” Mason cried and held on to the
fist I had pulled back “What the hell are you doing?” he hissed and I smirked
“What’s the problem Mason?” I asked snidely and his eyes widened “You know what
the fucking problem is, she is going to go running to Daddy now and you know
what that means” he said hurriedly.

 
I snorted and took
the white envelope from my bag and threw it at Rebecca and then I took the
evidence bag out, a copy of the paternity results for Debora and one of the
brown envelopes containing all the information on Robert Delaney and passed it
to Mason

“Thank you for everything Mason. This is for you…enjoy” I
smiled tenderly, winked and kissed him softly, sliding my thumb over his cheek
tenderly before I walked out.

 
 
I grinned as my phone rang in my bag before I
had even pulled off his street.

I entered the cottage, leaving the door open behind me
and went straight to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of champagne I had
chilling, ready for celebrating. I grinned happily as I twisted the metal
casing and popped the cork just as Mason entered the house

“What the hell Ava?” he was wide eyed and looked like he
was in shock. I handed him a champagne flute and poured us both a glass “To
your freedom” I smirked and clinked his glass as he still stood staring at me.
I sighed and gestured to a chair and we both sat down, Mason rather heavily.
“How Ava?” he asked simply and I chuckled and filled him in on everything.

“Jesus” he breathed as I finished my summary of events
“You did all that for me?” he asked quietly and I reared back in amazement at
his words “Of course. I told you I wouldn’t see you marry her Mason and I kept
my promise” he shook his head in disbelief “Christ; I don’t know what to say” I
smiled softly at him “Cheers?” I suggested and he laughed, loud, heartily and
with such emotion it made my heart swell to watch the realisation of what it
meant sink in.

“Ava I…” he gazed at me for what seemed like an eternity
“I…” he tried again but I shook my head “Shush, just thank William for me, I
couldn’t have done it without him” I told him “I didn’t know you were that
friendly with William” he said as he took a sip of the bubbly stuff and I
nodded to him “Yeah, we’ve become good friends” I said and then grinned wickedly
inside “He gave me a tour” I said nonchalantly as I stood and walked to the
cupboard to take out some shortcakes I had baked yesterday.

I saw his eyebrows hit his hairline “It’s an awesome place
he’s got. He even has a mirror above his bed…think I might get one of those” I
finished slyly. I swallowed the chuckle that was eager to erupt as I took out
some whipped cream and strawberries from the fridge “You want
a strawberry
shortcake?” I asked as I glanced at him and bit
my lip at his expression, he was just blinking at me with wide eyes “Something
wrong?” I asked coyly and his jaw dropped “You…you…” he swallowed heavily and I
frowned at him, still trying to rein in the laughter that was threatening to
erupt.

He stared at me “You’ve been to The Black Panther?” he
stuttered again and I frowned again “Yes, it’s great. My particular favourite
was the communal room, although I quite liked the movie theatre and the
Victorian rooms looked quite fun, well the occupants were having lots of fun, I
thought about giving the soft BDSM room a go but I didn’t like the hard stuff,
you know the whips and stuff looked a bit too much but…” I shrugged “whatever
takes your fancy really. I’m definitely gonna invest in a ceiling mirror that
was really hot…” I whittled on as his eyebrows shot past his hairline and nearly
touched the crown of his head

“Are you okay Mason?” I asked mischievously as he stared
at me “Who…who did you go with?” he gulped and the laughter was getting harder
to control as I knew where his eyebrows would finish as I said the next word
“Nate” I said blithely as I piled strawberries and cream onto the shortbreads.

He spluttered and stood up “What the hell Ava?!” he
glared at me “What? Liv came too” I choked out. It was getting so much harder…
“You…you went to The Black Panther with Nate and…and Liv?” he scoffed and I
nodded “Yeah” I shrugged and then changed tactics “Have you seen Williams
bed…huge” I sighed dreamily as I gestured to the size with my hands and then
thought I had better stop as his face darkened “Ava…please tell…please tell you
didn’t…not with William?!” he looked quite upset now and I couldn’t hold back
the laughter

“You’re face…” I howled and he exhaled loudly “Jesus Ava”
he breathed as I snorted with laughter “You…” he grinned and stalked towards me
“God, you’re such a sucker…I still want a mirror though” I hooted and then
halted abruptly as he stalked closer with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes

“No Mason” I warned and he grinned wolfishly. I screamed
and darted around the table as he bolted after me “Noooo” I squealed as he
floored me and began tickling me torturously “Noooo Masonnnnn” I begged as I
snorted and tears rolled down my face.

I struggled underneath him as he pinned me down
“Pleaseeee….” I giggled “That’ll teach you to wind me up in future” he laughed
as he continued punishing me. He stopped suddenly and I was panting for breath
as tears rolled down my face. I giggled and looked up at him and froze; his
eyes were intense and wild as he panted with me and his stiff erection dug into
my thigh.

I swallowed and licked my lips as his gaze travelled to
my mouth and then back up to my eyes as he leaned in closer. I wanted this so
much…so so much but I knew I couldn’t, if I did this then there would be no
going back.

“No” I said firmly as I pushed him off me. He sighed and
clambered up, giving me a hand and pulling me upright. I looked away and went
back to the shortcakes, serving them up and placing them on the table.

We ate a bite each and then I took a deep breath “I need
to tell you something” I said quietly and averted my gaze “I’ve decided to move
out to Portugal” I whispered and closed my eyes in preparation

“NO!!!” he cried as he shot up and the chair fell backwards.
I gulped and remained silent but nodded slowly “I can’t stay here Mason. I’ve
sorted it with George and I’m moving out there when the babies are out of
hospital” I said softly “NO AVA!!!...NO! I won’t fucking let you!” he roared
and I sighed “You can’t stop me Mason” I looked down “But Ava…now this is out
of the way we can be together properly…as a family” he pleaded but I shook my
head and frowned “It wasn’t because of this that I ended us Mason, it was
because you fucked another woman” I shouted, now getting angry at his disregard
for what he had done.

He scoffed “Oh and I suppose you fucking Kade is
different” he snarled and I sighed sadly “Go home Mason” I walked to the sink
and leaned on the side, staring out of the window. He grabbed me and spun me
round, his mouth clamped over mine in a hungry and demanding kiss but I refused
to kiss him back “Ava…” he breathed as he rested his forehead against mine
“Please….” He near sobbed but I shook my head

“I have dreams Mason…dreams of you and
her
….I can’t get passed that, just like
you couldn’t get passed Kade but the thing is…I
saw
you, I
watched
you
fuck her in fucking ecstasy Mason, I
heard
your moans, your hands all over her… and I will never
never
get over that…I wanted all of your pleasure Mason and you
gave it away…threw it away….” I told him and he closed his eyes “I’m sorry
Ava…I don’t know what else to do!” he rasped and I pushed him away “Katie and
George should be home by next weekend and I’m planning on going a couple of
weeks after that so you should…you should spend as much time…time with them as
possible” I choked and turned so he couldn’t see my tears. I stared fixatedly
out of the window and flinched as the front door slammed shut.

I needed to get thoroughly pissed so I phoned Courtney “Hey
babe” she answered “Hi you! Listen I need to get utterly and absolutely
slaughtered, you busy tonight?” she giggled excitedly “God, let’s do it, you
haven’t had a drink for ages. I’ll round the girlies up and we’ll pick you up
at 9, okay?” she asked “Perfect” I breathed and raced up the stairs to put on
my armour and mask, tonight I would forget about everything and think about
myself. I needed tonight to celebrate, commiserate and obliterate, and I would
make damn sure I did!!

By 1am we were all drunk and dancing with vigour in ‘The
loft’. Sally had already pulled and disappeared for the night and Courtney, Kim
and Marcy were strutting their stuff to the beat as I leant on the bar talking
to the barman.

I was very drunk and he looked okay behind the beer
goggles and I wondered if I should take up his offer of a ‘night full of
ecstasy’ as he had so expressively put it “Come on gorgeous, I can make you
feel so good” he leaned over and breathed in my ear “You are very confident” I
giggled and he raised his eyebrows at me “Yes I am” he winked and I laughed
“How do I know you can handle me, I’m a bit of a wild one between the sheets?”
I flirted and he inhaled heavily with a pained expression “Now, you see, you
have to take me home cause I’m fucking rock hard picturing this, picturing you
groaning underneath me” he smirked and I laughed again as a commotion broke out
across the other side of the floor.

The barman…Harvey, groaned “Fuck, not again!” he grumbled
as I stretched to look what was
happening
“Someone fighting?”
I asked when I couldn’t see the uproar “Yeah…the fucking boss again!” he
snarled.

My eyes widened “What?” I spluttered and he gawped at me
“The boss, word is that his girlfriend fucked him off so he’s been swiftly
getting drunk and high and he’s always picking fights when he’s like this” I
sighed angrily and slid off the bar stool and stalked towards the noise. “NO! Don’t
go over there!” Harvey shouted as he struggled to lift the bar flap and chase
after me.

I stormed over, my breathing hard and accelerated as I
saw Mason rolling about on the floor with someone, his fist repeatedly slamming
into the other guys’ stomach.

Sam and Greg were desperately trying to pull him off and
I pushed my way through the audience

 
“MOVE!!”
I shouted to Sam and Greg who stopped trying to halt the fight and stared at me
“MOVE!!” I repeated and they narrowed their eyes on me. I shook my head in
exasperation and leaned down, grabbed Mason’s hair and yanked him upright. He
wobbled and looked at me, his eyes vacant and bloodshot as I floored him in a
single punch “Get him upstairs. I’ll be up in a while” I snarled at an amazed
Sam, Greg and Harvey “Get him out of here before I fucking throttle him Sam” I
warned and they grabbed his arms as the crowd cheered and Courtney came running
over “Jesus Christ. Not again” she shook her head as Harvey approached me “Wow,
you laid him out cold” he gasped and I nodded “I’m the ‘Boss’s girlfriend that
fucked him off’” I explained and his eyes widened “I’m sorry sweetheart, it’s
not worth my life or my job if I take you home tonight” he said as he held his
hands out.

I rolled my eyes and scowled at him but turned back to
Courtney and Marcy “You two okay getting home while I sort the arsehole out?” I
asked and Courtney side huddled me “He doesn’t deserve you Ava” she sighed but
nodded “Go on babe and ring me tomorrow” she kissed my cheek as I walked over
to the bar “Vodka, straight” I ordered from Harvey. He nodded and poured me a
double which I slid back in one and then made way upstairs.

Taking a deep breath, I entered Masons office as Greg was
pouring water down Masons throat and Sam was cleaning vomit off the floor
“Jesus fucking wept” I snarled and Masons bleary eyes shot to mine “Ava?” he
slurred “What are you doing here?” he rolled his eyes and fell backwards onto
the couch.