Chapter One Hundred and Four
Lee regarded Mason for what felt like an hour but might have been only seconds. He was angry and hurt and not thinking clearly. Lee didn't want to be the one to tell Mason how slim his chances were and that Marcus was only doing this because he knew more than them. Lee already had the sinking feeling that Marcus Holt was Grace's biological father.
“I don’t think she is, Mase. I think Andrea’s broken just a little bit, like we all are. I think she really loves you and I think she made a mistake but I don’t think she’s playing you. She told me not to let them win and then she left, like all the fight had left her. She looked like someone who’d given up.”
Mason stood up again and started pacing the length of his bedroom. His hands went through his hair, then rubbed his arms and finally rubbed over his face before he sat down again. “We need to establish paternity first because if I’m Grace’s father then Marcus doesn’t have a foot to stand on.”
“Andrea said Marcus knows your secrets, secrets that could rip you and Kelley apart.”
Mason stiffened and couldn’t look Lee in the eye. Lee knew then that it was bad. “What did Andrea say?”
“Nothing, she just said not to let them win, Mase.”
“I’m going to lose Grace, aren’t I?”
Lee leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands together. “What secrets, Mase?”
“I can’t tell you, Lee, not until I tell Kelley.”
Lee nodded his head and stood up. “Give me Grace’s hair brush and a sample of yours. We can do our own test, expedite it and get preliminary results by Monday morning.”
Mason stood up and walked to the bathroom. He took the tweezers from the bathroom cabinet and pulled a few hairs from his head. He placed the hair in a handkerchief and handed it to Lee. Lee followed him to Grace’s bathroom where he pulled a few strands of her hair from the hairbrush.
“I don’t know how to survive this, Lee.”
“You don’t know that she’s not yours. Go talk to Kelley and get that sorted out. We’ll need all hands on deck to fight Holt, especially with JenCorp crashing tomorrow.”
“Don’t run interference when he kicks my ass.”
Lee smiled as he pocketed the handkerchief. “Do you deserve to get your ass kicked?”
“Yeah, I do, Lee.”
“I have to get this to Blaire … Kelley values honesty, brotherhood and honour. Just tell him like it is, he loves you, Mase, he’ll forgive you.”
Mason watched as Lee left his bedroom and he went back to the bathroom. He splashed cold water onto his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He had to face Kelley and tell him the truth because he knew that he’d need Kelley sooner rather than later.
Mason pulled himself together, checked in with Carey and received a photo of a sleeping Grace. He smiled sadly before grabbing his phone and keys and walking out of the house to his car. The drive to Kelley’s house didn’t take long.
The front door opened as Mason climbed out of his car and Connor leaned against the doorway. “This is a nice surprise, Mason.”
They shook hands and Mason stepped into the house. “Kelley in?”
“In his study, he’s working on a plan for the photographer.”
Mason nodded his head. Kelley was always working on a plan. “Thanks.”
Connor closed the front door and looked questioningly at Mason as he took the stairs up to the third floor to Kelley’s study. He took a deep breath before opening the study’s door.
Kelley looked up briefly and then focused on his laptop again as Mason closed the door behind him and came to a standstill in the middle of the room.
“You okay, Mase?” Kelley was still glued to his laptop.
“I need to tell you something, Kelley, something important.”
Kelley looked up and stared at Mason. “What’s going on, Mase?”
“It happened a really long time ago and I am sorry. I have no explanation for my actions or why I let it happen. I love you, Kelley, you’re my brother and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Mase …”
“I need you to forgive me, Kelley, because you’re my brother and because I’ll always have your back but right now I need you.”
“What is it, Mase?”
“I slept with Norah while you were still dating her.”
Kelley huffed out a laugh and stood up from behind his desk. “Shit, Mason, you had me worried there for a second. Half of Yorkdare Bay’s slept with Norah.”
“I also slept with Juliana.”
Kelley leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms across his chest as he looked intently at Mason. Mason shuffled his feet, stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down. The silence was killing him.
“She loved you, Kelley. In the end she chose you.”
“Mason …”
“I never meant to betray you and if I could go back and undo it, I would. Marcus knows somehow and he plans to use it against us. I wasn’t ever going to tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Mason …”
“I need you now more than ever, Kelley. I need my brother. I can’t lose you … I can’t lose you, Kelley.”
“Mason.”
“What?”
“I know.”
Mason’s head snapped up to Kelley’s and he frowned. “What?”
“Jule told me right before we became exclusive. She was honest, Mason, and I never mentioned it because it wasn’t a big deal. It happened before we officially became a we.”
Mason sank down to the couch and leaned his arms on his knees and lowered his head. His shoulders shook and Kelley sat down next to him, his arm across his shoulders. “I’m sorry.”
“Mase, what’s going on? I’d have your back no matter who you slept with because it takes two to tango.”
“Marcus might be Grace’s father and now he wants her.”
