Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Two
Lee’s bulk appeared before he stepped on the last stair and even his eyes swam with emotion. He came in from the side and hugged both Kelley and Mason. His shoulders shook and Kelley’s hand grasped his t-shirt tightly. Kelley didn't feel like he'd missed them, for him it had been a day but for them it had been five weeks.
“Well, this was anticlimactic.” Connor’s voice came from behind them and when Kelley lifted his head Connor sported a huge smile on his face.
“Asshole.” Kelley laughed but lifted his other arm for Connor to join the hug fest they had going on.
"You scared the living shit out of me," Connor said trying to look serious but failing miserably. He couldn't stop smiling.
The next few hours were spent laughing in the study, catching up on everything that had happened in the five weeks that Kelley had been in a coma and finally watching the footage of his fall. They all watched him but he showed no reaction as he watched himself on camera.
Ulrich had checked him over as well and told Kelley that he would make an appointment with a neurologist for him. The tests were mandatory and Ulrich glared at him until he’d agreed. A dull headache started behind his eyes and all he wanted was for everyone to leave.
He’d woken up at one am and it was now past five am. His mind felt sharp but his body was tired. Ulrich said he needed rest but he’d slept for five weeks. They’d asked him if he remembered the fall, he hadn’t, so he’d lied and said he did.
"You guys should go home. We still have work to do," Kelley said and they all chuckled but stood up.
“Can you guys give me and Kelley a moment, please?” Mason still sat on the couch and Lee frowned as he looked at him.
“Mase …”
“Please, Lee. Just this one time I don’t need you to interfere,” Mason said.
Ten minutes later the study was empty and Kelley leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Mason seemed troubled and his gaze couldn’t meet Kelley’s own. He walked over to the drinks cabinet and poured a Scotch for both of them, despite what the nurse had said earlier.
“I fucked up, Kelley,” Mason began.
“Then we fix it.” Kelley handed Mason the glass and he emptied it in one swallow as Kelley sat down in front of him.
Mason shook his head and looked up. “Nobody can fix this shit. This time I really fucked up.”
Kelley shifted in his seat, putting the tumbler on the coffee table in front of him. “There’s nothing that can’t be fixed. I’ve got you, Mase, whatever it is.”
“I slept with a woman and she’s pregnant,” Mason said.
“Are you sure it’s yours?”
“She says it is, we have an appointment in a few hours to do that blood test thing for paternity.”
“You should’ve let Lee stay, discuss your options with this baby. Do you love this woman?” Kelley’s gaze never wavered and his green eyes seemed to see past everything.
“We were both drunk and neither of us remembered the actual deed. I didn’t see her again until last night. She’d told me we’d never talk about what had happened and I didn’t think about her again,” Mason said.
Kelley’s jaw tensed and Mason saw the muscle there tick. “You slept with Sylvie. Sylvie’s pregnant and that’s why you wanted Lee out of the room.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact.
“I’m sorry, Kelley. I really don’t know how the fuck it happened,” Mason said as he lowered his head into his hands.
“When?”
“The night she found out about Milana. She came over to the house to give some robot dog thing to Grace. I was already drinking because Andrea had left and then she asked for a drink and … yeah … I fucked up.”
“Okay.” Kelley stood up from the couch and picked up his tumbler, emptying it in one swallow and walked towards his desk.
“Okay? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“I love my wife, Mase. What do you want me to say?”
Mason stood up, watching Kelley warily. He’d done this three times now. Three times he’d slept with someone that Kelley had loved and he felt like the biggest asshole on earth.
“You have a right to be pissed off with me,” Mason said.
“I’m hungry. Are you hungry?”
“Kelley.”
“Mase … I don’t see Sylvie lying about the paternity of that baby. We hadn’t had sex in almost two weeks at that stage. So she’ll be seven weeks. I know you as well. You won’t do anything but support her and get her into your house, under your roof, because that’s your child. It is what it is, Mase.”
“Are you going to wait six years to fuck me somehow?”
Kelley smiled then and shook his head. “You’re my brother and really not my type.”
Mason huffed out a laugh and his shoulders sagged with relief. “I really am sorry, Kelley.”
“It’s okay. You have a baby on the way and that’s big. You should talk to Lee too, don’t keep him in the dark about this.”
Mason smiled a little and nodded his head. “I will.”
Mason started for the door. “And Mason?”
“Yeah?”
“If you fuck my wife, I’ll kill you.”
Mason barked out a laugh and turned towards Kelley where they hugged again and slapped each other on the back. “Does that mean you’ll be at my wedding?”
Kelley grinned as he opened the door and Lee pushed himself off the wall. “Lee, Mason needs some help with a prenup since he knocked Sylvie up.”
Mason blanched and Lee’s whole face changed. “Ah fuck, Mason.”
Kelley chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not sure if I'm glad that some things never change or worried about Mason sticking his dick everywhere."
Lee grinned and slapped a hand on Kelley's shoulder. "It's good to have you back, Kelley."
