Emily replied to him, laughing at something, but I tuned out. The need to get to Mason was the only thing I could think about. I wasn’t going to analyze what Logan said. I left before I changed my mind. Logan said I was family. No matter what happened, he was right. I couldn’t f**k up my family like my mother had. I just hadn’t realized that’s what I had done.
*
My heart was pounding in rhythm with my feet. Each step I took, a loud thud sounded in my ears. I lifted my arms higher and higher with each stride. Logan said Mason was running my trail. As soon as I had parked where I normally got on the trail, I hit the ground running. My keys were still in my hand, but I took off. Logan was right. I was an idiot. I had f**ked up our family and I hadn’t realized it.
At the reminder, I gritted my teeth and pushed forward with a new burst of speed. I had to get to Mason. Rounding a clearing, I kept going. When I ran, I ran. I never jogged, but this had been a full sprint since the car. My lungs were straining. The slap of the air was hitting my skin. I kept going. I didn’t feel any of it.
Then I saw him.
The trail turned, he was there, and then he was gone. There was another curve up ahead.
“Mason!” I yelled and pumped my knees harder.
The trail came to a clearing and straightened out in front of me. Nothing.
I braked, pitching forward from the sudden stop, but I gasped, frowning. Where had he gone?
“Sam?”
Whipping around, he was behind me. He was drenched in sweat. Shirtless, his shorts rode low on his hips, and he was staring at me. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry,” I gasped out. My heart slammed against my chest. It wanted to go to him, but I reeled myself in. “I am so sorry. Logan told me about the restraining order. I had no idea. I can’t believe my dad would do that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The restraining order.” I looked at him. “The one my dad put against you.”
His eyebrows bunched forward. “Your dad put a restraining order against me?”
“He…” I flushed. Logan. “He didn’t. Logan lied. I’m so sorry...again.”
He gave me a half-grin. “So Logan lied and that’s why you ran me down? To apologize for the fake restraining order.”
“No, to…” I stopped. I hadn’t thought this out. “No, I came to fix things.”
“What do you mean fix things?” His chest was gleaming from sweat and he rested his hands on his hips, breathing in and out.
“Fix you and me.” That wasn’t right either. “Fix our family. I messed it up.”
His eyes narrowed and just like that, the old Mason was back. He’d been staring at me like I was a stranger, but at my news, his eyes flashed. They were fierce and I sucked in my breath. Shit. He was inside of me, just like that. I could feel him reading my thoughts. He had a grip on my heart. He was in me. There was no other way to describe it. The ache began in me. I had missed him so goddamn much.
“Your note said there was no more us.”
I closed my eyes. He was hurting. I heard it in his voice, and it hurt to talk. “I know.”
“Your note said I was supposed to leave you alone.”
“I know.”
It was hurting all over again.
He added, his voice was too soft, “You wrote that you had come between Logan and me and you were taking yourself out of the equation.”
I flinched. Hearing it spoken to me, it was cold. I had been so cold.
He bit out, “We were a damn math equation. That’s what you likened us to. We were math to you, and we didn’t add up.”
“I was wrong.”
“You were more than wrong.”
There was anger in his voice now, and I prepared myself. He had a right to be angry. “I’m so sorry, Mason. I really am. I couldn’t bear the idea that I would come between you and Logan.”
Fury flashed in his eyes. “That’s for me and Logan to decide. Not you.”
“I know.”
“You broke up with me through a note.” He took a step closer. “A f**king note, Sam.”
“I know.” I had no excuse.
“We took you in. We protected you. We treated you like family and you left us with a note.”
Treated me like a family. Those words sent a stabbing pain through me. I thought I had been family? I cleared my throat and spoke, “I was wrong. I thought that’s what I had to do.”
“By a note?”
“I had to leave. I would always be a problem.” I was pleading with him. “You manipulated Logan because of me.”
“I manipulated Logan because I was scared that I would lose my brother. I thought Miranda would realize what button she pushed and she would throw that in his face.”
“I know. Because of me.”
“No.” He shook his head and took another step closer. “Because of me. I chose that action. Whether because of you or another girl, I made that decision to do what I did.” He paused a moment. “I was wrong.”
My gaze jumped to his and I frowned.
He softened. “I was wrong to do what I did. I should’ve brought it up to Logan that night. We could’ve hashed it out, but it never had anything to do with you.”
“It was feelings for me--”
“He doesn’t have feelings for you.”
I stopped. “What?”
“Or he does. I don’t know.” He shrugged, regret flaring over his face for a moment. “That’s Logan’s issue if he does, but I assumed and I was scared. I f**ked the family up, Sam. You leaving through a note, that hurts, but it was because of me that you even felt you had to do that. This whole thing is my fault.” He stopped, took a breath, and lifted a hand to cup the side of my face. “I’m sorry, Sam. I’m so goddamn sorry.”