The Scale (Martha's Way)

by Mika Jolie

  “I pointed out that she cheated on you, therefore the pre-nuptial was null and void.”

  His father sat back, impressed, and signaled the waiter to take their order. “You’re sure you’re not coming back?”

  The last few days Jason had contemplated his next move. He had a great staff at the inn. With the exception of the personal touch he brought and to oversee the financials, his presence was not needed much.

  Minka was due to return to New Jersey after the wedding, which would give him time to finish working on the house. He’d planned to go to France as he’d done every summer to visit his mother’s family. Besides that he had nothing pressing on his plate. A part of him missed the rush, but the last five years had taught him to move at a slower pace. He didn’t miss the countless nights going over legal documents to finalize a merger or an acquisition. But he was his father’s successor; by blood alone he couldn’t fully walk away.

  “I love my life and where I am now.”

  Charles nodded and Jason sensed his father finally understood his decision. “Montgomery Corporation is in your blood, son. You can’t tell me you don’t miss part of the scrambling and all that we stand for.”

  His father had a point. There was more to Montgomery Corporation. For instance, they gave back to the community; have worked closely with Forrest to provide a clinic for the elderly. It wasn’t the work he dreaded, but more so the memories that came along with being in the building.

  “Did you ever really love her?” he asked the forbidden question.

  Charles set his scotch glass on the table and met his son’s gaze. “Of course, till the day she died, son.”

  Jason flinched at what he perceived to be a lie. Nonetheless, he remained silent, allowing his father to continue. This conversation was already a few years too late.

  “Your mother and I were married very young, too young.” He looked down at his drink, lost in his thoughts. A few seconds passed before he spoke again. “Neither of us was quite ready for it, but there was a lot of passion there. And we were in love.”

  “When did you start cheating on her?”

  “That only happened with Agnes,” his father admitted. His voice was filled with regret, something Jason never noticed before. “I shouldn’t have. That was wrong.”

  Jason remained silent.

  “Your mother needed help and I failed to see that. Instead, I looked for comfort somewhere else.”

  “I watched her destroy herself and take away everything that made her beautiful.”

  “So did I, son. I felt helpless. She shut me down. At first, I tried to pretend her sickness didn’t exist and she was being a typical model, obsessed with her appearance, but it ran deeper than that. I failed her and failed you.”

  He took in the man’s features that were so similar to his. For the first time, Jason sensed his father’s pain might run as deep as his, for different reasons. He had watched his mother, as she battled with self-acceptance, turn to alcohol and stop eating. He’d walked in on his father with another woman. An image he could never get out of his head if he tried. But now he dared to look at his father and try to comprehend his actions.

  Jason would never forgive his father for seeking comfort from someone else during his mother’s darkest hours. God, he couldn’t imagine doing that to Minka. On the other hand, he understood denial or feeling helpless. In some ways, wasn’t he going down that route with Minka now by dismissing her feelings for Blake?

  A topic that needed to be addressed, yet every night once he was buried inside her and taking all she was willing to give, at least physically, had been enough.

  “I miss her,” Jason finally said. “I would have liked to introduce her to Minka.”

  “They are similar,” his father replied.

  Jason recognized the gentle warning in his father’s voice. “Minka doesn’t have a disease. She just had…” That damn scale was still in his bathroom. With their full schedule, the last few days they had not talked much; therefore, he had no gauge on her struggle.

  “She has body image issues,” he said, “but she’s not bulimic.”

  His father nodded. “Have you told her you love her?”

  With his father’s eyes on him, Jason took another swig of the scotch, welcoming the burnt, yet smooth taste down his throat.

  “What’s the point of loving someone if it leaves you afflicted?” The words spoken by his father were more so of a statement then a question. “If you think she’s worth it then break down that wall and don’t waste another second. Don’t make the mistakes I’ve made.”

  “I’m not you, Dad.”

  Charles let out a warm, cackling laugh. “Not entirely, you inherited the stubbornness from your mom.”

  A smile slipped and settled on Jason’s lips. “I have to go.”

  He rose to his feet and extended his hand to his father. Charles pushed his chair back to come to his feet. Back straight and their chins up, reflecting their stubbornness, the two men stood in silence staring at each other until Charles clasped his son’s extended hand and pulled him into a tight embrace. For a moment, neither man moved until Jason broke the connection.

  A bit overpowered by feelings he didn’t care to make sense of at this time, Jason stepped back, adding a bit more distance between them.

  “Can we start again, son?” Charles asked, breaking the silence.

  The question failed to deliver its usual umbrage. This time the hostilities that ran as deep as the indignation Jason toted for so long seemed futile.

  “I’d like that.” His father’s features relaxed. Surprisingly, he also felt a lightness in his limbs. “Oh, by the way, how’s Nicole?” He didn’t particularly care for the woman, but she was the soup-du-jour and if they were going to mend their relationship, it was best to accept her, or at least be polite.

  “I dumped her after we ate at your house. She was crushed, but I think I need a little time alone.”

  Unable to hide his relief, Jason let out a huge breath.

  “I take it you’re happy over this news,” Charles said with a smile.

  “I was ready to try.”

  His father shook his hand once more. “Go home and remember, it’s okay to take that large, deep, savoring breath and give that one person your all.”

  Jason nodded and started to walk away but paused and turned back to face Charles. “Give me until summer, then I will return. But I don’t want to head the legal department anymore.”

  The announcement caught his father off-guard, he could tell by the way his eyes widened just before a satisfactory smile spread over his face. “I guess I need to start looking for your replacement then.”

  “I think we can come up with a strong replacement. I’ll see you soon, Dad.”

  He didn’t turn to look back at his father. He didn’t need to. An unexpected release of all tension washed through him as he walked out of the restaurant to the waiting car. Once there, he reached for his phone and texted Minka.

  What are you doing?

  Trying on my MOH dress one last time before the big day.

  Can you leave soon?

  Yes.

  I’m on my way to the inn.

  * * * *

  Back at the inn, Jason worked to keep his patience while Minka’s parents filled his ears with lighthearted chatter. His attention strayed to other things, like Minka. Where the hell was she? Over her parents’ shoulder he glanced at the large clock, a whole fifteen minutes since he arrived at Martha’s Way and still no Minka. He had been stopped by countless guests, who had arrived for the wedding, to compliment him on the inn, the setting, the food, even the island. Jason pointed out he didn’t own The Vineyard. He was just lucky enough to live there.

  “I’m sorry, but where’s Minka?” he asked in a modulated voice.

  Bea, Minka’s beautiful mother smiled and leaned over to her husband. “Oh, how rude of us for yapping away. You came to pick her up. She’s upstairs with Keely.”

  Much to his plea
sure, Minka had made no attempt to conceal from her parents the fact she had been staying with him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “We can discuss anything you’d like to add for the wedding tomorrow.” They were planning a dinner party to welcome all the guests. Lisa was also due to photograph the inn the following day.

  Minka’s father laid a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You did good, son. Keely and Blake are very lucky to have you as a friend.”

  Jason appreciated the gratitude. Having his friends’ wedding at Martha’s Inn had been a welcome challenge. Blake, like Adam, Claire, and Forrest, was more than a friend.

  “Now about Minka,” he continued and Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s a different person. You make her happy.”

  Okay, he didn’t expect that. Although he wasn’t sure what exactly he had expected.

  Bea leaned and touched his arm. “Come, Jason, I’ll walk with you.”

  He continued a lighthearted conversation with Bea as he made his way up to the suite. However, he was distracted with thoughts of Minka. It seemed so long ago when he found her sobbing by the window. Her excuse had seemed feeble then but he had brushed his doubts aside, not once thinking Blake was culpable for the tears.

  Bea pushed the door open and his gaze landed on Minka in front of the floor-length mirror with Claire and Keely at her side. Claire, always the perfectionist, with her eyebrows furrowed, adjusted one of the straps of the dress against her cinnamon skin, accentuating Minka’s perky breasts. Keely brushed back some of the curls Minka often used to hide her face, giving Jason full access to the twinkle in her eyes. Her sister leaned in and whispered something in Minka’s ear and she smiled; a show-stopping smile that was now becoming a more permanent fixture on her face.

  “Minka darling,” Bea said gleefully, “I have your boyfriend here.” The older woman turned to face him. “You are her boyfriend, I take it.” She finished with a playful nudge on Jason’s side.

  Well, damn! Talk about putting him on the spot. Claire and Keely stepped back, exchanged a knowing look with each other with a silly grin on their faces.

  “Mom!” Minka shrilled, her cheeks flushed with a tint of roseate.

  She was embarrassed. He couldn’t help but smile.

  “I suppose I am,” he agreed, his eyes on the woman who was now officially his girlfriend.

  Her chin dipped. Jason closed the distance between them and interlaced their fingers together.

  “I guess it’s time for us to leave,” Keely said. She turned toward Jason. “Your huevos are safe for now.” She winked, reminding him of her threat to have his balls if he harmed her sister.

  He grinned. “Well, thank God for that.”

  A temporary silence fell between them. Jason continued to watch the woman he had fallen in love with. She shifted and disconnected their hands.

  “I didn’t realize that term was still used,” he said in an attempt to diffuse her uneasiness.

  “What term?” She adjusted the skirt of her dress, avoiding eye contact.

  “Boyfriend, girlfriend.”

  She shrugged. “Oh, I see.”

  He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her against his chest. Her eyes widened. “Minka, let’s talk.”

  She pressed her hands against his chest. “Jason, you don’t have to label us because my mother cornered you.”

  “I don’t get cornered.” The pressure of her hands lessened against his chest. “Tell me what Minka wants out of this.”

  He knew he was putting her on the spot but he didn’t care. To dive in as his father advised, he needed to be certain. He had always been the logical type.

  “I want…”

  “Want or need?” He pushed.

  She blinked. “I need,” she whispered in a soft-quiet voice. “I need…”

  “Me.”

  She nodded. “I need you.”

  The admission caused his heart to kick hard. “Good, because I need you in my life just as much.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “The scale does not define you.”

  Anonymous

  One by one the group dispersed, leaving Minka alone with Blake. She couldn’t remember the last time they had been alone together. Even while in Chappy their paths had never crossed, at least not like this. Not alone. A slight heaviness settled in her stomach. No longer could she go on ignoring what had plagued her for years. His love for Keely had left her stunted somehow and she needed to move away from it, let him go, in order to give herself completely to Jason.

  He loved her. She loved him. The words had not been spoken, they didn’t need to be. She felt his love in everything they’d done the last two days. As best as she could she gave him all of her, but Minka knew there was a chapter she needed to close.

  Searching for ideas on how to circumvent the situation, she scanned the large room; only days ago Jason had walked in here and dragged her away from Claire and Keely. Hard to believe then she had been distraught over her sister marrying the man who now stood before her.

  Blake picked up the last wine glass and handed it to her. As he did, their fingers touched. Nothing. That tingling sensation was reserved for Jason, his every touch, or even a glance sent her heart racing.

  “So, you and Jason,” Blake said with a smile. He walked over by the bookcase and picked up a picture of the four men standing side-by-side fishing.

  He turned to face her, his chocolate eyes a shade darker than usual. “Jason is not just a friend, he’s my brother.”

  She nodded. She knew that.

  “He loves you,” Blake continued.

  She knew that too. As much as she had wanted to say them back she had not been able to. The reason for her apprehension was standing before her, and she needed to let go, say goodbye and move on to the next phase of her life.

  Minka carefully closed the space between them. Clearing her mind of all the “what ifs”, she drew closer and pressed her lips against Blake’s. His body tensed against hers but she pressed on, searching for the emotional grip he had on her for so long.

  Nothing.

  She was met with the absence of everything. No light, no air, no sound, no smell, no taste. Her world did not shatter into small pieces. Her body didn’t melt. If anything her feet were firmly planted on the ground.

  That’s because I don’t love him. I never did.

  Blake gently pressed her aside. “Minx,” he said, the confusion of the situation apparent on his handsome face. “I’m marrying Keely. I’m in love with her.”

  She knew that too. She no longer cared he had chosen her twin over her. His love for Keely stopped bothering her a while ago.

  “Blake, I’m…” Her voice trailed as Keely stepped into view and came to stand next to Blake. Her sister’s eyes remained on her, sending Minka a long, pained look before breaking eye contact.

  Minka’s eyes darted between the couple. Blake had his arm around Keely, silently reassuring her sister she was the one for him, had always been.

  “Keely.” She reached for Keely’s arm. At her touch, her sister flinched and pulled back.

  “How could you?” Keely spat, hurt laced her voice. “What wrong with you?”

  Keely’s voice trembled as if choking down a sob. The pain Minka saw in her sister’s face cut through her, draining the color from her face. Terrified over how her sister might have perceived the situation, she took an uneven step back and opened her mouth to explain, but no words were formed.

  She’d fucked up. But she could make it better, right? She just had to explain and they would understand, wouldn’t they?

  “Please let me explain, it’s not what it looks like.” Her voice shook with remorse. “I was saying goodbye.”

  “Blake. Keely. I’ll see you in the morning.” Jason’s voice cut through the room, stabbing her in the chest.

  Oh God, no! Had he witnessed the kiss as well?

  This couldn’t be happening.

  Minka turned toward the door and met Jason’s c
old stare. His large frame leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes, dark and furious, remained fixed on her. The anger radiating off of him thickened the air and without saying anything to her, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

  Without thinking she started to go after him, then changed direction mid-stride as she remembered she needed to fix this misunderstanding with her sister.

  “Go after Jason.” Keely voiced her support, but with a tone that lacked enthusiasm. “We can talk later.”

  This made her love her sister even more. With a slight nod, she rushed out of the room, down the hall where she spotted Jason, his back ridged with tension. She quickened her steps to close the space between them. He had to feel her presence, but not once did he slow his strides or stop to give her an opportunity.

  “Jason, please wait,” she called just as he reached the door.

  He whipped around to glare at her, his icy blue eyes froze her in her tracks. He continued to stare at her, into her soul as if reading her mind. The warmth that had been there the last few days, less than one hour ago, now replaced by an icy pond, all glazed over and cold with controlled anguish beneath the surface.

  “I’m sorry.” The words, although a whisper, echoed in the hallway.

  His gaze loomed over her, into her soul.

  “Please let me explain. It’s not what you think you saw.”

  A deliberate eyebrow rose. “I saw you kissing your sister’s fiancé. Was that not the case?”

  His matter-of-fact tone ripped her heart. The accusation in his voice became too much to bear. Minka turned her attention to the window and stared into the night. She knew him well enough to know Jason was not accustomed to giving his heart to a woman. He had willingly given it to her, with no expectations. And in his eyes, she had taken it and cruelly smashed it to the ground.