Resolution (Heart of Stone)

by D H Sidebottom

  Every time I stopped to text Nate I discovered numerous missed calls on my phone and I sent Courtney a text explaining I had to leave and I would ring her when I got to Nate’s. She sent back an angry reply but I couldn’t be bothered getting upset about it, I had other things to worry about than Courtney’s anger and thanks to Mason’s mean machine I was pulling up to Nate’s driveway gates a little after 1 in the afternoon.

  He opened the front door as I climbed out of the car and my legs couldn’t carry me fast enough as he walked to me and I walked to him, meeting halfway as he pulled me into him and I broke down and cried.

  He scooped me up and carried me into his house where Liv was waiting with a bottle of vodka and two glasses.

  He settled me onto the sofa as he pulled me onto his lap and let me sob hysterically and exhaustingly.

  CHAPTER 18

  I heard the hushed tones as I woke a little while later covered in a blanket and I stretched out realising it was now night time again. I groaned as I tried to roll my head around my stiff neck but realised it was sore not stiff and I winced in pain.

  Liv appeared before me and crouched down in front of me “Can I pop some cream on it for you, Ava?” she asked gently and I smiled and nodded.

  She stroked my hair off my face and disappeared as I swung my legs off the sofa and sat up, jumping in shock as I saw Elijah sat in one of the armchairs. “Hey” he smiled softly and I frowned at him.

  “You’re back so I’m back” he informed me with a wink, “Nate rang me to say you had come back early so it’s back to normal I’m afraid.”

  I nodded at him and smiled with a shrug. “That’s fine, I just don’t wanna intrude any more on Nate and Liv” I told him and he nodded.

  “It was my idea” I heard Nate say from behind so I turned to look at him and then flinched at the pain.

  He scowled and bit his lower lip in anger. “Nate” Liv warned as she returned with a tube of something and sat beside me on the sofa. Sweeping my hair aside she grimaced as she saw the wounds properly for the first time

  “Jesus Christ!” Nate hissed and I saw his fists clench. “What the fuck happened?” He asked and my eyes flicked to Elijah.

  “Would you mind leaving us alone for a while?” Nate asked him. Elijah stood and nodded but not before taking a good glimpse at my neck and wincing.

  He disappeared through the hallway and into the kitchen as Nate took the place next to me whilst Liv cleaned and applied cream to my bites. “Christ Ava, he’s literally took chunks out of you.” His face was dark and I grumbled as my phone rang in my bag.

  “Shit, I didn’t ring Courtney” I declared.

  “Relax, I rang her to let her know you got here safe” Nate informed me as I scuttled about in my bag for my phone and as I saw the name on the display I declined it and placed it on the table.

  “I take it that was him?” Nate asked and I jumped in pain when Liv cleaned the deepest bite.

  “Ava, I really think these need stitches.” She sighed and I closed my eyes and grumbled.

  “Really?”

  She nodded as she grimaced at me. “They’re really deep and one of them has a chunk of flesh missing.” She puffed out and I closed my eyes and grit my teeth as my phone rang again.

  I could see Nate flick a glance at my phone and his expression blackened. “I haven’t seen them” I told Liv trying to ignore the incessant ringing. She smiled sadly “We’ll have a coffee and then I’ll run you” she said irately as my phone rang again.

  Before I could stop him, Nate snatched it up and answered it and I groaned.

  “LEAVE. HER. THE. FUCK. ALONE!” Nate exploded down the phone.

  I cringed as Liv winced with me. “Bring it fucking on!” he growled.

  I had never seen Nate so angry; his cheek muscle twitched rapidly, his jaw clenched tightly and I could see his foot tapping the floor briskly. “Do you even realise what the fuck it is you’ve done to her?” he demanded and I reached for my phone.

  “Nate leave it, please don’t get upset.”

  He shook his head at me and then scoffed down the phone. “She needs stitches Mason, that’s how fucking bad she is. Do you even understand that? You’re supposed to love her and protect her yet you fucking rape her and brutally tear her to bits. NOW BACK THE FUCK OFF HER!” he roared and ended the call.

  He flung my phone onto the table with a growl and stormed from the room. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come?” I admitted quietly.

  “Don’t be silly, he’ll calm down” Liv said as she stood, “Coffee?”

  I smiled and nodded as she went to make coffee.

  My phone rang again and I sighed exhaustedly as I saw it was Courtney. “Hey” I answered softly and I heard her huff of breath.

  “How are you, babe?” she asked gently and I smiled at her tenderness.

  “I’m okay, I just needed to get out of there and see Nate” I explained.

  “Ava, that’s fine, I just wish you’d have told me first. You weren’t in any fit state to drive.”

  I sighed “I know, but I’m okay” We were silent for a while, listening to each other’s calming breath before I braced myself and asked the question I was dying to know. “How is he?”

  I cringed at her sharp intake of breath. “What the fuck, Ava? You shouldn’t even fucking care right now.”

  I rolled my eyes in frustration. “It doesn’t matter, forget I asked. Listen I’ll ring you in the morning” I said wearily and ended the call and then pulled my knees up underneath me.

  Closing my eyes in exhaustion, I saw Mason’s name display on my phone as it rang happily in my hand. Taking a deep breath I answered but didn’t speak.

  “Ava?” he choked out, “Ava? Baby?” He sounded hysterical and my heart broke for him but that didn’t mean I forgave him. “Baby, please” he sobbed and I sucked in a breath at the rawness in his voice.

  He was broken and devastated and I closed my eyes as a tear escaped from the corner of my eye. “Baby, I am so fucking sorry. Baby? I… I…Oh Jesus, Ava…” he sobbed and I choked out a sob.

  “Oh baby” he cried and I closed my eyes in distress at his desolation. “Please let me come and see you” he asked no more than a whisper.

  “NO!” I cried and the sound of his silence was louder than the sound of his pleas.

  “Baby I… I won’t hurt you, Ava” he breathed.

  I gulped. “No Mason. Stay… stay away from… me” I hiccupped and I heard his whimper.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you Ava, you’ve gotta believe me baby, I didn’t mean to…” he cried and I bit my lip furiously.

  “But you did Mason… so much” I whispered and ended the call before he heard my desperate cries and I curled up, retreating into my protective shell, desperately trying to sturdy my erratic emotions.

  Nate’s arms circled me and lifted me into him as he stroked my hair and whispered shushes until I calmed back down.

  “Tell me what happened, Ava” he said when I had settled and I sighed deeply.

  “I think to understand it better I need to explain something first but please don’t judge, Nate” I pleaded and he frowned.

  “Of course I won’t, Ava”

  “It’s about Mason not me” I told him and he nodded. “I think… I think he’s bi-sexual or to be correct, Mason thinks he’s bi” I declared and Nate’s eyes widened.

  “Okayyy” he said as he pursed his lips.

  “Mason and I have great sex” I sighed, “Amazing sex even but Mason favourite thing for me to do is… is…” I cringed, knowing I was betraying Mason’s trust.

  “Just tell me Ava, I’m a big boy” he smiled encouragingly and I laughed.

  “He likes me to finger his… arse” I said but Nate just nodded.

  “Okay and?” he urged.

  “Well I think he wanted to… to explore that side of him” I smiled as I took the coffee from Liv and took a huge gulp of the caffeine, sighing in pleasure as it hit my taste buds. “Anyway Greg an
d Courtney had this guy over for the weekend and well… well Mason invited him in to… well he… he asked him to join us in…”

  Nate sighed. “For god’s sake Ava, he invited him to make a threesome with you and Mason” he finished for me and I nodded.

  “Well I flipped cos’ I didn’t know anything about it until I walked into the bedroom and he’s starkers across the bed.”

  Liv gasped and I nodded. “I mean each to their own and all that but I don’t wanna be shared, that’s just me.” Nate nodded and his eyebrows rose to urge me to continue.

  “Well I can’t remember what was said but I quickly discovered that Mason had secretly hoped for a… well an experience for himself and when I questioned him about it he just went mental and stormed off” I explained.

  Nate sighed, “Sounds like he’s struggling with that part of his sexuality. I mean Mason’s a very dominant masculine guy and I suppose something like that zapping round his brain is torture for him.” I nodded in agreement.

  “But he left before we could discuss it, I think he’s actually disgusted with what he fantasises about and he’s struggling with it.” I gulped more coffee, needing the thrill from the caffeine. “But he went and took a huge hit, I could tell from the vacant look in his eyes and his pupils were… well they weren’t even there.”

  Nate rubbed his face with his hands. “Fuck” he hissed and I nodded.

  “I was in the kitchen when he came home and I tried to keep still so he wouldn’t notice me but…” I shrugged and sighed “He just went ballistic at me, calling me prim and proper.”

  Nate choked on his coffee and eyed me in disbelief. “Well yeah, that’s what I thought but in the next breath he was calling me a dirty little bitch” I shrugged again and Liv shook her head in despair. “And then well… you know what happened next but I honestly don’t think he knew what he was doing” I defended him and Nate pulled in a huge breath.

  “Ava…” he warned but I shook my head adamantly.

  “Nate, there’s something you don’t know…”

  He frowned at me and tipped his head. “Well, go on,” he looked at me expectantly.

  “Well… well I kind of like, I kind of like to be… be bit, you know during… sex” I fiddled with my fingers, my face flaming at my admission.

  Liv slid to her knees in front of me. “Ava, what happens in your sex life doesn’t concern other people. If it’s what gets you off then there’s nothing wrong with it. Some people like to be tied up, some liked to be whipped, it’s everyone’s own personal choice, Ava” she placated and I smiled timidly at her.

  “But now you know why, I mean he did go a bit too far this time but I really don’t think he realised how hard he was” I explained and groaned as my phone rang again.

  “God damn it” I moaned as I saw Greg’s name flash up this time. “Hi” I answered.

  “Hey, sweetheart. How you doing?” he asked quietly.

  “I’m okay.”

  I heard his deep sigh on the other end of the phone. “Listen Ava… he’s coming after you” he said and I could sense his cringe.

  “Fuck!” I ground out.

  “He’s took Sam’s car and he’s on his way down” he warned me.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it, thanks for letting me know Greg” I said. “How’s Courtney?”

  He chuckled, “Raring to kick his fucking teeth down his throat.”

  I laughed. “Tell her there’s a queue.”

  He snorted. “It’s already done Ava, I can promise you that, sweetheart” he disclosed and my heart clenched in pain.

  “What did you do Greg?” I asked, closing my eyes and steeling myself for his answer.

  “Nothing he didn’t deserve” he hissed and I gulped.

  “Yeah” I breathed sadly.

  “Take care sweetheart and I’ll see you soon” he said softly.

  “You too.”

  I ended the call. “He’s on his way” I groaned and Nate smirked.

  “I’d like to see him get through security” he laughed and Liv stood up.

  “Come on, let’s get you to hospital and back before he arrives” she said.

  I pouted, “What the hell am I gonna tell them what happened?”

  I looked at them both. “Just say things got a bit heated in the bedroom. They can’t do anything about it without your permission, Ava” Liv said and I shrugged.

  “I suppose.”

  “Hell, tell them we were having a steaming threesome and I fucking did it to you in throws of passion for all care” she winked and I laughed.

  “God, what would I do without you two?” I sighed.

  “Hey, what would I do without you two” Nate said, side huddling us both.

  “Well you wouldn’t have as many skirts to look up” I snorted.

  “Damn right” he wiggled his eyebrows and then he grew serious. “You’re gonna have to work this one out though, Ava. Don’t let him get away with this… this is just way too much” he pleaded and I nodded.

  “I know.”

  He smiled and kissed my forehead. “Go on. Pick up Chinese on your way home” he told Liv who nodded.

  “Don’t forget Jay will be home in an hour” she grinned excitedly at Nate like a child.

  “Oh that’ll be fun for Ava, that boy is a walking hard on” he laughed at the horror in my face.

  “Just like his bloody Dad” Liv chuckled as she followed me out of the front door, Elijah hot on our trails.

  “Oh shit, I forgot about you” I told him and he gasped jokingly.

  “How the hell could anyone forget me?” he feigned offense and I patted his arm.

  “Not a chance” I laughed.

  CHAPTER 19

  “So then she fucking says, ‘But Baby, what about last night?’” Jay said and everybody laughed.

  “Really?” Liv choked.

  “Well I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was John she slept with and not me. Hell, I think she’d remember if it was me” he winked at me and I shook my head in exasperation.

  Nate had been right about Jay, Liv and Nate’s 20 year old son, who was the spit image of his Dad; right from his piercing blue eyes to his blond curly hair but Jay sported a long scar that ran down his right cheek but I thought it fitted his bad boy/playboy image.

  His eyes had lit up like a Christmas tree when they landed on my chest and Liv had slapped him when he named them personally. Apparently my left breast was called ‘Henrietta’ and the right one was ‘Hermione’.

  I took it in good humour which it was intended but he hadn’t stopped playfully flirting since I had arrived back from hospital.

  They had cleaned my bites, injected them with anaesthetic and stitched each one before covering them with gauze and I looked like a fucking freak show so Jay had took it into his personal agenda to cheer me up.

  “You’re so much like your Dad that it scares me” Liv moaned as she stood up and stretched. “I’m off up” she said and Nate stood and kissed her.

  “Night Angel, I won’t be long” he cupped her cheek lovingly and I smiled at his intense love for her, they were the real deal, university sweethearts that had lost touch for twenty years only to rekindle their love when Liv found herself working for Nate.

  I knew they’d had their problems as Nate had filled me in the New Year we spent in Belgium but they had pulled through it and were now stronger than ever and I felt the small pang of jealousy as I watched their interactions.

  “Night Hun” I said as she winked and climbed the stairs.

  “Right Dad, fuck off and let me have my wicked way with Ava” Jay told Nate seriously and Nate scoffed.

  “If you think I’m leaving you alone with my best friend for two seconds you’ve got another thing coming” he said with raised eyebrows. “I don’t wanna find you dead from exhaustion in the morning” he smirked and I poked my tongue out at him.

  “Oh I dunno. I’m sure I could handle her” he winked.

  I laughed. “You sure about t
hat, hot stuff?” I flirted playfully and Nate snorted.

  “You’ve no chance, Jay” he laughed. “Courtney showed me the DVD” he barked in laughter at my expression as Jay looked at us both in confusion.

  “God damn Courtney and that bloody DVD” I sighed as I poured another vodka, well on my way to oblivion.

  “Ava, go steady sweetheart” Nate sighed as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it as I rolled my head round my neck.

  “Nah I’m good” I grinned and he shrugged.

  “I’m off to squeeze my wife” he winked and I grinned at him.

  “Have fun” I laughed as he bent and kissed my cheek.

  “Try and get some sleep sweetheart, the guys are all about so don’t worry” he said as he stroked my cheek and I nodded.

  He turned to Jay. “Behave” he warned and Jay laughed.

  “Don’t worry, pops. I shall leave Ava alone with her vodka and climb in my pit” he winked as he stood up and followed his dad up the stairs.

  Sighing I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the sofa as my mind wandered. I didn’t have a clue what came next. Did I finally end this fucked up relationship? Did I make him go into rehab if I wanted any kind of reconciliation? Should I let him back in? Should I suggest he had sex with a man to figure himself out? Did I love him enough to want to work this out? And the last question was the only one I had the answer to… Yes! But he had broken my trust in him again and to be frank and honest I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

  Since meeting Mason eighteen months ago, our relationship had been on and off more times than my kettle. I had been hurt by him so many times and even I wasn’t sure how much of my heart was still pumping the blood through my veins.