Meant for Me (A Second Chance standalone)

by L. P. Dover

“Claire, can you hear me? Wiggle your toes if you can hear me.”

  The voice sounded so familiar, but that voice didn’t belong in the hell I was in. She needed to leave before my hell consumed her, too. Knowing I would see the same pain in her eyes, I didn’t want to open mine to witness it. Mason was gone … her cousin was gone, and I was alone.

  “Melissa?” I whispered sadly.

  “Oh my God, Claire, yes it’s me. We’ve been so worried about you. We got the call last night and came first thing this morning,” she cried.

  Feeling around for her hand, I grabbed it and squeezed tightly, hesitantly opening my eyes in the process. Melissa was right beside me, eyes puffy and red from crying.

  “I’m so sorry, Mel. I didn’t want any of this to happen,” I sobbed.

  “I know you didn’t, Claire, but you and Mason both knew there would be risks. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

  Shaking my head, I gazed at her incredulously. “You don’t understand. How am I going to get through all of this by myself?”

  She snorted and ran her fingers soothingly down the side of my face. “You’re not by yourself, Claire. You will always have me by your side. I’ve always been there for you, haven’t I?”

  Turning my head away, I closed my eyes and blew out a shaky breath. “It’s not the same, Mel. I can’t get through all of this without Mason. He’s the one I need.”

  “And I’m right here, Claire,” his voice spoke out.

  Gasping, my throat closed up and I froze. Did I really just hear his voice? Is he really here? I didn’t want to get my hopes up in fear that I had truly lost my mind and was imagining it. I ached for him, my heart ached for him. My body jerked when a hand reached out and brushed the hair off my face. It wasn’t Melissa’s soft hands, but large and strong, warm.

  Gasping, I grabbed the hand that touched me and held on tight, feeling the calluses and the broken skin. My eyes burned behind my closed eyelids and my lips trembled. “Mason?” I wailed, “Is it really you?”

  “It’s me, baby. I’m here,” he murmured. As he leaned over me, I could finally breathe in the intoxicating scent of his skin. It was him!

  Opening my eyes, I gasped when his face came into focus. He was beaten and bruised with nasty cuts and gashes everywhere, but he was still my Mason. “You’re alive,” I cried, throwing my arms around his neck. “I thought you were dead. When Erick made the call and told whoever to kill you I thought you were gone when I heard the gunshot. Oh my God, I was so scared.” Squeezing my eyes shut, I held him tighter and whispered in his ear, “I thought I lost you forever.”

  Mason shook his head and pulled back, putting a finger to my lips. “What you heard was Ryan’s shot. Before Brody could pull the trigger, Ryan and his people barged in and got him before he could get me. That was the shot you heard, baby. I’m so sorry you thought it was me.”

  With tears in his eyes, he took my face in his hands and placed his lips gently across mine. “I thought I lost you, too. After we found Erick and you were nowhere in sight, I thought I was going to lose my mind. Then I heard about the call saying that you were at the gym so I rushed over as soon as I could, but you had already been taken to the hospital. I had no idea what had happened to you.”

  The mention of Erick brought back all of the horrid memories. I wish I could go through the rest of my life not knowing what happened, but I needed to know for my own sanity.

  “What happened to everyone, Mason? To Wade, Chase … Erick? I need to know.”

  Sighing, Mason gazed down at me warily while Melissa got quickly to her feet and retreated toward the door. “You know, I think I’m going to leave you two alone for a while,” she said. “I know there’s a lot you need to talk about. Do you need anything, both of you?”

  I shook my head and smiled and Mason did the same thing before taking the seat she just vacated. Grasping my hand, Mason closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Claire, I didn’t want to have to tell you all of this so soon. There’s a lot you don’t know about. Are you sure you want to know?” he asked hesitantly.

  With my heart thumping wildly, I licked my dry lips and nodded quickly. “Yes,” I answered desperately. “Just tell me and get it over with.”

  “Okay,” he agreed sadly, moving closer to the bed. “Here we go.”

  After clearing his throat, he soothingly ran his thumb over my knuckles and began, “All right, I’ll start with Chase first. If I didn’t hear your scream I’m sure I would’ve killed him. I let anger and revenge cloud my judgment from what was truly important. He has a few broken bones, but he’ll live. He’s been charged with second degree murder for the deaths of Austin and one of the other fighter’s named Patrick Ross.”

  “Does Summer know that you found the guy who killed Austin?” I asked. “Have you talked to her?”

  Mason nodded. “Yeah, she knows. She wants to leave Virginia and move back to North Carolina to get away for a while. I offered her my house to rent and possibly to own in the future if she wants it. Once I move my stuff out, she’s going to move in. It actually saves me from having to sell it once I come to California.”

  Mason lifted my hand to his cheek and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago I was devastated and alone thinking he was dead, but now he was in front of me, breathing … alive. I wasn’t going to ever let him go. “That was really sweet of you, Mason, to let Summer stay at your house. I know Austin would be proud of you for finding justice and taking care of her for him. I’m just glad it’s over.”

  “Me too,” he agreed, opening his eyes.

  “Now continue with what you were saying and tell me about Wade. I have a strange feeling you’re leaving the really bad news for last,” I grumbled.

  Mason settled his gaze on our clasped hands and blew out a shaky breath. When he lifted his gaze to me there was sadness there, but there was also something else staring back at me … regret. “Wade’s condition wasn’t looking so good when he was brought in,” he explained, “When I had him in submission he wasn’t getting the adequate amounts of oxygen to his brain. He had what you call brain hypoxia. Last I heard, he was awake and actually talking again, but once he leaves here he’s not going back to that nice, beautiful house he just bought.”

  Yeah, I figured that. I was almost afraid to ask, but I did it anyway. “What is being put away for?”

  “He was responsible for one of the other fighter’s deaths. His name was Grayson Hubbard. He’ll be charged with second degree murder,” he told me.

  My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I refused to cry any for what Wade had become. I wanted to cry for the fun, caring, and passionate Wade that must’ve died somewhere along the way. He made his bed and now he had to lie in it. It was disturbing how someone could be good one minute, and then turn into someone who would kill and sell his soul for money and fame. Deep down I guess he always had that dark side … he just kept it hidden.

  “All right, Mason, enough about Wade. It’s just a reminder of how I try to see the good in people and then turn up disappointed. I need to know about Erick now,” I demanded, “and don’t beat around the bush. I want the truth even if it’s not something I want to hear.”

  I already knew it was going to be something I didn’t want to hear.

  Mason licked his lips and sighed. “Erick’s dead, Claire. Actually his name wasn’t even Erick. Apparently, the information Ryan had been waiting on came just in time. He had tried to send me a picture of this Michael Turner before I got picked up to go to the fight, but it never loaded in time before they took my phone. Erick’s real identity is Michael Turner. He had a warrant out on his arrest for killing his wife and kidnapping his newborn daughter. We traced him back to a house out near Wade’s and found his daughter and a housekeeper there. The housekeeper was taken in for questioning and I think social services took the little girl away.”

  “Oh my God,” I cried. Madison.

  So that’s what happ
ened to Madison’s mother, she was killed … murdered. Madison had been through so much and now this; taken away by the system. She didn’t deserve to be transferred from home to home, and neither did any of the other children in the world who got tossed around.

  Mason was oblivious to my inner turmoil and continued, “So basically the case of the Ohio deaths has been solved now. Erick was the one who did it.”

  Taking my hands out of Mason’s, I covered my face and sobbed. I wasn’t crying about Erick’s death, no, I could care less that he was gone from the world. He needed to be taken out of it, except it was a little unnerving knowing that I played a part in it even though I was defending myself. Actually, my heart went out to one person, to a tiny little girl who deserved so much more than a murderous father who killed her mother and took her away, only to put her in a dangerous world she didn’t belong in.

  Mason pried my hands away and tilted my chin up. “Look, I don’t know what happened, and I was hoping you would feel comfortable enough to talk to me about it. Right now, Erick’s death has been ruled an accident. Other than the broken nose he sustained which I’m assuming is from you, the other injuries he acquired came from the fall alone. If you’re worried about getting in trouble you don’t need to be. If anything it was self-defense and there’s no reason to feel guilty about that. If I had caught him before he fell he’d be dead anyway. It was inevitable.”

  Mason wiped away my tears and pressed his lips softly against mine. The cut in his lip had to hurt, but he still offered me his comfort. Pressing his forehead to mine, he breathed me in and nuzzled my nose with his with a smile on his face.

  “After you give your statement to Ryan, I’m taking you home and never letting you out of my sight again. I’m taking a very long vacation to figure out what I want to do with my life, but there is one thing I know for certain.”

  “What would that be?”

  Taking a seat on the bed, he placed his arms on both sides of me and leaned close so he could gaze into my eyes. “I want to be with you every single day, Claire. I want to make love to you and wake up to your smiling face for as long as I live. One day when we’re ready, I don’t care when it is, hell, it could be tomorrow for all I care, but I want you to be my wife. I love you so damn much it hurts. Before, all I’ve ever done is live for the job. I never even thought I would want a family of my own until you came and showed me what love could be like and how it felt. You’ve had me addicted ever since and now I want it all.”

  A tear escaped the corner of his eye, but this time he let it fall without any shame. Hearing those words come from Mason’s mouth was both shocking and beautiful. He wasn’t a man of voicing feelings so I knew if he ever did propose it wouldn’t be anything elaborate, but hearing the words alone come from his lips made it more special than if he proposed on top of the Eiffel Tower. If he wasn’t in visible pain I would jump out of the bed and into his arms. I wanted to be his wife more than anything and I wanted it all too … including a family.

  “So, with that being said,” I began with a sly smile, “was that your idea of a proposal?”

  Mason chuckled and I laughed along with him. He nodded sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck when he replied, “Yeah, I guess it was. My whole point was to let you know that I’m serious about this and that’s where I want it to lead. I want a family, Claire. I have no one other than you and Melissa. I want a son so I can do the things with him like my father did with me and teach him things.” He grinned at me and winked. “I’ll even let you tag along if you want.”

  Smiling, I could just imagine what it would be like to have a smaller version of Mason running around. It would happen one day. However, there was something else I had on my mind that didn’t involve a son, but a daughter.

  “Mason,” I murmured nervously. “I need to talk to you about something, or better yet something to ask you.” What I wanted to do was a big decision and I needed his support since we planned on staying together. The only problem would be the circumstances. I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking I was so nervous.

  Mason furrowed his brows, growing concerned by the wariness in his eyes. “Claire, you’re shaking, what is it? You know you can talk to me about anything.”

  “What would you say if we had a little girl first instead of a boy? Would you still love her just as much?”

  Incredulously, Mason guffawed and shook his head. “Seriously, Claire, that’s what you’re all nervous about? Of course, I would love a girl just as much as a boy. She could be a little dancer just like you and hopefully get her looks from you too.” He paused for a moment and then his eyes went wide. “Wait, are you pregnant? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  Smiling, I shook my head and laughed. “No, I’m not pregnant. As soon as you want to have kids of our own I’ll be ready. However, what would you say if I knew of a little girl who looked just like me, was a dancer, and also needed a home?”

  “If she’s just like you I’d say she sounds amazing, but what are you getting at?” he asked skeptically.

  Taking a deep breath, I sat up in bed and let the tears fall down my cheeks. With all my heart and soul, I began the story of the little girl who stole my heart.

  “It all begins with a little, curly blonde headed girl in a purple leotard and pink tutu. Her name is Madison and in the short amount of time I spent with her she wrapped me around her little finger. She’s going to need a home, Mason, and I want to give it to her,” I cried.

  It didn’t take long for Mason to know who I was talking about. At first he seemed hesitant, but then he smiled and cupped my face in his hands. “Well then, let’s go get her.”

  Six Months Later

  The ending of The Little Mermaid played on the screen, and Madison was sound asleep, snoring softly, with her head on my lap. I loved playing with her little blonde curls and wrapping them around my fingers. It took three months to get the adoption process finalized and usually it took longer than that, but given the circumstances we were able to get it rushed. Madison lived with Mira during those three months, but Mason and I visited with her almost every weekend so we could spend time with her. It took her a couple of visits to open up to Mason, but when she did, he fell in love with her and her with him. To this day, they were inseparable.

  “Do you want me to carry her to her room?” Mason whispered.

  I nodded. “Yes, please.”

  Smiling, he picked her up gently and she squirmed in his arms, but her little eyes stayed shut. Every night after I’d give her a bath, we would cuddle on the bed and watch a Disney movie. We’d been doing it now for the past three months, including Mason. It was actually fun because I liked watching them and always had when I was growing up. Mason, on the other hand, endured them solely for Madison. It was sweet that he did it and only made me fall in love with him more.

  When Mason came back into the room, he shut the door quietly behind him and took his shirt off, throwing it to the floor. I cuddled up next to him when he got back under the sheets and traced my fingers along the lines of his well defined stomach muscles. For the past month he’d been training with Matt Reynolds, who tried every single day to coax him back into fighting for the UFC. Mason was torn between not knowing what to do or if he’d make the right decision. I told him to follow his heart and if he did that then he couldn’t go wrong. He was still undecided.

  “Do you know what time it is?” he asked, twirling my wedding band around on my finger with a mischievous gleam in his eye. We finally said our vows about two months ago on a crisp, autumn day in our backyard with our close friends gathered around and little Madison as our flower girl. It was the perfect day.

  “I don’t know,” I answered. “Why don’t you tell me what time it is? I think I forgot.” I knew very well what time he was referring to, but I loved playing the game.

  Mason growled low in his throat and spread my legs with his knee. He slid his hand under my shorts and pushed a finger inside, but only slightly, teasingly. “I would
say you know what time it is,” he murmured gruffly in my ear. “You’re soaking wet.”

  He nipped my ear before moving down the bed so he could grasp my shorts and yank them off my body. He then ripped off my shirt and did the same with his boxers. Climbing on top of me, he licked a trail around my nipple, making me gasp in pleasure, and then slid his tongue all the way up to my neck. When we got married, he told me not to tell him when I decided to stop my birth control and little did he know I stopped it two weeks ago. I wanted to tell him, but he was adamant on it being a surprise when I got pregnant.

  Mason pushed inside of me gently while rubbing his thumbs up and down my cheeks as he held my face in his hands. He slowly made love to me and never took his gaze off my eyes the entire time. One day soon, I was hoping I’d be able to tell him that our family was about to grow.

  Breathing hard, Mason leaned down to kiss me and smiled. “Do you want to know why I don’t like to take my eyes off of you when I make love to you?” he asked.

  “Yes, tell me,” I breathed, running my hands soothingly down his back.

  “I do it because even to this day I sometimes think this is all a dream and I’m going to wake up and you’ll be gone. I didn’t deserve a second chance, but you gave me one. I told you I would fight for your heart and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life to keep it. Even if I were to die, I would never stop fighting because what you have in here,” he said, placing a hand over my heart, “is mine … and I’m never letting it go.”

  “Ever …”

  Five Months Later

  The roar of the crowd going wild and cheering for the fighters in the ring echoed down the hall to the room where Mason was warming up for his fight. His hands were taped and ready to go, and on the other side of his fighting shorts was the logo for MMA Pride. Instead of going back to the force, he decided to follow his dreams and do it right this time, even though it took him months to make the decision. When he was offered a sponsorship, I could see it in his eyes that he didn’t want to turn it down. I was glad he took it.