Exquisite

Chapter Twenty Four

The following week flew by. Mason had been working non stop on a new promotion for the restaurant and he’d only seen Lena twice. He missed her. She’d told him she was extremely busy this week with two seminars and she had a new intern following her. They’d met up on Tuesday for dinner and fallen asleep on his couch and Thursday night he’d gone by her house and they’d gone for a run around the park then they’d come home and crawled into bed. They were both exhausted.

He knew they needed to discuss moving in together soon, he wanted her with him all the time. Not just when they could fit each other in, but first he needed to sit her down and talk to her, tell her how he felt. Finally tell her that he was completely in love with her. He was planning to do that tonight. She’d told him she had the weekend off and they were going to meet down at O’Malley’s for a drink when she got off work, then they were going back to his place for the weekend. It was had just turned 7.23pm when his phone rang. He put his pen down and picked it up cradling it between his shoulder and ear.

“Hello.”

“Hi there.”

Mason beamed at the voice on the other end. He felt his heart start to beat just a little faster when Lena’s voice floated over the line. “Hey yourself. You better not be calling to cancel.”

He heard her laugh and could imagine her smiling. “No. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in your condo this weekend.”

“Oh are you? So it has nothing to do with me then?”

“Hmm. Well maybe a little bit.”

Mason rocked back on his chair and lowered his voice. “Good because I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in you this weekend.”

He heard her take a deep breath. “I can’t wait. Sure you don’t want to just skip O’Malley’s?”

Mason saw his phone light up with a second call coming through. He noticed it was his mother’s shop and figured he’d call her back after he hung up.

“Now why would we skip O’Malley’s? You know I love it there. We first danced there.”

Lena chuckled, “You first groped me there.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Wow, really mature doctor.” Mason replied with a laugh.

“Ok then. If I must I’ll met you there at 8.”

Mason watched his phone light up again, wow his mother was really wanting to talk to him about something. “Ok sounds like a plan. I can’t wait to see you Lena.”

“And I can’t wait to be seen Langley. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Mason hung up and sat forward dialing his mother’s number. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he sat back rocking his chair. This weekend was going to be amazing, he could feel it. He was still thinking about Lena when he heard a man on the other end of the line.

“Hello? Is this Mason?”

Mason sat up and looked at the phone, yep he’d dialed the right number, so who the heck was this? “Yes, who’s this?”

“Mason, my name’s Edward Scott. I’m the shop owner across the street from your mother’s.” he paused and what came out of his mouth next would forever change Mason’s life.

Lena sat at O’Malley’s with a beer in front of her checking her watch. It’d just turned 8pm. She’d got there a little early and gone in to get a drink. Taking a sip she thought about what she wanted out of this weekend. Oh it was a given there would be a lot of good food, good company and hot hot sex and she wanted it all, but this weekend she planned to lay it on the line for him. Lena was ready to open her heart, let down every defense she had and invite him in. She was going to tell him she loved him.

Looking up at the clock she noticed it was now 8.15pm and he still wasn’t there. She grabbed her cell phone and called him. It went straight to voicemail. Reaching for her beer she told herself not to worry, he was probably just held up, but there was something niggling at the back of her neck and she couldn’t seem to shake it. 8.30pm and still nothing, she picked her phone up and dialed again, this time it was answered.

“Hello, Mason’s phone.”

Lena frowned, it sounded like Wendy, but she was speaking funny so Lena asked. “Wendy?”

“Oh god. Lena! Is that you?” she asked on a frantic cry.

Lena’s breathing froze and she felt herself go rigid. She made herself answer. “Yes. What’s going on Wendy? Mason was supposed to meet me here half and hour ago. Why are you answering his phone?”

There was another sob at the other end and Lena could feel her heart clenching getting ready to crack open at whatever tragedy was about to be hurled her way. Please God, don’t let him be sick, or hurt. Or worse, dead.

“He’s just left the hospital Lena, it’s terrible.” she paused and Lena gripped the bar with her free hand.

“What happened to him?”

“Oh.” Wendy sobbed hard now, “No not him Lena.” she heard her swallow. “It’s Catherine. She had a heart attack in her shop this afternoon.”

Lena’s hand flew to her mouth and she gasped loudly. She knew people were staring at her and she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. “Is she?” she couldn’t even say it. “Is she going to be ok? Where did they take her?”

Lena heard Wendy let go of her tears now, “She died Lena. She died at the scene. Mason just left the hospital after going to down to identify her.”

Tears rolled in twin streams down her cheeks as she sat in the crowded pub looking at the happy people smiling and dancing without a care in the world. She hit the end button on the call and numbly got off the stool and made her way through the crowd and out the door. Her first instinct was to run, to leave it behind her and not go to him. He would have Rachel and Wendy to comfort him, she just couldn’t deal with this, but she didn’t run she did what her battered heart told her too and made her way to Mason’s.

Mason couldn’t comprehend what had just happened over the last hour and a half. He’d just got back to his place and moved through the condo to sit on his couch. His mind kept running over the details one by one, refusing to make sense of it. Choosing instead to believe this was some kind of horrible nightmare.

He’d hung up from speaking with Lena and called his mother back but she hadn’t answered, a man named Edward Scott had. He couldn’t get the words; Son I’m sorry to tell you but your mother suffered a massive heart attack around twenty minutes ago. There was nothing they could do, to stop playing on repeat in his head. After that it was all a blur.

He knew he’d gone down to the hospital but he couldn’t remember getting there. He remembered a young lady in a lab coat, much like Lena’s, take him into a small room with stainless steel tables and he remembered a sheet being pulled back and seeing his mother lying there, as though she were asleep, but he just didn’t believe any of it. His mother wasn’t dead, it was impossible, they’d just talked this morning on the phone and he’d told her he was going to ask Lena to move in with him, she’d been thrilled. She had been fine. He slouched back on the couch and laid his arms on his legs. Staring through the dark to the lights below he couldn’t fathom a world without here there. Without her Monday night dinners and her smile as he would walk through her store. Sitting forward he hung his head low and felt the tears start to roll down his cheeks.

The minute Lena stepped in the room she could feel the sorrow. This was a feeling she knew intimately. Looking around the dark condo she spotted him on the couch hunched over with his arms resting on his knees and his head hanging down. She placed her bag on the floor and walked over to him coming to a stop at the end of the couch He looked up at her and she felt her heart break in two. His face was streaked with tears and his eyes were swollen from what looked like hours of crying, although she knew it’d only been around thirty minutes.

Not knowing what to say and feeling her own eyes start to fill with tears she said nothing, and just sat down beside him holding out her hand. Reaching over he took it in his and squeezed then proceeded to cry into the night. The pure anguish coming from within him was so strong Lena felt it pulsing off him in waves and crashing into her almost knocking her over. She too had lost a loved one tonight. True, Catherine wasn't her mother, but she’d become such an important part of her life she was almost as important as a parent, but this moment was his. She needed to be there to support him in this loss. So she sat beside him quietly, with as much courage as she could find, when everything inside her was screaming to run.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity he turned in the chair and faced her. He reached up wiped his eyes and sniffed as he let go of her hand. Swallowing deeply he took a breath and spoke.

"She was at the shop."

Reaching out Lena stroked her fingers down his cheek then took her hand back to her lap.

"Oh Mason. I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say or where to begin."

He nodded as though he understood and blinked wet eyes at her. He turned and stood walking over to the large window overlooking the park. The lights twinkled below and Lena was taken back for a moment, to a night where he’d helped her forget her troubles right here by the window. Tonight though, there was nothing that could help this. She stood and walked up beside him placing a hand gently on his arm and stared out at the lights. Still looking forward he spoke softly.

"They said at the hospital that she knew her heart was weak. She knew after her first heart attack that this could happen and she never said a thing."

"I know." Lena whispered before she’d even thought it through. Suddenly she felt the arm under her hand tense and then watched in the window's reflection as Mason turned toward her and asked very softly.

"What do you mean, you know?"

Turning to face him she went to reach out and he took a step back, something he’d never done before. Dropping her hand to her side she started to explain. "I looked in her chart when she was in hospital."

He didn't seem to like that explanation by the narrowing of his eyes, and the pure animosity he was directing at her was making her uncomfortable. She’d never seen Mason really loose his temper and although they’d argued back and forward over things the anger radiating from him felt different. He looked so removed she was almost frightened, but she continued, needing him to know everything.

"She also spoke to me about it one night at her house."

"What?" he demanded.

Lena rushed on, "I urged her to tell you Mason. Both you and Rachel. I told her it would be easier to know there may be a chance of,"

"Wait a minute," he interrupted in an icy cold voice. "You're telling me that you and my mother talked about her dying and didn't think to include her kids?"

Lena swallowed and gripped her hands in front of her, not really knowing how to handle him at this point. So she decided her best bet was to just answer him. "Yes."

She watched as he clenched his teeth and his jaw flexed. He raised a hand and rubbed it over his eyes. Turning back to look out the window he dropped the hand back down and whispered in the coldest tone she’d ever heard. "Get out."

Lena felt like he had reached out and slapped her. She winced at his words and swallowed. She moved to take a step forward. "Mason."

"Don't touch me." he said enunciating every word. "Go get your bag and get out."

"Please let me,"

"Let you what?" he demanded spinning around to face her. She took a step back looking up at him with tears running down her own cheeks, but he was beyond reason and beyond caring. "Lie to me? Hide things from me?" Shaking his head he spat out, "I'm so fucking stupid! I thought you trusted me. I thought you felt the same way about me as I do about you!"

She tried again to reach out but he just glared at her.

"I thought you fucking loved me!"

She flinched back and took a step away feeling everything inside her come crashing down. Tears flowed freely from her now. Tears for Catherine, her sudden death and the unfairness of it. Tears for Mason who was so hurt he couldn't even stand in front of her and understand, and tears for them. For what could’ve been before it was torn away and she’d even been able to tell him what he meant to her.

"Why are you still here Lena? Get out!"

Turning she ran to the door and grabbed her keys, fumbling around with the handle she finally got it opened and turned back to see him facing the window. She let out a strangled sob and fled his condo.

Mason was livid. He couldn't believe what Lena had just told him and although he was still in the middle of even beginning to understand his grief, this anger felt good. It felt easier to take a hold of and to drown in.

Staring out the window he saw Lena crossing the street below and he clenched his teeth remembering her words, I know. Two little words and his whole world had fallen apart. How could she have not told him? How could she have kept something like that a secret? If only he had known. If he had known he could've. Could've what? He thought, and then before deciding there would’ve been nothing he could have done, he went back to his anger.

She was wrong. She’d fucked up and done something so tragically wrong he didn't think he could ever forgive her and with the way he felt right now he honestly never wanted to see her again. He pushed aside her face and the pain he’d seen on it when he’d told her to leave, and refused to feel sorry for her. He had other things he needed to do, other people to think about. Bringing a hand up to his face he turned and walked to the phone knowing the next thing would be the hardest.

He needed to call Rachel over in Italy and tell her to get on a plane and come home, and she was going to want to know why, and he would tell her, and then she would spend eight hours on an airplane in agony and alone.

The next day Lena was still curled up in her bedroom. She’d called in sick and decided to stay home. Away from questions, away from people and away from Shelly. He hadn't called. For some reason she’d thought he would, but he hadn't. She was starting to realize that he’d meant every word he’d said to her last night. At first she’d thought it was the grief talking, after all she’d literally wandered the streets after Carly's death, until Catherine had taken her in. That was not the case though, she was now coming to understand. Mason really had broken up with her. He had cut all ties, she knew that because she’d tried calling his phone only to discover it had been disconnected. Rolling over in her bed she squeezed her eyes shut and cried again, she was starting to wonder if she would ever stop.