Ruined: Loving An Alpha Male(93)

So with my job lined up, and my apartment set up, all I have to do is work on me. I told Cory that I wanted to take our time with this relationship. I didn’t want to rush into anything, and if he was cool with that, then we could hang out. I didn’t want labels, so I told him he could see whoever he wanted. But I knew deep down he wouldn’t be a player.

When Kat decided to have this birthday getaway, she told me who was coming. She didn’t give names. So I knew nothing about Mason and Marc being friends of her boyfriend—or whatever he was. She calls AB “Abe,” and I never put two and two together. I mean how would you? She did say one of his friends was a jerk and that his friends were twins, but still, I never put it together. When I walked up to the table though and saw Mason sitting there, I almost passed out. I couldn’t breathe. My hand suddenly went to my heart. Then I suddenly felt rage and hurt all over again. He looked so calm when he saw me—as if I had no effect on him at all—when I was dying inside.

I wanted to punch him in the face. I wanted to scream at him, just to see if he felt anything. But the look in his eyes told me all that I needed to know. The light I was so used to seeing in him was gone. He looked like shit, and I could tell he wasn’t the same man I fell for once. I started to feel sorry for him until Kat announced the black-haired girl next to him was his fiancée.

What?!

So now I’m thinking, Was I not good enough for you? My eyes narrowed, hoping he would open his mouth to say something so I can say everything I wanted to say. I could see it in his eyes that he was feeling some type of way about Cory having his arm around me. But the nerve of this asshole! He has a fiancée sitting next to him, and he has the nerve to be jealous?

So I watched him to see if he would even acknowledge that he knows me. I vowed to castrate him right there if he didn’t say anything, but finally he did. He didn’t say much to his fiancé when she asked, but at least he acknowledged me. Then the little coward got up and left the table.

Yeah, he’s so not who I fell in love with. Maybe it’s a good thing he did what he did. Maybe I would be in utter hell if he came home to me this way.

When he left the table, I finally started to breathe. I looked over at my best friend and smiled.

“Come help me unpack. That is, if you don’t mind I steal her away for a little while,” I said, looking over at AB.

“Oh no, I don’t mind at all,” he told me.

I smiled at everyone at the table and politely excused myself. I gave Cory this look that I wanted to be alone with Kat for a little while, and he got the hint.

When I finally got her alone in the room, she let out a huge sigh.

“I can’t believe that the guy you’ve told me about over and over is the same sorry ass at the table. I mean, why did you call him Mason James? I really thought that was his last name.”

She plopped on my bed, and I went to grab my suitcase. I shrugged at her question.

“I don’t know. I mean I just called him that in the heat of frustration when I was first worried about him, and then was angry as hell at him.”

I was trying to concentrate on taking my clothes out of the bags, but I gave up. My hands were shaking like crazy. I sat down on a chair next to the bed and looked at my best friend.

“He’s really getting married?” I asked her.

She nodded. “It would appear so. Sometime next year, I believe.”

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I shouldn’t feel this way, especially after all these years, but I do.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish I would have known that Mason was the same person that broke you. If it makes you feel any better, he’s a miserable SOB without you.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I can tell.”

She shook her head. “No, seriously. Abe tells me that ever since he came back from Philly, he hasn’t been himself. He’s been very angry and drinks a lot…and I mean a lot. Marc says that he came back broken, and he doesn’t think anyone can fix him. Everyone hates him and hates being around him. Abe said he was never like that…ever… Well, he did say he’s always been an asshole, but never to the point of being obnoxious.”

You would think this would make me feel better, but it doesn’t. It makes my heart go out to him.

Ugh!

Kat looked at me nervously. “You’re not going to leave, are you, Monk?”

I shook my head. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from you.”

We talked more about the new job I would be starting in two weeks, and about the new apartment and the plans we had about decorating. It was great to be back with her. I’ve missed her terribly, and I couldn’t wait for us to catch up…we have so much to make up for.