I was momentarily confused what he was talking about, having been lulled into a sense of contentment from being cuddled with such care I started to believe this was real. “I know. But I can’t change my family. My mother is who she is, and she does what she wants. Things are just going to get worse once she’s the mayor.”
“Has it always been like this for you?”
I took a deep inhale and for the first time in my life I wanted to talk about my unconventional upbringing. And at this stage, I had nothing to lose. Might as well go all in.
“When I was ten, I had this teacher at school. She thought I was a talented artist. She encouraged me to draw and even looked into scholarships for me. My mother found out about it. You have to understand that the only acceptable thing for me to study was either politics or law. Definitely not arts. Her response to the teacher’s encouragement was to pull me out of school. I was homeschooled from then on. I was devastated but would never speak up or disagree. Her word was law, and everyone did as they were told in our house. At least I didn’t have to take online classes but managed to convince her to let me go to Winchester University.”
I stopped, gathering my thoughts. I knew lots of kids had worse upbringings. For all her faults, my mother never raised a hand at me. Her dragging me out of the office was the most physical she had ever gotten. She never even so much as touched me. Not to hug me or to slap me. That’s why her actions at the office put me in such a state of shock.
“I’m not weak. But if you grow up where one person’s word is law, you tend to go along with it. Especially when you are a child. I wasn’t allowed to have friends, and the only time I was allowed to talk to anyone outside of our staff was when she had events for her campaign that required her family.”
I snuggled closer, and Mason trailed his fingers up and down my back, offering me his silent support.
“Our housekeeper, Maria, was my only saving grace. She was affectionate, loved me like I was her own daughter, and never let me forget that there was more to life than pleasing my mother. She’s the one who encouraged me to move out as soon as I turned eighteen. And once I met Maisie and Willa, my life changed for the better.”
“I’m sorry, Stella. I didn’t know,” Mason said.
I lifted my head to look at him. “It’s all right. We already called a truce, remember?”
“I feel like an asshole for judging you like that.”
I put my hand on his cheek and he leaned into it. “Honest, it’s fine. You apologized and more than made up for it tonight. I need to apologize too. I’m sorry for my knee-jerk reaction and just taking off. That was a shit thing to do.”
He turned his head and kissed my hand, surprising me with the gesture. “Wanna watch some TV?”
“Best offer I’ve had all night.”
He laid down on the couch, taking me with him. After he pulled me tight to his front, he turned on the TV and started a movie.
I didn’t make it past the opening credits before I fell asleep.
He must have carried me up to bed, because I didn’t remember walking up myself. The gesture was sweet, something I was beginning to think was Mason. The rude asshole was gone, and in its place someone that I liked a whole lot.
Since I was under strict instructions not to leave, I shuffled into the kitchen to start the coffee and make myself a piece of toast. Loki scratched at the front door and I let him in. His tail was going a mile a minute, his excitement about seeing me again making me feel warm and fuzzy.
“Hey, buddy, how about a piece of toast?” I asked and broke off a corner. “Just don’t tell your dad.”
Mason was strict when it came to his dog’s diet. Nothing fatty, no grains, and definitely nothing processed. But what he didn’t know, he couldn’t complain about.
After I finished my breakfast and coffee, I went outside with Loki. I hadn’t had an opportunity to snoop around yet, and since Mason would be gone all day, this was my best chance.
I decided to start with the barn, since he seemed to spend an exorbitant amount of time in there. Loki ran ahead and disappeared through the half-open door.
There wasn’t much noise coming from inside, and I decided it would be safe to go and explore. The door slid to the side smoothly when I pushed on it. The barn looked almost new and smelled of fresh hay and animals.
I stepped inside and looked around. I could make out a donkey in one of the stables and decided to start my investigation there. He stuck his nose out when he saw me coming and searched my body for food. I giggled at his intrusion and looked around for something to give him.
There was a bag of carrots leaning against the next stall, and I went and got him a few. Judging by his reaction, I just made a friend for life. The next stall was empty, the one after that held a goat with her baby. They were just as friendly as the donkey, and I bent down to pat them. The baby goat started chewing my sleeve and pulled me down farther, pushing my chest against the door.
When it became clear that a little goat was a lot stronger than me and wouldn’t let go anytime soon, I slid out of my sweatshirt and left it with her. She seemed happy with her prize, carrying it around
