Carrington (Wattpad version)

Have you lost your damn mind?

Joseph and I looked at Charles.

"What did you do?" Joseph asked Charles.

"Maggie caught Charles fucking another female employee in a room at the casino hotel," Mason answered, outing Charles.

Christine, Joseph, and I looked at Charles, shocked. Charles said nothing.

"I won't allow you to carry on with a married woman," Mason told me.

"We're friends," I replied defensively.

"You're not friends, and this doesn't stay friends. Your so-called friendship will lead to more, and it stops now," Mason ordered.

I stood up, furious.

"You can't tell me what to do, Mason! I'm not fifteen!" I snapped.

Mason stood up. "Like hell, I can't! I can, and I will! You might be an adult, but this is bad news, and you know it! Use your brain!" Mason barked.

"Because our family reputation is more significant than how I feel!" I yelled as it became heated between Mason and me.

"Carri," Charles interrupted. I looked at him. "Gloria is married to Maurice Frazier," Charles informed me.

"What?" I asked.

"What?" Someone else asked.

We turned to see Kate standing there, stunned.

"What are you doing here?" Mason asked Kate.

"I called her," Joseph answered as we looked at him. "I thought we needed a mediator." Joseph shrugged as I rolled my eyes.

Kate walked in and looked at us.

"I see you all were busy. You with your stupidity," Kate said, pointing at Charles, who sighed. "You with your shady business dealings," she said to Mason, who looked at her annoyed. "You with your snitching," Kate told Christine, who diverted her eyes. "And you with your lack of judgment and hiding Carri's secret," she said Joseph, who cringed.

I stood there. Kate walked over to me.

"And you who know better, that married people are off-limits even as friends. Carri, what are you doing?" Kate asked.

"Kate, Gloria is sweet and has no one. We talk and laugh," I replied.

"And she's married to someone whose family you can't stand. Do you think Frazier will understand your friendship with Gloria? They will shoot you like a dog and not think twice about it. I see everyone's point, but I agree with Mason," Kate reasoned.

I looked at her. Kate wasn't unreasonable, but I hated giving up my friendship with Gloria.

"That's it? I don't believe this!" Christine yelled.

"You put a sock in it! No one likes snitches, and why would you rat your brother out?" Kate asked Christine.

"Because what Carri is doing is wrong," Christine said.

"But that's none of your concern," Kate told Christine as Kate walked over to her. "We're family, and we protect our own. We don't rat them out. One day you will have a child and will protect that child as we protect all of you."

Christine frowned at her as Kate looked at her unamused.

"Never bite the hand that feeds you, Christine. One day, you will need help, and God helps you if anyone turns their back on you," Kate warned Christine.

What my sister failed to realize is that while she snitched me out, she would need me later on, when she found herself in a situation of her own. It would change everything between us.

I stood there, irritated. I hated the Frazier's, but I cared about Gloria and fell in love with her. I didn't want to turn my back on her.

"Don't I have a say in my life?" I asked everyone. My siblings looked at me. "I meet someone interesting, sweet, fun, and has no one, and you come here ordering me to stop seeing her. I'm not Charles."

Charles furrowed his brows and looked at me with annoyance. I walked over to Charles.

"Maggie is a good person, and you're lucky she's allowing you to stay. You might be older, but you're an idiot," I told Charles.

"Carri, be careful. Your mouth will get you in a lot of trouble," Charles warned.

"Big brother, I learned a long time ago, that you beat me to the punch," I retorted as Charles glared at me.

"Enough Carri," Mason ordered. He walked towards me and looked me in the face. "You may think this is about the family reputation, but it goes deeper than that. A scandal can destroy you in a heartbeat. People will use your faults against you, and no one will trust you. It isn't about the family. What if you pursue this relationship, and it doesn't work out? Do you think a woman will tolerate a man who cheated with a married woman?" Mason asked.

I looked at everyone. My siblings weren't unreasonable, but my heart was leading me in a different direction. We can't help who we fall for in our lives. It happens good or bad.

"Fine," I said as they looked at me. I walked past my siblings and went upstairs.

The problem was that even though I agreed with my siblings reluctantly, my heart refused to listen. It would lead me to a situation, proving Mason correct, but result in a greater love I never imagined.

Sometimes love isn't romantic; it's a different move that shows us what's important.