Author's Note: Wifi is a wonderful, wonderful thing isn't it? I'm particularly fond of it. :) anyway after that little bit of happiness at being able to post with all the freedom of the world I'd just like to say yes Ian is a bit of a jackass, but whatever. He isn't going to be a starring character. I don't think Theo or Brittany will either.
Hope you guys enjoy this chapter it gets pretty intense.
xoxo, Rosie
- -
. . .
[Emma]
Real feelings
Don't just
Go away
- Unknown
[Mason]
People cry, not because they're weak. It's because they've been strong for too long.
- Johnny Depp
. . .
- -
Happy Birthday
Mason's POV
I sit up in bed, my body hot and sweaty, my sheets tangled up around me. I know I've had a nightmare, but I can't remember it now. I lean over and look at my clock 7:03.
I stand up and push my hair out of my face before going into my bathroom and climbing into the shower. As I turn on the faucet and the water drenches me head to foot it dawns on me. I, Mason Styles, am officially an adult.
Emma's POV
My eyes fly open and I stare at the ceiling above my head. My hands find my stomach, spread flat across it, just resting there. Then I turn my head and look at the digital clock on my bed side table.
7:03 it reads. I close my eyes again. Mason is now officially eighteen years old.
Sighing, I sit up and slide my feet to the ground. Maybe it's the hormones - that seem to be going crazy in me since pregnancy - that propel me to my dresser. I pull on jeans and a loose purple top that I picked out specifically to fit me even when I will look like I have a beach ball shoved under my shirt.
Then I pull on some boots, grab my keys, and head outside.
Mason's POV
I throw on clothes and then go barefoot downstairs. My father is moving around on the floor above, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet.
Making my way into the kitchen I hear the clink of our mail slot closing. I pick the letters off the floor because I know how dad hates when stuff is just left laying around.
Sorting through the mail there are two bills, a credit card, three pieces of junk mail and one letter addressed to me.
I squint at the messy handwriting that seems oddly familiar to me. "What the hell?" I whisper as it all comes together.
Jennifer York. The handwriting.
"What are you doing?" I hear behind me. I spin around to face my father in the doorway.
"Checking the mail," I say. His face is dangerously calm. "I think... I think I got a letter from mom."
Emma's POV
I find myself in the nearest DQ. "Two chocolate shakes and a large fry," I order. The acne spotted girl behind the counter gives me a strange look as if to say "it's only 7 a.m."
"I'm pregnant alright?" I snap and her eyes grow wide. I see them dart to my stomach and then back up to my face.
Finally I'm paid for and I take my order to go. As soon as it's sent out I march out the door. It'll be a bit of a walk back to Mason's house, so I slip a fry out of the bag and eat it. Thank god the little fetus is smart enough not to reject junk food.
Mason's POV
His expression says it all. "This isn't the first time she's sent me mail is it?" I ask. "Is it?" His lips tighten. "I swear to god if you've been keeping-"
"How dare you threaten me boy?" he snaps, stepping closer. I stand my ground. "I raised you. That woman ran out on the both of us," he shouts.
"Because you beat her. You beat me!" I shout back.
He raises his hand and punches me across the face. I stumble back, my spine colliding with the doorknob. "I'm an adult now I can leave whenever I want," I spit.
My father growls, literally growls and punches me in the face again. I slide down to the kitchen floor tasting blood in my mouth. He grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pulls me back up. "You weak little dickhead," he says, his lips spurting saliva into my face. "How dare you disrespect me?"
He punches me in the gut and I double over in pain. I see him pulling back for another swing and I bring my knee up, connecting with his balls. He gasps, falling against the counter and I limp from the kitchen into the living room.
His footsteps follow after me too soon as I look for some place to go. My dad's strong arms wrap around my neck and drag me backwards before slamming me against the wall. I choke and cough, rubbing my sore throat.
"You worthless piece of shit," he swears at me, kneeing me in the balls. I start to fall over again, but his fingers find my hair and he pulls me back upright before slamming me in the ribs.
I hear a sharp crack and I scream. The noise echoes through the house, but he doesn't stop. He let's go of my hair and let's me fall to the rug.
Suddenly he pulls back his foot and kicks me in the gut. I cough and wheeze, not taking in air properly. He kicks me in the gut again and when I choke I see flecks of blood spotting the carpet.
He's not going to stop. Before he has always stopped. But now I know what crazy really is. He pauses for second and I take advantage of it, trying to crawl away. He catches me easily, his foot slamming down on the back of my knee. The pain is excruciating and I scream again. My head connects with the base of our coffee table and I feel the warm rush of blood.
"Stop," I choke out. His foot grinds harder against my knee and I gasp because my voice won't allow me to scream any longer.
My arm reaches back as I try to push him from me, but he just grabs ahold of me, and kicks at my bone. I can feel the snap and I roll over, pain everywhere.
"Please-" I whisper.
Emma's POV
I get to Mason's house and stare up at it. He'll probably be sleeping because I very much doubt he and his father have something planned for today.
I decide to let myself in, grabbing the spare key from above the door to the kitchen. Suddenly I hear a noise, ear splitting and horrible. And most certainly human, Mason.
"Mason!" I shout. "Mason are you okay?"
Panic rises inside of me and I try to shove the key in the lock, but my fingers are trembling so terribly that I drop it to the ground. "Please be okay, please be okay," I chant under my breath. I grab them up and then try again, pushing it into the hole and twisting the door knob.
The door gives way and I step inside the kitchen. There are several spice jars knocked to the floor and I immediately hear sounds of struggle.
Please Mason, please be okay, I pray. I open up the cabinet that I know contains pots and pans as quickly as I can. "You little fucker," I hear and then something that sounds like a strangled cry. Another crash sounds. I grab a pan and run through the dining room. Mason's face is pressed against an array of shelves that used to be covered in glass, but it's now broken. His father has his arms wrapped around is neck. I slip behind him, bile rising in my throat.
"Hey!" I shout and he lets go of Mason seconds before I smack him over the head with the frying pan.
The large man falls to the ground seconds before Mason does. His legs buckling beneath him. "Mason!" I scream. I kneel down beside him, inspecting the injuries. His eyes are closed, unconscious. He's got a gash on his forehead and several cuts on his face. The bone of his forearm is practically protruding from his skin. His shirt is ripped open to reveal his purple and blue bruised torso. His leg is bleeding insanely bad.
I jump up and grab his phone from the kitchen dialing 911.
"911 what's your emergency?" A woman's voice asks in my ear.
"My boyfriend's father attacked him and he's very injured!" I say through the line.
"Okay we're tracking your location. Is his father still attacking?"
"No I knocked him out," I say.
"Alright, we have your location. Try to put pressure on any place of major blood loss. We'll be there in two minutes."
"Okay," I say and hang up. I grab any towels I can find and press them to his leg and arm and forehead.
"Mason please stay with me," I beg. As if in response, his eyelids flutter open.
Mason's POV
My vision is all cloudy when I open my eyes. Then I hear beeping. And voices. No just one voice. "Mason. Mason can you hear me?"
I look up into her face, "Emma," I whisper. My voice is much too hoarse.
"Yes, I'm here Mason," she says. "I'm here, don't worry."
I feel strangely numb and I know that I'm lying down someplace, covered in itchy fabric.
There's a warm glow surrounding Emma's face like a halo, her blue eyes the only clear thing in my vision. "Please don't leave me," I say, my voice cracking.
"I won't," she says. "I promise I will never leave you Mason."
A/N pretty crazy eh? I've been planning out when this would happen for ages. In the next chapter we'll find out what's going to happen to Mason now that the police know he has an abusive father and as an adult. And will Emson ever return again? Only I know, so you'll just have to keep reading to find out ;) bye for now!