Sliding into his seat, Mason takes a deep breath as if preparing himself to deliver bad news, " Come home for the holidays. That is my price for some of the information. It would make Enid very happy, and with a bit of luck hate me a little less," He says almost wistfully. And I have to wonder if I can figure this shot on own, because, me and Ava under the same roof, is a big no-no.
" You seem to be forgetting one minor detail. I'd be living with your fiancée for a month and that is something I'm not willing to put myself through," He chuckles and leans back in his chair, giving me a once over, as if assessing me.
" Ava doesn't live in Northenhay. She only stopped by today," He says quietly and clears his throat. Nope.
" I'd love nothing more than to make Enid happy. Even put up with you, but two of you," I roll my eyes," I don't think so. I know Ava, and she will hound me to the ends of the earth the moment she knows that I'm there," I sigh, and take another sip of my tea. Strangely, we haven't shouted at each other in the past five minutes and we are having a conversation where he doesn't purposely irk me.
" Let me worry about that, I'll deal with Ava," That makes me laugh. I'm imagining Mason chaperone my and Ava's interactions because I'm pretty sure she will go for my jugular. She may be small but she is vicious.
" Absolutely not," I shake my head to emphasise my point and focus on my cup of tea for a moment.
" Alright. How about coming with me to Varan for the week," That makes me laugh even harder. He must be joking. I look up at him, and I realise he is being dead serious.
" Might as well start planning your funeral because if Ava finds out that we went together on a little getaway, she will kill you without the slightest remorse," The girl has been after him for years now, and to see her chances being snuffed out, she will probably go insane.
Mason sighs, " Not if she doesn't know," He must be fucking crazy.
" I'm not going anywhere with you as long as you are engaged to Ava," Hopefully that will clear up any sort of confusion. After all, he'd kissed me when she showed up at Graham's house, so there is still something there, but I will not be the other woman in this picture.
I still have dignity and self-respect, and I don't want to put myself through all that angst, and desperation.
That is a soul-withering experience that I don't want to live through.