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Chapter 2
"You!" Mason hissed.
Julia nodded guiltily. "I tried--"
"You said you needed to see Dr Merrick," he reminded her. "You said it was not advisable for you to travel;
you're pregnant!"
"I am; there is no need to shout so loud," she glared. "Let's get upstairs, I've taken a room. You'll have plenty of
opportunity to yell at me there."
"I'm not yelling, Julia," he said in a lower voice. "I'm just stunned. I put off all of my own cases, quite urgent, and
Matt, all because you're pregnant--"
"I was told the client insisted on consulting me and no one else," Julia explained. "He made it quite clear he'd
tear up the contract if I did not show up. He threatened Smith, and Smith told me the firm--"
"The firm," Mason repeated angrily. "What about our baby?"
Julia pulled his hand. "Mason," she pleaded. "Let's get upstairs."
"Where's your suitcase?" he grumbled, took her bag and followed her.
*
The room was not too big, with one broader bed and a couch. Mason threw the bags down.
"So?" he said.
"So," Julia inhaled. "I left you messages - at home, and at the airport, and--"
"I took the Capwell jet."
"Ohhh I am sorry," she said sarcastically.
"Okay. Well, so the first thing tomorrow--"
Julia hid her eyes. "We're going home."
"What?"
"The client cannot meet us tomorrow. He postponed the meeting."
Mason stared at her and burst out laughing. "Well, if this is not ironic I don't know what is," he said.
"I'm glad you see it this way." She unclasped her bag. "A nightcup, maybe?"
"Oh." He took the tiny bottle out of her hands.
"They gave them out in the business class."
"The business class. Didn't know you were such a spendthrift, Counsellor."
Julia laughed. "Of course, taking a private jet is much thriftier?"
Mason laughed with her, fixing himself a drink.
"How did CC let you take it?" Julia wondered. "I thought he hasn't been too happy with you since you took
Pamela's side."
Mason sighed. "I did not ask him. It's not necessary. I'm a Capwell, and I give orders. It's simple. Much simpler
than what is going on with me and dad, and Pamela, too."
He sat down on the couch. "I'm sorry," Julia said. She sat next to him and put her hand on his sleeve: he
looked just too weary and unhappy.
"It's ok," he said and sipped his drink. "It's a long story, and as old as hills, Julia. At least now I have something
to cling to when I am being tossed around. But, for some reason," he paused. "For some reason sometimes it
feels as painful as it was when I was five, or seven."
Julia nodded, tears in her eyes.
"Parents," Mason said with deep emotion she'd not dare define. There was hurt, and disgust, disappointment
and love, maybe more. "Everyone must have a loving mother and a father who'd be proud of you. You need
them so much, and well, it's hard to realize none of them cares for you, and whatever they do is dictated by the
wish to hurt the other one - and both are using ME as a weapon."
"No," Julia said shaking her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and without realizing it she put her
hand on her belly.
Mason turned to see that. He smiled at her trying to shake off his mood. "Yes, Julia," he argued. "But - it
shouldn't bother you. I'll never, ever be like this - or do the same to Matt and - our baby."
The hard, cold look in his eyes had disappeared, and instead he gave Julia the kind of smile that always made
her catch her breath: kindly, warm and full of love; the love so very few people knew Mason to be capable of.
"May I?" he said reaching out. She nodded, and Mason placed his hand over hers on her belly. "I promise."
"You!" Mason hissed.
Julia nodded guiltily. "I tried--"
"You said you needed to see Dr Merrick," he reminded her. "You said it was not advisable for you to travel;
you're pregnant!"
"I am; there is no need to shout so loud," she glared. "Let's get upstairs, I've taken a room. You'll have plenty of
opportunity to yell at me there."
"I'm not yelling, Julia," he said in a lower voice. "I'm just stunned. I put off all of my own cases, quite urgent, and
Matt, all because you're pregnant--"
"I was told the client insisted on consulting me and no one else," Julia explained. "He made it quite clear he'd
tear up the contract if I did not show up. He threatened Smith, and Smith told me the firm--"
"The firm," Mason repeated angrily. "What about our baby?"
Julia pulled his hand. "Mason," she pleaded. "Let's get upstairs."
"Where's your suitcase?" he grumbled, took her bag and followed her.
*
The room was not too big, with one broader bed and a couch. Mason threw the bags down.
"So?" he said.
"So," Julia inhaled. "I left you messages - at home, and at the airport, and--"
"I took the Capwell jet."
"Ohhh I am sorry," she said sarcastically.
"Okay. Well, so the first thing tomorrow--"
Julia hid her eyes. "We're going home."
"What?"
"The client cannot meet us tomorrow. He postponed the meeting."
Mason stared at her and burst out laughing. "Well, if this is not ironic I don't know what is," he said.
"I'm glad you see it this way." She unclasped her bag. "A nightcup, maybe?"
"Oh." He took the tiny bottle out of her hands.
"They gave them out in the business class."
"The business class. Didn't know you were such a spendthrift, Counsellor."
Julia laughed. "Of course, taking a private jet is much thriftier?"
Mason laughed with her, fixing himself a drink.
"How did CC let you take it?" Julia wondered. "I thought he hasn't been too happy with you since you took
Pamela's side."
Mason sighed. "I did not ask him. It's not necessary. I'm a Capwell, and I give orders. It's simple. Much simpler
than what is going on with me and dad, and Pamela, too."
He sat down on the couch. "I'm sorry," Julia said. She sat next to him and put her hand on his sleeve: he
looked just too weary and unhappy.
"It's ok," he said and sipped his drink. "It's a long story, and as old as hills, Julia. At least now I have something
to cling to when I am being tossed around. But, for some reason," he paused. "For some reason sometimes it
feels as painful as it was when I was five, or seven."
Julia nodded, tears in her eyes.
"Parents," Mason said with deep emotion she'd not dare define. There was hurt, and disgust, disappointment
and love, maybe more. "Everyone must have a loving mother and a father who'd be proud of you. You need
them so much, and well, it's hard to realize none of them cares for you, and whatever they do is dictated by the
wish to hurt the other one - and both are using ME as a weapon."
"No," Julia said shaking her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and without realizing it she put her
hand on her belly.
Mason turned to see that. He smiled at her trying to shake off his mood. "Yes, Julia," he argued. "But - it
shouldn't bother you. I'll never, ever be like this - or do the same to Matt and - our baby."
The hard, cold look in his eyes had disappeared, and instead he gave Julia the kind of smile that always made
her catch her breath: kindly, warm and full of love; the love so very few people knew Mason to be capable of.
"May I?" he said reaching out. She nodded, and Mason placed his hand over hers on her belly. "I promise."