Don't run from me (Book 3)

Chapter 13: Kat, wait

Mason Walton

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Mr. Walton."

"No problem Robert, you can start working on that project of yours." I nodded toward his file before taking a sip of my coffee.

"Shouldn't I run it by Mr. Yilmaz first?" He asked unsurely. And who could blame him? Every project had to be approved by him only no matter what my thoughts on the matter were. But that was before he appointed me co-CEO.

"Don't worry about it Robert, if he asks, tell him I approved." Robert was still hesitant but gathered his things and left my office slowly, maybe waiting for me to call him back in and change my mind.

Yesterday when I landed, I went straight to see my sister Helena and told her about everything. She listened as always and offered me a few pieces of advice, one of them being to give Kat some space. It wasn't easy to do. I still hadn't answered her last text and it felt weird not to. I kept remembering the few encounters I had with her and knew it in my heart that we were meant to be together. But I couldn't force her now could I?

I finished my coffee looking down at my phone as it lit up with Celine's name on the screen. With a heavy sigh, I rejected the call for the hundredth time today. I distracted myself with more work and papers to sign before there was a knock on my door and it opened slowly. I looked up from the contract I was reading to find Elise Walton walking in with elegance and serenity. She said nothing at first, just stood there watching me like a hawk. A beautiful hawk. I stood up and joined her leaning down to peck her cheek when she stopped me.

"I'm so mad at you right now!"

I frowned taking a step back "What have I done now?"

"You and your father have your differences but that doesn't concern me! You are to come to visit me at least twice a week! And I'm not kidding Mason!" She walked further into my office and took a seat, "Why should I learn from your sister that you're now co-CEO?"

"Mom... I wa..."

"Don't mom me Mason! I've been wanting this for you for so long, and you don't even call me to inform me of the good news! You don't even call to check on me! What have I done to you, Mason?"

I scratched the back of my neck feeling uncomfortable; she was right about everything she said. I sat across from her and reached out to take her hand in mine, "you did nothing mom. That's exactly what you did. You let him tell me how incompetent I was over and over and said nothing. You saw how little respect he had for me and did nothing. You saw how he looked at me and the way I felt and still... nothing." I rubbed circles on her palm with my thumb "I'm not mad at you. I can never be mad at you. I'm just upset you did not defend me, not once. Not even when he told me I wasn't capable of running the company because I partied too much in front of many colleagues of his."

"Mason..."  She said softly.

"It's okay, mom, I love you, and I always will. And even though dad is putting me through hell I still love him. I owe you both everything. I'm sorry I didn't visit... I just don't feel welcome in that house anymore."

"Don't say that Mason, we both love you so much and want what's best for you. Your dad just... he..." She sighed "He was a playboy as well before we got together. We even pretended to be dating because your grandma wanted to marry him to Ashley Wells." She rolled her eyes "He had his pictures on page six every morning, and sometimes on page one. He just doesn't want you to make the same mistakes."

"And you're defending him." I got on my feet shaking my head "Have you ever seen my face anywhere?" She shook her head "That's because I'm very careful. And I don't always sleep with the girls I meet. I'm not that much of a playboy, it's just a front I put up to hide the pain I've been feeling. Trying to act tough instead of the guy who got his heart as well as his ego shattered into pieces and who sometimes has panic attacks! But none of you ever noticed!" She was staring at me blankly with her lips parted "I haven't seen Katrina since graduation, I've never been close to her, and yet, I spend a few hours with her and she notices things my own family hasn't! How do you want me to feel about that?"