The Red Thread

Chapter 52

Mason's voice is rough, strained from whatever he’s been through. "Belle suits you better than Blue," he mutters, a weak attempt to get under my skin. The sound of his voice makes my jaw tighten, but I keep my expression neutral for Addy’s sake. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

I glance at Addy, watching how she reacts to Mason's words. Her grip on my hand tightens slightly, but her expression doesn't waver. She's calm, collected, even if I can sense the tension radiating from her.

I lean in close to her, just loud enough for her to hear. "Don’t listen to him," I whisper, squeezing her hand gently. "He doesn’t get to define you." I shoot Mason a glare, silently daring him to try anything else. He’s already crossed too many lines, and I'm not about to let him cross any more.

I give Addy a quick glance, making sure she's okay. Her eyes are on Mason, a mix of anger and fear in them. It's taking everything in me not to lose it, but I know she needs me to stay calm. "You alright?" I whisper to her, leaning in so she can hear me over the tense silence in the room.

Christian doesn't even hesitate. "Shut up, Mason," he snaps, his voice low but full of venom.Liam, who's been standing off to the side, mutters, "I think he deserves a few more broken limbs," loud enough for all of us to hear. The edge in his voice is razor-sharp, and his eyes are locked on Mason like he's deciding where to strike next.

Mason's smirk creeps across his face, the kind that makes you want to wipe it off with a solid punch. "Been a long time, hasn't it, Addy?" he says, his voice oozing with that same smugness.I step a little closer to her, feeling the tension in her shoulders. She's got her brave face on, but I can tell she's fighting back a lot of emotions right now.

My fist clenches as I hear his words, but I don't want to make this worse for her. This guy has no right to act like he's got some kind of history with her. It's sickening. Liam and Christian are on edge too, their eyes narrowed as they watch Mason. It's like everyone's waiting for him to make one wrong move so they can shut him up for good.

Mason's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. He leans forward just a bit, his eyes locked on Addy. "I can see it, you know," he says, that smug smile never leaving his lips. "Sweat behind your ears. That only happens when you're scared, right?" Ugh, this guy. I can't stand the way he's trying to play mind games with her. It's like he's got no sense of boundaries or respect.

Christian steps forward, grabbing a rod from the corner, while Liam picks up a screwdriver, the metal catching the light. But before they can do anything, Addy lets go of my hand, walking forward with this confidence I haven't seen in a while.

"Whoa, hold on!" I try to grab her arm, but she shakes her head. There's this look in her eyes that stops me. She walks with purpose, like she's in total control of the room, and Mason's smug grin fades the second she steps closer.

"Stop," she says, her voice steady and strong. "You're not in control here, Mason. You're not the one who gets to decide how this goes."He opens his mouth, but she cuts him off with just a look. The guy's always been a talker, always thought he could talk his way out of anything. But now? He's speechless, and it's a  thing to see.

"You don't get to scare me anymore," Addy continues, her voice as cold as ice. "You don't get to play your games. I'm not the same person I was when you knew me, and you're not the same man you think you are."

Christian and Liam are nodding, like they're feeling the same energy I am. This is Addy taking back her power, and it's one of the most badass things I've ever seen. I can't help but smile, because I know Mason's never going to forget this moment. This is her show now.

Addy looks him in the eye and says, "You broke me, Mason, but I came out stronger." Then, she lifts her leg and kicks him right in the face with her heel, drawing even more blood from his already messed-up nose. Mason stumbles back, caught off guard by the force and by her complete audacity.She doesn't even flinch. Instead, she yanks off the heel she just used to strike him and throws it on the ground, calling it "filthy."

Addy points to me and declares, "I love him, Mason. He's the best man I could ever get." There's a fierce pride in her voice. "And he won't even let a fly hurt me. So you shouldn't even dare to think about me from this moment on."

She turns around and walks back toward me. She's got this confident sway in her step. When she reaches me, she grabs my collar and pulls me into a deep, intense kiss. It's the kind of kiss that leaves no doubt who's in charge here and who she's with. I see Mason in my peripheral vision, watching with a clenched jaw and anger blazing in his eyes.

Without even needing to coordinate, we all bowed down to her, dropping our heads in a gesture of absolute deference. It was like acknowledging that she was the boss, the one who called the shots.

As we did this, I heard Liam’s phone ping. He’d mentioned he was on a video call with Lily, his girlfriend, and he’d wanted to show her this whole scene. And apparently, Lily was watching the whole thing unfold. Her voice came through the speaker, loud and clear, "Holy crap, Addy! You are a total badass!"

I took a step forward, scooped her up in my arms, and held her close. "Can't have my queen walking barefoot in a place like this," I said, giving her a quick smile. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her eyes still alight with the fire from earlier.

Addy leaned into me as I carried her, her grip tightening just a bit. Maybe it was the adrenaline coming down, or maybe she was just glad to be in my arms, but I felt a sense of calm settle over us.

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "I've got you." Because I did. And I always would.