My Boyfriend Took My Best Friend Home for Thanksgiving Chapter 09

My Boyfriend Took My Best Friend Home for Thanksgiving Chapter 09

Tessa stood there in stunned silence.

Shock gave way to anger, then despair, until her face finally twisted with hysteria.

With a scream, she grabbed the ceramic teapot off the table and hurled it to the floor. Porcelain shattered, splashing tea everywhere.

“You’re all ganging up on me! Mason Carter, you heartless bastard! And you-”

She pointed at me, her voice turning shrill.

“Hannah Pierce, you’re a bitch! You have to take everything from me! First the scholarship,

then the job opportunity, and now you’re taking Mason too!”

Before she could finish, Adrian had already signaled for security.

Two large uniformed security guards took Tessa by the arms and dragged her out.

She fought them the entire way, sobbing and screaming until her voice finally faded into the

distance.

The café fell silent.

Mrs. Carter remained where she was, her shoulders slightly hunched.

After a moment, she slowly walked over to me and lowered her head.

“Hannah… what I said to you that day was inexcusable, I’m sorry.”

I looked at the gray at her temples and the slight tremble in her shoulders, unsure what I felt.

I shook my head.

“Mrs. Carter, you said those things because someone made you believe a lie. I don’t blame

you.”

Her eyes reddened, and she wiped at the corner of one eye.

She looked at Mason, then at me.

In the end, she said nothing else and quietly walked away.

Mason was still standing there.

His right leg seemed to be hurting even worse now. He had almost all his weight on his left leg, and his body shook slightly from the strain.

He looked at me, utterly broken.

“Hannah,” he said, his voice so hoarse I could barely hear it. “Can we talk again? Please?”

I set down my cup and slowly stood.

I walked over to him and looked at the regret and pain written all over his face.

And suddenly, I realized none of it hurt anymore.

“Mason,” I said softly, “thank you for the last seven years.

“But there’s only so much patience and love a person has to give. Once you use it all up, there’s nothing left.”

He reached for my hand.

I stepped aside before he could touch me.

“Whatever happens in your life from now on whether it’s with Tessa or anyone else has nothing to do with me.”

Mason’s injured leg finally gave out.

He dropped to one knee on the café floor.

He looked up at me as tears rolled down his face. His lips trembled, but he couldn’t say a word.

I looked at him one last time, then smiled at Adrian.

“Let’s go. I think we’re done here.”

Adrian nodded, took my bag from me, and walked downstairs beside me.

On the way home, the crisp Thanksgiving-night air felt cool against my

face.

I looked up at the moon and smiled.

My phone buzzed.

It was a message from Adrian.

Adrian: [Free tomorrow? I know a Cajun seafood place that does amazing spicy catfish.]

I smiled.

Me: [Sure.]

Behind us, the lights at Willow & Finch Café were still glowing..

Someone knelt among the shattered porcelain.

Someone waited by the door, phone in hand.

Someone had crossed an entire city chasing after a person who had already moved on.

But I had no desire to look back.

Our seven-year journey ended here.

Ahead of me, the world was wide open beneath the moonlight.