Mason: The Brothers Club (Short Story)

New week, new short story! You can check out last week's right here (Taylor: The Greatest Liar). This week the story comes from Mason's point of view and if it fit a book it would be Turn It Off (Book 3 of the series). We know a little about this scene from A Tragic Heart (Book 1) when Mason confessed something to Peyton but it was never played out. Well, now it is! The story is entitled "The Brothers Club" and I hope you enjoy! It's a tad bit longer than the previous two.

Listen to "Ink" by Coldplay on repeat while reading:

https://soundcloud.com/deepak-pal-4/coldplay-ink-from-ghost-stories-live-2014-128-kbps-audio-only

Mason: The Brothers Club

             

            The doorbell rang for a second time before I decided to hop off the couch and answer it. My mom and dad are gone and Peyton is God knows where. Ever since he and Adalyn broke up, he’s been going down that slippery slope again. I’m a little afraid for him to be honest. 

            “I’m coming!” I yell towards the door as I make it down the hallway. 

            I open it to see Adalyn standing in front of me. Obviously, she’s here for Peyton. Lately, all these two do is yell at each other and then make up. I never thought it would be like that for them. She’s so good for him and they were happy for about a year straight. I thought she would be the girl to set him straight and keep him that way. I guess it’s true, we can’t change people. All I know is, he’s a fool! Adalyn is the closest thing to perfection we’ll get in this world. As she stands in front of me, she looks like a model who was snatched right out of a Maxim magazine cover. 

            “Oh hey, Adalyn! What’s going on?” I ask standing in the doorway.

            “Hey, Mason, is Peyton home?” she asks looking past me and into the house.

            She slowly moves her blonde hair away from her face. I never realized how bright her eyes are…they’re the perfect honey brown. 

            “Uh, no, he’s not. He left not too long ago. I have no idea where he went and how long he’ll be.”

            “Oh,” she replies in a disappointed tone. “I just wanted to talk to him about what happened the other night.”

            “You mean, about you two breaking up?” I ask raising one eyebrow. 

            She bites her bottom lip pretty hard before responding. “Uh, yeah. Of course he told you,” she says nonchalantly. “He tells you everything.”

            “Well, you’re welcomed to come in and wait for him if you’d like. He may be back in a little while,” I proposed. 

            She looked around for a few seconds before answering. “Okay, it’s not like I have anything better to do anyway.”

            I move to the side to let her in and she moves past me swiftly. She stops in the family room and turns to me. 

            “The Breakfast Club?!” she says with a wide smile. “That’s what you’re watching?!”

            “Uh, yeah…” I reply a little embarrassed. “There was nothing else on and-“

            “That’s awesome! This is my favorite movie!”

            She sits in the very same spot I was in just before I answered the door. Looks like I’m stuck watching The Breakfast Club with Adalyn. I admit I’m a fan of the movie too. I’m sure there was more to choose from but what can I say? I like a good 80’s movie. 

            The time speeds by and the end of the movie comes faster than I remember; yet there’s still no sign of Peyton. In a way, I enjoy him not being here. Spending time with Adalyn isn’t so bad. It’s actually a first for me. Every time she’s around Peyton’s with her. I never got a chance to get to know her. 

            “Hey, uh, so you want a beer or something while you wait for Peyton or do you have to go?” I ask a little more nervously than I should have.

            “A beer sounds not so bad right about now. Like I said, I have nothing to do,” she answers with a smirk. 

            I quickly head to the kitchen and take two of my dad’s beers out of the refrigerator. I come back and hand it to her. 

            “Thanks,” she says as she takes it from my hand. “You know, it’s a pretty nice night. Want to go out back and hang for a while?”

            “Sure! That sounds cool.”

            I lead the way and she follows along. Before I know it we’re both drinking and talking. She tells me about why she decided to break up with Peyton and how she’s honestly just worried about him and his state of mind. 

            “Has he seemed really off lately? Should I be worried?” she asks as if she truly cares about him. I can see how much she loves him. He started off as her best friend and bandmate and then became so much more. Peyton was her first for everything. 

            “He’s…” I pause for a few seconds. “He’s been drinking…a lot.”

            “Oh God!” she says as her eyes widen. “Has he-“

            “No, I don’t think so,” I answer before she can even ask the question. She’s worried he started using the hard stuff again. Peyton just got out of rehab last summer and we’re all a little afraid he’ll end up much worse if he goes back down that route again. 

            “Just keep an eye on him. I know he probably won’t let me get that close to him for a while,” she says moving her curly blonde hair behind her ear. 

            Just as she finishes her sentence, the sprinklers pop up and starts to spray us both. It’s unexpected and hilarious. We both squirm and fight to not get wet but it’s useless; we’re drenched by the time we make it back into the house. 

            We’re laughing as I close the back door. Her hair is sticking to her face and I slick mine back.

            “Well, uh, you can’t go home like that. Come upstairs and let me give you a shirt at least,” I say with a smile.

            She follows me up the stairs and into my room. I pick out something that I know wouldn’t look too big on her. 

            “Thank you,” she says as I hand it to her. 

            I walk out the room only to double back when I realize I probably should have offered her a pair of my basketball shorts to go with it. I open the door without knocking only to see her in her bra.

            “Oh, uh, I’m really sorry, I uh-“I begin to say.

            She laughs a little and tells me it’s okay. “I’m in a bra, not naked,” she laughs.

            “O-kay,” I say awkwardly. “Uh, well since you don’t mind I was just coming in to offer you a pair of shorts.”

            “Sure Mason, a pair of shorts would be great,” she says still in her laced pink bra.

            I stare at her longer than I should. She starts to unbutton her pants but I don’t even think to leave.

“This is the part where you should probably walk out,” she jokes, “unless you don’t want to…” 

I know it was meant as a joke but some part of me took it as a proposition. 

“What if I don’t want to?” I ask not taking my eyes off of her. 

Her face turns serious and we both stand there staring at each other. I make the first move and walk closer. She doesn’t move so I get as close as I can. I touch her wet hair and she looks up at me.

“Mason…” she says softly while looking into my eyes.

“I know…this is wrong but…” I can’t even finish my sentence. 

I move my face towards hers and kiss her lightly. She kisses me back letting me know she was one hundred percent with it. I place one hand on the side of her face and she continues to kiss me. She places her hand over mine and kisses me harder. 

Peyton’s like my brother so everything about this is wrong but I can’t stop myself. Adalyn’s too beautiful not to touch. I pull back from the kiss to take off my shirt. She looks at me and sits on my bed; her jeans already unbuttoned. Is this really going to happen? She’s no longer with Peyton but that doesn’t make it okay. He’s still in love with her and she’s in love with him. He’s the only guy she’s ever been with in that way; but most of all, he’s my cousin. 

None of these thoughts stop me. I go for it and before I know it, Adalyn and I are fully at it. For me it’s mostly lust, for her…well I can’t say. She’s a great girl and I think I could really like her if it ever came to it but more than likely that’s not going to happen. It was just the heat of the moment. 

When we finish she scrambles to find her clothes. Wet or not, she was in a hurry to go and I’m sure the last thing she wanted to wear was something that reminds her of me and what just happened. 

“I won’t tell Peyton,” I say after we’re fully dressed. “He doesn’t have to know.”

“I think that’s best,” she says barely looking at me. 

“I’ll let him know you stopped by,” I say before she walks out my room. 

“Yeah, thanks,” she replies as she hurries out. 

Well, so much for being one half of the brothers club…

Find out more about Mason and Adalyn in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason and Adalyn appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon)

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Taylor: The Greatest Liar (Short Story)

Last week I posted my first short story based on the characters from my book series (RED Tragedies Series or A Tragic Heart Series, whatever you want to call it) and here I am this week with a new one. You can view the one from last week here (Peyton: The One) before reading this one if you want. As I stated in my initial post about the short stories they will be posted in no particular order and can fit any book.

This week the story comes from Taylor's point of view and if it belonged to a book it would belong to A Tragic Heart (Book 1 of the series). It's entitled "The Greatest Liar" and would fit perfectly with the triangle that happens between Taylor, Mason, and Peyton. Enjoy!

Listen to "The Greatest Bastard" by Damien Rice while reading:

https://soundcloud.com/damienrice/the-greatest-bastard

Taylor: The Greatest Liar

            Sometimes I wonder if we’re really in control of our decisions or if fate forces us to do what we do. Either way we have to pay the consequences. I guess life is unfair that way. I let one single tear fall before opening the door to our apartment. This used to be the only place that put a smile on my face after a hard day and now I can’t even call it my safe haven. It’s been built upon lies.

            I fake a smile towards the once “love of my life”. He really did keep his promise about trying to be a better man for me even after the infidelity and the whole getting another girl pregnant thing. The problem is that I just couldn’t forgive him as easily as I thought I could. It hurts all the time, just the same.

            He smiles back at me and pulls me into a hug as he kisses me softly on the cheek. He was lying across the couch watching a game he probably didn’t even care about. It was just something to pass the time until I came home.

            I told him I had something to take care of with Jackson since he came back to town. I told him he only had a week here and I wanted to spend time with my brother. It was a lie…all of it. Jackson is really in town but I wasn’t spending time with him…I was with Peyton. Mason knows Peyton and I are best friends but he would even find it weird that I chose to spend the entire night with him on a day we had a date planned. Truth is I would rather spend my time with Peyton at his place than go out into the real world with Mason. The biggest problem about that is Mason’s my husband and Peyton’s his closest cousin. Guilt consumes me once more.

            “How’s my love?” Mason asks with a grin. He’s been extraordinarily welcoming lately.

            “I’m good,” I lie.

            “I was thinking since you canceled our date maybe we could pull an all-nighter and watch a few movies over junk food. I bought your favorite cheesecake from your favorite bakery.”

            He flashes me his puppy dog eyes and I can’t decline that. He’s really trying. He’s really sorry. I wish I could say the same about myself. 

            “I’d love that, Mason,” I reply in a soft voice. “Just let me take a quick shower first.”

            I walk past him hoping he doesn’t ask why I need a shower. Honestly, I feel dirty after spending the night loving Peyton just to come home and fake it with his cousin. Mason and I had a good run but it’s over…I just can’t fully let him go. I’m doing to him what he did to me first but I think I’m the greatest liar in this situation. 

            Eventually I’m going to tell him; I’m just trying to figure out how and when. This is going to crush him more than it crushed me. At least Lauren wasn’t a friend or a family member. Peyton is practically his brother. They were raised together and even grew up in the same household. They took on the world together since forever and here I am breaking up one of the greatest bonds that ever existed. The stories of Mason and Peyton are legendary…but this one is going to go down as the most iconic. 

I strip off my clothes and turn on the shower. The moment the warm water hits my face I let the tears fall. How could Mason cheat on me for so long without it affecting him like this? It’s only been about two weeks since Peyton and I started this affair and I feel like I’m already breaking. 

I tried to justify my actions by remembering that I probably was always in love with Peyton from the start and just didn’t realize it. Peyton recently told me he was in love with me from the first time we ever spoke to each other. He saw me around from time to time and always thought I was his type of girl, he just never acted and Mason got there first. I thought Mason was all I ever wanted but once I got to know Peyton, I saw just how wrong I was. It was fate.

That’s exactly what I want to tell Mason when I break him the news. I want to tell him that it was fate that brought Peyton and I together. Our bad decisions weren’t ours at all but it was something in this cosmic universe that conspired to put us together before time even started. We’re soulmates and as foolish as it sounds it must be true because we both felt the attraction the moment we stood in front of each other. Peyton wasn’t just meant to be my best friend…he was always more. I’m his extra rib and Mason…Mason is the pawn that was played to bring us together. Maybe if I explained it this way Mason would understand and wouldn’t be as hurt; but even I know that’s not true.

I turn off the shower water and step out. I wipe off the foggy mirror in the bathroom to take a good look at myself. I still look intact and Mason wouldn’t suspect a thing. I hurry and head straight to our bedroom to get dressed. I throw on one of Mason’s t-shirts and walk back into the living room. He bites his bottom lip as I sit next to him.

“I always liked that shirt on you,” he says coming closer.

“I know, that’s why I wore it,” I reply as I forced him to cuddle with me. 

His skin is always so warm and something about that makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. Part of me wants Mason forever but I know I have to make a choice…or maybe the universe has already done that for me. In the end, I don’t think the choice is really mine at all. I was made for Peyton and Peyton was made for me; but for the time being I’ll just enjoy the movie and cheesecake with Mason.

           

Find out more about Mason and Taylor in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon). Taylor appears in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off and What Could've Been.

Dreaming Alive (A Poem From Mason's POV)-New Scene From RED Included!

As most of you already know, RED will be released on February 14, 2015. I thought it was clever to release it on Valentine's Day since the name of the book is RED and...well...you know! Anyway, along with a new character profile every month, I'll also release a poem that is inspired by a scene or page from RED. I think it's a good way to help readers gain a better understanding of the emotional effects certain scenes have on the character. The first poem is called "Dreaming Alive" and it's from Mason's point of view.

Last night I dreamed of you while I was awake

And I prayed to the Lord my soul He'll take

Just so I can be back with you

Do you know what it's like to dream while alive?

To see the damning images deep inside your mind?

But it was worth it because I was with you 

The sparks in your eyes, they were still there

But the fire spread and you disappeared

I'll burn all over again just for you

My eyes are wide open and my heart has been closed

I can't love another because you're all that I know

And I wouldn't have it any other way because of you

I tasted your mouth and you tasted mine

I think we forgot all about the time

But life always worked that way with you

Last night I dreamed while I was alive

But in reality you were on the other side

What I would give for you!

Because last night that dream brought me alive...

Here is the scene from RED, Dreaming Alive was inspired from. It's a scene where Mason dreams of his lost love Taylor (from A Tragic Heart).

 ***

Every time I try to close my eyes, I see her. I keep trying to think of something new, but she won’t get out of my head. Sixteen years and she still haunts me.

I wake up to the smell of breakfast so I quickly get up and brush my teeth. I practically rush down the stairs before something stops me in my tracks.

“Hey, make sure your dad is up. I know how much he hates having to heat up food,” I hear her voice say from the kitchen.

I’m afraid to walk in and be disappointed. It couldn’t be. Is it all a dream? Did it never happen? For a second I feel relieved but then realize that when I open the kitchen door it wouldn’t be her.

I stand in front of the kitchen door for a while before pushing it open. I close my eyes and say a short prayer before viewing what’s in front of me.

“Never mind!” she calls out. “You’re right on time,” she says with a beautiful smile. The smile that’s been imprinted in my mind since the first day we met.

“The smell woke me up,” I say relieved that she’s standing there in front of me again. “Is this real?” I ask her a little confused.

“Last time I checked,” she sounds just as confused as I feel.

“Don’t ever leave me again,” I say touching her beautiful face.

“I won’t. We were young before, it’s different now. I love you.”

“I love you too. I always have and always will.”

She leans in and kisses me passionately. We almost get carried away but the smoke that fills the air reminds us that she’s cooking.

“SHIT!” I yell opening the kitchen window and turning the fan above the stove on.

She laughs a little and tells me to watch my mouth. I stare at her for a long time before she acknowledges it.

“What? Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she asks never wiping that smile off of her face.

“I just had this terrible dream,” I say unable to take my eyes off of her.

“What was it about?”

“I don’t want to bring it up again, but I dreamed that after Peyton died you fell into this deep depression and…” it’s hard for me to say it even though I know that it never happened, “you asked me to watch Peyton for a while, and you never came back. You left me in the worst way possible. I found you on your apartment floor covered in blood. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

She doesn’t say a word. She just looks at me with glossy eyes as if she’s trying to hold back tears.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to bring it up again,” I say before reaching out to touch her.

She moves away from me and tears fall from her eyes.

“If I knew you loved me this much I would’ve never done it. I regret it every day,” she says through her tears.

I don’t understand.

“I’m confused, what are you talking about?” I ask still trying to move closer to her.

“I would have given you a second chance. You deserved it. I ruined her. I ruined everything! You’re doing such a great job, Mason. It’s not your fault. You’re not the reason why she’s so angry. It’s all my fault! I just wanted to see him again but now I’m stuck!”

She moves back towards the stove and I yell for her to move out of the way. The stove catches fire without good explanation and quickly spreads across the kitchen forming a barrier between us. I try grabbing her to pull her with me but I can’t get to her.

“Don’t leave me!” I yell back at her while reaching for her hand. “Please! Don’t leave me again!”

I jump out of my sleep more startled than I’ve ever been. I look over at the clock and see it reads 5:45 am. I quickly get up and walk to Peyton’s room. She still isn’t home. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end and I can’t relax. I walk into the den on the top floor and try to relax by watching some TV. I can’t get that dream out of my head. I say a short prayer and whisper to myself, “Baby, wherever you are, I hope you’re safe and happy.”

 

Character profile for RED: Mason Taylor

Here we go again! It's another month which means that another character profile for my novel RED is due. As you all know, RED is still in the editing phase and it's going to take a couple of months. I won't receive the manuscript back until December 1st and even then I still have some editing of the book cover along with working things out with the publishing company so RED won't be out until the Winter of 2015. Until then, I will have a character profile uploaded every month until the release month so you all can get a proper introduction to all of the characters. There are some old characters that resurfaces from A Tragic Heart along with a lot of new faces!

This month's character profile is for a character some of you have come to know and love (and sometimes hate). I reintroduce to you, Mason Taylor:

Young Mason 
Mason as he would appear in RED 

Full Name: Mason Dale Taylor

Birth Date: May 4, 1992

Gender: Male

Age During RED: 34-36 years old

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Black 

Height: 6'1 

Weight: 202 lbs

Relatives: Adalyn Voyvodich-Taylor (Wife), Jean Taylor (Mother), Brian Taylor (Father), Peyton Hale Giordano (Cousin-Deceased), Cathleen Taylor-Giordano (Aunt-Deceased), Peyton Hayley Giordano (Cousin/Adopted Daughter), Taylor Caldwell (Ex-Wife-Deceased), Jackson Caldwell (Ex-Brother-in-law), Lila Taylor (Daughter), Nick Taylor (Son), Ryan Taylor (Son)

Relationship Status: Married 

Interests/Hobbies: Writing & Basketball

Positive Character Traits: Mason is very loving and accepting. He doesn't like to give up on people he truly cares about and he would die for the ones he love. He is full of compassion and protects his family at all costs.

Negative Character Traits: He can be stubborn at times and he has a bit of a short fuse. There are times he is quick to anger and he can be sarcastic at times. 

Choice Quote from RED: "In reality, I had no idea what I was waiting for but I just knew that the time wasn't right."

And that's the end of Mason's character profile. I hope you all feel a little closer to him but if not make sure you check out RED when it is released this Winter. For those of you who have no idea who Mason is, you can still check out A Tragic Heart before RED is released to get to know about him and his past. Until next time...

By the way, if Mason was a song he would be "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot.

Turn It Off: Based off of the character Peyton from A Tragic Heart (Short Story)

Intro

Enough was enough. This was the last time I was going to allow him to treat me this way. My mom is gone and there’s no reason for me to remain here any longer. He’s the reason why she’s no longer breathing and I refuse to go out that way. It was time for me to leave.

I looked at my face in the bathroom mirror. I was too young to go through this madness. I was only thirteen and I felt like I was living the life of a man. My face was sore and bruised. I guess since my mother was no longer here to be his punching bag, I had to suffice.

Karson was my stepdad since I was nine years old but I never respected him. Night after night I would lie in my bed listening to the horror going on in the room next to mine. My mother’s screams from his beatings would enrage me, but what was I to do? I was only a kid. Still, I continued to blame myself. I should have been stronger.

It wasn’t until I got a little older that I started to fight back. Fighting back only made him start to hit me too and that’s when my mother decided it was time to go. She had the mother’s attitude of: you can do what you want to me but leave my son out of it. I begged her for years to leave but it wasn’t until he started to hurt me that she listened. I only wished she listened sooner.

I applied alcohol to my face to clean my cuts and placed a cold compress beneath my eye. It was swollen from the fight I just had to endure. His reason this time: my mother’s death is all my fault. It’s not even like he cared about her to begin with. The only thing he loved was the bottle that seemed to be glued to the palm of his hand.

There was never a real father figure in my life. My dad left when I was only seven and I haven’t seen or spoken to him since. My mom was the only person I had in my life. She was my best friend and I loved her to pieces. It kills me that my love for her wasn’t enough. If it was she wouldn’t have ended up the way she did. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman that only deserved the best, which is why I could never understand how she ended up with Karson. The guy was bad news from the start.

I knew if I didn’t make plans to leave soon that I would end up just like my mother. I don’t want to die running away. I made my way back to my bedroom and locked the door. I picked up the phone and dialed the only person I knew I could trust, my cousin Mason. It was time for me to go…

 Chapter 1: Rebellion/Jessica

“Come on, Peyton! We can’t waste time! He’ll be home any moment now!” my mother said frantically as she threw a bunch of our belongings in a bag.

“Why are we running this way? Just tell him that you’re leaving him! That you had enough!” I replied helping her put a few things away.

“Because you know he’ll kill us both before he allows me to leave him!”

“Mom, you can’t be afraid of him forever. You can’t just run because you’ll spend your whole life running,” I said calmly as I placed my hand on her shoulder.

I pulled her into a hug and tried to console her. She started to cry and I hated Karson more than I ever thought I could at that moment. She was scared but I wasn’t. I had to be strong for her. I wasn’t going to allow him to touch her again. I’d rather die fighting for my mother’s life than have her be afraid any longer. She held onto me tighter and I knew that even though I was her son, I was also her protection. I might have only been thirteen but I been through enough to pass as much older.

“I’ll help you pack, mom, but you can’t be afraid. I’ll protect you,” I told her as I kissed her forehead.

“I love you,” she said as she wiped her tears.

“I love you too, mom”.

It didn’t take us long to get everything together and walk out of the door. I could feel her sense of relief from the moment we stepped out of the house. She rushed to start the car as I placed the bags in the trunk. This was it. We were really leaving him forever. My mother was finally going to get her freedom…the freedom she absolutely deserved.

I got in the passenger seat and she sped off as fast as she could. She was still nervous; her hands were shaking as she grasped the steering wheel. She stared straight ahead at the road but her eyes seemed dead and filled with worry.

“It’s going to be okay, mom,” I said trying to comfort her.

“It will. I know it will,” she responded as if she is still trying to convince herself.

            She was in deep thought and never saw it coming. What should have been the happiest day of our lives turned sour in an instant. The sun was shining and the skies were clear which should have been a sign of happiness. Instead, it was just a sign that the calm comes before the storm.

The light was turning from yellow to red but her mind wasn’t on that. Her eyes saw what was ahead but her mind blinded her. She accidentally ran the red light and my life changed in a few seconds.

I remember hearing a bang. I felt the impact. I felt the pain of my head hitting the glass window beside me. Tires screeching. Screams. Chatter. Then darkness.

I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times. I must have passed out for a little while…but it wasn’t long enough. I quickly gained consciousness and realized I was still in the passenger seat of my mom’s car. I wasn’t prepared for what I was going to see next. My mom. Her head leaned lifelessly on the driver’s side window. Her arms dangled at her side…her eyes wide open. A truck slammed into her side causing just enough damage to knock me out and end my mother’s life.

I snatched off my seatbelt and did what any other son would have done. I tried to save my mom. I leaned over to her side and attempted CPR the best way I could. The damage done to the car prevented me from being able to lay her seat flat.

“Come on, mom! Mom, please don’t do this to me!” I yelled while trying to pump her chest. “Mom!”

I pushed the passenger door open and unbuckled my mother’s seatbelt. I pulled her out of the car to lay her flat on the concrete. The sound of police cars and the ambulance filled the atmosphere. I attempted CPR again but I wasn’t having any luck. I knew I was doing it right, my mother taught me a billion times.

She was a doctor; a surgeon to be exact. She taught me a lot about saving lives, I just never thought I would have to use her lessons to save her own life.

“Hey, hey! You need to get checked out! Move away from her! Let the paramedics handle this kid!” A police officer yelled at me.

I ignored his orders and continued to try and save my mother’s life. I knew it was over but something in me wouldn’t allow me to give up.

“Come on kid!” he yelled again, this time pulling me away. “What’s your name?”

I look back at my mother who was now being handled by the paramedics. They were repeating my failed attempt. I couldn’t pay attention to anything else but my mom. We all knew it was too late but I wasn’t trying to admit it.

“Hey, kid! What’s your name? I need to know that you’re okay!” the officer said once more.

I look away from my mother for a few to answer him.

“Uh-um, Peyton…my name is Peyton Giordano. That’s my mom.  Her name is Cathleen Taylor-Davis. I need her to be okay! Please, tell me that she’s going to be okay!”

“They’re going to do everything that they can for your mother. You need to stay calm and go with a paramedic so I can take your statement,” he told me.

“No, no, I need to be with my mom. She needs me, I can’t-“

“Kid, you gotta calm down, you need to get checked out, you may be in shock,” the officer said, leading me to the ambulance.

A paramedic came over and began attending to me. They all were asking so many questions I couldn’t comprehend it all. My mind was focused on my mother. I was so far away I couldn’t see past all of the men that surrounded her.

“Will she be okay? That’s my mom. She’s all I have,” I said to the paramedic who was flashing a light in my eyes.

“They’re doing the best they could,” was all she said to me. “You don’t seem to have a concussion so that’s good. But, you will need stitches for that gash in your forehead.”

I lightly touched the right side of my head and saw a bit of blood come off on my finger tips. I didn’t even realize that I was hurt. I guess I went numb to pain when I saw my mother.

“We’re going to take you in for some observations and tests. Stay here,” she said before hopping in the ambulance and picking out a few packaged bandages and other supplies.

The crowd of people started to slowly move away from my mother. My heart sank when I saw it. They were preparing to zip her up in a black body bag like she was packaged meat. I immediately ran over to her, pushing everyone out of my way.

“No, this can’t be happening! Mom! No, no, no, no, no! This isn’t real!” I said out loud without realizing.

The same officer from before pulled me away from the scene.

“Let me go! That’s my mom!” I shouted while trying to get away.

He grabbed me by both of my shoulders forcing me to face him.

“I’m sorry, I really am but they did everything. You can’t go over there right now. Do you have any other family to call?”

That question lingered in my mind before I made the call to Mason to let him know that I was leaving. He was my only family. I told him not to tell his mom and dad my real reason for wanting to leave Karson; he promised me he wouldn’t. We planned to give my face some time to heal so there wouldn’t be any questions asked. During that time I stayed far away from Karson, making sure I wouldn’t give him any reason at all to go off.

About two weeks later I was living a new life in a new home with the only family I had left. My aunt and uncle welcomed me with open arms. I was always like a second son to them. Mason and I grew up together and were more like brothers than cousins. That’s how I knew that I could trust him. We knew all of each others' secrets and never judged. In reality, Mason saved my life a number of times and no one ever found out about it. He kept every moment to himself. I owed him more than I could ever repay. 

To find out more about Peyton pick up your copy of A Tragic Heart now!