Tolerance (Heart of Stone) by D H Sidebottom

head!” he snarled and he held out my coat for me
to put on.
    I caught Masons eye as Rebecca and Delaney were talking
between themselves “Thank you” I mouthed and he smiled oh so softly, his eyes
were full of longing and adoration “I love you” I mimed and he lowered his head
to hide his grim. I saw him swallow and lift his face “And me, you” he replied
and my heart beat rapidly, swelling to twice its size. I blew him a kiss and
put my arm through Nates bent one “Let’s go” I said and Nate huffed
“McDonalds?” he asked with high eyebrows and I grinned “I love you” I giggled
happily and he chuckled “A burger and you’re all mine. Does this mean I can
look up your skirt?” he winked “Throw in fries and I’ll think about” I retorted
and Nates hearty laugh cheered me up no end but it was Masons gaze that had
made me happy. His love for me so highly evident in his beautiful eyes and I
settled my hand on my tummy and sighed happily. “Hurry up!” I told Nate and he
chuckled “Good job I’ve got a damn Ferrari then isn’t it?” he grinned.

 
    Settled on the sofa, a humungous portion of chicken pesto
pasta salad resting on my knee that night, I was half reading a book as the TV
was on low in the background. I couldn’t concentrate and kept losing my spot in
my book so flinging it to one side I rolled my head round my neck and decided
to torture myself by looking through the photos on my phone from when me and
Mason spent the weekend in France.
    Smiling widely and chuckling at the stupid faces we had
pulled on some, I gasped as I came across a photo I hadn’t seen. Frowning
deeply and wondering when this had been taken I smiled sadly and traced my
finger across his stunning happy face. Mason had taken the snapshot of himself,
obviously holding my phone away from him but what took my breath was the large
piece of paper he was holding in front of his chest with the words ‘I LOVE YOU
AVA’ written across it with a small doodled   heart and a smiley face. His eyes were radiating the love he had
declared on the paper and they were twinkling with delight. A sob escaped my
throat as a huge beam erupted at the same time. Damn him! Why couldn’t I let
him go?
      I quickly closed
my phone and plonked it angrily on the table and as I stood to take my empty,
finger cleaned plate into the kitchen the TV caught my attention. Scrambling
for the remote I turned it up as Masons and Rebeccas’ picture erupted from the
screen. He had his arm around her as she looked up at him with a huge smile
plastered on her fake face
    “… Commissioner Robert Delaney’s daughter Rebecca Delaney
and multi-millionaire businessman Mason Fox announced their engagement today.
The happy couple are expecting their first baby at the end of March” Rebecca’s
ugly pouty face exploded onto the screen as a journalist stuck a microphone in
her face “We are so excited, Mason proposed yesterday and I immediately
accepted, no deliberating needed” she beamed and I wanted to smash my fist
through the screen and claw her deceitful, false face to shreds “When are you
planning to wed?” the journalist asked “Oh early June. That’s the only time
next year when we have a gap in our diaries and no specific engagements” she
sneered at the camera and I knew immediately that that statement was for my
benefit as my babies were due early June “And can you tell us how Mr Fox
proposed?” Rebecca’s evil eyes twinkled at the question and she smirked at the
camera “Well I couldn’t possibly divulge on television what we were doing at the
time Mason proposed” she gave a little false giggle and my fury bubbled
furiously to the surface “You fucking bastard” I screamed and flung my plate at
the TV, smashing the screen into tiny pieces.

 
    I slumped sobbing on the sofa and my phone rang but I
ignored it and curled into myself in the sofa, crying uncontrollably. “Why
Mason?” I cried “Why?” I couldn’t understand