|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 12, 2016 2:43:45 GMT -5
Lyra sneaked away from the party and used the skeleton key that Samantha had given her to summon one of the guest rooms to her. She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her and turned on the lights. She took a deep breath and held it in her lungs then began pacing the length of the room, her eyes frequently darting to the door. She didn't know what Julian may have told Mason before Nicolas interfered. She wasn't sure what would be stepping through the door, but whatever it was she was not ready.
|
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas Everhart on Nov 12, 2016 2:52:53 GMT -5
Lyra owed Nicolas deeply for this. Were he not an accomplished conversant there would have been no keeping Julian and Mason from learning the truth.
True Nik had done it more for Sam than for Lyra, but he had finally recognized her plight and resigned himself to her existence in their lives. For better or worse. If only they could avoid the worst.
Before the festivities had begun Sam had given Nik a charm so that they could speak back and forth throughout the night whenever they were separated. It was hardly the first time they had done so, particularly when Sam was still living with her mother.
He had heard what Lyra had to say to Sam, and in turn heard Sam's immediate defense of Lyra, as well as Sam's plan of attack.
That was perhaps the turning point. Though if Nik was honest he knew Sam cared too deeply about Lyra to let her go from the beginning, and perhaps that worried and bothered him too much.
He had no time to reflect on such things as now it was up to him to separate Mason and Julian leading one to the girl and the other to the maze.
A task that was not simple at all without arousing the suspicions of either man.
Lyra owed him for this.
He was successful. He was tired. He needed a drink.
***
Mason found the room easily enough using the same skeleton key.
"I'm actually quite impressed with Sam's mode of transportation throughout the estate, these skeleton keys really are quite ingenious." he said stepping inside.
He saw her and grinned, but then it steadily disappeared, "What happened?" he asked noting her distress.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 12, 2016 3:14:00 GMT -5
As the door opened Lyra's pacing stopped and stared as Mason entered. Her brow was furrowed and she had chewed on her bottom lip. Her breathing was heavy, trying to keep in time to her heartbeat which raced uncontrollably. It might have been worse that Mason came into the room completely unaware.
"Sit down, Mason." She gestured to the bed. "I need to tell you something."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mason Marlowe on Nov 12, 2016 12:45:11 GMT -5
Mason frowned, his instincts told him to hold her, but she did as he asked and sat.
He was quiet as well. She seemed so intent, the least he could do was give her his full attention, his eyes appeared soft and understanding, but also slightly concerned. This was her big night after all and he wanted her to be happy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 12, 2016 13:07:32 GMT -5
Lyra watched as he crossed the room to the bed and sat. She followed and sat beside him, chewed on her lip again, then decided to stand. She forced herself to look him in the eye, though she wanted to stare at her hands which she was twisting in front of her stomach. Actually, she wanted to run from the room and disappear but it wasn't an option. He deserved to know the truth.
"I know if I tell you I have feelings for you it will sound false, like I'm trying to save myself from the fallout by cushioning it with emotions. But my feelings for you are the reason I've kept this from you. I'm selfish and I thought I could have you and you would make everything better, and Merlin you've made everything so much better Mason and I've still gone and f*cked it all up. And I'm sorry, Mason. I'm so unbelievably sorry for doing this now. For doing it at all. I'm so sorry."
Lyra didn't bother to hold back her tears. It wasn't a show to gain sympathy or ease the guilt she felt, she simply didn't have the energy to waste on hiding things any longer.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mason Marlowe on Nov 12, 2016 16:22:11 GMT -5
Mason didn't know what to do, or how to make the situation better, it was a first for him.
"Lyra, what happened? What is it you've done that's messed anything up?" he was confused.
He was trying to follow along with her, but she was so upset it was distracting.
"Just talk to me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 12, 2016 19:24:26 GMT -5
Lyra had been crying so much lately that it was almost as if she was broken. Any amount of emotion and her eyes watered. Every time her nerves for the better of her she became teary. She couldn't help it as the tears rolled down her cheeks. They didn't overwhelm her, as her tears over Julian did, but they were present and showed the pain she felt at having to admit her sins to Mason now.
Her eye contact faltered and she looked to her hands, still wringing them in front of her body. She took a deep breath to gain the courage to say the words out loud. It was better to do it quick and deal with the aftermath than to draw it out.
"Mason, I-" She looked at him again. "I slept with someone while we were together."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mason Marlowe on Nov 12, 2016 19:39:55 GMT -5
As far as blows went, that one shot to his gut. It took a moment before the words penetrated his brain, there was an immediate expression of confusion and hurt, then anger and back to confusion. He exhaled sharply and stood turning away from her not wanting her to see how her confession was affecting him.
He felt betrayed and jealous, and all the other emotions that came to a man when they learned they had been cheated on.
"Who?"
Who had given to Lyra what Mason couldn't?
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 12, 2016 19:51:17 GMT -5
She couldn't bear the expression of hurt on his face and looked back to her hands as Mason turned away from her. She knew what was coming next and she was equally as unprepared to tell him who it was that she had betrayed him with.
"It's not his fault, he didn't know about you. About us. I'm the only one to blame, Mason. He did nothing wrong, it was all me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mason Marlowe on Nov 12, 2016 19:55:19 GMT -5
She wouldn't tell him. She was protecting him, whoever he was. She cared about him. So what was this then? Was she breaking up with him for this guy that she had been with? The questions came rapid fire to him and he wasn't ready or prepared to handle them. His skin felt tight, as though the emotions he felt were threatening to explode from every inch of him. He had to get out of there.
"I have to go." he said standing and heading for the door.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 13, 2016 13:53:18 GMT -5
Lyra was protecting her lover, but not for the reasons Mason thought. She wanted to be with Julian of course, but Julian had to want to be with her as well, and she didn't think that was the case. In that moment, Lyra simply wanted to protect the friendship between Julian and Mason. Neither knew about the other but if there was even an ounce of uncertainty then Lyra would have permanently tore them apart. She couldn't let that happen.
"No, Mason. No, please." She rushed past him and stood in front of the door. "You have every right to be mad at me, but please don't let this ruin your friendship with Julian. He didn't know about us, he's done nothing wrong."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mason Marlowe on Nov 13, 2016 15:24:04 GMT -5
"Julian?"
Mason stepped back as though she had hit him, but her words carried more weight than any physical blow could have. It was another few seconds when he realized that Lyra was Julian's girl. The one that caused the man to hide away.
Lyra didn't just cheat on him, she caused him to betray his best friend. Mason was stunned, betrayed, crushed.
"I can't..." he told her, "I can't be here." he swallowed feeling the room close in on him.
Then something Lyra had never seen before. He shut her out.
"Excuse me miss." he said coldly then stepped around her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 13, 2016 16:37:24 GMT -5
As he stepped back from her Lyra reached out to him but thought better of it and dropped her arm to her side. She looked at him with an expression of tremendous guilt and sorrow, tears still seeping down her face.
"I'm sorry," she pleaded but it made no difference. There was no forgiveness for her actions. She was as much the harlot that Nicolas said she was.
His next actions were so unlike anything she had seen from Mason that they stunned her. Mason's demeanor changed, as did his tone when he excused himself from her presence. She stared, open mouthed, at the spot where he had stood for several seconds before realizing he had gone.
"Mason..."
|
|
Samantha Montgomery
 
Sixth Year[M:10]
We do not choose love. It claims each man as it will.
Posts: 1,542
|
Post by Samantha Montgomery on Nov 13, 2016 18:38:28 GMT -5
Some minutes later Sam came to find Lyra. According to Nik, Mason had left the estate all together. Sam didn't know where Julian was after he sent him into the maze and had asked Nik to look for him, but first she wanted to make sure that Lyra was alright.
"Lyra, are you alright?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 13, 2016 18:52:38 GMT -5
Lyra was sitting on the bed, tracing the embroidered patterns on the front of her gown with her fingers. She had been crying earlier, but no where near the amount Sam had seen from her before. A few trails of tears on each side of her face had since dried. Lyra didn't feel as sad as she had expected to feel after Mason left. She pondered her feeling for a bit and decided the reason she didn't feel worse was because she was a horrible person and Mason was lucky to be rid of her.
When the door opened Lyra looked up, but seeing that it was Samantha she returned her attention to the patterns on her dress. "No," she answered honestly. Her voice was flat. "I thought you were sending Julian in?"
|
|
Samantha Montgomery
Sixth Year[M:10]
We do not choose love. It claims each man as it will.
Posts: 1,542
|
Post by Samantha Montgomery on Nov 13, 2016 18:59:11 GMT -5
"I sent him into the maze. Julian is looking for him now. I wanted to make sure you were...presentable." it was a polite word for 'not a complete mess'
She came in the room and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 13, 2016 19:14:21 GMT -5
She wasn't a complete mess, but she would be after she spoke to Julian. He always made her emotions so much more intense and after she confessed that she had been dating his best friend and then broke his heart, she knew she would need Sam's help to look presentable.
Lyra continued to look at her gown as she spoke, thankful for her friend's intimate gesture. "The way he looked at me...He acted as if he didn't even know me."
Between Samantha, Nicolas, Julian, and now Mason it was clear that to be one of the elite you had to have the ability to completely shut off your emotions at the drop of a hat. Lyra didn't have that training. It would have come in handy.
|
|
Samantha Montgomery
Sixth Year[M:10]
We do not choose love. It claims each man as it will.
Posts: 1,542
|
Post by Samantha Montgomery on Nov 13, 2016 19:25:36 GMT -5
Sam was thinking the same thing, "Sometimes, it's easier to just shut it off if it's too much." she said with sympathy.
Sam had worn that mask of indifference for so long it had almost become her true face. Lyra was one of the reasons she wasn't a robotic stone anymore. And for that Sam was eternally grateful.
"I'm sorry. I pushed you into dating, and I pushed you toward Mason, if it weren't for me it wouldn't have happened."
|
|
|
|
Post by Lyra Newbury on Nov 13, 2016 19:31:22 GMT -5
Lyra looked up at Samantha, slight confusion on her face. How was this Sam's fault? Lyra was the one who muddled everything up. Samantha didn't even know about Lyra and Julian's latest tryst.
"It's not your fault at all," she assured her friend. "I was the one who pursued a relationship with Mason. And after I realized that they were friends, I was the one who decided to keep going. Don't put any of this on yourself, it's all my fault."
"And Julian's," she added as she turned back to her dress. "Stupid man," she muttered.
|
|
Samantha Montgomery
Sixth Year[M:10]
We do not choose love. It claims each man as it will.
Posts: 1,542
|
Post by Samantha Montgomery on Nov 13, 2016 19:33:54 GMT -5
"Oh it's most definitely Julian's fault." Sam agreed, but she also played a part, as did Lyra.
Sam sighed. "I'll go see what the hold up is." she lifted her hand to her friend's cheek, "You look beautiful." she said in a comforting way. Even with tears Lyra looked beautiful.
|
|
