Chapitre 15: More Findings
"Oh that," Mason said in a casual voice. He had completely forgotten they were supposed to have dinner at his dad's.
"Yes that," Jason repeated. "Why didn't you show up?"
"I had something important to attend to," Mason said, no form of remorse in his voice. He was actually grateful that he missed the dinner, he has been saved from the torture of having to sit through dinner trying to avoid any means of getting into a fight with his father. Which was a near-impossible task.
"Why didn't you say so? I kept calling your phone but you didn't respond. Deb went all the way out to prepare for this dinner, you didn't show up or even bother to call and let her know that you weren't going to show up.''
"I will call her and apologize," Mason said.
"I thought I was the irresponsible one, but sometimes..."
"Jason, I already said I would call her later and apologize! I have to go now.''
Jason ended the call. He didn't sound happy and Mason knew it was because he held Deb in high esteem. Deb is their stepmom. Their biological mother died when they were teenagers and Deb who was their nanny at that time took care of them and tried to make sure that they didn't feel their mother's absence. A few years later their father got married to her. As Mason grew up, he and his father rarely got along, they were always at loggerheads and still are. That was why Mason always tried to avoid being in the same space with him, but he had no problem with Deb, they've always got along just fine. He would call her when he gets home and apologize to her for not coming to dinner.
As he drove out of Ava's neighborhood, he kept wondering why a girl like her should be living in a place as rough as this. The whole environment recked of trouble and all he could think of was how he was going to get her out of this place. She deserved better. He thought about the bruises on her face and kept trying to figure out what could happen to her. Was she in a relationship? Could it be that her boyfriend was the one who beat her up? Mason gripped the steering wheel tightly, planning all the ways he would make whoever the bastard was, pay if it was her boyfriend who had done this to her.
Mason decided to call Stan. He answered on the first ring, "I take it you are calling me regarding that girl right?"
"Have you found out anything else about her?" Mason asked.
"The money she is owing wasn't borrowed by her, but her mother. She borrowed the money and used her daughter as collateral. So now the girl has to pay back the money," Stan explained.
"What sort of a mother does that? Where is she?" Mason asked in annoyance.
"After borrowing the money she disappeared," Stan said. Mason swore under his breath.
"There is something else you might want to know," Stan said.
"What is that?"
"The girl was recently robbed on her way returning from the bank with the money that she wanted to use in paying back the loan."
"Fuck!" Now it made sense why she had bruises on her face, it wasn't from an abusive boyfriend but she was robbed!
"Mason, are you there?" Stan asked when he said something and Mason didn't respond.
"Yeah, let me know when you find out anything," Mason ended the call. Now, he wanted so badly to protect Ava. She was going through a lot at a young age. He was going to find a way to help her pay back her debt and get her out of this slum. She wasn't going to accept the money if he offered it to her, he was going to come up with a plan.
*****
Maddie was in the kitchen doing the dishes when Ava got back. "Is that a fancy car I saw dropping you off?" Maddie asked Ava as she walked past the kitchen.
Ava stopped in her tracks, she was hoping Maddie hadn't noticed so she didn't have to start explaining to her why Mason had to bring her back home.
"So we are keeping secrets now aren't we?" Maddie asked when Ava didn't respond. She dried her hands with a napkin and walked over to meet Ava.
"That was Mason," Ava said in a low tone.
"Mason, as the same Mason?" Maddie asked, with an element of surprise in her tone. Ava nodded in response. "Hmm, that's interesting," Maddie said with piqued interest.
Ava raised her hands to stop her, "before you start getting ideas into your head, he just happened to be in the area when I finished from work and he offered to drop me off.''
"Hmm, something doesn't seem to correlate here, how come he just happened to be around the shop when you closed?"
Ava blew out a breath, she knew Maddie was going to make her tell her everything.
"What aren't you telling me?" Maddie followed Ava into their bedroom. They both sat down on their bed and Ava told Maddie how Mason showed up at her place of work and ended up buying ten of their most expensive sneakers.
"Did you say, he also asked you when you were going to get off work?" Maddie asked.
"Yes, he did."
"And then he showed up when you closed and offered to bring you back home," Maddie looked thoughtful for a second, and then she said, "that guy likes you."
Ava looked at her like she had gone mad, "how do you mean he likes me? He doesn't even know me, he can't like me."
"But why not? You must have liked you from the first time that you both met," Maddie said.
"I don't think so," Ava said shaking her head.
"I think he likes you, that's the only reasonable explanation why he is…..''
"Maddie please, don't start."
Maddie raised both hands in surrender, "okay, I won't say anything."
Ava stood up and started to take off her clothes and changed into her pajamas.
"Are you going to call the number on the card that he gave you?" Maddie asked.
"Nope."
"Why not? You need a better job.''
"I don't have a degree, that's why."
"You never can tell what position they might have open, why don't you…."
"The answer is no! Goodnight Maddie!" Ava climbed on their bed and covered herself with a blanket.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone