Chapter 95

Mason sat across from Damon in his expansive office. The room was cold. Mason leaned back, his fingers drumming against the armrest of his chair. Damon, on the other hand, seemed restless, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Damon was unsure of how to feel. Should he be pleased that his best friend called him after all this time? Or furious that Mason had been the root cause of Raven’s unhappiness? Guilt also gnawed at him... he felt guilty for developing feelings for Raven when he was supposed to just take care of her.

"It's been a while, man," Mason finally said, breaking the heavy silence.

Damon crossed his arms and looked at his best friend with an unreadable expression. "Yeah. You didn't want anyone around you except Candice. What changed?"

"There was a misunderstanding, I had thought that you and Julie didn't care to see me," Mason admitted, his tone tinged with regret. "I had no idea Candice stopped you from coming to see me."

Damon shrugged, his face still tense. "I can't blame you. It must be difficult, being in your shoes."

"I'm sorry for how I reacted at the hospital," Mason said, his voice low. "I just didn’t understand why everyone kept insisting I was married to... to that girl."

Damon stiffened. "That girl has a name. It's Raven. And you have no idea how much you've hurt her." His words were sharp, and Mason was taken aback.

Mason’s jaw tightened. "I didn't mean to..."

"And now," Damon interrupted, "you’ve told Julie about your plans to marry Candice. Don’t you think that’s a mistake?"

"You're not just making a mistake. You’re ruining lives, your actions hurt Raven deeply." Damon continued, leaning forward. "And I think you know that. You wouldn’t be calling me here if you were sure about this."

"You're right, I'm confused." Mason admitted he hesitated before asking, "You have feelings for her, don't you?" Mason studied Damon’s face carefully.

Damon hesitated but refused to look away. "That's not the point. And it wouldn't have happened if you hadn’t pushed her away." Damon knew that was a lie. His feelings for her started when Mason was still in a coma.

"But you do," Mason pressed.

"It doesn’t matter what I feel."

"Does she feel the same way?" Mason’s voice was quieter now, almost hesitant.

Damon exhaled sharply. "No. She’s still very much in love with you. She wants you in her life, and she wants the kids to have their father."

"But Julie said--"

"Let me guess," Damon interrupted. "She told you Raven’s falling for me?"

Mason nodded. Damon chuckled. "Julie doesn’t know what’s going on between us. But she's not entirely wrong. Raven doesn’t love me. Does she feel something? Maybe. But she’d never accept it... not as long as she still loves you. But, that doesn't mean she can't move on."

Mason swallowed hard, replaying Damon’s last sentence. For some reason, he felt jealous.

"I was going to arrange a meeting with you before you called. I wanted to tell you to think this through... your marriage with Candice."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't make a hasty decision. If you marry Candice, you’ll lose Raven and your kids, that’s for sure. And I won't hold back on my feelings. If you push through with this marriage, I won't step aside when you finally regain your memories."

Mason stiffened. He had never imagined competing with his best friend for a woman. Damon’s words forced him to reconsider his decision.

"But Candice--"

"Trust me," Damon said, leaning forward, "if you knew the things she’s done, after you're married, you'd kill her. Tell her you want to regain your memory before you get married, and then wait for how she reacts. You'll see she's desperate. Candice will do anything to keep you. She once tried to trap you with a fake pregnancy, and that's why you and Raven got divorced."

Mason’s head throbbed at Damon’s words. A blurry image flashed through his mind. He clenched his temples, the sudden pain nearly unbearable.

"The voice recording..." Mason muttered, his voice barely audible.

"Are you okay?" Damon was instantly on his feet.

"I don't know," Mason said, fumbling to open his desk drawer and retrieve his medication. I suddenly remembered listening to a recording... but it’s all so hazy.

"Do you remember what it was about?" Damon asked.

"No, but it felt important."

Damon watched him closely. "This isn’t the first time, is it?"

"No," Mason admitted. "It happened once before."

Damon’s brow furrowed. "If something’s triggering your memory, you need to spend time with Raven. She’s the key to unlocking the truth. If you want to regain your memory, you need to spend more time with Raven."

Mason ran a hand through his hair. Do you think I should... talk to her?

"Absolutely," Damon said firmly. "You've lived with Candice. Now give Raven a chance. Get to know her. I'm sure she has answers to all your questions."

Mason nodded faintly. "What was I like when I was married to her? Did I... did I love her?"

"You did," Damon said softly. "Not right away. Not right away. But after Candice betrayed you, you fell for her. You were happy. Don’t let Candice take that away from you again."