Fortitude (Heart of Stone) (3 page)

I screwed up my face at his honesty as it slapped me in
the face, but nodded. He was right, as usual, I did need to toughen up and it
would be the cruellest, most horrendous shit me and Ava would ever face. Yet,
now I knew with Kade there to help
me
through it, that I would be strong
for her.

But one thing was for sure, my wife was going to battle
the hardest fight of her life, however there was no doubt in my head that she
was strong enough for it.

I just had to convince her of that fact.

“You so did,” Grace laughed and poked Kade in the arm as
I walked into the kitchen. Silence descended as they each turned to look at me.

I was surprised to see Mason sat at the table with Kade
and Grace, I thought he would have left by now. He swallowed heavily and stood
up, “Ava.”

His long legs closed the gap between us quickly. “I’m so
sorry,” he whispered as he rested his forehead against mine and secured my
gaze, both his hands caressing each side of my face tenderly. I nodded faintly,
I couldn’t deal with this now. “Where have you been?”

“Nowhere specific,” I lied. “Where’s Court?”

He frowned at me, “She’s okay. Greg took her away for the
weekend. They need time alone after everything.”

“Yeah.”

“Ava,” Kade said softly and I turned to him. My heart
still skipped whenever his handsome face looked at me. “Are you okay?”

“Uh-huh,” I lied again. “Who wants dinner?” I needed to
do something, needed to divert, I couldn’t bear all the questions.

“We’ve eaten, there’s casserole warming in the oven for
you.”

“Thank you,” I smiled at Mason. He was still stood
regarding me with a worried expression.

“Ava…”

“I’m fine.” I cut in, giving him the most sincere smile I
could. “Just hungry.”

“We need to talk.”

“I know, but not yet, eh? I need to eat then go fetch
Katie.” I grabbed the towel and took out the slop that was warming. My stomach
revolted at it, the aroma burning a hole through the bile that was already
bubbling away. I cringed and slid it straight into the bin.

“Baby, you need to eat, and Layla’s bringing Katie over
tomorrow.”

“I don’t need to eat Mason,” I snapped suddenly. “I’m
dying, I’m sure a fucking bowl of meat and veg won’t stop that.” I squeezed my
eyes closed and sighed when my words stabbed his heart. The stricken expression
on his face tore my heart in half. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No,” he spat at me. “You shouldn’t.”

I groaned when he walked off and slammed the door behind
him, leaving me staring at the white wood as though I could magically retract
the words I had hurt him with.

“Hey,” Kade said softly as his arms circled me from
behind and I instantly rested the back of my head on his shoulder and savoured
his comfort. “How you doing?”

Grace smiled at me as she took out some fruit from the
fridge and began to peel and chop, concocting a simple fruit salad for me.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “One moment I’m
fine, the next I’m angry, the next I’m terrified, the next I’m empty and sad
but…”

“But?” He prompted as he turned me around so he could
look at me.

“But I don’t know how to… get Mason to accept I’m dying.”

He sighed and wiped the stray tear off my cheek. “It’s
not Mason you have to convince Ava, it’s yourself you have to tell to fight
this.”

“I’m not strong enough, Kade. I…”

“Yes! You are, sweetheart. You are stronger than anyone
I’ve ever known. You can get through this… you
will
get through this.”

I just smiled in reply. They didn’t understand but I
didn’t expect them to. I thanked Grace as she handed me the plate of fruit
before taking it to eat in the small summerhouse of Courtney’s, alone.

I needed to get used to my own companionship, because
very soon, that’s all I would have.

***

It was dark when I strolled back up to the house, my
pathway lit by numerous lanterns Courtney had scattered around her garden. The
daffodils bordering the edge shrank back at the bite of winter still in the
air, their delicate petals trying to accept their new life and deal with all
the harshness the gap between winter and spring brought.

I wanted to take their heed and shrink away from life. I
would give anything to climb into a hole and stay there until this was all
over, until I could feel the summer sun on my face and appreciate its warmth,
until each of my smiles were felt in my heart and until I could once more value
each lungful of air that kept me alive.

Laughter came from the lounge, Kade’s loud chuckle
searing my heart. Just when my life had finally accepted what my heart wanted
was it being cruelly snatched away from me? The plans we had made, for Kade and
Grace to join us in Portugal, were now just dust, blown away by my capability of
wrecking things.

I stood silently by the door, watching them through the
large glass window that provided me secret viewing to their merriment. I smiled
as Grace flung a pillow at Kade and Mason dived for him, his unique sense of
humour obviously once again too vulgar.

My heart soared as Mason’s head flew back and a large
laugh echoed around the house.  I knew then that what I had decided was for the
best.

The tear tickled my cheek as it strolled slowly down my
face in no hurry to leave me. He was so handsome when he laughed, his eyes so
bright and full of life, life I couldn’t bear to take from him. He was my soul,
and he had been for so long that I didn’t know how to accept his love anymore.
I didn’t know how to let him in to the pain that was killing me before the
cancer even had chance to. I didn’t know how to let go either though, but I
knew I would have to.

Cancer was nothing on the shit tearing me to bits right
then, cancer couldn’t break me like my heart was breaking me. Yet, even though
the pain was so agonising that I could feel each minute fracture as my heart
slowly splintered inside me, I knew it wouldn’t be death that tortured me, it
would be saying goodbye to the only man that had ever held my heart in his
hand, the only man that had ever felt the intensity of its beat every time he
had smiled at me, and the only man that had ever touched my soul and felt the
force of it inside himself.

He turned to me as though he felt me looking. The pain in
his eyes crumbled me so much more but I smiled gently, forcing the heartache
back just for a little longer.

He didn’t deserve this, especially tonight. Tonight he
needed me to give him everything. Tonight my glorious bastard needed to secure
memories that would hopefully give his heart and soul something to feed from in
the upcoming battle ahead.

Tonight I said goodbye.

She stole my breath when she opened the door and walked
through to us. I had caught her watching us with a sad smile on her face, as
though she was building memories, and that had hurt me more than her words of
dying. She had accepted she was dying, but I never would - never.

We all hushed when she gripped the hem of her t-shirt and
lifted it over her head. She was so melancholy that my heart broke for her. I
knew she needed this but I also knew she was trying to divert, steer us away
from what we all actually needed – to talk.

Her skirt fell to pool around her ankles as she locked
her gaze on me, her eyes dark and her lips moist. My god, she was so utterly
beautiful that I was struggling to breathe.

Grace shifted silently from beside me as she stood and
slowly walked over to Ava. She ran her finger over Ava’s jaw then cupped the
side of her face, wiping the single tear that appeared to be glued to her cheek
with her thumb.

I was mesmerised as Grace sedately leaned in and brushed
her lips over Ava’s, her fingers continuing onward until they disappeared into
the thick red hair behind Ava’s head. Ava slid her hands around Grace, pulling
her in to deepen the kiss.

I heard Kade’s breathing deepen and slow down as he
watched the display with as much fascination as me. They were both so erotic,
their gentle kiss and tender touches lighting me up and feeding the throb in my
lower gut.

Ava’s bra fell to the floor before Grace’s mouth slowly
ventured towards my wife’s perfect breasts, her lips softly placing tiny kisses
along the route. Ava’s eyes fluttered closed when Grace traced the edge of her
nipple with her tongue, both of them moaning softly at the caress. She slid her
hands into Grace’s hair, bunching it softly between her fingers as she shivered
slightly, her teeth gently pulling at her lower lip.

I watched as her thighs started to quiver, a sign that
her arousal was intense and potent. “They’re so fucking beautiful together,”
Kade stated quietly beside me.

I nodded a reply, unable to form words as I watched my
wife being pleasured. “She’ll get through this, Mason. I promise we’ll get her
through it.”

I turned to him, begging him with my gaze to help me. He
reached in and hovered his mouth over mine, “If I have to sell my fucking soul,
then I will. She will grow old and grey with us, I swear to you, she will. I
won’t let anything hurt you both.”

He kissed me as the sob broke free, his mouth swallowing
the torment from me as he gripped my head and pulled me hard to him. I allowed
him to devour me, consume the pain from me as he controlled me under him. His
touch didn’t allow for any other feeling than him, my complete attention
absorbed by him until he was the only thing in the room.

Both our tears were tasted and swallowed as we clung to
each other for both support and solace, our kiss deepening until lust and need
overpowered the sorrow.

He pulled back when Ava and Grace dropped to their knees
before us, Ava greedily ripping my zip down and unbuckling my belt at the same
time.

Her perfect pink lips wrapped around my hard dick before
I had chance to take another breath. Kade moaned beside me as Grace mirrored
Ava’s action and her mouth slid down his cock.

I grabbed at Kade’s hair, pulling him to me again as my
other hand yanked Ava’s long hair in my fingers and brought forth a groan of pleasure
from her. My little warrior relished the pain, fed from it. I just hoped the
pain that was about to grip her would be endurable for her.

I broke from the kiss and lowered my eyes to watch my
wife worship my cock, her own eyes full of desire and love as she slid slowly
up and down, taking me to the back of her throat as her tongue tickled the
underside of me and her finger rubbed the tight skin around my anus.

I hissed and lifted my hips, forcing my cock further down
her throat. She obeyed my silent command when she loosened her throat and took
the extra I was giving her. “Take me, baby.” I groaned as her finger slid into
my arse. “Shit, yeah that’s good.”

I could feel the cum swirling angrily in my balls,
threatening its release with an urgency I was struggling to hold onto. I
grabbed the tops of Ava’s arms and dragged her up and over me as I slid down
and under her until her knees were on the couch cushions and my face was
directly under her exquisite pussy, my backside now on the floor below her.

I needed to taste her desire, feed from the evidence of
what I did to her and give her the intense pleasure that I knew would make her
scream with ecstasy.

She groaned loudly as my tongue swept slowly along her
groove, her unique taste driving me wild along with her erotic echoes.

Kade and Grace shifted and I gripped at Kade’s hair
desperately when he slid between my legs that were outstretched before me and
took my dick in his mouth. “Shit,” I hissed when his teeth grazed over my balls
and his tongue swirled around my head.

“Christ, I missed your cock,” he murmured before he took
the full length of me down his throat and slipped a finger into me.

Ava started to pant above me, her hips circling as she
ground herself on my face. Her moans were muffled and I took my eyes off Kade to
look up. “Fuck. That must be the best view in the fucking world.” I groaned as
I watched Ava’s tongue flick and circle over Grace’s clit as she sat on the
back of the sofa with Ava’s face buried between her legs. My teeth sank into my
lower lip when Ava parted Grace’s swollen flesh and sank her thumb inside
Grace’s pussy, driving a deep low rumble from her as her tongue continued its
labour on her clit.

“On your knees,” Kade ordered as he patted my thigh.

I manoeuvred Ava slightly so I could still tongue fuck
her pussy while I clambered onto all fours. “Lube?” Kade asked from behind me.
I shook my head. I needed the pain, needed it to keep me sane and focussed on
my wife’s pleasure.

I accidently nipped Ava’s clit when Kade nudged slowly inside
me, the burn driving a loud groan from me which also vibrated through Ava. She
jolted and then pushed herself back down, demanding that I finish what I’d
started causing me to smirk against her.

“Wait,” Grace suddenly declared as she vaulted over the
back of the sofa. “Don’t move.”

We all froze as we watched her scurry up the stairs,
taking them two at a time.

“What the fuck?” Ava protested. “Carry on!” she said as
she wiggled her hips.

“I wouldn’t bother,” Kade laughed. “My wife’s orders need
to be upheld unless you want your ass whipping.”

“Well…” Ava debated causing us both to laugh.

Grace rushed back down the stairs waving the brightest
pink strap-on I had ever seen. We all stared at her with open mouths as she
clambered into it expertly within seconds and took position behind Kade.