Not Another Cinderella Story (lxngdon & MaryGold)

M A S O N
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"You don't have to be sorry," Mason sighed and sunk himself into the chair beside the examination bed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed in deeply and exhaled just heavily. His medication had kicked in a little while ago and he was noe calmer.

He dropped his hazel eyes onto the floor as he searched for the right words to say. There was a lot he wanted to say, but he was unsure how to deliver them to her. He didn't want hurt or upset her. She had enough of that pain to last her a lifetime.

"I'm sorry, about your leg and your passion, tennis." He said carefully, meeting her gaze. He couldn't possibly imagine how she felt. If Mason had lost his ability to sing, to make music. But he knew one thing for sure... "It's not the end of the world, though. Not yours. I don't know. When one door closes another one opens."

He looked back to the floor, his hands in his lap. It clearly wasn't healthy for her to be so hung up on, not that he wanted her to banish it from her life. But for some acceptance to let it go, to be okay with it and move on. That was asking a lo, probably.

"What will you do if you are pregnant?"
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey knew he was right, this wasn't the end of the world, but she couldn't think optimistically right now. She knew that she probably had depression, but she always felt so tired, she couldn't bring herself to get help. All the hardships just piled onto one another and it was kike there was no escape.

And now she could be pregnant. Lainey closed her eyes uncomfortably.

She had no idea what to do if she was pregnant. She wasn't going to get an abortion -- no, she might support other women's decisions to terminate their pregnancies but it was never something that sat well with her. But ... the kid would grow up without a father, if she kept it. She could always give it up for adoption, but she had no faith in the adoption system after seeing the way some kids got treated in foster care. Also, the world was overpopulated and kids rarely got adopted.

"I don't know," she said honestly to Mason. "I'm not going back to Harrison."

No, she wouldn't expose a child to him. Never. Even if it was his.

The nurse came back soon and Lainey was visibly nervous. She didn't know what she was going to hear. "What do the results say?"

The nurse looked between Mason and Lainey with a broad smile. "Congratulations, you're expecting."

Lainey felt too sick to even acknowledge the fact that this woman thought it was Mason's. She went green and the nurse was quick enough to pick up a bucket and hold it in front of Lainey so she could throw up into it.​
 
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M A S O N
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Mason blinked. He was unsure how to feel about the new information he was given or if should even feel anything at all. It wasn't his child, she wasn't his lover, therefore it wasn't his responsibility. It was not his problem, yet he could not help but be totally concerned for Lainey and her child, whether she chose to keep it or not.

If he was to utterly and openly honest, she was really in no shape to care for a child, at least not alone. She needed help, and he wasn't just thinking financially either. It was imperative she alerted her family members at once.

Mason didn't bother himself with explaining to the nurse that they were not a pair and he was not the father. He stood up from his seat and pulled Lainey's hair back from her face as she retched, using one hand to hold the stands back and the other to rub soothing circles in her back.

"What about her ankle?" He asked the nurse quietly. "Is she okay?"

As far as pregnancies went, he was surprisingly knowledgeable about them, having been around his sister during her own.
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey couldn't even think about her ankle, she had much more serious topics to think about. Such as the infant growing inside her womb. Lainey pulled back and wiped her mouth off with her hand as the nurse felt her ankle to see whether she was alright, since they couldn't perform an X-ray.

"It's just a minor sprain," she concluded. "And your thigh will stop aching soon, it's just the pressure you put onto it. I'm going to prescribe some baby-safe painkillers and then you can go home."

The nurse waddled away and Lainey put her head between her knees. She was so overwhelmed, she had no idea what to do. She'd have to stop drinking, that much was clear. Of course, her alcoholism had gotten better since she had left Harrison but still, she drunk every now and then.

"I'll talk to Piper and Vasily," she told Mason, running her hand through her slightly damp hair as she pulled away and looked up at him with an apologetic expression. "I'll move out, you don't need to deal with this crap on top of everything else."

No, this wasn't Mason's child and therefore she would not burden him with the care of it. Even if she gave it up for adoption, she wasn't going to put Mason through the stress of caring for a pregnant woman. So she'd move out and work for him still, until she physically could not do so, and then she would have the baby and get right back to work.​
 
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Mason silently nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets and breathing out a long and heavy sigh. He wouldn't stop her, he couldn't stop her. It would be best for her to be around family during this time and they would be able to support her better than him anyway.

"You should probably seek a, uh, shrink." He mumbled awkwardly, not wanting to come off rude because he truly meant it for her own good.

Mason stepped away from her and rubbed his hands together with a sigh. "Especially if you do decide to have it. I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything, I just don't want you to get hurt any further."

Things in her life already seemed so difficult for her and having a child whether she was going to give it away or not would put her under a lot of stress. She already seemed to be under a depression, he could recognize it when he saw it and he was afraid that would mean she'd go under antepartum depression.

His fear was a very reasonable one, she had many reasons to call it. Unplanned pregnancy, maybe feeling ambivalent about it, going through a separation recently, no partner and financial issues and her obvious own depression already there. He feared for her and he didn't care if she didn't want him to worry about her or not because they were friends, right? Friends were allowed to care.

"I know you're still going to be working and tight on money, but it's not as expensive as people make it sound and even if it's only for fifteen to thirty minutes twice or once a week it could really help." He knew. He had a doctor if his own.

"It would be worth it."
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey knew he was right, that she really needed to see a shrink. She had probably needed to see one for the longest time imaginable -- in fact, doctors had recommended she see one after she had broken her leg and lost her career, but she had not been able to afford the fees at the time. All the money she had earned from tennis had gone into the surgery on her leg, and then into alcohol, which she wasn't proud of.

But she couldn't afford the fees now, either. She needed to talk to her brother and sister.

The nurse came back with the prescription and Lainey's note of release. Lainey thanked her and was then taken back to Mason's car in a wheelchair with strict instructions not to walk on her leg too much. Lainey would probably ignore that -- she needed to work.

Karoline was waiting for them when they got home. She was leaning against the wall and peering at them suspiciously -- or more specifically, Mason's arm around Lainey, helping her. "How was the tennis?" she asked innocently.

"Wonderful," Lainey said dryly. She was clutching the prescription but she dropped it, and Karoline picked it up for her.

"Pregnancy-safe -- oh my God, are you pregnant?" Karoline's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. Lainey went green again. "Shit. What're you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"You should probably tell your boyfriend."

Lainey went even greener. She couldn't tell Harrison, her ex-boyfriend. Ever. As far as she was concerned, this kid didn't have a father.​
 
M A S O N
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"No. Telling that asshole is the last thing she should do."

Mason frowned and led Lainey over to a cushioned seat so she could sit and be off her feet. Her doctor did say to stay off that leg of hers for a while and as long as she was in his house, he would help her follow the doctor's order. It would be a relatively easy act, he hoped.

He looked to Karoline and sighed lightly. Quite frankly, he was sure that she didn't say that out of concern or to be if help but just out of common sense. However, she was unaware of what kind of abusive man Harrison was and he wasn't going to blurt it all out, no. If he did that, it would reveal a lot about Lainey and he didn't want to expose all of her privacy, and especially not to his girlfriend.

"Right now, all she's going to do is take her medicine and rest." He moved I've to to Karoline and gently took the bottle from her hands.

"You've had quite the day and I know you must feeling tired and stressed or so."
 
l a i n e y​

'Tired' was an understatement.

Lainey gratefully sat down and elevated her leg on a footstool and a cushion, as she had been taught to do when she had first broken it. Karoline disappeared but came back with a glass of water, which Lainey was incredibly surprised by. Why was she being so nice?

"Thank you," she murmured, taking the glass and two of the pills in the bottle, as recommended by the instructions printed on a sticker. The pain was instant and Lainey let out a sigh of relief. It was almost like being high -- not that she had done that all too many times in her life.

"Doesn't he have the right to know, though?" Karoline pressed. She didn't sound too overly rude or patronising, just curious. But Lainey didn't trust her.

"No," Lainey said firmly. She rested a hand over her stomach, and was momentarily bewildered at the thought of a tiny person resting beneath the skin. That was the weirdest thing to her. She was growing another life.

"So what are you going to do with it?"

"I'm going to give it up for adoption." That was the only logical decision -- she couldn't abort it, that would kill her. But she was in no situation to keep it, either. So she'd give it up.
 
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Mason frowned slightly at Karoline. He wasn't proud or fond of the fact that he was suspicious of his girlfriend, but he was and he had reason. She was being way to pleasant about it all for comfort, but at least she wasn't pushing Lainey around so he wasn't going to complain.

Lainey needed her rest. And quite frankly, so did he.

The anxiety attack he had earlier left him feeling weak in the bones. But not enough to make him fall off of his feet. The fact that he was still standing told him he was good enough to finish a few other things before taking a rest.

"Whatever you do with the kid, it's your choice." He said to her, easily able to go along with whatever she chose to do. As much as it was her choice that was only because it was her kid.

"You should call your family soon. You shouldn't be alone at all during your entire pregnancy."
 
l a i n e y​

A month had passed.

Lainey was barely showing now, but she was feeling the effects of pregnancy on every fibre of her being. She found she was tired a lot of the time, and she threw up quite frequently. She also craved things but she didn't ask for them because she didn't want to be a burden to Mason, who had already done so much for her.

And she was sad. Sad, because Wimbledon was over and Piper and Vasily had left. They were sending her money for her prenatal vitamins and doctor's appointments and speaking to her every day but they were gone and Lainey was sad. She was sad, because she was pregnant and this child wasn't going to have his or her birth parents in their life.

And she was sad, because Karoline was being horrible to her.

She would sit on the couch while Lainey cleaned and make comments such as how she had gained weight, and how she hoped the child looked like Harrison so it would be better looking and other things that Lainey didn't want to hear. She'd spill things on surfaces Lainey had cleaned and just generally make a mess.

But she would do it when Mason wasn't there, so she didn't get in trouble.

"This kid is gonna be lucky, you know," Karoline commented as Lainey wiped the bench in the kitchen. She was lounging on a stool and watching the other woman with an amused expression. "I mean, you're giving it up. So it's not going to grow up with an alcoholic loser for a mother."

Lainey was on the verge of tears but she bit them back and continued to wipe the bench, not hearing the door open and close.

"But really, you're lucky too. You're lucky that such a hot guy stopped so low and fucked you. I'm honestly quite surprised."

Again, silence from Lainey.

"Is that why you stayed for so long, even after he hit you? It was obvious you were terrified of him. Is that why you stayed, because you knew no one else was going to reduce themselves to your standard?"
 
M A S O N
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"Reduce themselves to her standards?" Mason repeated, utterly baffled and just as much repulsed.

He stood in the door way of the kitchen, holding a single grocery bag in which contained treats he had brought for Lainey because she surely had been craving something and Karoline because she had been at least decent towards her. Clearly, he had never been more wrong. And though, he was angry with her behavior he was just as much disgusted and disappointed.

He set the bag on the polished bench, breathing in slowly as to not blow up in her. He glanced at Lainey and immediately felt horrible. He had promised her security and safety while she stayed in his house, but his own girlfriend was attacking her. And he knew words could cut deeper than knives, especially if they came from Karoline.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Raising his voice was not something he wanted to do, but besides the fact he couldn't help it, it seemed simple talk never got through the model's thick skull.

"Is your self-esteem so fucking low that you have to go and fucking pester her?!"

She was working. She was pregnant. She was already upset for various reasons. And all he wanted was for her to be comfortable, to be happy. Why? Because he cares about her, he cared a lot for Lainey Applewhite. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to be any of the things he'd like her to be with Karoline around.

"Sadly for you, I frankly don't have the patience nor tolerance to hear another word from your mouth right now. So, you need to piss the fuck off."
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey jumped when she heard Mason's voice, evidently surprised by his appearance in the kitchen. Karoline didn't seem fazed, however. She raised her eyebrows at Mason, as if daring him to do anything about it, and that smug expression didn't leave her features until she was told to leave the house.

A frown crossed her face, but was replaced by anger. "You --"

Karoline paused, then scoffed. "Right." She seemed to be in some state of denial, like she couldn't believe her boyfriend was choosing the housemaid over her. Lainey looked away as Karoline moved her incredulous gaze to her, before she stood up and marched over to the stairs.

Lainey sniffled and continued to wipe the kitchen surfaces until Karoline came back downstairs with a bag full of her belongings. "Call me when you regain your sense of loyalty," she said to Mason, saluted Lainey and disappeared.

Lainey waited until she heard the front door close before she let out a slightly anguished tone and leaned against the bench, biting down on the back of her hand to stop herself from crying. Usually, she would just wait until she was back in her room but now that Karoline was gone ...

She looked up at Mason. "You ... you didn't need to choose me over your girlfriend." She felt horrible, even though she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. "But ... thank you."​
 
M A S O N
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"Actually, I did." Mason murmured, swallowing back hard. And he knew he should care or feel somewhat remorseful for the way he treated his own girlfriend, but he was so angry and disgusted with he couldn't feel anything for her. It was also clear on her way out, she was note sorry for her harsh and unnecessary behavior toward Lainey.

He also knew that this could not have possibly have been the first time she patronized her and he felt guilty for not noticing. How could he not? He loved his career path, but it was still work one way or another and when things were difficult, it left him stressed. Karoline left him stressed. He was to tired to see it. And would have never known if he didn't head home early.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. It wasn't him had bothered her, he knew that, but still, she didn't deserve the horrid treatment she received from his girlfriend in his house.

He casted his eyes away from her and sighed lightly, unsure what more to do or say. His gaze landed on the paper grocery bag and he pulled out two ice cream containers, one being boysenberry gelato and the other chocolate fudge. "I didn't know what you were craving but I remembered you liked this." Besides, it was ice cream, you couldn't go wrong there.

He knew she must have been craving something, but between work and her weaknesses because of pregnancy on top of traveling issues, getting her wants over needs was a difficult task. And he didn't mind buying her anything, he liked buying things for others. What was the point of having so much money if you couldn't spend it on people you cared about.

"I also bought some lemon tea for your morning sickness. It really helps."
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey inhaled shakily as she realised that she didn't have to put up with Karoline's constant belittlement of her anymore. She was free, at least until she wormed her way back into Mason's life like she always did. It was sad, but Lainey wouldn't be surprised if he let her back, simply because he loved her as much as he obviously did.

"Thank you," Lainey mumbled, scratching the end of her nose as she took the tubs and scooped a couple of spoonfuls of each into a bowl, before doing the same for Mason. She had been craving ice cream, and she sighed in relief as she bit into a mouthful.

"You shouldn't have," she said to Mason. He was really too good for her. She was just his housekeeper, but he treated her like a ... like a friend.

"How was work?" she inquired.​
 
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"It was pleasant," It always was when they were working on the music part and not the business. He loved it, his work, his passion, his talent all in one. And he wasn't usually one to come back home feeling super tired or sour after indulging himself in his musical life, but with all that happened with Karoline in just a few short minutes ... he was exhausted.

At least he wasn't having an anxiety attack. It would certainly be the perfect time for him to have one. But, he didn't.

Mason sat on the bar stool and dig into the glass bowl of the frozen sweetness she had served for him. It was delicious as expected and he was even more happy to her enjoy it. The instant satisfaction had been written all over her a face and he knew he made the right choice. A small smile crawled onto his face.

"I would ask how you're day of work went, but, eh." He already knew. He literally walked in on it after all. "How are you feeling? You should sit down and take a rest."
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey loved that Mason could do what he loved, his passion, as a career. Sure, she was depressed because she could not do the same, but that didn't mean she wished any ill will upon him. In fact, she was glad to see him succeed in something he cared so deeply for. Because they were friends, and friends didn't want the other to be held back.

"It's fine, I've just got a couple of more things to do," Lainey assured him, scooping another mouthful of sweet goodness into her mouth. She gestured to the stove and the little bits of pasta sauce from the night before on it, and to the dishes in the sink. It wasn't much, and as soon as she did it, she could settle down.

Lainey noticed a couple of things that Karoline had left on the bench. A pair of earrings, a hair tie. It was obvious to see that she had been easily integrated into the life in this house, even if she didn't live here full-time. Lainey felt bad because she had driven someone out of a house they had felt comfortable in.

But she was mostly relieved, because she was free until Karoline came back.

"I saw my shrink today." Piper and Vasily were paying for Lainey's psychiatric help, during her pregnancy and afterwards. "She's really helping me out. Thank you for suggesting it."​
 
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"Ah, I'm just glad it's making a real difference for you," Even if her family wasn't physically there to help her it was still a good thing they were involved one way pt another. And it was extra great that she was finally receiving the help that she needed. Things would have seemed much worse in her eyes if she hadn't.

He glanced at the front door in which Karoline had exited and sighed. He wasn't sorry for the way he had spoken to her kicked her out, but he felt uneasy with a heavy feeling in his chest. He knew she wouldn't simply let it go when she came back, she never did, but instead of taking it out on him she would Lainey some way or another.

Mason laid his head against the polished bench, inhaling and exhaling slowly. When was the last time he had gone out for an intake of his soothing toxins? It felt weird and somehow wrong to come home completely out of it when their was pregnant woman there who had recently gave up her own addiction. That also made him feel shameful.

"You know," Mason lifted his head in hopes of lifting his mood as well. He decided to stop thinking about himself and change the subject."I really don't know too much about you besides the fact you love and used to play tennis and is now a housekeeper."

He pressed his hand into his chin and used his elbow to prop it up."What type of things does Lainey Applewhite like and dislike? What are her favorite things and people?"
 
l a i n e y
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Lainey licked her lips and washed her empty bowl as she considered how to answer Mason's question. Now that she really thought about it, there wasn't much that was interesting about her. Well, there never had been, but when she tried to find something to tell him, she came up short with anything that was actually intriguing.

"Well ... I like to read," she said tentatively, not wanting to bore Mason but also not wanting to lie to him after he had done so many nice things for her. Lainey dried her bowl and put it in the cupboard before returning to her normal housekeeping duties.

"Mainly young adult fiction -- The Hunger Games, Divergent, things like that. Oh, and Harry Potter." Lainey sighed with happiness as she was reminded of the existence of the world-wide phenomenon. "God, I love Harry Potter."

During her depression, when it had been really bad, the books and alcohol had been what had kept her live. She'd like to pin most of the responsibility on the books, though.

"Um ... I don't like swimming all that much. And I'm scared of horses."​
 
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Seven days had passed. A week.

There was still no sign of any contact from Karoline. And frankly it wasn't soo bad, Mason would go as far to say that it was even nice. Obviously peaceful and quiet as well. Though he wasn't usually a big fan of quiet because it usually meant he was alone, he liked the type of quiet atmosphere he was surrounded by because he wasn't alone. Lainey was there.

Lainey's presence was, of course, a lot different's from his own girlfriend's, but it was nice. The most notable thing about it was that it didn't 'cause him any form of stress. The polar opposite of Karoline.

He had a decent, enjoyable week and he had thought to call Karoline and apologize, but he did not. He couldn't do that. She was the one in the wrong, sure he had on many occasions, if not all, apologized even if he was right. This time, however, she had not done wrong unto him, but Lainey. Forgiving her was not his place, besides, if he was, to be honest, he really didn't want to.

So, he waited for her to come back. And when he heard the knock at the door on Saturday morning he had assumed it was her.

"Hey - " He cut his own self off when he saw, not Karoline, but Harrison at his doorstep, wearing not only the angriest but most dangerous look. An immediate frown of confusion and shock formed on his face. "How do you - "

Before he could finish that sentence, Harrison shoved passed him, knocking him back a step or into and stormed into the house. Standing in the foyer, he gazed around swiftly, looking for something or someone.

"LAINEY!" He shouted loud enough for everyone in the neighborhood to hear. "LAINEY! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! GET THE FUCK OUT HERE!"
 
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Seven good days.

With the absence of Karoline and her bullying, Lainey was visibly happier. She found that she didn't need to rely on alcohol anymore, and the peace and quiet and freedom to peruse any book in the house took the place of the addictive substance upon which she had relied for years. Also, she found that Mason's presence was calming, as he was nice, and he didn't want anything from her.

She was still pregnant, of course, very much so. She was barely showing, but there was a small, visible protrusion between her hips that indicated the infant in her womb. She found that it wasn't that detrimental to her work just yet, as she could still move and lift things, so she didn't mind that much at the moment. She knew it was going to get harder but she didn't think about that in the moment.

She was cleaning the downstairs bathroom when she heard his voice and a feeling of terror soaked through the young woman. She was tempted to just lock the door and hide until Mason called the police but she had tried that before and that hadn't ended well for her. So she stood up and crept out to the kitchen.

He was standing there, looking furious, and Lainey was suddenly very aware of how the thin shirt she wore highlighted the tiny bump in her stomach, swollen with his child. Lainey hugged herself nervously and watched as Karoline walked in like she owned the place and set her purse down on the coffee table, took a can of Coke from the fridge and leaned against the bench to watch the show.​
 
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