Show me love.

Twenty Six

“Looky here.” Matthew whistles impressively with a dirty smirk hanging from his lips. My whole body ached from the riged state I held, my eyes still impressively trained on Jason. I couldn’t look away from his hurt filled eyes even though my chest ached terribly inside my empty chest. “Even brought an entourage, or is this your new security team ‘cause I gotta say - it’s pretty poor.” 

“What the fuck have you done?” David spits angrily, his eyes ablaze. 

Matthew is unfazed and rolls his eyes. “Trying to get rid of her. You’re lucky I didn’t call the police for trespassing.” 

“Not Frankie.” He growls. “With our fucking business. What gives you the right to hack into our accounts and steal our hard earned money? Who the fuck do you think you are?” 

He sits back at his desk and swings in his chair carelessly. “I, am Matthew Yates, son of the CEO of YL Founders. The company that your bastard dad stole from mine.” His finger points to Jason. “I am taking back what is rightfully his.” 

“Your dad’s company went bust because he drank his profits.” Jason bites. He stands tall, with no aggravated behaviour showing, unlike David who seems like a tiger ready to pounce. “Instead of investing with my dad’s company, he drank it. I have the contracts to prove it. I have the papers that show your dad rejected my dad’s proposal. My dad didn’t ruin anything - yours did.” 

“That isn’t true.” 

“It isn’t?” Jason was quick. “Ring him.” 

“What?” 

“Ring your dad.” He says. “Ring him and ask him. Ask him about the Hampton’s contract, about why he was late to that meeting, about why he finally turned up drunk, about why he crushed the contract up and threw it away.” 

I have never seen Matthew speechless and I’ve also never seen him so angry. 

"You think you've got everything." Matthew growls, shaking his head in utter anger. Suddenly, the devious smile overcomes him. "I had everything before you." 

"What are you talking about?" 

Suddenly, it was Paul to snap. "You haven't told him?" 

I gulp back the extreme knot in my throat, my body going into uncontrollable shakes. All attention was on me. Their eyes diverted to me, but I couldn't focus on anyone but him. Jason. My Jason. Standing so confused and broken. 

"Haven't told me what?" He asked, his voice stripped back from all type of emotion. "Told me what, Frankie?" 

Tears welled in my eyes and drip down my cheek unintentionally. My chest felt like a boulder was weighing on it, squeezing my lungs and crushing my heart. 

"Jason.." I gasped, my shaking voice deceiving me. "I wanted to tell you.." 

"Tell me what?" His voice was hard and strong, masking his own emotions but not enough to disguise the sheer heartbreak in his eyes. 

I was breaking him. 

"Francesca!" 

My body froze, my lip uncontrollably quivering as the tears flowed freely. In over a year, Jason has never, ever, called me my real name. No one had except my mom. 

His authority. His anger. His pure disappointment crushed me. 

Matthew laughed from his seat. "Well, well, well - looks like you two aren't as perfect after all." 

"I did this for you.." I whisper to him. "To protect you. To protect us."

Then, like a lightbulb moment, Jason realised. His eyes slightly widened and his mouth dropped agape. Realisation finally sunk in.