Page 110 of All That Remains
"We've gathered you all here today," Maxwell began, on Facetime from our manager's phone. I thought fleetingly: at least he didn't preface it with'Dearly beloved.'
"—because Roman is no longer with us."
In my head, I went straight to the worst possible interpretation of those words. Whether he was dead or alive, I buried my face into my arms atop the table.
"He has resigned. For good this time."
The relief that should’ve been present when I realized he wasn'tgone-gone, remained absent. My mind processed the news the same way. As though he had died. It was equally as devastating.
"What theactualfuck..." Alex balked. "Thatfookin'bastard...I knew he'd do it. I fookin' knew it!"
"What a fucking liar, mêt," Nathan chimed in, sullen for what seemed the first time since I met him. " I'm only saying. I knew he was lying—telling us he'd be back by South Africa."
"Un-freaking-believable..." Levi sighed. He sounded the least angry, but was equally disheartened.
"Boys...Boys...?" Maxwell continued, in his long-suffering way. "You and I both knew this day was inevitable. We've discussed it how many times now? Three, four, no?"
He was disconcerted. He no longer tried to project that classic Maxwell facade; one of impatience and apathy. He swallowed his pride and simply grieved with us.
"I understand why you're upset, believe me I do. No one here's more upset than I am—"
"Have you spoken to him?" Nathan asked.
"Of course. I wouldn't have broken the news without touching base—"
"What the fook did he even say, the lousy fooker?!" Alex ranted.
"He emailed first—no, he rang theoffice reallyearly yesterday and didn't get an answer, which is a shame. He didn't try my mobile either. He went straight to email. I think it was better for him that way. You know how he is... doesn't like to talk at all...especially not about things like this."
I sat there, tears puddling onto the table, drowning in the heat of my own breath inside my folded arms. I couldn't bear to lift my head and face them yet. They talked for a while before noticing I was dead silent.
"Rafe?Rafe?" Maxwell called.
"Rafe..." Nathan nudged me. "You good, mêt?"
I lifted my head and nodded and tried to clean my face with my shirt. I didn't realize I was beet red and openly crying in front of everyone. I was just too exhausted to pretend anymore. It was always so difficult to pretend I didn't care about that idiot.
Someone handed me a box of tissues and I took a few, although my shirt had already done the job. Someone rubbed my shoulder briefly from behind. It was Sal the photographer. He offered a weak smile before moving back to the flank of theroom with the rest of the crew. Everyone began to chime in, the hostility rising.
"I say we sue him. Take him for all he's worth—"
"He's just ungrateful, mêt, that's all," Nathan said.
"Always 'as been!" Alex agreed
"C'mon, just hang-on a bloody minute now, mate, " Levi insisted. "It'sRJwe're talking about here!RJ! Ourbrother! That'll never change. Everyone's just a bit flustered right now and we ought need to let the situationbreathe. You lads ought to be quiet, if I'm honest. You're saying things I know you'll later regret, and that’s the truth of it. Let's all gather our heads first. There's still a chance for him to come back, and as far as I'm concerned, there'll always be. The invitation'll remain open—"
"Precisely," Maxwell agreed. "We don't want to wish him ill. We've been at this together too long to desert him now—"
"Hedesertedus!" Alex asserted.
"Damn straight," Nathan agreed.
"Well, he's just being a bit irrational, is all. He’s impulsive, emotional. He's always jumping up the moment he's gotten upset and running away," Maxwell continued.
“A bloody child.”
"It never lasts," Sal added. “He always comes back.”
