Page 108 of Yours, Forever

His accent shone through. He opened his eyes to stare at me. Dark brown and intense, they held me in a vise.

"I'm going to make her happy. She won't leave me before the deadline. We will fulfill your nonsensical requirements, and you will have to fulfill yours or lose everything, anyway. And it's going to be your own doing." He clenched his jaw, before he let out a dark chuckle.

His eyes unfocused. "Fuck that. You did this when you cheated on Mom, and when your pride got in the way and you used me to get back at her. Yes, she used me to get back at you, too, but at least she protected me in the process. If I'm not just like you, it wasn't for your lack of trying. If I'm winning this absurd deal between the two of you, maybe it's the thing for which I owe you the most. De tal palo tal astilla, and you're a conniving—"

He pursed his lips and closed his eyes. I couldn't make out the words blaring off the phone, but my chest hurt for him.

I hugged him. I wrapped his waist with my arms and held him close, as he fought his dad and his machinations.

Max, still rigid, kept his position. I did too. He leaned against the wall, eyes closed, head on his arm.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. No idea. Keep her name out of your mouth. After all you did back then, all you've done since… you know nothing about love."

A knife pierced through my chest. His dad always talked of loving his mom, and he must have been aiming his words carefully to cut Max where it hurt him the most. Carlos must have been attacking Max's worth, Max's intentions, even his mom's intentions.

I embraced him, my forehead on his shoulder, hoping he'd feel it for the affection he needed.

"I won't," Max said, just as a knock interrupted us.

I let go of him and opened the door a crack.

"I'm so sorry," Lily said. "But I'm having an issue running a payment and there are two customers waiting..."

I clenched my jaw and nodded to her. When I turned to Max, his eyes avoided me. I hadn't realized he'd ended the call.

He put his phone in his pocket. "I'm going for a walk."

"Max—"

"Just the beach by Main Street. I'll be back later."

Without another word or a kiss goodbye, he walked out of the office, no jacket or anything.

I followed him, Lily at my heels.

Three customers waited for us, and I jerked to a stop. Max ignored everyone and strode out of the café toward the sea.

"Fuck." I scrambled to find my old card reader. I connected it to my phone and opened the right app. "Here you go. Use this, Lily. I'll figure it out later."

"But—" she said— "it's your phone—"

"I'll figure it out later. I'm going after Max."

Just like my husband before me, I ignored everyone's stares and left the café toward the Pacific.

Max stood by the breaking waves, right where he said he would be. Like he'd walked off Main Street onto the sand, and didn't stop walking until he had to, or he'd ruin another suit.

I watched him for a minute, my heart heavy. His hands were deep in his pockets, a tense line to his shoulders. When I walked the last few steps to him, I simply put my arm around his, and laid my temple on his shoulder.

He didn't look at me. "He offered me a new deal. He'll give me my second fund now, plus a ten percent bonus, and the inheritance to his personal assets. All I have to do is sign away my right to his company."

"If you don't sign it he can't do anything, right?"

He shook his head and sighed.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm not the only person with an asshole for a dad."