Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
So, Maisie was wealthy.
Probably an heiress. No matter what she said.
And she was slumming it with him.
That was her big secret, and boy was it a doozy.
And what was he doing about it? Running away. Well, technically, driving, but it was still the same. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do when he got there; all he knew was that he didn’t want to see her or talk to her.
Or anyone.
Now all his friends knew the dirt about who Maisie really was and what a fool she’d made of him.
Awesome.
Two hours ago, he was feeling pretty damn good and looking forward to having dinner with Maisie and just having some alone time with her. He was happy. He had hoped that once whatever this crap was with her family was over, they could have something.
But now that he knew? It was so much worse than he had imagined.
She was rebelling against her parents and thought she’d have some fun with a guy like him.
“What a damn fool I am,” he murmured. “When am I ever going to learn? I’m not good enough for anyone. I don’t even know why I’m still freaking alive. No one would even miss me if I weren’t here.”
It was a pretty dark downward spiral he was on, but he couldn’t seem to stop it.
“It’s not like I’ve got any family. And once the resort is finished and open, there’s not going to be a need for me, so…what the hell am I even hanging around for?”
So, he continued to drive.
“Maybe I’ll go back to Baltimore. It wasn’t terrible.” But his heart had been set on making a home here in Harbortown.
Pfft…my heart was set on Maisie too…
He drove for another hour when he needed to stop for gas. Stepping out of the truck, he honestly had no idea where he was, but figured he’d have to find out and find a place to crash for the night. He was exhausted—mentally and physically—and just needed to stop and get his shit together.
After filling his tank, he got back in the truck and pulled out his phone to see if he could figure out where he was. While studying the GPS, his phone rang. And his smile was genuine when he saw his foster mother’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Joanne!” he said, driving the truck away from the gas pumps and parking in one of the spots along the side of the property. “How are you?”
“I’m good! You’ve been on my mind, and I was curious how the resort was coming along. You haven’t sent any pictures lately, and you know how I am. My curiosity always gets the best of me.”
That was a fact. And considering she and her husband Dave used to bring him to the Lakeview Harbor Resort a lot when he was growing up, she appreciated seeing all the work being done.
“We’re doing a lot of finishing work right now,” he explained. “Stuff that most people wouldn’t notice but still needs to be touched up.”
“Has the furniture arrived yet? I know you were looking forward to seeing the cabins get decorated.”
Thinking about that made him think of Maisie, and his heart kicked hard in his chest.
“Um…yeah. Some of it. Just for the lodge, though.” Swallowing hard, he asked, “How’s Dave? And Mark, Sharon, and the kids?”
“Everyone’s good,” she assured him. “You know, Montana is really growing on me. I know I’ve sent you pictures, but it would be wonderful if you came for a visit and experienced it for yourself.”
Maybe that’s where he’d go. Start fresh far away from Harbortown.
“Maybe,” he said, and hated how sad he sounded.
“So, how are you doing, Axel?” she asked, using her best mom tone. “I know you’re working hard, but you don’t sound quite like yourself. Is everything okay?”
No.
He swallowed hard again, unsure of how to answer. “I’m not having the best day,” he forced himself to say.
Joanne and Dave Blake had always been his safe space. They literally saved his life by taking him in, and even though it took him a long time to trust them, they never gave up on him.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Tell me what’s going on.”
And before he knew it, everything came spilling out—Maisie trying to break into the lodge, the interview, getting stranded together for the weekend, the fling…all of it up until today.
“So you have feelings for this girl beyond just a fling. Is that what you’re saying?”
He nodded. “It is.”
“I know you have some issues with trusting people, but maybe all the things she couldn’t tell you…”
“She’s an heiress,” he interrupted. “Although she claims she isn’t, everything else points to that.”
“Um…how…?”
He explained everything that happened today with him, Maisie, and…Bryce.
The fucker.
“Oh my goodness! That is just insane! That poor girl!”
“Poor girl?” he asked incredulously. “Joanne, she comes from the kind of wealth where two families need to merge so they can have mega wealth. I’m not seeing anything poor about Maisie’s life.”
“Axel, you’re lashing out, and I understand why.”
“It’s not…”
“You think you’re not good enough for her,” she said.
“Well, that’s what it feels like. And she was basically just using me to pass the time until she could get her life back.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why? Because that…that…Brett person said so?”
“It’s Bryce, and yeah! He knows her. I don’t. Why shouldn’t I believe what he said?”
“Because you spent a lot of time with Maisie! Do you think she’s that big of a liar? Has she done anything else that would lead you to believe that?”
“She lied to me, Joanne. About who she was and what was going on in her life.”
“Okay. That’s fair. But think about it from her side.
How mortifying it must be to admit that your own family found you so unlovable that they were willing to essentially pawn you off on a truly awful human being!
It sounds to me like they are the worst parents imaginable.
Who would put their child in that kind of a position? ”
“I guess,” he mumbled.
“I can’t think of one person who would want to admit something like that. Or anything even remotely similar.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that, but it didn’t matter because Joanne was on a roll.
“Now don’t take this the wrong way, but…do you tell every woman you just met about your childhood?”
“Jeez, Joanne…” Raking a hand through his hair, he let out a long breath.
“Think about it. There are things in our past or things that our family does to us that just aren’t something we broadcast. So she kept it to herself.
When you calm down and can think about it clearly, you’ll see that she was in self-preservation mode.
She was literally on the run and trying to save herself from an arranged marriage.
I didn’t even think things like that happened in real life! ”
“Apparently they do when you’re an heiress.”
“Axel,” she said with exasperation. “You’re being unreasonable. And that’s not like you.”
“I can’t help it. I feel like such a damn fool. And all the guys know about it. Hell, Connor knew it before I did and didn’t even have the decency to tell me. What kind of friend does that?”
“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Those boys…” She paused and laughed softly.
“Sorry, you’re all grown men now, but I still remember you all as boys.
Anyway, those boys are family to you. They’re like your brothers.
And you feel foolish and betrayed because they knew the truth about Maisie, and it makes you feel like they chose her over you. ”
Damn.
“You know you have abandonment issues. We went to therapy for it, and I know it helped, but Dr. Maxwell said it was something that may sneak up on you in relationships in the future.”
Double damn. He’d forgotten about his time working with Dr. Maxwell.
“So what am I supposed to do?” he asked earnestly. “I don’t like feeling like this. In fact, I hate it. The entire situation makes me feel useless and…and…” He let out a long breath.
“You are loved, Axel,” she said gently. “I know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but it’s true. We love you, and your friends love you. And I’d bet good money that if you gave Maisie a chance and truly listened to her, you’d find out that she loves you too.”
He greatly doubted that but kept that observation to himself.
“Where are you now?” she asked. “Are you in your cabin?”
“Um…actually, I’m several hours away from my cabin.”
“Oh, Axel. What did you do?”
“I had to get out of there, okay? I was freaking out, and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I just needed to get away.”
“Okay, okay. It’s alright. You got hit with a lot today. Do you think you’re ready to go back to the resort? I know the boys are worried about you.”
“What do you mean?”
She sighed. “Don’t be mad, but…Milo called me. They’re all worried about you and wanted to give you some space, but…he said you packed a bag and took off.”
“Then why did you ask if I was in the cabin?”
“I wanted to see if you were going to be honest with me. It’s an old mom trick.”
That made him chuckle. “You have a lot of them.”
“Yes, I do.” Another pause. “So? What are you going to do?”
“Honestly? I’m gonna crash somewhere for the night because I’m too exhausted to drive all the way back.”
“That’s sensible. No need to get into an accident because you’re driving tired.”
“Exactly.”
“May I offer a suggestion?”
He chuckled again. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Call the guys or text them and let them know you’re okay.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Good. And text me when you get to a hotel so I know you’re safe. Now I’m going to worry until you’re back at the resort.”
“Joanne…”
“Nope. You’re not going to talk me out of it. I’m a mom, and you’re one of my kids, so deal with it.”
That was the greatest reminder he’d heard all day.
“Thanks.”
They talked for a few more minutes, and as soon as they hung up, he searched for the nearest hotel and drove there. Fortunately, it was only ten minutes away. He was tired, hungry, and knew he needed to reach out in the group text to the guys and maybe eat a little crow.
Oh, there still needed to be a conversation between him and Connor, but not over the phone. It needed to be face-to-face.