Chapter 12 #2
As soon as he was checked in and in his room, he tossed his duffel bag aside, flopped down on the bed and pulled out his phone. First, he texted Joanne to let her know he had arrived safely and even gave her the name of the hotel. Then he opened up the group chat with the guys.
Axel: Hey. Just wanted to let everyone know I’ll be back tomorrow.
He figured no one would respond right away—probably because they all thought he was an asshole—but little dots immediately danced on the screen.
Walker: Are you okay? Where are you?
Walker: If you want to come back tonight, I swear we’ll all give you your space.
“Crap.” Sighing loudly, it hit him that he’d been a dick to Walker for no reason. He wasn’t the one Axel had an issue with.
It was Connor.
All Connor.
And maybe a little at Milo.
Axel: I’m already checked into a hotel. I was driving aimlessly and went farther than I realized. I’ll be back tomorrow.
And before he forgot…
Axel: Sorry I bailed like that.
Walker: Totally understandable. I know I wanted to bail more than once.
Axel: Yeah, but you didn’t.
Walker: My situation wasn’t the same.
Slater: We’re just glad you’re okay. I went over and talked to your crew and made sure they stayed on task today.
Shit. He’d completely forgotten about them.
Axel: Thanks. I appreciate it.
Walker: I’m just gonna throw something out there. And don’t get pissed.
Axel chuckled because that was a guarantee that he was going to be pissed.
Walker: Maisie was really upset that you left.
Walker: I get why you’re upset with her, but you should talk to her.
“Dude, you just don’t get it,” he murmured wearily.
Walker: You once gave me the same advice about Harlow, so…again, I’m just returning the favor.
Axel: I’m not sure I’m ready.
Walker: That’s fair.
Slater: You’ll feel better after a night away and a good night’s sleep. Maybe go out and get a decent meal too. We’ve got everything under control here.
Axel: Maybe. We’ll see.
Axel: I’ll see you guys before lunch.
Tossing the phone down, he thought it was funny—you know, in an ironic way—that neither Milo nor Connor joined the conversation.
“Because those assholes know what they did was wrong.”
But…was it?
The thought hit him out of nowhere.
What if…what if it was all true? What if Maisie was really being used by her family for the sake of a business deal and she had to run away to see if she could make it on her own?
Was decorating the resort her first step toward freedom?
And maybe because Connor’s family possibly ran in the same social circle… shit.
“Have you ever been desperate, Axel? Have you ever just needed someone to give you a chance or give you a damn break? Do you think I enjoy having to grovel and beg like this? Because let me tell you, I don’t.
It’s degrading and…and…What have you got to lose, huh?
I get that a bigshot like you probably has no idea what I’m feeling because you’ve never lost anything, but… ”
The conversation from the day they met came to mind. He knew right then and there she was dealing with something terrible, but he never would have guessed it was the situation he learned about today.
“I need this job, Axel. Like…honestly and truly need this job. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to bring it up, but…
what else are we supposed to talk about?
We’re essentially trapped here together, and I could keep making pointless small talk, but this is seriously a matter of life and death.
I can’t tell you why, but you have to believe me.
Decorating the Lakeview Harbor Resort would…
” Pausing, she sighed loudly. “It would completely transform my life.”
And if she truly wasn’t a liar, then he was totally screwed.
“You may not believe it, but you are a dream guy. If my life wasn’t so damn screwed up right now, you’d be my dream guy.
Don’t you get it?” she went on. “I told you that first day how desperately I needed this job. Like…life or death needed it. My situation with my family is…well, let’s just say that this job will give me the freedom I need to get away from what’s going on there.
It’s messy and it’s awful and…I can’t bring anyone else into it.
” Pausing, she met his gaze. “Not even you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you or that I regret being with you.
I’ve missed you every day since I left the resort. You have to believe me.”
Groaning, he regretted pretty much everything he did after their initial sighting of Bryce. And he knew he had to do something about it.
Now.
Picking up his phone, he called Maisie, but it went directly to voicemail. He didn’t have the guts to leave a message, so he did the only thing he could and texted.
Axel: Hey. I’m sorry. More than you know.
Axel: Call me. Please. I’ll gladly grovel.
He was about to put the phone down when he added one more text.
Axel: I’m so sorry, beautiful girl. Please tell me I didn’t screw this up.
Now all he could do was wait.
Maybe it was the adrenaline from everything that just happened, but when she answered the phone, she felt like she had nothing to lose and was prepared to stand up for herself in a way she never had before.
Her hand shook as she answered, and Connor, Milo, and Walker had walked out of the room to give her some privacy.
“Hello?”
“Maisie, it’s your father,” he said in his usual stiff and cool voice.
“I know, Dad,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m…” He paused for what she assumed was dramatic effect. “I’m impressed.”
Her eyes went wide. “Oh, really? Why?”
“You’ve been busy while you’ve been gone. I don’t know how you pulled this off and found out the information on the Chadsworths, but it was effective and, sadly, accurate.”
“Mm-hmm…”
“It appears I missed some very crucial signs, and your little act of rebellion just saved me millions of dollars.” Another pause. “So, I guess I owe you my thanks and gratitude.”
Now she rolled her eyes. It was like talking to a stranger.
“How did you miss any of it?” she asked, well, demanded.
“You were not only looking to do business with that family, but you were willing to essentially use me as a pawn to do it. I would think you would be slightly curious about the kind of family you were forcing your only daughter to marry into.”
Silence.
“It’s bad enough that you chose to overlook the many accusations that were made against Bryce by multiple women…”
“Maisie, I…”
But she wasn’t listening. It was her turn to speak.
“You chose the lies of a sociopath over your own daughter’s pleas. A stranger with criminal behavior against women and you still put him on a pedestal while treating me like I was the one with the problem. Do you have any idea how you’ve made me feel?”
She heard him clear his throat. “Um, I suppose I didn’t see it from your point of view. I wanted to give you more stability.”
“More stability?” she asked with near hysteria.
“I’ll admit that the Quinnland fortune is massive, and it’s enabled me to have a very privileged life.
But I don’t need access to the family empire.
And honestly, I don’t want it. I have a trust fund that will come to me in a few years that will be more than sufficient along with my design career. ”
“Why would you want to work? Don’t you see? That’s what I was trying to avoid for you. You’re a Quinnland. You shouldn’t have to work.”
“Did you ever think to ask if I wanted to? Did you ever once think to ask what I wanted for my life?”
“Your mother and I have always known what’s best for you.”
“No, you haven’t. You’ve always done what’s best for the two of you.
You sent me away to school, you chose my college, you chose my friends, and you hid me away like a dirty little secret because I’m not some tiny little debutante on a reality show.
You’re ashamed of me, which is kind of ironic because that’s exactly how I feel about you. ”
“Now listen to me…”
“No, you listen to me,” she said sternly.
“There is nothing wrong with me. There has never been anything wrong with me, no matter what you think. You look at my weight and the fact that I’m not some willowy model as if it’s some sort of crime against you.
Your focus is seriously warped because look around, Dad.
The people that you praise, the people that you’re so desperate to be connected to, are actual criminals.
They’re the ones who want nothing more than to use you, steal from you, and toss you aside.
” She paused as tears stung her eyes. “All I ever wanted from you is love. I didn’t realize it was so hard for you to give it.
I didn’t realize I was so unlovable that you’d sell me off. ”
“That wasn’t what we were doing,” he said quietly.
“Yes. Yes, it was. You wanted something from the Chadsworths and you were giving me to them as part of the deal. Like I was something you had to get rid of in an exchange of dirty money.” Her voice cracked.
“And the worst part is that you’ll never see it.
You’ll never understand. You’ll always twist the narrative so it seems like you were doing this for me, not to me. ”
“Maisie, I…I think you’re a bit emotional right now.”
“Ya think?” she asked sarcastically. “Of course I’m emotional! These last few months have been a nightmare for me, and no one cared!”
“We just thought you were being difficult because, well…just because.”
“Bullshit.”
“Language, young lady. You can be angry with me but watch how you speak.”
“Or what?” she asked with a mirthless laugh. “You’ll disown me? That threat’s growing thin and boring.”
“I did not raise you to be this disrespectful. Your mother told me about her conversation with you at your cousin’s wedding, and she warned me of your attitude, but I didn’t think you’d dare use it on me.”
“And I didn’t think my parents would sell me to a rapist,” she countered.
She could hear her father sputtering for a moment before he tried a new tactic.