Chapter 59
Alex
The sun burns on my skin as I work in the horse paddock. My hands move automatically, performing familiar tasks, but my mind is elsewhere.
I think back to last night and this morning, how I held Rosie close to me, cuddling her more than usual. I can't shake off that feeling of panic I experienced last evening, when I noticed her change in mood and how she pushed me away as soon as we entered the house. I was really scared.
I've never been such an insecure guy, but with Rosie... it's different. I'm too afraid. I keep thinking that at any moment she might realize she's too good for me, that I don't deserve her. It's a thought that torments me more than I'd like to admit.
Fortunately, she was just worried about Max.
Max... who, speaking of which, snaps me out of my thoughts.
I look up and see him, standing beyond the fence. He's wearing an elegant suit, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be dressed like that in the middle of summer, on a ranch. Only he could pull it off with such ease.
I observe him for a moment. Max always seems so unbeatable, invincible. He appears cold on the surface, but he's always been a good friend, a brother. He's always been there for all of us, even if he's not exactly the sentimental type. He always knows how to get out of any situation.
That's why I wrote to him about Rosie's resignation problem. I wanted advice on how to handle it. Max never responds to our joking messages in the group chat... I don't even know if he really reads them. Sometimes I wonder why he's still part of it, considering he's never replied to a single message.
He didn't even respond to my personal message... but I asked for help, and he showed up the next day. I know it's not a coincidence. That's how Max is: he never explicitly says he'll help you, he simply does it.
"Hey, Max," I greet him, approaching the fence.
Max doesn't return the greeting. Small talk isn't his thing. He looks at me with his penetrating eyes and simply says: "It's all taken care of."
His words completely throw me off guard. As always. I stare at him for a few seconds, trying to process the information.
"What... what do you mean by 'all taken care of'?" I finally ask, confusion evident in my voice.
Max slightly raises an eyebrow, as if surprised by my question. "The problem with Rosie's resignation," he responds flatly. "I made some calls. The company will accept her resignation without issues and without a notice period."
I feel my jaw drop. "But... how did you do it? I mean, thank you, but..."
Max waves his hand, as if to dismiss my questions. "It doesn't matter how. It's done."
I look at him, a mixture of gratitude and unease stirring inside me. Max has always had this effect on me: on one hand, I'm grateful for his help; on the other, his way of doing things, so efficient and mysterious, makes me uncomfortable.
"Thank you," I finally say, not knowing what else to add.
Max nods briefly, as if he had just performed the most mundane of actions.
I'm not surprised that he doesn't ask questions or make jokes about me being in love. His silence is simply his quiet approval. If he had had any problems with Rosie, he would have pointed them out without hesitation.
He turns to leave, but something compels me to stop him.
"Max," I call out. He stops, turning slightly toward me. "Will you stay until the wedding?"
As always, Max responds enigmatically. "Maybe," he says, his flat tone betraying no emotion.
Yet, despite his vague response, I already know how it will end. Maria will ask him to stay, and he won't be able to say no to her. He never has. There's always been something special about the bond between Max and Maria, something none of us has ever fully understood.
"Maria will want you to stay," I say, more as a statement than a question.
For a moment, I think I see a flash of... something in his eyes. Affection? Resignation? It's hard to tell with Max.
"Probably," he responds, and for an instant, his mask of indifference seems to crack slightly.
I nod, knowing this is the closest thing to confirmation I'll get from him.
Max has just left, leaving me with a strange mixture of gratitude and perplexity. I'm still trying to process everything that happened when I hear quick footsteps approaching. I turn to see Rosie running towards me, her face lit up with a radiant smile.
Before I can say anything, she throws herself into my arms, holding me tight. "Alex! Alex!" she exclaims, her voice vibrating with joy. "You won't believe it!"
I hold her back, savoring the warmth of her body against mine. "What is it, princess?" I ask, though I already have an idea of what it might be.
Rosie pulls back slightly, looking into my eyes with an expression of pure happiness. "My boss accepted my resignation!" she says, almost jumping with excitement. "They found a qualified replacement who can take my position immediately. They don't need any training, so... they simply accepted! I can leave right away!"
I try to look surprised, but I know I'm not a good actor. My smile is genuine - I'm truly happy for her - but my eyes probably betray the fact that this isn't entirely unexpected news for me.
"That's fantastic news, Rosie!" I say, hugging her again.
Rosie pauses for a moment, studying my face. "Alex," she says slowly, "you don't seem very surprised."
I sigh, knowing I can't hide the truth from her. "Well..." I begin, searching for the right words. "I asked Max for some help with the situation. He just stopped by and told me he had taken care of everything."
Rosie's eyes widen. "Max?"
I sigh, knowing I need to explain better. "Yes, I had asked him for advice on how to handle this situation. I didn't expect him to resolve everything himself..."
As I speak, I notice a change in Rosie's expression. Her radiant smile vanishes, replaced by a mixture of emotions I can't fully decipher. She seems angry, hurt, perhaps even disappointed.
"Wait," she says, taking a step back. "You asked Max for help?"
My heart sinks. I absolutely didn't want to make her angry or upset. "Rosie, I..."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she interrupts, her voice tense. "Why Max?"
I shake my head quickly, realizing that perhaps I've made a huge mistake. "I... I wanted to help you, resolve the situation. I couldn't stand seeing you so worried."
Rosie crosses her arms, her body language clearly defensive. "But why ask Max? Why not talk to me first?"
I run a hand through my hair, frustrated with myself for handling the situation poorly. "I don't know, Rosie. I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't want to make you angry or hurt you. I just wanted to help."
Rosie remains stone-faced. Her eyes are wide, and I'm seriously starting to panic.
"Hey baby, tell me what's going through your mind," I plead.
She stares at me for another long moment that feels like an eternity.
Finally, she speaks. "A lot of things are going through my mind, but above all, I still don't trust Max. I don't understand what magic he worked to make all this possible, and most importantly, I don't understand why you took over my problem and decided to solve it on your own out of nowhere."
Suddenly, fear grips me. I look at Rosie, studying her face. Her eyes, usually warm and welcoming, are now distant, clouded by a veil of disappointment and confusion. Her lips are pressed into a thin line, as if holding back a flood of words.
"It was our problem. And I tried to solve it. I told you I would find a way," I say sincerely.
Rosie seems even angrier.
"I thought you would support me and that we would figure something out together, not that you'd outsource everything to some random creepy guy!" she says, raising her voice.
"I..." I try to find the words, to reorganize my thoughts and fix this mess. "Max... he's like a brother to me... I just asked for advice. I didn't tell you because I hadn't received a response from him yet."
Rosie shakes her head, a mixture of frustration and sadness in her eyes.
"You assured me he wasn't shady..."
I feel a pang of pain at her tone. "He's not! I know you don't trust him..."
"Then tell me: how did he solve the problem?" she interrupts.
"I... I have no idea... I asked for advice, and he showed up here telling me everything was resolved."
"Seriously, Alex? And you expect me to believe there's nothing strange about his methods?"
She looks at me for a while... I shake my head. I know Max isn't an angel from heaven, but he's never gotten me into trouble... in fact, he's always gotten us out of trouble.
"And then it didn't occur to you that I might be perfectly capable of solving my own problems without asking for help around?"
She adds, even more indignant.
"Listen, Rosie... I don't know how Max did it, but he's not a bad person. I'm sure he found a legitimate way. I trust him. And I didn't mean to imply that you can't solve your own problems. You're an incredibly strong woman, and I'm sure you can handle anything... I just wanted to be there for you."
Rosie's eyes are glistening. I watch her take a small step backward, and here my world is about to crumble even more.
People fight... and this is just our first fight. I should stay calm, right?
"Ros," I try to say, but she interrupts me.
"I need to take a walk. I'll see you later," she says, continuing to shake her head.