Page 139 of When Hearts Collide
“Keep them coming.” I motion to Maxwell. I deserve it.
His eyes flash, and he shucks off his leather jacket in a swift motion. The crowd is converging on us now; some folks with their cell phones held high.
“If any of you dares to film anything, your membership to The Orchid will be revoked and you’ll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life,” Ethan growls and hulks toward the nosy interlopers. “Now get out of here. There’s nothing to see.”
“I’m standing here, Maxwell. I won’t fight back.”
Maxwell charges me and slams into my chest, knocking me onto the pavement. He straddles my torso and rains his fists on my chest, each jab and hook hitting directly on target.
My body flinches at each punch, the pain sending tears to my eyes, but my body and mind must have disconnected, because I find the strangest urge to laugh.
Delirious chuckles rip from my lips as I flinch under him, my hands not blocking his assault.
“Fuck. You guys, stop it. What are you, fifteen? This doesn’t solve anything,” Charles hollers while prying a furious Maxwell off me.
Maxwell shakes Charles off, stalks back, and stands over me, his penetrating eyes boring into mine.
He shakes his head in derision. “You know, Ryland, I’m not upset you fell in love with a woman. Someone who happens to be a student. I’m actually fucking happy for you, because you get to do something I want to do but can’t!” His eyes are wild, his chest stretching the confines of his black T-shirt.
He spits on the ground and continues, “What I’m so fucking disappointed with is how you handled this situation. Instead of facing the problem like a man, you chose to hide. You left the crap for all of us to clean up instead of coming to us for help. You left your woman to deal with the press all by her fucking self! That is not how Anderson men are raised!”
Maxwell leans down, his teeth flashing in a snarl. “We are your family. There’s nothing you say that’ll make us think anything less of you. Yes, our reputation and the company are important, but nothing is more important than the people in this family.”
His nostrils flare, the anger pouring out of him in torrents. “I knew you were going through things. I tried giving you space so you’d come talk to me. I tried pleading with you to tell me what was bothering you. But no, you decided to mope and become this martyr…for what!”
He heaves out a deep breath. “I don’t pity you. I’ve never resented you for being the second-born, never once blamed you for that stupid boar attack. I’ve always, always wanted you to live your best life, your happiest life because I love you, brother.”
Ethan sighs, his hand clasping my shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze, as if to support me.
Maxwell shakes his head. “I had to learn from Grace and Tay how you felt about working at Fleur. How you were suffocating because you hated your job. How you were desperate to be in academia but never had the guts to tell us. And now, with the scandal and the press breathing down our backs, the IPO hanging by a thread, you chose to hide. You’re a fucking coward, Ryland Anderson, and I don’t feel sorry for you. At. All!”
He leans down and grabs the collar of my shirt. “Do you know the woman you love is suffering too? I’ve kept tabs on her because she doesn’t deserve this anymore than you do. Grace and Tay have been keeping her company. Do you know she cries herself to sleep and yet, she’s strong enough to face the whispers, the murmurs, the questions from the press each day? You don’t deserve her, Ryland.”
I don’t. That much is true. “I had to leave her, Maxwell. Let the press think I’m the bad guy. Eventually, this will blow over and she can continue with her life and achieve her dreams and—”
“Who the fuck made you the arbiter of her hopes and dreams? Who gave you the right to decide for everyone else?”
His chest heaves from exertion as he stabs his finger at my chest. “When you decide to be a fucking man about all this, come find me. Until then, I’m so extremely disappointed in you.”
Without another word, he turns around and stalks back toward the car he exited from.
Rex lets out a low whistle. “Damn. I wouldn’t want to be his kid when he becomes a dad later. He’s got the whole parental disappointment thing down pat.”
My lips twitch in an effort to smile, but everything just hurts like hell.
Steven motions to Maxwell. “I’m going with him to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” He looks at me. “Ryland, we love you, man. He loves you. I think the stress of the IPO stall has been getting to him. Things will be okay. Hang in there. We’ll fix this.”
He hurries toward my twin.
I slowly sit up, my head feeling very much like the punching bag from the gym earlier today, an incessant ringing reverberating in my ears.
Be a fucking man. Maxwell’s words echo in my mind.
I look at the guys to find Ethan’s brows pinched, his lips curving in a small, reassuring smile, Rex pulling at his hair, his devil-may-care attitude nowhere to be seen, Charles letting out a deep sigh and patting me on my shoulder.
They may be disappointed. They may be angry. But they haven’t left. The family is still intact. The company is still running without me.
Be a fucking man.
