Mrs Branch closes the door when Maximus thanks her, before turning to Miles as he points to one of the chairs on the opposite side of his desk. “It’s nice to see you again, Miles. Please, have a seat.”
Miles ignores Maximus completely and walks over to where I’m standing, his brows pinched in confusion. “Court, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
His words sound almost panicked, which only makes me feel worse. I take hold of one of his hands and give him a small, tight smile, as that’s the best I can do.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, as I lead him over to the chairs. He takes one and I sit in the other, but we both stay turned towards each other.
“You don’t sound fine. You look pale as a sheet. What’s going on, Courtney? You’re making me nervous.”
I squeeze his hand reassuringly as I pull in a ragged breath, trying to slow down my racing heart. “It’s nothing bad. I just have some stuff I want to talk to you about.”
Miles’ eyes narrow on me, and he casts a suspicious glance at Maximus, no doubt wondering why he’s here too. I asked him to be, for support, but he obviously doesn’t know that.
“You know you can tell me anything,” Miles says, sounding just like the big brother who has come to my rescue more times than I can count.
“You might not like what I have to say, but I want you to promise that you’ll let me tell you the whole story, and that you’ll hear me out before you get judgemental,” I tell him, fixing him with a hard stare, so he knows this is no-negotiable.
“Okay,” he replies, dragging the word out.
I take in a deep breath and flick my gaze over to Maximus. He’s staring at me with nothing but love and adoration written across his features, and when he nods at me in encouragement, he gives me the strength I need to find my voice.
“Maximus and I are in a relationship. We have been for the last few months, but we’ve been keeping it quiet because we weren’t ready for people to know. Wewanted to explore this thing between us, just the two of us, before we told people about it. But now we’re both sure how we feel, we have no reason to keep it hidden any longer.”
A barrage of emotions flicker across Miles’ face, almost like a comical flip chart, and he doesn't seem to be able to decide which one to land on. Mostly he seems confused, but there’s a lot of anger thrown in too, so I’m not at all surprised when his expression turns hard and he glares between us.
“What the fuck? You two are fucking?” he snaps, pointing between us.
Maximus leans forward, looking threatening as he says, “We aren’t just fucking. It’s more than that.”
Miles’ eyes widen comically, and he turns to me before shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t… I don’t… I’m not sure what the hell to say.”
I squeeze Miles’ hand, but he pulls away from my touch, and I wince as my heart aches from his dismissal. “I’m sorry. I know this is a lot.”
His face twists into disgust as he glares at me. “It’s more than a fucking lot, Courtney. What the hell are you thinking? He’s old enough to be your fucking dad.”
His anger hits a nerve with me, and I fight for my relationship. “I’m very aware of how old he is, Miles, and I don’t care. Maximus is good to me. He takes care of me and makes me feel more beautiful than I ever thought possible. We aren’t just messing around. I love him, and he loves me.”
As soon as I say the last sentence, Miles seems to deflate, looking almost lost as he flicks his gaze between us. “You love him?”
I nod. “More than I thought was possible.”
He screws his eyes shut, like hearing my truth is painful for him. When he opens them again, he addresses Maximus. “Do you feel the same about her?”
Maximus doesn’t hesitate. “I do. I love her, and I want to be with her for as long as she’ll have me.”
Miles lets out a huff that turns into a long sigh. “I don’t know what to say,” he admits, as he runs his fingers through his hair, leaving it disheveled.
I reach over and grab his hand again, smiling when he lets me lace our fingers together instead of pushing me away.
“I’m telling you this because you’re my brother, and you mean the world to me. I want you to be happy for me—for us—and to accept our relationship. I’m not asking for your permission or approval, as I don’t need it, but I’d really love it if you could give it, anyway.”
Miles lifts his lips into a tight smile that I can see is painful for him, but I know he’s trying, and that’s all I can ask for. He’s silent for a while, just looking between us, like he might find something new if he looks hard enough.
Eventually, he lets out another sigh as he squeezes my hand. “I can’t promise I’ll be okay with it straight away, but I will try. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
I lean forward and throw my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug as I press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper into his ear, before pulling away and sitting back in my chair.
Miles then turns to Maximus, his expression stern once more. “I have respect for you as my boss, but we’re not having this conversation in a professional capacity. Right now, you’re my sister’s boyfriend, and I’m her protective older brother.
