Chapter Twenty

Maverick

I hate not knowing what I should do right now. Do I keep trying to reach her? Do I wait for her to come to me? What if that never happens? I can’t just let her go. Our relationship definitely wasn’t perfect, but that doesn’t mean I want her out of my life. If anything, it means I want her in my life more. And that’s the plan. Find a way to help her understand that before she writes me out forever. Show her that I’m not giving up.

I glance out the window from my spot behind the wheel. The last time I came here, I had to beg her to let me in and I even attempted to use work as an excuse. Now, though, there is no excuse for her to let me through her front door. I could plead a hundred reasons why she should, but she’s so stubborn, I’ll need at least a thousand to convince her to let me stand in the doorway. I’d stand there for two thousand if it means she’ll talk to me.

Before I can let myself think too much more on the matter, I head for the welcome mat. It’s been more than a week since the fiasco at MM. I can’t believe I waited this long.

I’ve barely got three knocks in before the door swings open. Abby stands in front of me in nothing but a t-shirt that hangs off her shoulder. Her arms are crossed and there is crease between her eyes as she scowls at me. My first reaction is to step back, but I don’t because then Tyler steps up behind her. The pity smile he gives me is the complete opposite of Abby’s.

“I need to talk to Beth,” I say.

“She isn’t here.”

“Abby, please.”

“She isn’t here,” she repeats.

“I understand if she doesn’t want to see me, but I can’t not try.”

“Maybe you should just stop doing shithead things and then you wouldn’t have to try so hard,” Abby says.

She’s right. But she’s also not the person I should be talking to right now.

“She really isn’t here, man,” Tyler says, opening the door wider for me.

“Since when are you allowed to let people into my apartment?” Abby snaps at him.

“Since he clearly needs someone to talk to and normal fucking people are there for their friends.”

“Oh my god. I am not having this conversation with you again. You can both leave!”

Abby storms off to her room, slamming the door. Tyler grabs his coat off the rack and steps out the door like it’s the most normal thing in the world for her to yell at him.

“Abby sort of told me what happened, but I’m sure your side is different,” he says. We make it just outside the apartment buildings door when Abby comes out behind us.

“Let’s go get coffee,” she says to me. She rolls her eyes, just like Beth, as she looks at Tyler. Now I’m wondering who taught who, or if it’s a natural woman thing. “You can come, but this is only to talk about Beth and him. All other subjects are off limits no matter what I say. Got it?”

“Sure thing,” Tyler agrees.

I follow behind them as we walk toward the coffee shop.

“So what were you planning to say to Beth when you got here?”

“Where is she?” I ask instead of answering.

“She’s with her mom, jackass. You should know that.”

“Already?”

“Yeah, she left the day after you ruined her.”

That hurt.

“When will she be back?” I ask.

“No clue.”

“She’s your roommate; she didn’t tell you?”

“Maybe.”

“Abby, just tell him,” Tyler says.

“No, he doesn’t deserve to know.”

“Well, tell me where her mom lives. I’ll go to her there,” I say.

Abby laughs. “Yeah, right. So you can make things worse.”

“I’m trying to make things better. A little help would be nice.”

“You don’t deserve nice.”

I stop walking. Talking to Abby is pointless. She isn’t going to help me.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I say and turn back for my truck.

“For what?” she shouts.

“To ask again.”

“I won’t tell you.”

“Then I’ll keep coming back until you do.”

She doesn’t say anything more after that. I get inside my truck and head for my place. On second thought, I’ll head for the BA. Someone is bound to help a guy out.

I’m about to go inside when I my father’s name pops up on my cell.

“Dad, did you find something?” I ask. We’ve been waiting to hear back from security about the tapes we are having reviewed. They’ve had to replay some of them more than once. Turns out, what happened to Beth wasn’t the only suspicious activity going on at MM. Dad didn’t go into detail, he just kept assuring me we’d find something soon.

Since he’s decided to stay in Wind Valley till everything is straightened out, his stress level has been going through the roof. I’ve offered him my help, even if I’m taking some time off, but he doesn’t want it. He thinks it’s good for me to free up my schedule from the company for a while. What I think he really means is get the girl and then we can talk about where I stand with a job.

His signature drawn-out sigh comes through the phone. “Unfortunately, we did.”

Fuck. I lean against my driver door. This doesn’t sound good.

“I know you’re taking time off, but I’m going to need you today. Think you can meet me at the office within the next thirty minutes?”

“Of course,” I answer.

“I’ll see you then,” he says and the line goes silent.

Wow.

This really can’t be good.

* * *

My father is pacing the lobby when I arrive at the office.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

“You know someone your whole life and just when you think they can’t give you any more surprises, they pull a move with such betrayal, I don’t even know where to begin.”

I survey the room around us. No one else is down here.

“I’m not following you,” I tell him.

Another sigh.

“Just follow me and please understand that what I’m about to do is something I wish I would never have to do.”

One elevator ride later and were standing in my uncle’s office with him and Austin.

“Explain yourself,” my father’s voice booms as the giant folder in his hands lands on Bart’s desk with a loud smack.

My uncle looks between me and my father. He doesn’t touch the stack of papers before he says, “I told you once, Bill, Maverick isn’t fit for this company.”

Bart steps to the side of his desk and sits on the corner. “Do you need me to go into detail?”

“Cut the shit,” my father snaps and the room goes silent.

Dad’s swearing. That’s it.

I grab the folder and start filtering through it. Screenshots of Bart and the woman from Colorado. The one I slept with. The one who landed me in the recruitment program. There’s snapshots of him handing her a small, white envelope.

Next I find pictures of him stealing money from the receptionist desk. And of him in my office. I glance to the date. July 2. The same day the email was sent out to the woman who arrived at the Fourth of July event.

My hands move quicker until I find what I’m looking for. The shot of him leaving a yellow folder on my desk and the one of him sitting at Beth’s computer just hours before our presentation.

I set the folder back on his desk and step back, swallowing as I clench my fists and refraining from looking at him. I will hit him if I see his face.

This entire time, I thought this was all Austin’s doing, but it wasn’t. It was Bart.

“Explain,” my father demands again. “Stop,” he says and our attention turns to the door. Austin stands there looking just as guilty.

“Bill, I needed you to see that Maverick isn’t fit to lead this company.”

“You set me up to fail!” I yell. “You hurt people and ruined careers for what? So you could have some control.”

“I should be the next president in line at this company. Not you!”

“Enough!” my father cuts us both off. “I had Ann pull the numbers, Bart. The amount of money you have stolen could land you in jail for a long, long time.” He eyes my cousin. “I have no doubt that being an accomplice wouldn’t be much less.”

Bart takes a step toward my father and I take a step toward him. “You’re going to put your own brother in jail?” he asks.

“If that’s the only choice you leave me.”

Bart lets out a huff as he grabs his coat off his chair and heads for the door where Austin is still waiting.

“I will expect your resignation letter in my email first thing in the morning,” Dad says.

The room falls eerily quiet when we are alone.

“A little warning would have been nice,” I say, attempting to lighten the mood. He smiles, but it doesn’t last long.

“This was supposed to be a family business.”

“Tiff still works here.” My sister will be dying to hear what happened.

“And you.” He looks up. “This office will need someone to replace your uncle. I couldn’t imagine a better fit.”

“What? Dad, you just—”

“I know. But I’ve also never felt more confident that I am in knowing you are the best fit as vice president of Mitchell Marketing.”

My blood pumps through my veins. And there is one person I want to share this news with more than anything.

“Can I think about it?” I ask.

He nods and I head for the door.

“Where are you going?” he asks.

“I have a phone call to make.”

Beth

The teakettle screams over the stove and I rush to switch it to another burner before the noise wakes my mother. This is my life now. Tea. I make it at least four times a day.

Drinking this soothing hot water is the only thing keeping me sane. Especially when my mother is livid with me and yells at me every time she looks at me. I’m the devil child who abandoned her and who supports my father’s new engagement. Yep, he’s engaged. My mother thinks I know because I keep in touch with my father, but really, I know because of Facebook. His fiancé and I are friends. Although I’m not so sure how far you could go calling us that when we met once in person and the remainder of our relationship is social media.

Mom thinks I have a close relationship with my father. She’s wrong about that, too. I haven’t spoken to him in more than a year.

I sip the warm liquid and sit on the couch. I’ve had plenty of time to think here. Plenty of time to put my thoughts together.

It should bother me that my relationship with my family isn’t the average American ideal. We don’t call or text each other daily to stay in touch and we don’t plan events so that we can see each other. No one, expect maybe my brother, even knows what I went to school for. That’s my normal world, and after watching the way Maverick acted just to please his father, I can’t deny that my way isn’t such a bad way to live life.

“Beth!” Her shrill voice makes my skin crawl, but she’s Mom. And even if she’s going to scream at me for the next hour, I’ll let her. Eventually she will grow used to not drinking and maybe one day she’ll even thank me for it.

“Hey, Mom, how was your nap?” I ask.

“Same as it was yesterday when you asked and the day before that and the day before that,” she answers.

“Well, then I’d say you should be pretty well rested by now.” I mean it as a joke, but I don’t think she heard it that way.

“Huh, you think you’re so smart,” she says. It’s full of sarcasm, but for the first time this week, at least she isn’t yelling.

“On some things,” I say, looking away as I smile. I don’t know why I have to make it worse on myself.

“No, you’re not,” she says.

“Mom, can I get you something?” I ask. I don’t really feel like sitting here to listen to her tell me how dumb I am.

“You can tell me why you’re here. Then maybe I’ll know why you made such a dumb decision to come here.”

“I’m here because you need me,” I say.

“No, no, don’t give me that answer.”

“I don’t have another one.”

“Since the minute you got here, you’ve done nothing but mope. I’m sad, but I look nothing like you.”

All I can do is stare at her. We can lose touch, but she still knows how to read me. Telling her I’m here because naked pictures of me were sent around the office where I was trying to get a job, which resulted in me not so pleasantly being asked to leave the building, isn’t something I want to talk to her about. And I sure as fuck am not going to tell her it’s all because of a boy. She’s a drunk because my father left her. Anything she would have to say to me wouldn’t help the situation.

“Well, I’ll try to look happier,” I say and force a smile.

“And I’ll try to believe you.” She leans back on her bed and closes her eyes. I take this as my cue to leave.

“Beth,” she says. Her eyes are still closed.

“Yes?”

“A man can only control your heart for so long. Don’t let it go on as long as I did. And if you love him, make it work. Don’t lose it all because you’re too afraid of what might happen.”

She rolls to her side, giving me her back. I close the door but keep looking at the handle.

Every person has a story and right now, I’m figuring out that I never asked my mother what hers is. Maybe tomorrow. That’s when I’ll take the first step to mend our relationship. And maybe reconsider another.

I head down the hallway, my phone buzzing on the kitchen table drawing my attention. The number is one I don’t recognize.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Beth Moyer?”

“Yes,” I say cautiously to the unfamiliar voice.

“This is Don Jackson, with TACM. How are you today?”

My body perks up and I stop walking toward the living room.

“I’m doing well. How are you?”

Oh my gosh, I sound so lame.

“I’m doing well. Look, I’m contacting you today in regard to the presentation you sent over in an email a couple of days before the we met at the MM office.”

Shit. Maverick had mentioned sending the presentation to them prior to the meeting. I completely forgot.

“Yes, I—”

“We loved it, although we are a bit surprised that you weren’t the one presenting it.”

They what?

“There was a mix-up at the office” is all I can think to say.

“That’s some mix-up.” He laughs. “Still, your work proved to be exactly what we were looking for. We’d like to offer you a position with us, as head of marketing.”

“Wow, I don’t know what to say. This is amazing, but I didn’t put that presentation together by myself.”

“Yes, a Maverick Mitchell, as it said in the email.”

“That’s right.”

“At this time, we have only one position available.”

“I’ll take it.” The words rush out my mouth.

“Great, we’ll be in touch later this week with more details and a potential start date.”

“Thank you,” I say and hang up.

Wow. I just got a job.

One of the things I’ve tried to accept since I’ve been here is that everything happens for a reason. Talk about a girl with a life full of clichés, but sometimes, clichés are real life. It’s not the job I first dreamed of, but it’s one I know I’ll be happy with. Perhaps I wasn’t meant to work at MM. And maybe meeting Maverick was what was supposed to show me I didn’t belong there.

I sit on the couch and let that sink in. It’s not possible. Even after everything, my heart still aches over what I lost with Maverick. I met him because I was supposed to. After that … well, that was just us messing things up.