Page 83 of The Ruthless and the Strong

Max

By the timethe dishes were all washed, the leftovers were put back in the fridge, and the house was somewhat clean, I was fucking exhausted.

All I wanted was for everyone to leave, save for Lizzie and Hunter.

They belonged here. With me, where I could keep them safe.

I almost hated the thought that Lizzie would have to leave with Hunter tonight, and I would be sleeping in my bed alone.

I almost wished I could be selfish this one time and ask her to stay. Ask her to move her things and Hunter’s things here and stay here with me. For a lifetime.

It was barely past seven, but Mason and Olivia would want to go home soon, because Emma was currently on her father’s lap, fighting off sleep. Lizzie would probably go home early as well since Hunter was currently sleeping with his head on her thighs.

I didn’t want her to leave.

I wanted her to stay, and I would put up with all these people in my house a little while longer if it meant she was here, even if we had barely said more than three sentences to each other all day.

It had been a crazy day. I wanted this day to continue and never end. I didn’t want to be alone.

Not in this big house, alone with my thoughts and memories of all the things I had done in my past that proved I wasn’t good enough for her or him. If I were a better man, I would walk away from them.

I wasn’t a better man.

I looked out at the window in my kitchen that faced the backyard and watched as they all sat in a circle, talking and laughing. Part of me wanted to go out there and join them, but I was enjoying my solitude here.

I knew the irony in my thoughts.

Not wanting to be alone in this house, yet I separating myself from everyone the first chance I got.

Mason looked up, and I was sure he couldn’t see me from the window, considering the lights in the kitchen were off, but then he said something to Olivia before handing a yawning Emma to her and standing up.

I watched as my little brother made his way inside the house. I didn’t turn around when I heard him enter the kitchen.

He didn’t say anything to me for a beat.

We hadn’t exactly talked about what happened at the gym the other day. Like most of our fights growing up, we would stop talking about it until we both could move on and be friends again.

Perhaps it wasn’t a healthy way to deal with conflict, but fuck if I wanted to have a heart to heart with him. I knew he felt the same way. Talking about our feelings just wasn’t the way we were raised, not with ourstrict and very traditional father. I didn’t know how to be anything other than a reflection of the stoic man who had raised me.

Mason walked over to me and looked out the window. He placed two beers down on the counter and I grabbed one, clicking it with his.

“Cheers,” I said, taking a long sip.

“Cheers,” he repeated, somewhat subdued.

I waited for him to gather his thoughts.“You know, I don’t think I had ever thanked you for what you did for me,” he said.

I looked at him.

“The night at the cabin,” he clarified.

I nodded. He was referring to Terrance Hughes.

“I would do it again.” Only, if I got a second chance to do it again, I would leave Mason at home. Or, at the very least, I would make sure he wasn’t following me that night.

That was how he knew where I’d gone.

I never told him. All I’d said before I left that night was that I was going to make all this better. Then he followed me. The thing I should have done was make him wait outside. I didn’t do any of that. I had been young and careless, and I had thought we were invincible.

---