Page 10 of His Curvy Temptress

It’s been two days since I last saw Alexis. She wouldn’t come out of her villa, no doubt burying herself in work. When she left the restaurant, I asked the server to box up the food for me to take out, she happily obliged, and I left Alexis’ on her doorstep. I knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer. Not that I blame her. I fucked up. Majorly. Now I need to figure out what the hell I’m going to do.

I had to return home, thankfully, now I have the next five days off, and I’m determined to sort this shit out.

I make a pitstop to Hallow Falls, stopping in to see one of my best friends, Tate King. The man is the mayor of the town, and whenever I’m in town, he always has time for me. We met in college, along with our other friend, Sebastian. The three of us have forged great careers and always have time for one another.

“I need your advice,” I say to him, hating I’m even asking for it, but I’m stumped. I don’t know what to do, and I’m not even sure if I should pursue Alexis, or leave her to be happy with some other guy. The thought alone makes me want to punch someone.

I tell him without going into much detail about Alexis and me, missing out on the parts where Maggie has cancer, something I’ll be saying to Andrew when I see him. But fuck, we’re family, they should have told us.

I want everything with Alexis, I really do. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. Even the women whom I’ve been with since meeting Alexis, no one came anywhere close. But how do I get her to forgive me, especially when she’s got so much shit going on in her life?

“Then make sure you’re with her while she deals with it. If I told you that I found the woman of my dreams, but there was something getting in my way, what would you say?” Tate asks, a smirk on his face. The fucker is too damn smug.

I raise my brow, not that’s telling. “I’d tell you to go all in. Now, who is she?”

He tells me his intern is his former stepdaughter. He got married over a decade ago, something Sebastian and I tried to talk him out of, but he wasn’t listening. Thankfully, the woman divorced him without a fight, nor did she take his money.

We talk for a bit longer, and I now know what I need to do.

I thank Tate as I say my goodbye. Tomorrow morning, I’m on the first flight to Oregon, but tonight, I have somewhere else I need to be.

It takes me a little less than thirty minutes to get to my brother’s house. I don’t hesitate in letting myself in. I have the key, and have had one for almost twenty years now. It’s meant to be used in an emergency. I’ve never once used it, until now.

“Abel,” Andrew says, blinking as I flip the light switch on. “Is everything okay?”

“Where’s Maggie?” I demand, pissed as fuck at him right now. Hell, I can’t stand to look at him after the shit he said to Alexis. Fucking prick.

“She’s in the living room, we were watching a movie. What’s going on?”

I ignore the ass and move toward the living room, the moment I walk in, I see exactly what Alexis was saying. Maggie’s pale, gaunt, and exhausted. How the fuck have none of us realized she was sick?

Fuck. They’ve not been going to family functions, always claiming they’ve plans or they’re going to Maggie’s parents. Shit. It makes sense now. But fuck, how long have they known about Maggie’s cancer diagnosis and not opened up to anyone?

“You know,” Maggie says softly. “She told you?”

“Don’t you think you should have?” I ask, glaring at my brother. “She’s family, man, we’d have supported her, supported all three of you.”

Andrew’s face twists in anger. “Two of us. This affects Maggie and me.”

“Oh, Andrew,” Maggie whispers, no doubt realizing just how much of an ass her husband sounds right now.

“Your fucking daughter has lost one set of parents already. Six years, she’s loved and cherished you, and now you’re saying Maggie’s diagnosis doesn’t affect her? The fuck is wrong with you?” I snarl, my fists clenched as I stare at my brother, wondering what the fuck happened to him. He was never this callous. Never this spiteful or mean.

“He doesn’t mean it, Abel, he’s hurting and scared,” Maggie says in his defense.

“You think Alexis isn’t hurting or scared? You think she’s not worried? Especially now.”

Andrew’s brows knit together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I step close to him, trying my hardest not to put my hands on him, when all I want to do is hurt the fucker. “You’ve made it more than clear she’s not your daughter, and you want nothing to do with her. So tell me, asshole, when Maggie dies, what happens to your daughter? Hmm, because let me tell you, she’s not going to want to be anywhere near you.”

Fuck, I wouldn’t let her. The anger radiating off my brother is something I hadn’t expected, but he’s directing it at the wrong fucking person. Alexis isn’t to blame for Maggie’s cancer, nor is she to blame for Andrew losing his wife. But he’s pushed her away, and I don’t think there’s any way they can come back from this.

“Is she okay?” Maggie asks softly.

“What do you think?” I reply. “She’s hurting, she’s angry, and she’s upset. You’ve kept this from her for a long time, I’m not sure she’ll forgive you for it. You should have been honest. What happens if you die, Maggie? Hmm, your daughter wouldn’t have enough time to say goodbye, would she?”

Tears well in her eyes. “There’s never enough time, is there?”

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