Page 18 of Deal with Mr. Cruel

Chapter 8

Mae

Mae pulled into her driveway and clicked the garage door opener. As it slowly opened, she leaned her head against the seat and let out a sigh. It was dark out and the stars were shining. Out here in the suburbs, you could see them. They didn’t have to compete with city lights. She glanced at the dash. It was just after eight. The meeting with Jonas had taken much longer than she expected. He had laid out plenty of conditions for their arrangement, which was not only aggravating, but time-consuming.

Mae had left frustrated and overwhelmed. She was thankful to see Nico’s truck wasn’t in the garage. She needed some time alone to think. Easing the car into the garage, she put it in park, grabbed her purse from the front seat and opened the door to the house. It was quiet and dark. The solitude was just what she needed to work through her emotions that were at an all-time high right now.

She walked to the living room and turned on the lamp by the couch. Seeing a photo of herself and her mother, she picked it up and ran her thumb over her mom’s face.

“Oh, Mom. I wish you were here,” she said softly. “You would probably tell me I was crazy for even agreeing to this.” Mae shook her head and set the photo back down on the table. She ran her fingers over the other framed photos sitting neatly on the table. She stopped when she came to Nico’s. It was his first team photo from middle school. He looked so happy. Little did he know everything would change just a year later when the police would deliver the news.

Through the years, Mae had done her best to raise him. She had sacrificed so much to be the mother figure he needed. She also tried to keep things as normal as possible by staying in this house. Sure, it was dated. She and Nico had a hard time changing anything because it felt wrong. As much as it was a blast from the past, it had charm and warmth.

She walked through the living room, gently running her fingers across the walls. She was trying to soak it all in, as these could very well be her last moments here. She sat down at the bottom of the stairs and put her head in her hands. Hot, angry tears filled her eyes.

What was she doing? She was better than some pawn in someone else’s scheme. She was better than letting the man she once loved use her this way. But she was also Nico’s sister, and she’d been taking care of him for the last ten years. She wasn’t about to let some conniving big shot take everything away from her little brother. Not if she could stop it.

Her phone rang. It was Nico. She tried to gather herself. She wiped her eyes, even though he couldn’t see her.

“Hey, Nico. What’s up?”

“Hey, sis. I just got out of practice and some of the guys wanted to grab a few beers.”

“Okay? Are you asking my permission?”

Nico paused. “Uh, no. I don’t know. I just thought I would let you know it might be a late night.”

“Nico, you’re a big boy. You can do what you want,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I know that. Jeez. What’s up with you?”

Mae sighed. “Nothing. Sorry. It was just a long day at work.”

“Okay, well, get some rest.”

“Have fun.”

“Thanks,” he said, hanging up.

“Be safe,” she said softly, putting her phone down.

Maybe it was time to cut the cord. As much as she wanted to protect her brother from everything, he did need to grow up a little. Okay, a lot. Plus, this house was too big for the two of them. She held her fingers to her temples and pressed. Her head hurt. This was too much happening all at once. Damn you, Jonas, for expediting all these decisions she wasn’t ready to make.

Mae walked to the wine rack and pulled out a nice red blend she had picked up at the corner market last week. She had yet to indulge in it, but tonight felt like the perfect night. She unscrewed the cork and poured a generous serving in a wine glass. It was good, but would be better enjoyed in pajamas in bed.

She made her way upstairs to her bathroom and turned on the shower. Soon, steam was creeping up the glass doors and she stepped inside, trying to wash off the day. Out of the shower, she rummaged through her dresser for a pajama set. She stepped into it and grabbed her wine, setting it on her nightstand. Sliding under the sheets, Mae put on a show to zone out to. This was just what she needed.

After she finished her glass of wine and an episode of a dating reality show, she brushed her teeth and turned out the lights. But when she closed her eyes, she saw Jonas, which frustrated her.

“Whyyyy?” she groaned. She tried her best to think of other things, but he kept intruding on her thoughts. And when she finally drifted to sleep, Jonas met her there, too. In his office.

It was late. Dusk had settled over the city, and the lights shone through the office windows. Jonas sat in the black leather chair at his desk, looking through the paperwork Mae had set on his desk. She waited rather impatiently for him to dismiss her so she could head home. Besides his secretary, Wendy, they were the only ones in the office.

Mae studied Jonas as he studied the papers. His brow furrowed as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. She loved when he did that. It was what he did when he was stressed or nervous. Despite his efforts, it would just fall back in place.

“Does everything look okay?” she asked, shuffling her feet.

“Yes. I’m just making sure these stats match up with the coach’s.”

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