Shouldn’t Have Gone

by Mara Lynne

  He loosens the cravat around his neck to liberate himself of the anxiety. He does not really like talking in front of many people, making speeches especially when it’s about something that he’s not familiar with. What could he say about the progress of the company in the previous years and interpret the figures and numbers on his slides with only five seconds to process them and with hundreds of eyes and ears only at him to boot?

  But as his mother said, he did well. He should stop wasting his energy on something that was already done.

  He likes what he saw in there: shame and horror on Harrison’s face when he fired him in front of everybody. The reports from Hunter he found on his desk this morning testifies to Harrison’s conspiracy with Crawford. He was left with the duty to act in behalf of the company and the family. As he passed the sentence on Harrison, he saw fear across the faces of the other investors and guests. Tonight, Damien Etheridge affirms his position in the company as his father turns over the responsibility to him, and this is exactly what he wants to happen—for people to know what he is capable of doing for the company, what he can do to keep it safe from the claws of vultures. He wants them to see that he’s not afraid to make decisions, that he’s a full-grown man who stands with the company’s principles, someone who is capable of running an empire and ruling over a legion of followers.

  But where is Hunter? he asks himself.

  He should be here. He is his counselor, his adviser.

  And though he knows the real reason he made his brother accept this responsibility, Damien still needs his guidance and his wisdom. To manage the business successfully, he will need a backbone to lean on, a brain to consult in times of hard decisions, a steel heart to help him decide on pressing issues, and most of all, a staunch believer. He did not realize that Hunter is all that until he delivered his speech in the podium. His knees were shaking and his palms were sweating. Just a mere glimpse of his brother could have improved his delivery and could have made him more confident, but Hunter was a no show. Why didn’t he when it was because of him and his intel that Damien was able to throw Harrison out of the scene?

  Where is he when he needs him most?

  “Has Hunter arrived, mom?” he asks as he helps himself into a sip of vodka. He’s not going to drown himself with it, but he needs it to calm his nerves.

  “Don’t expect too much from your brother, son. For sure, he’s burning in jealousy now,” she answers. “If I were him, I wouldn’t even show my shadow to anyone in here. I’d be damned if they see me crying my eyes out. We all know that Hunter has always been after the inheritance. Now that you have it, I don’t see what other purpose he has for tonight. He’s not significant in your career, sweetheart, so let him indulge himself with the measly reparation he gets from his little business.”

  “He will play an important role, mother. He’s going to train me.”

  Mary shuns the idea. Actually, she abhors it.

  “Why would you settle for an adviser who has only five years of experience at most. He does not have enough credentials to boast about. We have a multitude of great advisers and consultants all over the world, Damien. They are people who are wiser and more experienced than your brother,” she says. “And besides, would you want to work alongside your rival? He’s already gotten your girl. Now is not the time to be forgiving and complacent. If you let him stay around, he might sneak his way up to the ladder, and without you knowing it, he might take what’s yours. He’s already done it with your woman. Now, do you want him to have the company?”

  Angel is another story, Damien wants to say to her.

  She’s not an object to be just handed down to people. Even though Hunter is the clear winner in this competition, Damien does not want to think about Angel as a prize. Well, she is more than a treasure one would want to keep for a lifetime, but she does not deserve to be played around. And so, when she says it’s over, then it is. He’ll let her have the peace she has always dreamed of—even if it is something without him.

  “I don’t think Hunter can do that,” he says.

  But it was what he wanted to happen before. Damien prematurely took on the challenge to take over the family business, shove to his father’s throat his rightful and legitimate claim to the inheritance, parading to everyone that he was the better man in all departments—all because he wanted to provoke Hunter to fight back. He wanted to show him that he always gets what he wants, that Hunter could not just take away what he has. Because Hunter has Angel, Damien thought that by using the inheritance and the company, he’d pique his interest to play this game. And then slowly, Damien could steal Angel from him and have her back. He wanted to show Hunter that he’s basically got nothing—all because he was furious at him for taking away what is his.

  But it seems that he’s lost in his own game.

  “Well, you are very naïve to have refused to see the other side Hunter could be keeping,” Mary mumbles. “Now, I think your fiancé is waiting for you. I don’t like her flaunting her Valentino with that baby bump. Doesn’t she have her own stylist? And please, tell her that orange pumps don’t go well with… Well, anything she is wearing. Good God! If she is to marry into this family, she should have some sense of fashion. Don’t tell me that it is still my job to make her look presentable all the time?”

  “Mother, she’s not going to be strutting on the runways. She’s going to mother my child,” he replies. His lackluster eyes convey nothing but pure repugnance at the thought.

  If not only for the child…

  Damien walks back to the ballroom where people are waiting for him. He’s everyone’s center of attention, and of course, Candice—who takes pride of her connection to the Etheridge family, Mary’s circle of friends, and other socialites—are present in the venue.

  He sees Candice showing off her widest smile to everyone, waving her hands to complete strangers as though she is joining a beauty pageant. He has set his mind to send her home early. He cannot risk her health and the baby for sleeping late and for drinking too much alcohol. However, before he could reach her, he is pulled away by a strong grasp on his arm towards the corner where a few of old people are talking about their World War experiences.

  “Will?” in utter surprise, he is able to tone down his voice. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

  Will, in his shiny cerulean coat, smirks. He slurps the entire glass of wine in one go and pats Damien on the shoulders.

  “Candice sent me an invitation. What good old friendship do we have if we don’t keep it, eh?” Will answers. “Seriously, I’m here to congratulate you. You got the company which makes you one of the secret richest men in the world, and you’d have a child and a wife.” He then bends forward and whispers. “Although I know you wanted another woman, I see that you failed. But the good thing is you’re not entirely a loser, Damien. I think you have won big time.”

  “Considering that you came all the way from the west just to congratulate me, I think you have outdone yourself.”

  Will’s grin stretches to his ears. “I came because I thought you would need my help,” he says.

  “It’s over, as what you can see. I’m marrying a woman I don’t even love,” Damien responds, his furrowed eyes still watching Candice from afar.

  “Just one advice, Fawn. Love moves in mysterious ways. You might just find yourself in love with Candice one day.”

  Damien bursts into laughter.

  “That day will only come when the moon rises in the morning. Do you get that?”

  Will shrugs his shoulders as though admitting defeat. However, there is always a meaningful smile on his face that comes as sly on Damien’s eyes.

  “Are you really giving up on Angel?” Will asks, starting to sound a little serious.

  Raking his fingers through his hair, Damien lets out a sigh.

  “She’s already chosen, and unfortunately, it isn’t me,” he answers. His face is iron-steel and yet, his voice is as penetrable as it sounds.

  �
��My question is, are you really giving up on her? I wasn’t asking you about her decision,” Will states. “None of that matters. It’s still up to you, bro.”

  Still up to me…

  Oh, how he wanted to break his promise!

  How he wanted to sneak into Hunter’s place and take her away.

  How he wanted to push himself to the limits to convince her to come with him.

  He knows there’s still hope, but Angel is the first one who has given up.

  “Do you want me to do something?” Will is laying a very tempting offer on the table. “You know you’re my best boy, and I want you to always be happy.”

  Will’s unconventional ways have always been helpful to him. He knows what to do, where to seek help, and how to handle things. Maybe he can help him with this one.

  “And how are you going to help me?” Damien asks.

  “In the way I know I could be helpful to you.”

  “I’m asking you how, Will.”

  Will’s smile says something else. “A bit of magic, maybe.”

  Damien rolls his eyes on him and turns on his heels away from Will who is literally laughing at himself now.

  “I want you to know that the offer is still on,” Will shouts. “Just let me know, and I’ll do the rest!”

  People look at the stranger in the perky cerulean jacket talking to Damien, including Mary who has been watching their every move. Will leaves the vicinity after he’s finished off another glass of wine.

  Damien’s phone rings, and he picks it up immediately as he sees Eric Martin’s name flashed on the screen.

  “I am following your health regimen if you’re checking in on me again,” Damien says right away.

  “Good for you,” Eric answers. “But that’s not why I called you. Listen, can you come over to my clinic tomorrow? There’s something I want to show you.”

  “What? Am I dying?” He forces a laugh.

  He can’t be dying, can he?

  “Physiologically, no. But… Just come over, okay?”

  “What is it about?”

  “I can’t talk about it over the phone. Tomorrow. Is five pm okay?”

  “Not a problem,” Damien responds. “I’ll be there.”

  And the call ends. It might not be something serious. If it is, Eric could have demanded his presence right of the bat.

  Damien excuses Candice from her set of new found friends and tells her it is time for them to leave. Predictably, she whines about it and curses Damien for being too lousy. She’s having the best time of her life, and here goes the man she’s going to marry ruining it for her.

  “You can’t just boss me around!” she exclaims with her arms across her chest.

  “You need to rest. It’s past ten, and you stink of alcohol.” He takes away a long glass of champagne from her grasp and hands it over to the passing waiter.

  “Does it matter to you? You don’t even love me!” She’s totally lost it. Her voice has raised a notch, and people begin to notice her insanity. Alcohol is messing with her head, and anytime soon, she’s going to run amok.

  “Come on, let’s go home.” Damien insists as he pushes her out of the crowd of bystanders.

  “I don’t want to! Don’t you see I’m having fun?” She shrugs off his tight grip on her arm.

  “Candice, everyone’s staring at you. You’re not setting up a good example,” he says.

  She laughs out loud and snorts. “I know why you’re so concerned about me!” Her finger points at his chest. She’s swaying as her vision starts to blur. “The baby is safe with me. He’s not gonna die just because I drank too much for one night, is he? He’s like his father, and he’s going to grow up like him.”

  “Enough of this please.”

  “I think he’s going to look like you… Just a bit, I guess…”

  Damien draws her off the ground, carrying her in his arms. Hurriedly, he takes her to the car that is parked just at the entrance of the hotel and takes her to his apartment with no further delay. Candice has done so much trouble for him tonight, and he does not want Mary to be the one renovating this mess. She doesn’t like Candice, and Mary has been vocal about that. For Damien, he doesn’t really care much about his reputation. It’s been stained ever since when he could remember. But for Mary, it’s all about people’s opinions.

  As soon as he gets her to bed, he receives a text message from Hunter, asking to see him at Mason Park, a newly erected leisure park atop Mason Hill. Damien wonders what this meetup will be about. Hunter was a no-show at tonight’s event, so why the sudden demand to see him?

  Without further ado, he drives his car through the blind curves of Mason Hill until he arrives at the gates of the park. There, Hunter stands with his usual icy cold exterior. His car was parked just a few feet away from where he stands. Damien pulls in next to Hunter’s car and mounts off the moment he has noticed his arrival.

  “Where were you? I called your secretary this morning. She said you were out of town,” Damien says, walking toward Hunter’s direction. He notices the absence of delight on his brother’s face and instantly assumes there could be something troubling him. “Do you know that I fired Harrison in front of all the guests? You should have been there to see me work the law with my hands.”

  Standing next to Hunter, Damien feels the chilliness of Hunter’s silence. His eyes go straight to the well-lit view of the village at the foot of the hill when they should be glaring at Damien for a more suitable response.

  “I heard you did well. Our old man must have been so proud of you,” Hunter finally talks. He tucks his hands into his pockets and squares his shoulders as though taking in Damien’s movements.

  “It would have been more exciting if you were there. But you’d come over to my office tomorrow for my training, won’t you?”

  “About that.” Hunter cocks his head to the left. “That’s what I want to talk about with you tonight. I’m done with your dumb shits, Damien. I’m not going to let you play your games with me.”

  “What?” Bewilderment washes over Damien’s face. The thrill to see his brother all goes down the drain and is replaced by questions.

  “I know about you and Angel.”

  Damien’s throat constricts instantly, his heart starts to beat louder.

  “I know about why you left for Spain, why you came back, and why you wanted to involve me in your chase for the crown. I’m no fool to have not figured this out.” Hunter’s tone was grim but calm and composed at the same time.

  So he knows…

  Damien is amazed at the insurmountable amount of patience Hunter is showing. Is Hunter really a stoned-heart human or is he just really good at faking his emotions, let alone anger and frustration? Damien was expecting more. He thought that by the time this day comes, he would have to defend himself from the beast Hunter is. Nonetheless, Hunter’s calmness deserves applause and commendations from him.

  Moreover, with their secret uncovered, Damien’s worries are lessened. He didn’t feel this relieved when he and Angel still had to keep things away from people, most especially from Hunter.

  “So she has told you?” he asks.

  “She wouldn’t have if I did not ask her about it.”

  “How did you know then?”

  Hunter sighs and turns to face him. His gaze is piercing and dark, just like the one Damien used to see a few years back when they were young, wild, and free.

  “I’m no fool, Damien. Right from the start, I knew there was something wrong. It’s a shame I didn’t trust my instincts.”

  “It’s not my fault you trust people easily, Hunter.”

  His words seem vile to Hunter’s ears. “Right, it was my fault,” Hunter replies.

  “Yes, it’s entirely your fault,” Damien murmurs. If he did not appear in Angel’s life and force his way into being a part of it, none of this would have happened. Angel will still be his, and he would have relinquished the family fortune to him without a fight. Damien’s not after it, after all. He
knows the family will still take care of him even if he chooses another direction. He’s not going to starve to death if he doesn’t get his father’s wealth. He just wanted to challenge Hunter—that’s all Damien wanted in the first place.

  “You know what? You can vent out everything now if you want,” Hunter says, hoisting his arms as though calling for Damien to exact his revenge.

  Damien snickers at him. “If I were to hurt you, Hunter, I will do more than hitting you,” Damien answers wryly.

  “Okay, be my guest!”

  It was a mock Damien could barely handle. Hunter’s quite an expert at throwing ridicule.

  “If I were you,” Damien starts, wetting the lower portion of his lips, “I would spend my greatest moments with Angel. Your days are numbered. You wouldn’t know when your time will come, and Angel might come running back to me.”

  Totally outraged now, the rapid increase of heat courses through Hunter’s veins. He suppresses all that to protect himself, to prevent him doing something that is unwarranted.

  Face to face, their gazes kill each other off.

  Hunter and Damien are of the same height, and their features not too far from being too similar, except for Hunter looking more brooding and colder than Damien.

  “Come to think of it. It was you who tried to shoot me that night when Will and Frey were trying to escape to the west. Your shooting skills never improved. You disappoint me.”

  Smirking, Damien answers. “I only had one bullet, but I chose not to kill you.”

  “Should I thank you for that?”

  “There’s no need.” Damien moves close to him and whispers, “I just want you to be careful.”

  It is not something Hunter must ignore. “I’ll only grow scared of you when they stop being empty words.”

  “Too sad you’ll be dead soon before you’d realize that, brother.”

  With that, Damien leaves Hunter the way he found him standing in the open air earlier—with eyes burning in anger and his sensible mind trying to keep control.

  Chapter 24 –Blue