Sweet As Sin

by Ana Jolene

  Maison ignored her as she passed her. She had neighbors and she didn’t want to wake them up with their yelling.

  “Well?” her mother prompted when she closed the door behind them. “Aren’t you going to explain yourself?”

  Maison calmly turned to her. “What is there to explain, Mom? I’m thirty years old! I can spend my time with anyone I want!”

  “But that’s just not anyone, Maison. He’s your boss’s son.” Maison stiffened. How in the hell did her mother knew who Hutch was? “Did you even think about what you were doing before you went off with him?”

  Rolling her eyes, she headed for her kitchen, finding her father sitting at the table enjoying a cup of coffee—her coffee!—and reading the morning paper. How long had they been here anyway? It annoyed her how quickly they’d made themselves feel at home. And instead of answering her mother’s question, she posed her own. “What are you guys doing here?”

  In answer, her father set the paper down. His sharp eyes assessed her from behind glasses. “Have you gained weight?” he asked.

  Ugh!

  “She has,” her mother answered for her. “You’re eating too much again.”

  Maison’s cheeks flushed with shame. No, it wasn’t shame or embarrassment she realized as her hands began to shake. It was because she was angry.

  “It’s probably because you’ve gone back to eating that junk food again, right?” her mother went on. “I told you that stuff was garbage. I don’t know why you still—”

  “Stop!” Maison shouted. “Stop talking about me and tell me why you’re here!”

  Her mother’s eyes widened before narrowing to slits. “Is that how you speak to your parents?” She glanced back at her father. “I have never been spoken to that way. And if you must know, we’re here because there’s a convention nearby and we thought we’d check in on you.”

  Maison crossed her arms over her chest. “You should’ve called.”

  “I’m your mother. I don’t need to. Now do you want to tell me what exactly is going on with you and that boy?”

  She shook her head. “That’s none of your business.”

  “You’re my daughter, so it is my business. Didn’t I tell you never to mix business with pleasure?”

  “You and Dad are both doctors, so I don’t see how this is any different.”

  “I’m not the one sleeping with my boss’s son!” her mother snapped.

  Her father’s eyes grew big. “What?”

  Maison rolled her eyes and put a palm to her head. “Oh boy, here we go.”

  “Yes,” her mother said quickly. “She spent the night with him!”

  When her father glanced back at her, she was hit with the same look of condemnation he’d been giving her all her life. “You disappoint me, Maison.”

  You disappoint me.

  They were just three words, but they’d always had such an effect on her life.

  “You can’t see him anymore.”

  “What? No.” She would never throw away the one thing that made her happy. Plus, her mother didn’t have a say in who she dated.

  “If you don’t, your job will be in jeopardy. Do you really think a man like him will want to stay with you in the long run? He may like you now but he will get tired of you. You should save your career while you can.”

  “No. Hutch isn’t like that. He likes me for who I am.”

  Her mother walked up to her suddenly, all sleek and polished in her black dress. She looked like she was going to a funeral. “Don’t be stupid, darling.” She cupped her face gently and tapped her temples. “Follow your head, not your heart. You’ll only get hurt.”

  God, why was she always such a bitch to her? She had done nothing wrong!

  She did her best not to let the tears fall but Maison could already feel her heart breaking. She thought she’d managed to overcome the emotional and verbal abuse she’d suffered as a kid, but only minutes back in the presence of her parents and already she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

  “We’ll find you another man,” her father said, as if he were doing her a great favor. “Someone less good-looking and more to your standards. It’ll be hard with you so overweight but don’t you worry. Your mother and I will help you.”

  That had to be the final jab into her heart. And it was the most brutal.

  Maison ran from the room, trying to hold in her sobs as tears rushed down her face.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Hutch kept his phone with him all day. Ever since he’d dropped Maison off at her house, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. What had happened to her? Was she okay?

  When a day had passed and he still hadn’t heard from her, he started to worry. She’d been so shocked by her parents’ sudden appearance that any trace of happiness she’d felt had suddenly disappeared.

  He knew he should hang back and let her be with her family, but the look she’d given him right before he walked away didn’t leave him with much confidence. All the times she’d spoken about her parents hadn’t been pleasant so he worried about what their sudden appearance would mean for her.

  Hutch sat there for about ten minutes before he cursed and reached for his phone. How the hell did other people do this? It drove him crazy not knowing that she was all right! Quickly dialing her number, he waited to hear Maison’s sweet voice. Unfortunately, the call went straight to voicemail. “Hey,” he said after the beep. “Just wanted to check in on you. I hope everything is okay. I miss you,” he added before hanging up.

  “Oh God, you’re pathetic.”

  Hutch looked up to find his brother scowling at him. “What the hell are you doing here?” he snapped.

  Hunter shook his head, a small smile curling his lips. “Never knew you were such a sap.”

  “Shut up. If I recall correctly, you were the one who cried at your own wedding.”

  “That’s perfectly normal.”

  Hutch pocketed his phone and rose to his feet. As he passed his brother, he patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

  Hunter shrugged him off. “Don’t touch me!”

  “Sorry, you’re not my type.”

  “Speaking of type, what the hell are you doing with Maison?”

  Hutch could only stare at him. “What does it look like I’m doing?” He cared for her. A lot. Hell, he might already be in love with her, which was ridiculous since he’d never been in love before. But there was something about Maison that made her stand out against all the other women he’d been with. He was going to see where the rest of things went between them.

  “But it’s Maison,” Hunter said unhelpfully.

  “Yeah, so?”

  “She’s not your usual type.” In answer, Hutch flipped his brother off. But Hunter just ignored him and continued, “I’m serious. We’ve known Maison for years and you’ve never made a move on her before. What changed?”

  “Maybe I have, okay?” His voice came out more defensive than he wanted it to be. Why the hell was Hunter grilling him on this anyway? He forced his voice to soften. “Maybe I want something different for myself now.”

  After having his dreams taken away from him, Hutch was looking for ways to be happy here in Moonrise Beach. Maison had been the one thing to bring meaning back to his life.

  Hunter went silent. “Okay,” he said after a while, “I can understand that. So does that mean you’re in love with her?”

  Hutch grinned at his brother. “You sound jealous.”

  Hunter rolled his eyes at him but surprisingly, he said, “Maybe I am since my attempts at finding someone new have backfired on me.”

  “Sucks having a brother so good-looking, huh?” When the punch came, Hutch was too slow to stop it. “Ow!”

  “In case you think otherwise,” Hunter said, “I don’t see Maison that way.” Good. He didn’t plan on sharing. Not ever. “But I did notice that you guys ran out of here really fast the other morning. What happened?” Concern laced his words.

  “H
er parents showed up out of the blue.”

  “That’s weird. I didn’t realize they lived close by. She doesn’t mention them much.”

  “No, they don’t live in Moonrise. I don’t think she was expecting them because she looked really surprised when they called.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “Yeah. That’s why I’m so worried about her. I caught a glimpse of her mother when I dropped her off. She makes Dad look like a little puppy in comparison.”

  Hunter blanched. “Really? Damn. No wonder why she doesn’t even blink whenever Dad flips out.”

  “Yeah. I just hope she’s okay.”

  “Maison’s a big girl,” Hunter reassured him. “She can take care of herself. Give her the weekend to sort it all out. I’m sure when you see her again she’ll be fine.”

  Hutch could only hope so, and since she wasn’t answering his calls, he’d have no choice but to take on his brother’s advice and give her space.

  “Hey,” Hutch said as Hunter made to leave. “Did you and Dad get into a fight recently or something? I felt a little tension between you two at the beach the other night.”

  His brother’s face showed no emotion. “No. We’re all right.”

  It sure doesn’t feel like it, he thought as Hunter left.

  Maison called in sick the next day. Except she wasn’t really sick.

  At least not physically.

  After spending the last few days with her parents, her mind was filled with poison. Even just a minute in their presence was enough to dampen her spirits and have her doubt herself like she was a vulnerable thirteen-year-old girl all over again.

  It wasn’t enough that her father had criticized her, but her mother had continued to belittle her and scold her until she felt like nothing more than a piece of gum she’d accidentally stepped on and had to deal with it.

  For the first time since they’d left, early this morning, Maison allowed herself to breathe. Too bad the damage had already been done. She was back to feeling raw and unrefined after the brutal lashings from her parents.

  Now alone, Maison allowed herself to cry in earnest. She hated hearing the words about Hutch from her mother because, if she was being honest with herself, she had thought about it too. In fact, that was exactly what had been on her mind the last time she’d been with him.

  But instead of focusing on her flaws like her parents did, Hutch only saw the good things about her. She’d never been with a man who was like that. And although she certainly got nervous around him, Hutch still managed to get her to smile at him. Maison knew that she was risking a lot in being with him, but how could it be wrong when she felt so alive while with him?

  Maison had no idea what she was going to do. She loved her job but she loved being with Hutch too. Her parents, however, kept grilling it into her that she couldn’t have both. One day, she’d have to choose and Maison just wasn’t sure how she could pick.

  Rubbing the tears from her eyes, she glanced down at her phone, noticing all the missing calls from Hutch. It was clear that he was worried about her and she felt bad for not calling him back. But when she reached for the phone with the intention to call him, her mother’s voice echoed inside of her head.

  You’re too fat, darling. And one day, he’s going to see that and throw you away. Save yourself the heartbreak and leave him already.

  Just like that, the desire to hear Hutch’s voice faded.

  Flopping back on the bed, Maison curled up into a ball and let the tears fall.

  The next morning, Hutch sat at his desk at Gleam, his gaze firmly planted on the elevator doors. Every time it dinged and the doors opened, he searched for the familiar blue eyes and sweet smile he loved. But every time he was left feeling disappointed when Maison didn’t show up.

  What the hell? What was going on with her? He’d been worried when she’d called in sick yesterday and wasn’t answering his calls, but now he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It wasn’t like Maison to miss work like this.

  Hutch didn’t bother knocking on Matthew’s office door before entering. When his father glanced up, he frowned. “What do you want?”

  “Where’s Maison?” he asked. “Is she not coming in again today?”

  “No, she called in sick again.”

  “Sick? But Maison never gets sick. Did she say what was wrong?”

  “No, she didn’t.”

  “Did you even ask?” His father opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut. Son of a bitch, the guy could be so cold sometimes.

  “Do you think something is wrong with her?” he asked.

  Hutch nodded. “She’s not sick. Maison doesn’t miss work even when she’s got a high-grade fever.” It had to be her parents. Were they still with her?

  His father’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know?”

  Hutch shook his head. He wasn’t sure if he should be telling him about her parents but if it concerns Maison’s well-being, he had to say something. “Her parents showed up out of the blue a few days ago and she went rushing to see them. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since and she hasn’t been answering my calls or texts. I think something’s up,” he admitted. “Is it okay if I drop by her house and check on her?”

  Matthew gave a nod. “You do that and then you call me after, okay?”

  “Okay.” He was out of the building in the next moment, driving way too fast to be considered safe. He only slowed when he pulled onto Maison’s street.

  Anticipation at seeing her again had his heart beating wildly in his chest. He practically ran for the door and waited impatiently for her to answer when he rang the doorbell.

  When he could hear no movement inside, Hutch tried knocking. “Maison?” he called out. “It’s Hutch. Are you in there?”

  Where the hell was she? Was she out? Was she still with her parents?

  When there was no response, he tried her number and froze. Wait a minute, was that her phone he was hearing? He leaned into the door and pressed his ear to it.

  Though it was muffled, he could definitely hear her phone ringing inside.

  So she was inside! She just wasn’t answering him! Disappointment flooded him. Why was she avoiding him? Could it be that her parents were still inside, telling her to ignore him?

  Gritting his teeth, Hutch made his way back to the car. He thought that in coming here, it would ease his mind. However, it had only caused his worry to increase.

  He couldn’t stop himself from glancing back, hoping to catch a glimpse of her through the window, but there was nothing there but the wisps of curtains.

  On a sigh, Hutch slid back into his car and drove back to work in silence, the roaring in his ears the only thing he could hear.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  She wasn’t coming.

  At nine o’clock the next day, Hutch entered his father’s office once again without announcing himself. Matthew didn’t even glance up this time until he sat in the chair before him. “Did she call in sick again?” he asked.

  “No, she didn’t,” his father informed him.

  “Then where is she?”

  Matthew finally looked up from his computer screen. “She’s working from home today.” What? Why? His questions must’ve been written on his face because his father said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with her and she refused to share anything to me.”

  “Did you ask? She didn’t say what happened with her parents?”

  “No, she hasn’t mentioned a thing. She only asked if she could work from home today so I allowed it.”

  Hutch felt himself frown. “Has she requested for this before?”

  “No. Never. Which makes me wonder what’s going on with her. What happened when you saw her yesterday?”

  “I didn’t,” he said glumly. “At first, I thought she wasn’t at home, but then when I called her, I heard her phone ringing inside the house. Why would she do that? Why would she ignore me?”

  “Maybe her parents were still around.”

&nb
sp; “That’s what I thought too. But it’s been days. Why hasn’t she called me back? Even a text would be nice.”

  Hutch rose to his feet. He didn’t like not knowing what was going on with her. “I’m going to check on her again.”

  “Whoa. Relax. She might actually be fine. She seemed okay in her emails to me.” Hutch beat back the sudden surge of jealousy. Why was Maison talking to his father and not him? To his surprise, his father asked, “Do you want me to come with you?”

  Hutch shook his head. He wasn’t sure what state he’d find her in but he doubted having her boss around would help her open up to him. “No, I’ll be fine. But I’ll call you if I need anything.”

  Matthew simply nodded.

  This time, Hutch took his time driving to Maison’s house. He wanted to plan what he was going to say when he saw her. Knowing that she was now ignoring him, he’d wracked his brain trying to figure out what he’d done to make her act this way.

  Had he said something wrong? Had he done something that she hadn’t liked? He thought back to their last day together and couldn’t come up with a single thing that might make her turn away. Could it be something else that was bothering her? Something her parents may have said or done?

  When he arrived at her house, he rang the doorbell, waiting patiently for her to answer it. Again, there was no movement from inside the house. Hutch leaned over, trying to get a glimpse through the windows, but inside, everything remained still.

  Cursing softly, he pulled out his cell phone and called his father. “She’s not answering the door,” he told him. Taking several steps back, he craned his head to check the second-floor windows. “It doesn’t look like anyone is home.”

  “She’s there,” his father said. “I just received a work email from her.”

  “Could she be working remotely from someplace else?”

  “I don’t know,” Matthew said honestly. “Hard to tell over email. But when she called the office this morning, she used her home phone, not her cell.”

  Hutch cursed. “Okay,” he said dejectedly. “I guess I’ll head back now.”