by T. R. Iyer
Maximus was already there with his architect and blueprints to discuss the expansion with Jake and Emily. A part of him was excited to see Ornelia too. More like, he wanted her to be there. At that moment, just looking at her was a treat to his eyes.
However he had to tread carefully. These were her people. He had to prove he was a changed man and deserving of her. One wrong move, and he could f*ck everything up and lose her even before he had her.
For now he would take things slowly and would have to wait for her to come around to the idea of having him back in her life. He knew it was a hard pill for her to swallow, but he was there for good.
Maximus did not plan on leaving her anytime soon.
***
The ever-punctual Ornelia was late.
Damn the traffic.
Ornelia’s eyes wandered everywhere, looking for Emily before they landed on someone who was, well, not Emily.
Maximus stood at the receptionist’s desk, smiling at the young girl at the counter, who was also batting her eyelashes at him and twirling her hair with her finger—classic signs of flirting.
Her blood began to boil, and she had to stop herself. She didn’t have the right to feel this way. He was fair game, and so was she. Just because she had held herself back didn’t mean he had to.
Maximus’s eyes landed on her, and Ornelia tried to look anywhere but him. She approached the receptionist to ask where Emily was. However, Maximus caught her midway and shoved a takeaway cup of coffee in her hand.
“What’s this?” She knew exactly what it was.
Maximus gave her a dry look.
Ornelia dreaded the fact that he could still intimidate her.
“I was hoping we could talk a little in your office before your first client arrives, which is not for another two hours,” Maximus said, looking at his watch.
“I have an appointment in half an hour. What are you talking about?” She was thoroughly confused.
“I moved it,” Maximus said nonchalantly, as though he’d moved her appointments before too, or he had the right to do so.
“You moved it? What do you mean you moved it?” Ornelia asked, well aware that she sounded baffled.
“Moved it, as in I told that girl to call your client and ask them to come two hours later, and also move all other appointments for you,” Maximus explained as if he was saying it to a child.
“I didn’t realize you were also going to act as my assistant,” Ornelia sassed him.
“I wouldn’t mind being your assistant, if that means I can stay by your side.” Maximus winked at her, scandalizing her.
The gall of this man.
“Don’t you think it’s a little too late to be flirting with me?” Ornelia made her way to her office, with Maximus on her toes.
Maximus went to sit on her chair, but Ornelia beat him to it and pointed at the couch for him to sit on.
“It’s out of habit. Apologies,” Maximus said as he sat down on the couch.
“Get used to changing habits then.” Ornelia felt smug. “What did you want to talk about?”
It was time for Maximus to speak. However, it seemed like he was lost for words. He didn’t even know how to begin, but he had to. He had to get her back.
Chapter Sixteen
“I wanted to say . . .” Maximus paused, still lost for words.
Ornelia continued arranging the things and all the documents on her desk properly.
Maximus repeated the same unfinished sentence a few more times, and Ornelia had to roll her eyes at that.
The great horse king is speechless. What a rare sight to witness!
“Spit it out, Junior.” Ornelia bit her tongue. It was involuntary.
“Junior? Did you just call me ‘Junior’?” Maximus seemed to be taken aback.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. It was a slip of the tongue. Just get it over with. What do you want?” She tried to rush him.
“Go out with me for fourteen days, please,” Maximus spit out, as if she had asked him to.
“No,” Ornelia said without missing a beat.
“Why not?”
“I have work and other important things to devote my time to. You, don’t seem that important to me. If that is all you wanted to ask, you have your answer. Please see yourself out.”
Ouch, that hurts.
Was that how she’d felt when he had asked her to get out? He wasn’t half as subtle as she was.
“Also, thank you for the coffee, but I can’t take any more favors from you, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pay me any more surprise visits. Please limit them to Jake’s office.” Ornelia had to make sure she was clear when she said she didn’t want him around.
Maximus was at a loss for words for the second time in one day. That was a record for him.
Ornelia once again gestured him to get out.
He got up, straightened his suit, and turned to leave. “I’ll see you soon, Ornelia,” he said while shutting her office door behind him.
Ornelia rolled her eyes behind his back. She knew he was going to be difficult to handle the moment she saw him that day. She tried to figure out what his purpose was. He must have been well aware of her presence in the clinic when he got in touch with Jake for the investment. He had seen both of them on the day of their wedding.
The way they had ended things the last time, she never expected to see him again. Four years seemed to have gone by too soon. She felt like her wounds were still fresh, the insults too ripe, for him to just show up like that. Besides, she had Kayden to think of. Her love life was her last priority.
Practically nonexistent love life.
It had been over a year since she’d last gone on a date, not that she was celibate by choice. She just felt Kayden was too young, for her to introduce a new man to him. She wanted him to be at the right age to understand these things. Until then, she had to keep his life as uncomplicated as possible.
***
Her first appointment rolled in. The child had sensory needs that had to be taken care of. Half of her session went to observing the kid, and the other half to counseling the child’s parents.
The rest of her day was quite uneventful. She had lunch with Emily in the café around the corner of the street. Jake was busy with Maximus once again, looking for properties and going over the finances.
Ornelia told Emily about her “chance” encounter with Maximus in the morning.
“The coffee was a nice touch. Didn’t peg Maximus King as a romantic guy,” Emily said while sipping her lemonade.
“That was hardly romantic. He demanded that I go out with him for fourteen days. How ridiculous! Why did he think I would?” Ornelia said, stuffing her mouth with a big bite of her grilled sandwich.
“What’s wrong about giving it a try? Not like both of you were joined at the hip before you got married. Give it a chance. Get to know him. For all you know he could be a changed man.” Emily tried to reason with her.
Ornelia was caught off guard, and she didn’t understand how Emily could even suggest such when she knew exactly what had happened and how all of that broke her.
“I am not asking you to live with him again, but talk to him. The only conversation you had with him was on the day you left, which was four years ago,” Emily continued.
“God, I hate it when you talk sense. I am trying to figure out if he really is worth it, Em. If I give him a chance and he f*cks up again, it’s not just me this time. I have Kayden to think about. I can’t put him through this,” replied Ornelia, convincing Emily how bad of an idea going out with him would be.
“So don’t introduce him to Kayden, at least not yet. You’ve, as it is, kept him away from Maximus for three years. What’s wrong with a few more days?” persuaded Emily.
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it, I guess. I know he is not going to give up so soon.” Ornelia finished her sandwich, and they left for the clinic.
That night, after she put Kayden to sleep, she really did give it a thou
ght.
It still seemed like a bad idea.
Chapter Seventeen
Ornelia woke up at her regular time and began her day with some light workout. She made herself some coffee and set some orange juice and peanut butter sandwiches for Kayden’s breakfast. She was about to go get Kayden when the doorbell rang.
“Good morning, Sofia. I was just about to wake him up. Did you eat breakfast?” she asked as Sofia entered.
“Yes, yes. I did. Running late today?” Sofia made her way to Kayden’s room.
“Just a tiny bit. I have everything else prepared. I just have to wake Kayden up and get him ready.” Ornelia smiled while she packed his school bag with his lunch and a bottle of water. Ornelia followed Sofia back to Kayden’s room. Upon entering the room, she saw a frown on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Ornelia asked, starting to get worried.
“Looks like he’s coming down with the flu. He says he feels tired.” Sofia said.
Ornelia rushed to his side, instantly checking his temperature. His son didn’t seem like he had a fever.
“Nothing to worry. I’ll give him his medicines. He should be fine by the time you come back home.” Sofia tried to reassure Ornelia.
“Mommy?” Kayden might have woken up while they were talking.
“Yes, baby. I am right here. Why don’t you go back to sleep? We’re not going to school today,” she cooed him back to sleep. “I don’t know, Sofie, but I don’t feel at ease leaving him sick like this,” she said while running her hands through his hair.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. It could all be because of the weather. I am here for him, so you go. I’ll see you in the evening.” Sofia ushered her out and to work.
***
Ornelia’s mind was still at home, worrying about her baby boy.
Maximus was already in her office, looking smug and ready to banter.
She was not in the mood to tolerate his assh*lery. She simply pointed toward the door and hoped that he got the signal that she wanted him out of her space.
Maximus looked shocked once again. He was about to open his mouth to pass a snide remark about her manner when she beat him to it.
“Don’t you get it, Maximus?” She sounded defeated.
“Don’t get what?” he asked.
“Don’t act dumb. You know how much this is bothering me. You can see it. You still keep doing it! You still keep showing up every day! Please stop.” Ornelia was burned out and on the verge of tears. He was the last thing she wanted to deal with that day.
“Ornelia, I just want to talk. I mean no harm. You know that. Let’s start from scratch, yeah? I know we’ve had our differences, but let’s give this one more chance. I mean it,” he begged.
She could see he was serious.
“I don’t want it. I just don’t want it. All of this is so unnecessary. I had been happy before you came along, four years ago, and a few days ago. Just, please . . . go back. I am glad that you’re helping Jake out, but stay away from me. I beg you, stay away.”
Maximus backed away, in shock and disbelief. He knew he had hurt her all those years before, but he never knew she felt so strongly about him.
Maximus left her to be alone. He had a feeling that this was not about him. Something else was eating her up. She needed time, and he would give her that.
He wanted to be there for her whatever she was going through, but pushing himself on her at that moment just seemed too desperate. Even if he was truly desperate to be with her, he figured letting her handle her situation seemed like a better idea than inserting himself in it, which might not require him at all.
Maximus left her office and went back to pack up things with Jake so that he could leave for the day. He had bought an estate on the outskirts, far away from the city, for them to settle down. He knew it was a far-fetched thought, but he was confident he was going to get her back.
***
He made his way to the rented penthouse he was temporarily staying in. He wanted to be as close as he could be to her. Ethan had helped him with picking out the location. He had been very supportive of his decision to get Ornelia back. He’d done his best in tracking her down by contacting Jake now and again, because Jake had refused to speak to him.
He couldn’t thank Ethan enough for all the help he had provided through the toughest times in his life. He gave him a quick call once he had reached his penthouse and filled him in on the day’s events. Ethan convinced him to be extremely personal and be comfortable shooting all his anxious thoughts. Maximus thanked him.
It wasn’t a lengthy conversation, but he felt so much better, and hungry.
After having a quick dinner his housekeeper had prepared for him, he retired to his bedroom
Everything is going to be fine, he thought, before succumbing to a night filled with dreamless sleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Ornelia was exhausted by the time she got home. She must have called Sofia more than ten times that day.
Sofia had informed her that Kayden complained of a scratchy throat. He’d been coughing too.
Ornelia rushed throughout her day to get her work done before time so that she could reach home early.
She was a mess.
Then there was that incident with Maximus. She felt bad for kicking him out once she noticed he’d again gotten her some coffee and made the effort to arrange the things on her desk before she came in. This, Ornelia learned to know from the receptionist when shed rushed out to thank her for organizing the things on her desk, but the girl snidely told her that she should’ve thanked Maximus.
All of those thoughts went out of the window as soon as Sofia informed her about Kayden’s condition. Ornelia made sure to make an appointment with Kayden’s pediatrician, but he wasn’t available until the next day in the afternoon. She just hoped Kayden would stabilize till then.
***
As soon as she saw Kayden, she knew she had to rush him to the hospital. His skin was burning hot, and he had difficulty breathing because of all the coughing. She tried her best to soothe his sore chest and throat. She kept giving him lukewarm water to drink and a warm water bag to keep on his chest.
Sofia was getting her car ready to drive them to the hospital.
Ornelia felt very helpless and on the verge of tears. She couldn’t bear anything happening to Kayden. He was a weak child. But she had to keep it together for him. If he felt her distress, he could quite possibly become irritated.
So far he’d slept through everything, barely crying, even though he was in pain.
As soon as Sofia pulled up at their curb, Ornelia had Kayden fastened in his car seat. She sat beside him, all the while comforting him.
After about ten minutes, they reached at the hospital. Ornelia picked Kayden up from his seat and into her arms and rushed inside, while Sofia filled out his form at the reception.
Kayden was immediately given a bed, and a doctor and nurse were by his side to check the child’s condition. They asked Ornelia some basic questions about her health and his medical history. The doctor then asked her to step away from the bed as she caught a glimpse of the nurse pushing an IV line into his tiny arm and an oxygen tube in his nostrils.
Kayden was crying and looking for her throughout the room. Her heart wanted to be beside him, but she knew she had to let the doctor and nurse do their job.
“Did Kayden eat or do something new or unusual the previous day?” the doctor asked as he turned to look at her.
“Um . . . uh . . . He ate a sandwich and pancakes in the morning and light fruits for his break in school.” Ornelia tried to recollect all that had happened that day. “We usually eat pasta or chicken for dinner. As far as the activities go, he just went to school and came back home. He’s not a very outdoorsy kid.”
“Is there a construction site anywhere near your vicinity, or maybe a lot of flowers around your house?” the doctor probed her again.
“No, none that I can think of. He was, however, take
n to the school greenhouse I guess. Why? What does that have to do with my son’s condition?” Ornelia grew increasingly impatient. She wanted to know what was wrong with her son.
“We were suspecting a dust or pollen allergy. I guess we got our answer. Pretty sure it is pollen allergy. We’ll give him antihistamines, which particularly work for these allergies. We’d like to keep him for observation, for twenty-four hours. I’ll come check up on him sometime. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.” The doctor patted her back softly as they stepped out of his room.
Ornelia couldn’t thank them enough.
She explained everything to Sofia as soon as she came in. She told her how she appreciated everything she’d done for her and Kayden.
“Sofia, I think I’ll stay by him for the night. Why don’t you head home? I’ll keep you updated about his condition.” She hugged Sofia and asked her to retire for the night.
Sofia nodded and told her to call if anything came up.
Ornelia said her goodbyes to Sofia and finally slouched in a chair beside Kayden’s bed and let her thoughts wander.
She loved her son to death, and that was that.
***
Maximus diligently waited for Ornelia at the clinic the next day. He didn’t invade her privacy and steered clear of her office, but he’d walked around the whole premises a few times, trying to sneak a peek through the glass door, checking if she had come in.
The receptionist noticed his shenanigans and asked him what or who he was looking for.
“Ornelia, is she not in?” he asked carefully.
“No, she is on leave today. I think she is in the hospital,” she answered mindlessly.
“Hospital? Which hospital and why?”
“Yeah, the city hospital. And I don’t really know why.”
“Can you write down the address for me?” he requested.
She clucked her tongue and wrote the address down for him.