Mr.Right novel Chapter 20

One sentence. 

Four words.

Ten letters that can make your heart drop into your stomach. 

We need to talk.

But it's coming from a person I hardly even know and I don't know why my legs have suddenly turned to jelly. I didn't even do anything wrong. 

"I don't know you," I say.

"Wrong answer." She sneers at me. "Now let's try that again. We need to talk."

I sigh and decide to just get this over with. "Fine. What's your name?"

She looks a little bit surprised at this, but she brushes it off and puts on a smug look. "Elise Montgomery.  Daughter of Phil Montgomery, the founder of the Acquia company. Only child of Felicity Montgomery, a shareholder of the World Bank. Great granddaughter of King Festus III."

I notice a faint England tint to her voice for the first time. I have a feeling she already knows who I am, so I just get straight to the point. "What do you want?" 

"I want you to stop bothering me," Elise Montgomery says curtly. "Leave Maverick alone. He's going to hate you sooner or later, anyway. The only reason he let you in his house is because he doesn't know who you are." 

"And you know who I am?" I ask and she smirks.

"You're April White, the reporter who once worked for my Dad's opposing company."

I brush away the droplets of snow that are falling onto my shoulders and let out a breath. "What has this got to do with Maverick hating me?"

"How can you be so clueless?" she scoffs sticking her nose in the air. "Back off while you've got the chance. The both of you'll only end up getting hurt. I'm trying to tell Maverick I'm the only one for him, but he wouldn't listen. And now he has you in his house."

She makes it sound like I'm some sort of plague, like I'm something dirty on the bottom of her shoe. It completely tears down the wall of happiness that I've been trying to build up. 

"Just leave him alone. Don't let yourself burden him." Elise flips her hair with her perfectly manicured hand and looks at me one last time. "Oh, and don't tell Maverick about this. If anyone asks, we never had this conversation and I never even met you," With that, she bumps into me on purpose and walks off in the opposite direction.

I'm left standing alone, grateful only of the fact that she didn't see me cry.  

My life's a joke. 

I can't believe I thought everything would be all right. Everything is never going to be all right. 

I'm not doing this thing anymore. I know I shouldn't believe the words of a jealous ex-girlfriend, but I can't do it anymore. I can't risk people getting hurt. 

I'm giving up. 

I take little steps as I trudge along the sidewalk but, before I know it, I'm running along the city's streets, letting out huge sobs. 

I'm getting stares from people as I bump into them while crying, but their opinions are the last thing I give a fuck about right now. 

Maverick told me to transfer my anger into doing something physical, like punching a bag but, right now, there's no punch bag with me. The only thing I can think of to hit is already far behind me, swinging her red hair as she prances along, probably mentally high-fiving herself for getting to me so easily. 

With nothing to take my anger out on, I run harder and faster, all the way down to the penthouse.   

In what seems like minutes, the house comes into view and I stop in front of the gate to catch my breath. A few more tears slip from my eyes. 

"Are you crying?" 

I jump from the sound of the voice and whip my head around to see Maverick standing in front of me, with his car parked on the other side of the road.

"You're supposed to be at the hospital," I say, scrubbing furiously at my tears.

"And you're supposed to be happy. What the hell happened to you? Why are you crying?"  

"I can't do it anymore," I blurt out. "I was wrong to think I could change. People can't change. It's impossible. I'm sorry I asked for your help and...  and... I'm sorry for being a faliure." 

The next thing I know, his arms are around me in a hug and my forehead is pressed to his chest. 

"I want to do it," says maverick softly. "This isn't about you anymore."