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Chapter 2

Max

I watch as Jayde goes back into the hospital. And I take out my phone and call my assistant.

“Mr. King, what can I do for you?” Marley asks.

“I need you to send a bouquet of flowers to Jayde Roberts. Have them delivered to Cedar-Sinai ICU room three zero four within the hour.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else? Did you want to say anything on the card?”

“Just put Maximous King.”

“Will do.”

I hang up and head for my car. Instead of leaving, I just sit and wait. I want to know where she is staying while she’s in town.

While waiting, I see a flower delivery van pull up. I get out of my car and follow the delivery guy hoping these are the flowers for Jayde. I get on the elevator with him. He is going to the third floor. I smile, these are the flowers for her. They are pretty, I hope she likes them. He gets off on the third floor and I stay on the elevator and push the button for the ground floor. I head back to my car.

When I get back to my car, I think about Jayde and the fact that I crave her. I liked the attitude she showed when she flicked her cigarette at my feet. I can tell she doesn’t really like me. But for some reason I really want her to. Before I get too lost in my thoughts, I move my car to park closer to hers. I’ll wait and see where she goes when she leaves the hospital.

About two hours later she comes out. She has the flowers with her. I watch as she gets in her car and puts the flowers in the passenger seat. She pulls out of the space and I count to twenty before I follow her.

She pulls into the SLS Hotel. I pullover and watch her get out of her car. She hands the valet attendant her keys, grabs the flowers and her bags, and then heads inside. I wait a while to make sure this is where she is staying. Once I’m satisfied, I leave.

I get a private investigator friend of mine to monitor her calls and follow her when I can’t. He tells me that she ordered a car from the hotel to take her to the hospital tomorrow.

The next morning, I pull my town car up in front of the hotel. She is already waiting. She gets in without checking that it is the hotel’s car service. I don’t say anything and pull the car out onto the road. I drive a little faster than I should. She looks at me in the rearview mirror, surprise coloring her face.

“You can only accelerate to sixty miles in four seconds, I have a feeling.” She states calmly.

Looking in the rearview mirror, I tell her, “You are worthy of being a doctor of engineering. The stronger you present yourself, the more excited I am.” I pull up to the hospital’s main entrance and put the car in park. Before Jayde can get out of my car, I hand her my phone with a video pulled up.

“What is this?” She asks.

“Just a reminder.” I say. She pushes play and watches as her sister lays almost lifeless in her hospital bed.

“I’m not an actress, so I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“I don’t need you to be an actress any more. I just need you. I’ve already fallen in love with you.”

Jayde

“What? You can’t have fallen in love with me. We only just met yesterday.” I say.

“I fell in love with you the moment you flicked your cigarette at my feet.” Max says.

“I don’t believe you. I have to go check on my sister.” Before he can say anything else, I get out of his car and head inside.

I check with the front desk for Amara’s new room number. They said they were moving her to a new room yesterday. The lady gives me the room number and I head up.

In the elevator, I think about Maximous. He sent me flowers yesterday. And then he brought me here today. The way he said he is in love with me, I just can’t get my head around it.

I take a deep breath as I enter my sister’s room. Amara is still just laying there staring at the ceiling. I sit in the chair next to her bead. I whisper to her that I will get revenge for her. I just want her to snap out of it. I want her to tell me what happened. Why did she try to kill herself?

I get up and head to the cafeteria. I grab a cup of coffee and get some breakfast. I didn’t eat at the hotel because I wanted to see my sister as soon as I could. Now my stomach is growling at me. I take my food back up to Amara’s room.

Walking in, I stop short. Maximous is here. I look at him with his perfect face and perfect body. I want to make him look less perfect. I can’t believe, with how hot he is, that he could be so cruel.

He looks up at me. Our eyes meet and for a second, I believe that he does love me. Then I look at my sister and remember what he has done and the threats he has made. How can someone like him love anyone?

I sit in the chair next to my sister’s bed, putting my coffee and breakfast on the small table there.

“When I came in here and you weren’t here, I thought maybe you had left without me seeing you.” He says, sadly. “But I see you just went to get breakfast.”

“Are you stalking me now?”

“I told you, I’m in love with you. I just want to get to know you.”

“People like you don’t know what love is,” I tell him. “You wouldn’t know it if it bit you in the butt.”

“I know what love is. That’s how I know I’m in love with you. I thought I was in love with Amara, but I was wrong. I was just lusting after her.”

“How can you say that in front of her?” Anger lacing my voice.

He comes around the bed and pulls me to my feet. Then he tugs me against him like it is so natural for us to be touching like this. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. I push him away. He laughs then leaves the room.

I sit back down by my sister’s bed. Holding her hand, I whisper in her ear that I will get revenge for her. I have no idea what Max did or what his plans are. It was weird that he hugged me and kissed the top of my head. I still don’t believe that he could be in love with me. I should have slapped him, but then what would that have gotten me. Probably another threat. I don’t like him threatening Amara. She’s the only family I have left and I will protect her since she can’t protect herself.

“Amara, I hope you come back to yourself soon. I would really like to know what happened,” I whisper to her.

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