66 – Elaine.

Book:Billionaire's Lost Girl Published:2024-11-13

“How dare you be so controlling, Max?” I yelled, jabbing his chest forcefully. “It is my life, and he’s my son as well. I’ve been working under you for a long while still taking good care of him. You think I can’t multitask?”
“I don’t think, I know,” he growled. “Finn comes first. Your job can wait.”
I shake my head. “You selfish son of a bitch. Do you think that I’m weak? You’ve only known him for a week and suddenly you feel like you know what’s best for him. Cora and I have been watching after him since birth, while still going about our individual jobs. I’m not incapacitated, and he will always come first. So butt out, and stop acting like a self-entitled jerk from hell.”
He narrowed his eyes, his brows perking up in surprise. “I’m a jerk?”
“Well, of course! You’re worse than a jerk, and listen to this, really good,” I fumed, poking my index finger at his chest. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. It’s my life. We’re only sharing a son. Nothing more.”
His lips stretched into a thin line as we glared daggers at each other for what felt like hours. I wasn’t going to blink, as that would make him think I was backing down. “You’re such a stubborn whore, you know that?” he seethed, gritting his teeth. “If you go against my orders, there will be consequences, Elaine. I’m serious about this.”
“Oh, to hell with you,” I flipped him the bird, swiveling around to find Finn standing in the doorway with a hand on his little waist, wide-eyed.
Shit.
“Finn, love,” I gasped, horrified. “How long have you been standing there?”
“A few minutes,” he squeaked, his lips wobbling as though he was about to cry. “Are you two… fighting?”
Fuck, he’d heard every damn thing. “What? Oh, no, no. Daddy and I are just…” I trailed off, exhaling in regret. Max stepped forward, glaring briefly at me before facing Finn and ruffling his hair.
“It’s nothing, son. Mommy and I were just fooling around. It’s what adults do sometimes but we’re, uh, cool now. Would you like to have some lemonade?” he asked awkwardly. Finn shook his head quietly.
“I don’t like lemonade, Daddy.”
“Oh. How about hot chocolate instead?”
I rolled my eyes, feeling out of place. Finn nodded and allowed Max to take his hand and lead him downstairs, into the kitchen. I trudged behind them, furious at myself. Finn shouldn’t have heard or seen us fighting, and from the look of things, it seemed as though there’d be repeated occurrences in the future. I didn’t want him to be affected in any way by the strain between Max and me, so that meant I had to step up to the role and become the bigger, responsible adult in front of him and try to go along with the flow.
Plopping my butt down on the counter, next to Finn, I watched as Max stirred two steaming mugs of chocolate and handed them over. Finn gulped his down at a go, while I peered closely into mine to check if Max had added poison or something.
“Don’t be absurd,” he hissed contemptuously. “I added nothing but sugar in it. Drink up.”
“I’m only making sure, asshole,” I shot back, taking a sip. The hot liquid burned my tongue, but it tasted good alright. I put the mug down and fake a smile at Finn as his little eyes darted between Max and me suspiciously. They began talking about books, toys, and football, and I got bored. But still, watching them converse animatedly set off a warm feeling in my gut. It felt surreal. Almost like I was living in a dream.
I wished it’d been like this from the very beginning.
An hour later, I turned to Finn at last, drowsy and exhausted. “Can we get going now, baby? Momma’s feeling sleepy.”
He nodded, jumping off the stool. “Okay,” he beamed up at Max. “Bye, Daddy.”
“Goodbye, son,” Max huffed, ruffling his hair, his eyes glassy. “I’ll come over on Saturday, and we’ll go to the park together. How about that?”
Finn squealed, hopping into his arms. “Thank you, Daddy!”
“Anytime, my boy.”
We waited in the living room while Max went up to retrieve his keys. When he got back, he slapped the keys to the new car in my hand, smirking at my narrowed eyes.
I wrung my hand away, hissing violently. “I told you I don’t need it.”
“This isn’t about you,” he stared me down. “Don’t be a cunt. If you don’t need it, Finn does and you know it. Now suck it up.”
“Asshole,” I groused, yanking the keys from his grasp.
He winked. “Thank you. Finn, can you promise me you’ll make Mom a glass of chilled milk when she gets home to, um, calm her nerves?”
I clenched my fists, trying to steel myself from digging his eyes out. What a nerve!
And of course, Finn nodded with a smile, like the sweet kid that he was. “Okay, Daddy.”
“Goodbye, Daddy,” I snapped in a high-pitched voice. “We certainly won’t be coming back here to see you.”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind coming over. Goodbye now, Momma. Bye Finn,”
“Bye, Daddy,” Finn waved as we walked down the stairs, towards the driveway.
Damn you, Max Sturm.

After our banter on Thursday evening, I pulled up in front of Benson Publishings; a multi-national, famous company that dealt with book marketing for my interview on Monday morning. Craving my past job in Ohio, I applied for the role of editor this time, and I hoped to get it. Pulling down my new black shades, I beamed at my pristine reflection in the mirror for a long while, then took out my phone to scroll through my messages. I hated to think about it, but I was secretly holding out hope that there’d be one from Max – which was absurd because he was the last person I wanted to hear from right now.
Reapplying my lip gloss, I sat back and went over the possible answers I’d rehearsed for the interview, distracted temporarily by a couple crossing the street together, laughing loudly. My heart ached as a disturbing image of Max sitting in some cozy restaurant and laughing with a random girl came to mind.
Just like we’d been sitting and laughing with each other at that hotel bar in Ohio.
Fuck.
I remember it so well. Everything. And God, I wished for nothing but to go back to that weekend and enjoy it all over again. He had the most beautiful, most intoxicating laugh that I’d ever heard. So wild, exciting, and carefree like a loose melody. He was totally a different person each time we were together. He was sharper, more animated, wittier, and more charming. But this past week, he’d become a depressing stranger who’d never laugh with me that dreamy way again.
Sucking in a deep breath, I wiped off the tears gathering slowly in my eyes. Two weeks ago, I thought we had a future. I thought I’d meant something to him forever. Two weeks ago, I was meeting his family, and he was sticking up for his annoying father for me.
Now the only connection or tie that brought the both of us together was Finn. I was now simply the mother of his son.
The one he wanted to sit at home, a complete housewife. The one he wanted to control. The one he wanted to throw away her career to massage his ego.
But that wasn’t what made me sad. I was sad because… I missed him so much. I missed what we had. I missed our moments. A lot.
I wished his feelings for me had been stronger. Maybe he could’ve overlooked my mistakes. I knew that if he found out about Finn, the paradise we’d built between us would tumble, and I’d been right. A volcano had erupted, one that’d been warming up silently as the weeks ticked by with me holding back the greatest revelation of his life. I had no right to complain, as long as he was eager to fulfill his responsibilities to Finn.
Climbing out of the car, I meandered through the rows of neatly-parked cars in the parking lot, strutting towards the entrance. After I’d stated my business with the receptionist in the lobby, I rode the elevator up to the first floor, my breath hitching up in surprise when the doors pulled open and I saw Max standing in his signature navy-blue Armani suit, his arms folded carefully across his broad chest.
Speak of the devil.
His eyes swiped through my dress, and I shut my eyes, feeling their burn. How on earth did he know I’d be here today? Oh, God.
“Uh, hello.” I breathed nervously with a shy wave. “W-W… What are you doing here?”