He refused to get down.
Reyona blamed herself for the umpteenth time for putting herself in this situation. If she had not been overthinking about what he could do regarding the bid, she wouldn't have called him. Not to talk about agreeing to meet up with him.
"How then would I have ended up in this situation?" she blamed herself as she drove away from the restaurant's parking lot. She had no choice but to do that since other cars were honking at her. The dog in the truck added his enthusiastic bark when she was honked at, and that became the last straw for her.
"Did he not come there with his car?" she thought fleetingly but refused to ask him as he currently had his head rested against his seat, with his eyes closed as if she were his chauffeur taking him out on a trip.
Bastard! She thought he could walk to wherever he was going for all she cared, even while she wondered if he was truly crazy enough to not come with a ride of his own.
She kept driving as she stubbornly refused to ask him where she should park so they could have this talk that he was so hellbent on. She passed Avenue Road and took the intersection that would lead to her area.
"If I didn't know better, I would think that you are trying to kidnap me," he said suddenly, and she glared at him only to find out that his eyes were open and pinned on her. "Find a suitable place to park, Reyona, and let's talk," he said in the most reasonable tone she had ever heard from him, and his face was devoid of his annoying grin as well.
"I don't want to have..."
"Do we have to go through this again?" he asked with his eyes on hers. Then he looked ahead and pointed to Avery Park, one of the public parks close to the main road in Kayooma. "Why not park there and let's talk?" he asked.
Reyona heaved an exasperated sigh and figured that the earlier she dealt with him, the faster she could be on her way, well away from him. She swerved into the opening that led to the park and stopped the car from going down the path.
"I am not getting out of this car to walk this park like a tourist or whatever," she said in a clipped tone. "Please say what you have to say and get out of this car."
He gave her a long look and said, "I know about what your husband did to you."
Reyona refused to let her emotions take the better of her this time around. She had heard him say this before, after all, and this time she was prepared for him. So she turned to him and said, "And what would that be, Mr. Rohan?"
The lighting on the paved path of the park illuminated their faces in the otherwise dark car as the sun had set by now. Reyona wished she did not see the flash of concern that crossed his face as he gave her a keen look; that would only make her think that he was more than the selfish bastard she had always tagged him to be.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, she quickly reminded herself that he only wanted something from her and he wouldn't mind doing anything to get it, even if that anything was for him to show a fake concern about her.
"I know about his affair," he said simply. So simply, she was sure that he was expecting a reaction from her. She chose to give him nothing, as she only gave him a bland look with a terse statement, "Is that so?"
Only for the bastard to use her lack of expression against her as he said, "The fact that you are not surprised means that I am right."
"Or it could mean that you have such an overrated imagination and I don't care to entertain it."
He looked ahead with a shake of his head before turning back to her. "See, I figure that you might hate my gut right now and detest me for even bringing this up. Yes, I get it but I am invested in this and I would like to have your cooperation on this."
Reyona could feel the anger she had been trying so hard to tamp down stir in her. She decided not to give him that pleasure, as she said in a controlled tone. "And what made you think that I give a damn about whatever it is that you think or want? Do I know you so well that you think you have the right to ask anything of me? You have such a nerve to even talk to me about this right after you just informed me that my husband is having an affair. What right do you think you have to stick your nose in other people's affairs?"
"Because it is not other people's affair," Maxwell said blandly. "My sister... well, half-sister and not by choice but nonetheless is involved in this and I made a promise to exonerate her."
Exonerate her? Is he stupid? Reyona had an inkling of what he was driving at, but she chose not to entertain any overthinking. "Look here," she said, "I think that is enough cock and bull for the day; please get out of my car or I will call the cops on you for harassment."
"And you think they will believe you even though I am in your car and you are the one behind the wheel?" He said it with a taunt in his tone.
"I don't care. I want you out of my car now, or you are going to have to find out on your own," she hoped he would take her seriously as she reached for her phone.
"I know she did a terrible thing, but framing her up for pushing is extreme, don't you think?" He said it with his eyes on hers, as if he did not hear what she said earlier.
"You are crazy. I swear you need to be in a psychiatric hospital right now because you have no right to be anywhere near rational people. If all you would be doing is going about randomly accusing people, then you need to be locked away forever."
"Is it random, though?" he asked. "If it was so random, why are you here now? I know you make a great show of the fact that you are not interested in what I have to say, but deep down, you are curious about what exactly I know. I will trade with you, Reyo. Mrs Lanoth. I just want you to level with me here. She needs to be out of that place to get her treatment."
Reyona was genuinely shocked, and her facade dropped as she asked, "What treatment are you talking about? That bitch is Hale, and...
She cut herself off when she saw the knowing look that he gave her.
Shit! Why had she done that? She thought in anger, berating herself for falling into his trap.
"She is not right in the head, Reyona, and she needs better treatment than she is currently getting in the facility. Her kids are waiting for her to get back to them as well. I was informed that a word from you could make a lot of diff...."
"Then you heard wrong!" Reyona snapped at him, forgetting anything about keeping her cool. "I don't know what you are talking about, and I swear, if you don't get out of my car now, I..."
"I am gone," he said immediately, opening the door to get out. "I just want you to think about it, please. I know she messed up. They both fucked up, and I wouldn't mind helping you with any other revenge you have devised for...."
"I say, get lost!"
"Done," he said as he closed the door behind him. "Please think about this. It is all I ask." Maxwell jumped out of the way when Reyona peeled out of the park, almost stepping on his feet.