Chapter 29: Lifetime of Mistakes

“She’s talking about me.”

My face lit up when I heard his voice. Finally.

Xavier turned around to look at the person. Max smiled at me and then shifted his attention toward Xavier, his smile turning into a smirk.

“You?” Xavier said, “She called you?”

“Apparently,” he replied and took some steps towards me.

“Shouldn’t you be in London?” He continued asking with a suspicious gaze.

“I called him when we returned so he never left for Britain,” I jumped in the conversation and said with a little smile on my face. “And yes, I called him here.”

“You can’t be serious, Scarlet!” He started to get angry and shouted at me. Max interrupted him. “Watch how you talk!”

“How dare you tell me what to do!?” Xavier now shouted at Max. It seemed like they both were losing their mind.

“You can’t think of yourself as someone higher when she clearly chooses me over you, Mr. Valencian,” He replied in a quieter tone, “And losing your cool isn't really a professional… endeavour.”

He scoffed and looked away. Then he looked at me, his eyes holding mixed emotions which were difficult to interpret — but I knew for sure that they held some kind of hate or anger.

“You’re gonna pay for this, woman,” He whispered in a lower voice, “You should’ve learned your lesson the last time around.”

“Oh I did,” I replied with a small smile. “I did learn the truth, Xavier and I really hope you know that you can’t hurt me.”

“Oh yeah? And why is that?” His eyebrows knitted as his intense gaze met mine. “Because this shit of a man is gonna protect you?”

I scoffed. “First of all, he is a great guy,” I said, half looking at Max — who gave me a smile, and then continued: “And no, it is because I am gonna protect myself from now. It is a pity that you think a woman can’t protect herself.”

“It is not a pity that I think that you can’t protect yourself,” He said. “It is a pity that you can’t accept someone else’s help when you need it, that you think it’s embarrassing to ask for a hand… and that you’ll go to all limits, putting your child’s life at danger just to prove this stupid point of yours.”

“Enough!” Thankfully, Max interrupted the conversation. I didn’t know how to react to him — he was not right but he wasn’t completely wrong either. But was it so wrong to think I could protect myself?

I know I couldn’t protect myself right now, but I could get better. I wouldn’t get better if I stayed with someone who thinks like Xavier. Someone like him would always assume that I would need a man to keep me safe; that a thought of protecting myself would never even cross his mind.

“Let’s go,” I said as I came out of my deep thoughts and looked at Maxence. He gave me a small nod.

Finally, he looked at Martin who was just watching the two billionaires fight for someone like me.

“Hey, Maxence,” Martin said.

Max looked at him for a small time before exhaling. “Martin.”

“Glad you remember me.”

“I don’t, actually,” He chuckled and looked up at him. “I just remember your name.”

“I guess you can’t remember what you don’t know.”

“Yeah.”

“We should go,” I interrupted him and said again. We needed to leave now, more of Martin’s people could come at any time.

He looked at me and nodded two times, taking my hand. “Don’t try to hurt her ever again.”

“Adios,” Martin replied.

I sighed and made sure Drew was okay before walking out with Max. I was still holding him in my arms as I was still very afraid. He seemed to be sleepy as his eyes were closed, but I could feel he was still awake.

As soon as we walked upstairs, I sighed loudly.

“Thanks for coming for me, Max.” I looked into his eyes even if it was dark. I could feel him looking back at me. The feeling of being with him right now was overwhelming. I could feel the gush of adrenaline as he looked at me. It felt like the best moment ever.

He smiled. “Thanks for messaging me.”

I shook my head and smiled. “I should’ve done that a long while ago. I was so blind. I was so immature to not realise who I should’ve actually given all my time to.”

He smiled more and kept a hand on my cheek. “It is okay. Let’s talk about this some time.”

I nodded and then we went out of the wooden frame, finally into the quiet house.

“Let’s leave, shall we?” He asked me as I looked around the house. I just wanted to say bye to the old woman, but I figured she must be hiding.

“Yeah,” I replied before walking out of the house along with him.

I sat in the back seat of his car along with Andrew as he sat on the driver’s seat. Drew was almost zoning off because he was very sleepy, and finally being with me gave him peace.

“Is he asleep?” Max asked as we drove on the almost empty road.

“Yeah,”

“I wanted to talk about something, Scar.”

“Yeah?” I looked at the front. He stole a glance of me through the rear view mirror and sighed. His words made me a little nervous.

“What you did today, does that… does that mean you’re—you’re choosing me over him?”

“Of course.”

“So, do you… are you gonna—are we…” He was having a hard time forming the question but I understood what he was trying to ask.

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I said in between. “Are you willing to give us another try, Max?”

The car slowed down but we still kept moving. I held my breath as I waited for his reply. I couldn’t even see his expressions which made things worse; however I was pretty sure what he was going to say to me.

“I will, Scar,” He replied after two minutes. “But I need a promise from you.”

“Y-yeah, anything.”

I heard him exhale loudly before he continued. He stopped the car on the side but didn’t look back or get out. He looked down.

“I would love to get the chance to be with you again,” He started off with a soft voice. “But I can’t bear to lose you this time. I still love you and—and I won’t lie, if you—if you come back in my life like you want to, I would fall for you harder. I survived the last time you left me but if I… if we try again and you leave me again, I won’t—I just don’t want that to happen. So if you can promise me that you’ll never leave me no matter what happens, then I… then this will work out. Do you understand me, Scar?”

I closed my eyes. Between everything, I almost forgot how badly I hurt him last time. Of course, I would never let that happen again. I am not that stupid that I would hurt someone so good like him ever again.

“I promise you, Max,” I replied after a minute. “I promise to always be here and to never hurt you again.”

“I love you.”

Those words made my heart flutter.

A single tear came down my eyes as a wide smile spread on my lips. Of course I didn’t deserve any of the things happening to me. I didn’t deserve Max after my stupidity, but he didn’t deserve to not have me if he wanted me.

This was the last chance to make up for a lifetime of mistakes.

“I love you too.”

___________________

I looked out of the window as the cold wind flew through my hair. A big smile on my face enlightened the mood of the weather: even if that was something really weird to say.

“We’re almost there,” he said and I looked at him.

“Do you actually live in the forest?” I asked and laughed. “Feels like we’ve been driving for hours now!”

“It has only been half an hour, Scar,” He corrected me and chuckled. “And you’re gonna love this place.”

“I know that for sure!”

I sighed as I looked again at Drew who was sleeping peacefully. Max asked me to move in with him so we could have a really good chance at working out while he could also keep me safe and away from danger.

So, he was taking me and Andrew to his place which was a little far from my house. I’ve never been to this place of his, so I was excited.

I also thought it was best to stay with him until I learned some ways to protect myself and Drew. I couldn’t think of leaving Drew alone for another second; only my heart knew the feelings I had felt for the past few hours before rescuing him.

“And I am sorry that you had to go to that place again,” He said. “I should have known that your child would be there.”

“You couldn’t have.”

“I could have, Scar.”

“See, don’t think about it now.”

I tried to dodge the topic because I knew it was really hard for him too. But I guess he loved to torture himself with his thoughts.

“How? Martin could have hurt you again!”

“That doesn’t make you responsible!” I corrected him.

“It does. It does when he is my brother!”

His words were followed by a long moment of silence. I sighed. “He is not actually your brother. Blood isn’t everything. You know that, right?”

He scoffed.

“You don’t have to sympathise with my pathetic self. I will be just fine with the truth.”

“If you were so pathetic, would I be in love with you?” I tried to get him to think a little better. I knew he was having so many negative thoughts — and I was partially the reason, so I had to make it better for him.

“Oh no. You’re too stupid to know.”

“Hey!”

He chuckled and looked at me. “I am gonna keep you safe now, Scar. No one will ever hurt you again. If happy ever afters exist, then this is it.”

I smiled at him. “You’ve always been so good with words.”

He smiled back.

Everything felt different. The smile I used to look at casually seemed to be bigger and more cheerful. The eyes I used to just look at without any thoughts seemed to drown me now.

Was this how it felt like to be with the right person?

I had no doubts about being with Max. Of course, he was the hero of my story.

But something told me that Xavier’s Chapter in my life wasn’t closed.

I looked at Drew as a series of thoughts crossed my mind. Of course I would be just fine, living with Max, but what about Drew? Would he even accept him, since he is Xavier’s child? He hates him, doesn’t he?

And even if by a miracle he accepts Drew, would Drew be okay with such a massive change in his life?

Max noticed me through the rear view mirror again.

“About Andrew,” He said, “I will love him like he is my own. You know that too, right?”

“Even if… even if he’s the child of—of someone umm—“

“I hate?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes. Because he doesn’t deserve anything bad because of his father.”

I smiled. What else could I have expected from someone like Max? I never knew this side of him before. He was so different then. But now? Now I wouldn’t find someone more perfect than him. I didn’t believe in anything or anyone but now I believe that people could change — and a lot. I knew that things could become better with time. Everything seemed to be so much better now. Even with a life full of regrets, I couldn’t be happier at this moment.

“So let him know,” He continued with a smile on his face. “He can call me father too.”