Chapter 56 Warnings and Waves
Veronica's POV:
Let it be tails, I thought desperately as the coin spun through the air, catching the light.
It landed with a soft clink on the coffee table.
Heads.
Theo groaned deeply... as he slumped back against the couch cushions.
Max, on the other hand, was overjoyed. He literally jumped up on the couch like a kid who'd just won the snake and ladders game, pumping his fist in the air. "In your face, brother! I win!"
"As if you played an actual game and won," Theo criticized... with disdain. "This is just a chance game, bro. Not an actual thing."
"A win's a win!" Max crowed, still standing on the couch like he was king of the world.
I could only slam my palm against my forehead. These two brothers... they always found a reason to fight. Always.
But beneath my exasperation, something else stirred. Terror, yes... the thought of going on a date with Max, unpredictable and intense Max, made my stomach flip with anxiety.
But there was also something else, something I didn't want to acknowledge. I felt a strange sense of thrill that crept through my veins like electricity.
Perhaps there was something compelling about exploring the unknown...
I just wasn't sure if that thrill was excitement or a warning sign.
The next morning, I was the only one at the breakfast table when I came down.
The beach house was quiet, filled with that peculiar morning stillness that comes right after sunrise.
It was just too beautiful... to see the golden light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting everything in warm honey tones.
I had just started walking toward the table when Max appeared from the hallway, a surfboard tucked under one arm, his inky black hair still messy from sleep. He was wearing board shorts and a tank top that showed off the tattoos winding down his arms, and he looked so casual that it almost hurt to look at him.
He walked straight to me, and before I could process what was happening, he leaned down and kissed my lips.
It was brief, barely more than a brush of contact, but it sent shock waves through my entire system. My eyes widened as he pulled back with that trademark smirk.
"I'll see you this afternoon," he said casually. "We'll be taking off around two."
"Where?" I asked.
"It's a surprise. You'll know later."
Honestly, I was irritated.
But I knew it was part of who Max was... he was this spontaneous, unpredictable, always keeping people on their toes. He gave off thrill and suspense to others...
He winked at me, then headed toward the back doors that led to the beach, surfboard in hand, ready to take a
morning dip in the waves.
I stood there for a moment, my fingers unconsciously touching my lips where he'd kissed me, before I shook myself out of it and moved to sit down at the table.
That's when I noticed Theo's absence.
The usual place where he sat—left side of the table, always with a book or his tablet nearby—was empty.
"Where is Theo?" I asked the maid who was pouring my coffee.
She glanced toward the empty chair. "Client meeting, miss. As usual."
"Alright," I said, accepting the cup she handed me and beginning to butter a piece of toast.
But the maid didn't leave. She stayed there, hovering near my shoulder, and I could feel her eyes on me. Her gaze made the back of my neck prickle with awareness.
I looked up. "Is everything alright?"
She hesitated, her hands twisting in her apron. Then she leaned down slightly, lowering her voice even though no one was around us.
"You are really with both brothers?" she asked.
I literally jumped in my seat, my fork clattering against my plate. "No... no... that's not entirely true..."
The words came out automatically, defensive, but even as I said them I felt their weakness. Because it kind of was true, wasn't it?
"Miss Whitmore, I can clearly see it. But there's one thing I need to warn you about."
My heart started beating faster. "What?"
She glanced toward the hallway where Max had disappeared, then back to me. "The two brothers... they can get really competitive sometimes. They hide it well and act like friends most of the time, but trust me... I've been with the Ashford family for the last fifteen years. I've watched those boys grow up."
I set down my coffee cup, giving her my full attention.
"The brothers..." she continued, now she was litreally whispering. "They were traumatized by their father. He pitted them against each other constantly, always pushing them to perform better than the other. You know... he kept crazy competions at home... to decide who was the best among two... There would be weekly debates, business ideas discussions... and the winner got their father's approval. It was toxic. And it broke them inside..."
I started feeling dizzy. I thought about Theo's need for structure and control, Max's rebellious spontaneity. Perhaps it was their coping mechanisms... two different responses to the same wound.
"But in the end, they rebelled together," the maid said. "They chose peace... and to be brothers instead of rivals. But that was very recently, Miss Whitmore. Very recently. And I believe..." she paused, probably to choose her words carefully. "I believe that their competitive nature is still there, buried underneath. Maybe that's why they're competing over you now. Their old patterns have a way of resurfacing."
I swallowed hard.
The contract. The coin toss. Max's immediate grab for my hand.
Theo's insistence on enforcing rules and penalties.
Was this really about me? Or was it about them, about old wounds and ingrained patterns they couldn't escape?
"No," I said firmly, surprising myself with the conviction in my voice. "That's not true. They both really love me, and my choice will be final. Not theirs."
The maid looked at me for a long moment, and I couldn't quite read her expression. Sympathy? Doubt? Warning?
"I hope you're right, Miss Whitmore," she said finally. "I truly do. Those boys deserve happiness. All three of you do."
She left then, leaving me alone with my rapidly cooling coffee.
I stared down at the rose quartz bracelet on my wrist, the pale pink stones that matched the ones both brothers were wearing. A symbol of our promise to stay friends no matter what.
But as I sat there in the golden morning light, I couldn't shake the maid's words. Was I walking into the middle of a battle they'd been fighting their whole lives.
Then I understood the responsibility I had... I should make it all about myself... and not let them fight about it.