Chapter 14: Another Side Of The Story

“Stop,” Maryanne whispers, trying to control her emotions. She gently tugs on her hand, but Max refuses to release it.
Luckily, he is too out of it to notice the shift in her mood.
Why is he acting so kind and intimate? This is not like him.
“I only want to thank you,” he rasps out. He opens his eyes once more, turning toward Maryanne. “I enjoyed spending time with you and Riley at the park. I hope we can do more together from now on.”
His grip tightens on her hand. She holds back the emotions that wage war against her reasoning. She cannot fall back into the trap that is Max Ryder. He has hurt her too much to be completely forgiven so easily.
Instead, Maryanne takes a deep breath in and says, “As long as you don’t get sick every time.”
Max tries to laugh through his coughs, but ends up wincing, “I’ll try not to.”
Maryanne smiles down at him, her hand burning from the contact. She pats his arm, her heart racing. “Just try to rest, I am going to check on Riley.”
“Okay,” he smiles softly.
Leaving quickly, Maryanne tries to calm her heart and clear her mind. It is never a good thing to be close to Max. His sickness is not doing her any favors either. She finds the maid down the hall, carrying an empty bowl. “How is she Geneva?”
The woman halts and pivots toward her, “She is doing a lot better. She woke up a little while ago and played in her room, but she tired quickly and now is laying down in the entertainment room watching cartoons.”
Maryanne sighs with relief, “That’s good, has she eaten?”
“Yes, she ate half a bowl of soup.”
Both women begin to descend the stairs together.
“That’s great, I’m glad she’s doing well.” Her mind is still with Max, making things even more difficult. She takes a step too far forward and almost slips. She balances herself and hopes Geneva did not see.
“How is Mister Ryder?”
Maryanne works on keeping a level head and breathes in deeply, “He’s exhausted, but I’m sure he will be better later. His fever is slowly lowering.”
Geneva relaxes and smiles as they reach the second landing and continue on to the bottom floor. “I am glad to hear that Miss. Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“No, you’re doing a great job, Geneva. I don’t think I could’ve done this without you.”
“It can be a lot of work, but thankfully Mister Ryder rarely gets sick.”
Maryanne shakes her head, “I can’t imagine single parents having to take care of a child on their own.”
The maid chuckles softly, “If you had to, I know you would be able to handle it. You are resilient.”
“Thank you, Geneva.”
Once they reach the first floor, both women walk side-by-side to the kitchen. Jeff is nowhere to be seen.
“Max has only ever had me here to take care of him, so I am very glad that he now has you there by his side.” Geneva explains, placing the bowl in the sink.
Maryanne’s body tightens and she stares at the ground. “It’s only because we are both here for Riley. In a year we will go our separate ways. This is only temporary.”
Geneva lowers her shoulders with disappointment, “I can hope, Miss. He has always been alone. I have never worked with him when there has been so much life in his home. Even before with the parties, it was crowded but not in the way a home is supposed to be.”
They stand in silence for a moment, the maid wiping her hands on a towel. Maryanne is the first to break the tension. “Geneva, can I ask you something?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m not sure if you would know, but what was Max like five years ago, and even before that. He was a player, right?” Maryanne remembers the pained look Max gave her in the park. How could he be so hurt by the past if he was fooling around with other women behind her back?
Geneva cocks her head to the side frowning, “What do you mean Miss?”
“He messed around with a lot of women, right?”
“He had several girlfriends, yes, but he tried very hard to have good relationships with them. They were the ones that got greedy quickly and wanted his money.”
Maryanne tries to swallow past the lump of shock in her throat. “He had several at a time?”
“Oh goodness no, I am sorry if I gave that impression. Mister Ryder is a very loyal man. I have never seen him betray a woman, even if she is doing so to him.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“He refuses to go to any woman’s house. They must come through the penthouse. I see them all, and there has never been a woman alone in the condo with him that he was not currently dating.” Geneva stares up, trying to remember the past.
Maryanne isn’t sure if she should believe the maid. She could just as easily be protecting her boss.
“Miss, if this is about what happened five years ago, I do not know why you broke things off with Mister Ryder, but if it is what I suspect, I just want you to know that he cared very deeply for you. I know he would not have done something that would have hurt you. He was in a lot of pain after you left. When I came back from my family he refused to speak and locked himself in his study for days.”
Could that really be true? Impossible. Maryanne wants to speak, but she isn’t sure what she would say. Probably denounce what Geneva is saying.
The maid continues, “Miss, what I am trying to say is that Mister Ryder loved you.”