Fighter

Ch. 23

After Maddox and I are done eating breakfast, I hug Tyler and say goodbye. We head back to his place to spend the day together. "What do you want for your birthday?" He asks, me stopping the car at a stoplight.

"I told you. I don't want anything and I don't like celebrating it." I state, firmly.

"And I told you we're doing something. There has to be something you want." Maddox says.

"No, we are not and no, there isn't." I counter, not waiting to do anything special.

"Fine. I'll get you what I think you'll like and take you where I think you'll like to go." Maddox states, not bothered by my reply.

I know it's no use arguing with him, so I don't. Then I think about the doctors, I'm going to have to settle for calling on Monday.

Maddox's phone rings breaking the silence. He looks at his phone and curses. "Dammit, what does he want?" He doesn't answer or say who's calling.

Two minutes later we pull into his apartment complex. "Why do you rent such a big place when it's only you?" I ask.

"I don't rent. These are high rise condominiums." He tells me.

"Oh, so why did you buy such a big place?" I ask, seeing it as kind of a waste.

He doesn't say anything, he gets out of the car coming to my side opening the door. I look at him waiting for an answer. I don't get one.

"Why won't you answer me?" I question, confused.

"I own these buildings." He explains, pointing to the building across the street and the two in front of us.

"Okay, explain in detail." I demand.

"I developed these properties my freshman year here. It was a good business decision. The hospital was expanding with a multi-million dollar restructuring plan. I knew that the people coming here were all young professionals and condos are always a good choice with their schedules since they don't have to worry about grass, fixing things and security. Plus we're only fifteen minutes from the hospital. So, I started building this one." He points to the one he lives in. "We finished construction in a year and then started the other two right after."

I look at him my mouth half open and my eyebrows pulled together. "And where did you acquire the knowledge and money to build these? Sorry, but I don't see anyone giving an eighteen year old millions to bankroll his condos, no matter how good a business decision." I state in disbelief.

He smiles. "No, they wouldn't. I had the capital, I did it myself."

"Was your dad a property developer?" I ask.

"No. Mergers and acquisitions." He answers.

"You're saying with your degree you want be a developer?" I ask.

"No. I'll be going into the family business, Kahn Global. It's all mergers and acquisitions, no real property development. This was just easy money." He answers, simply.

We start walking again and I'm still in awe at his success. "I bet your dad would be proud, I know I am. If I were like you, maybe my parents would have acknowledged me. You should be proud of yourself." I say, honestly.

Maddox stops walking and looks at me, did I say something wrong? I looked at him confused.

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'acknowledged you'?" He asks, angrily.

"Well, they were busy people, Maddox. They just didn't have time for a daughter they never wanted. Relax, why are you so mad? You're hurting my hand." I tell him, trying to take my hand from his.

"Sorry, Kitten, I didn't mean to." He apologizes, relaxing his grip he kisses the back of my hand. "What did your parents do that made them ignore their only daughter?" He asks, bitterly.

"They ran a business in New York, Davis Advertising Inc. My grandfather passed when I was little. I never knew him but apparently he started the company and my mother interned there after leaving here. She met my dad and they made me, I bet that's why they got married, but I don't know for sure. That's all that Aunt Mary could find out."

"You didn't live with them?"

"Yes, I lived with them."

"You know nothing of your family here or in New York? How is that possible?" He asks, outrage pouring out of every word.

"I told you they were always busy, they didn't really talk to me. My dad never said a word to me besides 'how are you?'. We didn't have any kind of relationship. When my mom would talk to me I'd wish she didn't, she wasn't very nice." Sighing I say, "How do I explain this to you? My father was like an acquaintance and my mother was like a distant relative."

"Is that why you don't want to celebrate your birthday?" He questions, walking again. We enter the building coming to a stop at the elevators.

"Why would I celebrate a day where the only two people on the planet who were meant to love me unconditionally didn't?" I look up to him. "Would you celebrate the day they wished you were never born?" I look away as we enter the elevator and he puts in his code. We don't say anything as we make our way to his condo and I'm glad.

The elevator comes to a stop and we walk out, Maddox drops my hand and turns to me, crushing me in a hug. "I love you. You were made for me, not them. I'll always be thankful you were born and that God gave you to me."