The annoying charisma of Max Brown (Now published so sample size only)

Chapter 21 - Max

Chapter 21

Max

"Sir, we've arrived." Doug's voice stirred me from my light nap.

My eyes snapped open as a pleasant feeling unfurled in my chest. I was home at last. Home wasn't a structure for me anymore. It wasn't the house I had built to prove to my father that I didn't need his money or the family business. Home was now her.

I didn't care where I lived as long as she was there. Coming home to her seemed the most ludicrous thing, but I needed to have it in my life. I needed her as much as I needed to breathe.

For a man who'd spent his life trying to claw his way to the top, and only have the best of life, it was rather ironic. I've spent my life saying I'd never fall in love because it was a useless, painful thing that never helped anyone. Possessions and the priciest things I could attain, used to be my only goal. I've lived my life with the firm knowledge that people weren't important. A lot of that I'd gotten from my father. Now none of it mattered, she mattered.

Dawn walked into my life, spanked my bare arse, and showed me herself. It galled me when she wouldn't talk to me or even acknowledge my presence for so long. I guess I'd turned into a smug arsehole who thought he could have any woman. Not having her turned into an obsession that made me make foolish mistakes with her. She taught me to be a better man in the shortest amount of time.

I sounded like such a fucking sook and the biggest hypocrite. She'd turned me into the biggest sap, and I still wasn't sure whether to hate her for it or not. I'd kept myself hidden for so long and then, bam, she comes along, cracks open my shell and leaves me floundering.

Accepting that she was my home made my throat thicken uncomfortably. I cleared it and tried hard to stifle my excitement at seeing her. It was unbelievable the way she could mess me up without any effort whatsoever. It meant that I'd accepted something that I'd promised myself I'd never let happen.

Watching my parents as I grew, I'd determined that falling in love was something I didn't want to try. The last thing I needed was someone depending on me, or crying when I'd hurt them. Who needs that kind of drama?

My sister's all insisted that our parents used to be a happy couple and they were so in love. All I saw was the pain. My sister's also insisted that dad didn't marry mum for the huge sums of money her family had. I didn't believe that stretch of the imagination either.

I was the mistake they never wanted, and then I became the mistake who always made the wrong decision. Never in my life have I managed to please either of my parents.

With a grunt, I forced those thoughts away. I wanted to focus on Dawn. She was where I wanted to be.

Realising Doug had pulled up outside of Dawn's apartment had me leaping from the car. I might have heard Doug snicker at my eagerness, but I chose to ignore him.

Doug had been appointed my driver since I returned from what my parents deemed 'running away'. Truth is, I didn't run away. Generally, people who run away don't have many goals beyond running away and escaping. I did.

I left to prove to my parents that I could succeed on my own, and I achieved that goal. Trouble was, my parents didn't notice or ignored my success. For the years I'd worked at gaining a name for myself, it meant nothing to them.

I tossed thoughts of my ungrateful, uncaring parents away. There were more important things to focus on, notably Dawn.

I slid my key in the door, and my hand shook with the anticipation of seeing her. How I'd missed being a part of the craziness of Dawn Carmichael's life. I missed her.