“I’m not sure, but he took some stuff with him,” Walker quietly explained. “I tried to stop him, I really did, but he was hell-bent on getting out of here.” He looked at Maisie. “I’m really sorry. For everything.”
Milo excused himself and walked out of the kitchen.
But before she could fully comprehend everything, her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she was certain it was going to be Axel. Pulling it out, she looked at the screen and nearly sagged with disappointment.
“Maisie?” Connor asked, stepping in close.
She held up her phone.
“It’s my father. I guess I need to take this.”
Chapter Twelve
So, Maisie was wealthy.
Probably an heiress. No matter what she said.
And she was slumming it with him.
That was her big secret, and boy was it a doozy.
And what was he doing about it? Running away. Well, technically, driving, but it was still the same. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do when he got there; all he knew was that he didn’t want to see her or talk to her.
Or anyone.
Now all his friends knew the dirt about who Maisie really was and what a fool she’d made of him.
Awesome.
Two hours ago, he was feeling pretty damn good and looking forward to having dinner with Maisie and just having some alone time with her. He was happy. He had hoped that once whatever this crap was with her family was over, they could have something.
But now that he knew? It was so much worse than he had imagined.
She was rebelling against her parents and thought she’d have some fun with a guy like him.
“What a damn fool I am,” he murmured. “When am I ever going to learn? I’m not good enough for anyone. I don’t even know why I’m still freaking alive. No one would even miss me if I weren’t here.”
It was a pretty dark downward spiral he was on, but he couldn’t seem to stop it.
“It’s not like I’ve got any family. And once the resort is finished and open, there’s not going to be a need for me, so…what the hell am I even hanging around for?”
So, he continued to drive.
“Maybe I’ll go back to Baltimore. It wasn’t terrible.” But his heart had been set on making a home here in Harbortown.
Pfft…my heart was set on Maisie too…
He drove for another hour when he needed to stop for gas. Stepping out of the truck, he honestly had no idea where he was, but figured he’d have to find out and find a place to crash for the night. He was exhausted—mentally and physically—and just needed to stop and get his shit together.
After filling his tank, he got back in the truck and pulled out his phone to see if he could figure out where he was. While studying the GPS, his phone rang. And his smile was genuine when he saw his foster mother’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Joanne!” he said, driving the truck away from the gas pumps and parking in one of the spots along the side of the property. “How are you?”
“I’m good! You’ve been on my mind, and I was curious how the resort was coming along. You haven’t sent any pictures lately, and you know how I am. My curiosity always gets the best of me.”
That was a fact. And considering she and her husband Dave used to bring him to the Lakeview Harbor Resort a lot when he was growing up, she appreciated seeing all the work being done.
“We’re doing a lot of finishing work right now,” he explained. “Stuff that most people wouldn’t notice but still needs to be touched up.”
