What?!
My heart sinks. How does he know about Ryder?
I play the fool. "Ryder?! I don't know who that is. What is it? Why are you asking?" I stand up and walk to the window, pretending to look through my purse.
Max scoffs. "You just said that name. When you were seated."
I hadn't realized I said his name out loud. Shit!
"Oh!" I turn back around, smiling. I shake my head and close my eyes for a second. I laugh. "Ignore me! Since I've been home, my parents tell me I talk to myself from time to time. I guess it's my way of coping with the trauma, you know?"
I look away from him and clear my throat.
"I understand, Sam."
I'm relieved that he believes me.
"Can you sit next to me, please?"
I turn and walk to him, fidgeting with my hands. Max puts his hand out for me to grab.
"So what did they do to you? Did they say they wanted money?" I say, trying not to look at him. When I do, he looks sad.
"Yeah, they wanted the reward money! Thirty million dollars. I kept telling them I didn't have it. So every night they came into the room and beat me."
Oh, no!
"It wasn't that bad, Sam. Do you know what kept me going? What kept me sane?"
Please, no, don't say it!
"You sweety!"
My hearts shattered into a million pieces.
"You were in my heart and soul the entire. I knew I was going to see you again," Max says as he slowly brings my hand to his lips. He gently plants a kiss on my knuckles.
"What about the money your parents gave them?" I bite back the tears with this question, blinking away the pools of tears in my eyes.
Max scoffs at my question. "Seven hundred dollars? That second night I was beaten so badly. I guess they thought my parents were playing around, so they cut off my pinky." Max holds his right hand up. My heart sinks when I see the missing appendage. The area where his finger should've been is covered with tons of gauze.
I start to feel sick to my stomach. Not because Max is missing a finger, but because all of this is truly, my fault.
He could have died, and I am only thinking about myself and my feelings for Ryder. I feel a lump growing in my throat.
"They didn't understand that seven hundred dollars were all my parents had." Max looks away and scoffs. "That money was actually going to be our wedding gift from my parents."
I smile weakly at him.
He continues. "I have a concussion, a broken rib, my missing finger, tons of bumps and stitches, and my stabbing, but you know what, Sammy? I'd do this all over for you. You know that, right?"
I begin to sob and cover it with a laugh. I wipe my eyes and look down. I feel horrible for Max, but all I can do is think of Ryder.
I am such a horrible person!
"Thank you, Max," I say, placing my hand on his leg. A sympathetic smile is all I can muster up at this time. He places his hand on top of mine.
"So enough about me! Are you okay? I heard they didn't hurt you too badly. Are you relieved to be back home with us?"
"Of course," I say as he lets go of my hand.
If he only knew the time I had spent with my kidnapper, I fell in love.
And I desperately want to be with him now.
"Where else would I rather be?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders.
He smiles. "What did they want with you?"
I look toward the door. "Same as you. Money."
Max exhales in annoyance. "Such greed, you know?! This world is going to hell in a handbasket! I am happy you are safe and unhurt. Do the police have any leads about your kidnapping?"
"No, and I don't think they ever will."
Max looks at me, confused. "Oh? Why is that?
I want to say I was taken to New Jersey, never once was I harmed, fell in love, but I'll never say that.
"Because I was found in a motel. The perps were smart. They didn't leave any evidence behind."
Max nods and tries to sit up again. He groans a little. Once he gets comfortable, he sighs. "I've been dreaming of the day that I can have you in my arms and kiss you again."
I smile at him as panic rises within me. This is the last I want. Please don't ask me for a kiss!
"May I kiss you?"
I freeze.
I am still technically engaged to this man. What he wants isn't so far-fetched. However, I don't have to let him.
It's then that I look down and realize I still have my engagement ring on.
I had it the entire time!
Not once did I look at it when I was in New Jersey. I remembered thinking of Max from time to time. Debating when I returned if I would end it after I realized I loved Ryder. I never looked at the ring, though.
Max waves his hand in front of my face. "Earth to Samantha Hallowell? Are you okay?"
"Yes, of course!" I stand and quickly kiss him on the cheek.
"No, beautiful. I want a real kiss," he says, looking serious.
I don't want to kiss him at all! It feels like a betrayal to Ryder, but I don't want anyone suspecting anything. Especially Max.
I bend over and place my lips on his. I am gentle and try not to move. He has a cut on his bottom lip. Max sighs happily as he grabs my chin, deepening our kiss.
Once I sit back down, he grins.
"I love you so much! I can't wait until we are married. You will make me the happiest man on earth!"
My heart sinks. I don't want to marry him.
Ryder, where are you?
I decide to go straight to my house from the hospital. Max begged me to stay, but I felt like I would go crazy if I were around him for one more minute. Being with Max made me think Ryder. It's disgusting that I feel this way!
As soon as I left Max's room, Detective Ramos walked in, no doubt to interrogate him. Man, he's a prick! Then again, the detective is only doing his job.
Pulling up to my driveway, I notice the sun is already going down. It's been such a long day.
I hadn't been to my home since I got back.
I need to see if Rhonda and Rachel are right about the changing of my will. If it's true, then I'm definitely right about Max. He will make an amazing husband!
To someone else.
I'm so happy to live in a gated community. No media asking me a million and one questions. No flashing lights from photographers.
As I walk to my front door, I pray that my neighbors aren't waiting around for me to talk. If they are, they will see a whole new Samantha.
An unpleasant one.
I walk into the house, and it's just like I left it. Very much clean but unfurnished. No doubt, my mom had her staff in here cleaning every week. I instantly get depressed as I look around.
The house is new. Very new! It looks like they've finished construction.
It looks almost too new in some strange way.
It's as if it has been rolled off a production line, but they had forgotten to apply the mandatory layer of color to it. The windows are huge, and I still haven't hung any curtains or blinds on the first floor.
Up until recently, I didn't feel the need to live in privacy. I'll definitely have to get someone in here to install shutter blinds. Thinking about Ryder stalking me is unpleasant. However, a small smile begins to form on the side of my mouth.
Only the sofa sits in the living room. Thanks to Max, the seventy-inch flatscreen television is hanging above the fireplace. Nothing else. Not even a figurine or a picture.
Odd that my home is just as cold as Ryders's.
I have a dining room table, and the white marble kitchen has all its accessories.
It's just that after being with Ryder, this place feels alien to me. Like it isn't even mine.
I make my way upstairs to my office and look for the manila envelope containing my will. I sit on my swivel chair and find the envelope on my desk. It's sitting on top of my keyboard.
Sighing, I remove my hair tie from my hair and scratch my scalp. I then grab the envelope, hitting the keyboard. The monitor comes on.
The wallpaper on the monitor is a picture of Max and me. We are both grinning from ear to ear, wearing match white and red snow gear.
I had taken him snowboarding in Colorado because he had never been. He had fallen trying to snowboard. I threw myself on top of him and took that picture.
My heart breaks as I continue to stare at it. He really doesn't deserve the heartbreak I am going to give him.
Opening and scanning the document, I see the twins are right! The will states that everything I own will go to my parents in the event of my death. Max will only keep the flower shop.
Such a noble thing for Max to do, I think, as I put the will down on the desk. But it's not enough! I will break it off with him once he leaves the hospital. He needs to concentrate on his health, of course.
But what if Ryder never comes back? What if he's dead? Or worse, he wants nothing to do with me?
It still doesn't change things. I was with another man.
It only proves that I was never in love with Max in the first place. I don't deserve him, especially when my heart belongs to someone else.
The wedding is off.
We will remain, friends, if that's what Max wants.
Nothing more, nothing less.