Meeting Mr. Mogul(32)

Before I could say anything, he was already inside. I turned to look at  Maggie for questions, but she didn't have a clue what it was about.  Since the curiosity was eating at me, I entered his office without  bothering to knock, which was unlike me.

"Why are you ignoring me?" he asked briskly after I closed the door behind me.

"That's a subtle way of breaking things down," I stated scornfully as I stood by the door.

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not," I paused for a second, eyeing him heatedly. "Why did you pay  for my father's medical fee?" I countered, ignoring his question.

He eyed me for a second before replying, his face stayed calm and  unaffected. "I asked whether you needed any help. And by the looks of  it, you did."

"That's a cunning way of boosting your ego," I said sneeringly.

"Do you think that I'm doing this for myself? Did anyone ever teach you  to say thank you after someone has helped you?" he asked angrily, his  eyebrow raised high as he stared me down.

"Did anyone ever teach you to mind your own business? You were the one  who was being secretive about it," I said, eyeing him accusingly.

"I was right to keep it from you. I knew that you would react this way," he admitted grimly.

I looked at him shocked. I was caught off guard by his words. "You don't know me, Mr. Maxwell."

"I don't? Are you sure?" he asked in a challenge. "I know that you are  in debt because of your father's medical fees," he continued, his tone  raising an octave at every fact he stated. "I know that you've been  independent after your mother died when you were eight. I know that you  and your father moved down south after her death. I know that you worked  throughout college in order to pay for the things that your scholarship  couldn't cover. I know that you paint yet you couldn't land your own  exhibit since it isn't cheap. And from the looks of it, you don't seem  to have it in you to accept people's help."

"How do you know all of this?" I spat, my teeth clenched from yelling at him.

"It's not that hard to ask around," he mumbled without meeting my eyes.

"Why are digging into my past? Are you trying to find some leverage to  get back at me for all the things I've said to you?" I choked out,  breathing hard and unevenly.   





 

"Do you really think that I hate you that much? I'm not some heartless  guy," he said, hurt plastered all over his face. And suddenly, he stood  up from his chair and walked around the table towards me.

"Don't you take one more step," I warned.

"Did you think that I was joking about being friends?" he asked as he ignored my warning.

I looked at him for a second, watching him as he stopped a foot away  from me. He looked angry, his eyebrow set together. But other than that,  he remained calm.

"Yes. And I changed my mind. I don't want to be friends," I replied sternly after a long pause.

I didn't think twice as I opened the door behind me and walked out, my  head held high. I continued to walk until I reached the elevator and  stepped inside. And as the metal doors closed, I saw a small glimpse of  his pained face. The image made my stomach twist in knots.





Twenty-One





I brought this upon myself. How am I going to face him after what he  did? I'm not going to go and pretend that he didn't do all those things.  Plus, he was digging around my past. I can't believe he knew that much  about me. Even Terry, who was the only person I let into my life after  moving here, didn't know all those things. He did know about my father's  illness and my deceased mother, but no one knew about me working  through college and my failed plan on my first art exhibit. Those are  the kind of things I don't share.

I don't know whether to feel pissed about it or not. Why did he even  bother to look me up anyway? Maybe he does want to find some dirty  secret of mine, but why? All I want to know is why. I don't believe his  talk about being friends and wanting to help me. Maybe a little, I do  know that the Maxwells have a few charity foundations. Rich,  philanthropic prick.

I texted Maggie and took the first bus ride to anywhere but here. I told  her that I was taking a day off early. She was very worried, telling me  that William just went out without a word and asked about my  whereabouts. After reading that, I turned my phone off. I don't want him  to find me.

When the bus suddenly stopped a few blocks from the hospital, I smiled  at my luck. I stepped out and made my way to the hospital. When I  reached my father's floor, I stopped dead at the corner leading to the  nurse's station when I heard a familiar voice. My surly face suddenly  broke into a smile.

"Uncle Billy!" I shouted as I run up to the startled old man.

Billy Henderson is my father's childhood friend and fellow army veteran.  He is one of the few people in my life that I considered family. He is  like another father to me. When my dad and I moved back south to his  hometown, Billy was there to help him get back up on his feet. At that  time, my father was at his lowest, and he didn't have the energy to  raise me by himself.

"Oh! Hey, Andy! How are you doing?" he asked with his thick southern accent while he wrapped me in one of his bear hugs.

As he gave me a second to breathe, I looked at him from head to toe. He  was wearing his usual plaid polo with a white shirt underneath and his  faded denim jeans with his worn-out brown boots. He hadn't changed one  bit in the three months that I haven't seen him.

"I'm doing fine, Uncle Billy," I replied with a small smile. "I thought  you wouldn't be here until tomorrow," I added after a short pause.

"Yeah, about that..." he stated, looking at me pointedly. "Nobody but  Terry knows that I'm here early," he continued with a smirk.

"You know that dad doesn't like surprises," I stated, giggling, my southern accent slowly taking over.

"That's why I'm doing it!" he burst into laughter.

I laughed at his reply. But for a second, I thought of how Terry really  is Uncle Billy's nephew. Their laugh was almost identical and very  intoxicating. You can't help but laugh along with them.

The surprise went better than I expected, or maybe I was exaggerating.  Billy entered my father's room, looking calm as he tried to pretend he  was in the wrong room. And I, with my bad acting, ended up chuckling  half way through the performance. But by the time our laughter died  down, the room went silent for a second before Billy and my dad started  to insult each other's looks. To people who do not know them, it might  seem as if the two were fighting, but for me, it was the equivalent of  them hugging in reunion     .   





 

As I sat there listening to Billy's stories about home, I was starting  to miss it. It's not like I haven't missed it from the time we moved  here, but for the first time, I truly felt homesick.

I excused myself in the middle of Billy's animated storytelling and went  out of the room to buy something to eat. I couldn't really control the  small tears in my eyes that I was trying to hold back from their reunion  . I missed the old times back at home when everything was better,  and my dad wasn't on a hospital bed.

As I made my way through the lobby of the hospital, I was too  preoccupied at keeping my head down to cover my slightly red eyes that I  didn't notice someone standing in front of me. I staggered backwards  from the impact. I looked up to apologize but held my tongue when I saw  who it was.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with clenched teeth, my voice raspy from the tears that I held in.

"I came here to apologize," he replied his voice almost a whisper as his face remained impassive.

I stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for his apology. But William  kept silent as he continued to look at me. I didn't let his eyes affect  me as I held his gaze. And, for a second, I thought I saw worry cross  his face. Before I could confirm on it, he looked away and cleared his  throat.

"I don't really know how to apologize since I don't seem to see the  fault in what I did. But I'm sorry for doing it anyway," he stated in  clenched teeth.

"You don't look like you're sorry," I said as I raised my eyebrow at him in question.

"Okay, I'm not," he admitted with a sigh and turned to look back at me.  "I did what I did because I thought it was right, Andy. I wasn't being  high and mighty about it. I wanted to do it because seeing you that  day..." he trailed off as his eyes softened in sadness.

"I know. And, thank you," I interjected after a short pause, feeling the sincerity of his words.

"You're welcome," he said as the end of his lips twitched upward.

"I'm not saying this to boost your freaking ego," I stated as I walked  past him. "And if you like, you can come with me to grab some lunch, my  treat as a thank you," I added with a small smile as I continued to walk  towards the door.

As we both silently walked towards the fast food chain beside the  hospital, I thought about what I said to William. I think I did well on  dealing with things the second time around. Maybe I was overreacting  when I faced him this morning. Besides, he was the one who caught me off  guard. And he looked like he meant what he said about helping me out.