Page 92 of Cruel King

“And you won’t do a thing to stop her? Don’t you think what you feel for her is important enough to even try?”

Leveling my gaze on him, I answer him truthfully. “No. She loves him. I have to accept that.”

“You know, I think you’re wrong. She has all the money she could possibly want now after Dad left her and her family enough to live very comfortably. She can afford to go anywhere, including where Theo is. She hasn’t gone anywhere, though. Why? I don’t think they have the love match you think they do if neither one of them is willing to go after the other.”

My brother has no idea what he’s talking about. “She’s giving him space after what happened. What he should be doing is putting his fucking pride aside and forget everything I said. I can’t believe he’s not coming back for her.”

“I don’t think he ever loved her, to be honest. He loved this fantasy girl he built up in his mind, and when it became clear she had feet of clay, he bailed. That’s not love, Matthias.”

Standing from my desk, I look down at Marius as I walk out, tired of talking about this subject. “Then he’s a bigger fucking fool than I ever thought possible.”

Behind me, he says, “From where I’m sitting, both of you are being foolish when it comes to her.”

I need to get away from him and that office to clear my head. Heading outside to the beautiful August afternoon, I make my way around the back of the house as the heat of the day surrounds me. After only a few minutes, my black suit becomes stifling, so I take my jacket off and find the nearest tree for some shade.

Closing my eyes, I try to push what Marius told me out of my mind, but I can’t. Theo isn’t coming back for her. Every damn day I’ve waited to see him drive up the road, knowing the only reason he’d return to this house was to get her. I’ve emotionally prepared myself by repeating those terrible words I said, a constant reminder of what I did.

He can’t make this mistake. It will haunt him for the rest of his life.

I take my phone out of my jacket and call him for what feels like the fiftieth time since he left that day. He never answers my calls, but maybe if I leave him a message, he’ll finally realize he’s losing the best thing in his life.

When he actually answers, I’m stunned into silence for a second. “I would have thought you’d have something to say after calling me for weeks on end, Matthias,” Theo snaps.

“Why haven’t you come back here for her?” I blurt out, unable to pretend with mindless talk of the weather or polite questions about what he’s been doing since he left.

“I’m not interested in talking about this. If that’s all you called about, I’m going now.”

God, he sounds so closed off. I’ve never heard him like this. He seems like a stranger to me.

“Don’t do this, Theo. Don’t let your pride get in the way of being with Ava. She’s here. All you have to do is come get her. She’ll go with you.”

“You sound like her. I swear to God she’s texted or called me at least ten times a day for weeks.”

The way he talks about her trying to reach him is so cold. What’s wrong with him? Why doesn’t he see the mistake he’s making?

“Then why haven’t you talked to her? Jesus, Theo. She loves you. Don’t let a couple days out of a lifetime make you do something stupid.”

“Says the person who made sure I knew about those couple days.”

I’m not getting through to him. I have to, though. It’s the least I can do for both of them.

“I’m sorry. I’ve told you that in messages and voicemails until I’m blue in the face, and I accept that you don’t want to hear it. Fine. But you’re fucking this up, and you’re never going to forgive yourself if you don’t come back for her, Theo.”

He falls silent, and I hope he’s thinking about what I’m saying. All he has to do is call her, and I know she’d forget his silence for the past weeks. I know she would.

“If it was anyone but you…” he says, his voice dropping to barely a whisper.

“Why does that matter? So she’s not a vestal virgin. You couldn’t have thought she was waiting for you all these years.”

Theo doesn’t say anything, and after a few seconds, I wonder if he’s still there. Then in a quiet voice, he says, “Marius I could have handled. Not you.”

“Why? What does it matter?” I ask, unsure what he means.

A heavy sigh fills my ears. “I knew that morning we came back from the city after the blizzard. She was way too upset about having to go up to her aunt’s, and when she told me to let you know she had to go, I knew. Something had happened during the storm. Anyone else in the world and I wouldn’t have cared.”

“Why does it matter? It was two days, Theo. You and she have a lifetime together. She and I had two days.”

My brother doesn’t respond, and I feel my chance to convince him of the colossal mistake he’s making begin to slip away. I don’t know what to say to make him see what he’s losing by not coming for her. I don’t understand him at all.