Chapter 34.


    We manage to get out of the house after two hours of me looking for an outfit to wear. I suggested we


    go cloth shopping but he had said that was extra.


    We''ve had this big heart to heart, the one where I confessed I still feel like I''m not good enough for him,


    and ever since the conversation six nights ago, he''d been trying to chase away that fear. He''d write a


    hundred things he admires about me in the form of a poem. He''d stay awake to watch while I sleep.


    When we''re in a public ce, he''d hold my hands or ce an unexpected kiss by the side of my mouth


    which never fails to tug at my heartstrings.


    And because he''s working hard for me, I''ve decided I work on myself too. He deserves someone better


    who isn''t going to always think lesser of herself.


    "A penny for your thoughts?" Maverick asks as we walk to the restaurant where we''re supposed to be


    meeting his mom. It''s cold outside and we''re bundled up in our coats and scarves but it''s still nice,


    perfect to have him keeping me warm. His arm is slung over my shoulder as he tightens his hold


    around me.


    "I like it when we''re like this. Things would be fine, wouldn''t it?"


    He smiles. "I''m positive, and you need to be too. Things are going to be fine. I''ve got you."


    I nod in response as he pushes open the door to the restaurant where ady waits for us at the


    concierge. Her hair is tied up in a neat bun and she smiles brightly.


    She asks us something in French as Maverick replies in the samenguage. He even sounds hotter


    speaking French.


    Thedy nods at him and gestures we follow her, leading us to a table where there''s an unopened wine


    resting on it.


    Maverick drags out a chair for me to seat and I smile at his chivalry.


    "My mom just texted me, she''ll be here in five." He takes a seat beside me and ces a hand on my


    thigh, circling a spot with a thumb. "With that being said, how are you feeling April?"


    "Like I''m going to throw up," Iugh humorlessly. It''s serious though, I''m currently eyeing a paper bag


    on another table. He raises his hand a little bit higher on my thigh and strokes it soothingly, the act


    somehow quenching my jumbled nerves. You see, it''s when he does things like this that makes


    happiness spread in my soul and remind me how lucky I am to have him.


    "I know a drive-in movie theatre that''s out of town. We should go there when we''re done with this."


    "Really? What movie do you have in mind?" I ask, my interest already piqued up.


    "My mom is here."


    "That''s a very unusual movie title."


    "No, she really is here," I follow his gaze as I spot a womaning in from the concierge and I''m


    guessing that''s his mom. The resemnce is clear. Her brte silky hair is let loose on her shoulders


    and even with a small physique, I can tell she''s advanced in age from the wrinkles at the corners of her


    eyes.


    She''s wearing a grey colored women''s suit with pants that stops right above her ankle, showcasing her


    Louis Vuitton high heels which clicks lightly against the floor as she approaches our table with such


    charisma, such valor.


    "I only have twenty-five minutes to spend here. Open that wine and let''s get high," She says as she


    drags a chair opposite us and sits. Ok, she''s cooler than I thought.


    "Old habits die hard," Maverick smiles and uncorks the bottle of wine, pouring the liquid into a ss


    cup for her.


    "So you''re her," She stares at me as a small smile dances on her lips. "Call me Pansy."


    "Pansy," I taste the name on my tongue, liking the sound of it. "That''s actually my favorite flower, those


    lovely bright colored flowers."


    "My parent''s too. I got named after their favorite flower and was hoping I''d give birth to a girl too so that


    I''d name her after my own favorite flower but then he," She points at Maverick. "Jumped out of my body


    and I was like shit! it''s got a dick."


    My face turns bright red as I try to hold in myugh and fail woefully at it.


    "Not surprised you''d find that funny," Maverick says and pours a bottle of wine into my cup.


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    "I like you already. Call me April. April White."


    Her face falls into a deep frown as mine drops too, myughter dying down. "April White? You''re that


    Reporter?"


    Maverick gives me a ''what''s-she-talking-about'' look but I ignore him. "Uhm...Yeah?"


    The next thing I hear is the scraping of her chair against the floor as she stands up in a sh and


    before I know it, she grabs her cup and sshes her wine all over my face.


    What just happened?


    "Mom!!"


    "I will not allow you to bring that homewrecker into this family! How do you even sleep at night knowing


    what you''ve done!" The whole restaurant''s attention is on us already and I''m still wondering what


    crawled up her ass and died.


    "There has got to be some misunderstanding here, just have a seat and we''ll talk this out," Maverick


    says.


    "Don''t be a fool boy! I didn''t raise an idiot for a son. The article published about your father was owned


    by a Reporter under the name April White. She shamed our family!"


    Article?


    Father?


    Shame?


    The realization hits me like a truckload of bricks as my brain spirals into a state of regret. Jonathan W.


    Patrick, Mayor of Minneapolis is Maverick''s Dad? I think I''m going to puke.


    "I will not have you humiliate..."


    "Maverick stop!" I cut him off, both Mother and Son staring down at me. Well, one is ring and we


    both know who that is. "She''s right. I published that article."


    "What were you thinking? That article was horrible," His eyes spark disbelief and hurt.


    "I know and I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to... I..."


    "Why are you with my son? You want information from him too, don''t you? So you can bring him down


    just like you did with the Mayor? It''ll be a double score, being able to tame both father and son."


    "I did not know you were his son, I swear to God," I tell Maverick, my voice already breaking. Why does


    the universe hate me?


    "You never even mentioned you''re a Reporter."


    "A fired Reporter! I didn''t see the need to."


    Pansy picks up her bag from the table and straightens her suit, staring right at Maverick. "Continue with


    this rtionship, and you''re no longer my son." And with that, she clicks her way out of the restaurant.


    "You want to exin what happened? I''ll believe anything you say." It''s sweet he still wants to hear my


    own side of the story but right now, my head''s a mess and all I can do is cry.


    "I c...can''t. I''m sorry." Is all I can force out as huge sobs continue to erupt from my throat. He makes an


    attempt to leave and I grab a hold of his coat.


    "You can''t leave me!"


    "And I can''t lose my mom either. I''m sorry too." My grip on his coat loosens and my heart drops to my


    stomach.


    All the happiness from the past days I spent in Francees crashing down to bits and pieces, leaving


    me with a sour taste of sorrow.


    He goes after his mom as I watch him drag his hands down his hair frustratedly.


    "Maverick I love you!"


    For a moment, he stops on his tracks like there''s a force that pulled him back. His back rises and falls


    rapidly, showing he''s taking strong deep breaths and for that moment, an inkling of hope glows inside


    me but dies down when his feet leads him out of the restaurant, taking a little piece of me along.