Mr. Blackwood is standing on the balcony at the left side of his building, it was on the second floor and from there, he could look out to the sprawling landscape of the estate and beyond. He was feeling broken at the moment, he had done his very best to avoid this moment, right from the day he found out that she was searching for him.
He was not a man that cared for emotions or feelings, but today was different, he actually wanted to have a good day, but everyone seems to be against that. Why did she have to show up today of all days?
Mr. Blackwood heard footsteps approaching and he sighed, not wanting to look back. He could soon feel the person standing at the entrance of the balcony by his right and he grasped the metal frames, wondering why she wouldn’t let him be.
“So this is your favorite spot?” her feminine voice broke the silence from behind.
“How did you find me?” he asked in a cold voice, still not turning to look at her.
“I tracked your scent like a werewolf,” she chuckled and he huffed.
“Be careful around these hallways, you might just get lost in them.” He said in a whisper, his eyes locked on the waving tall trees. It was dark already, the day wasn’t getting any younger.
He heard the clicking sounds of her shoes and then he felt her tender hand on his right shoulder. Slowly, she slid in the other arm from under his left armpit and upwards, hugging her from behind while her head rested on his back. Of course he was much taller than her and she would need to tiptoe to get her head over his shoulder.
“Are you alright?” she asked in a soft voice, dripping with empathy and affection.
His heart was softened right that moment and he sighed, trying to let the anger dissipate. “Am I alright?” he repeated her question calmly. “I don’t know, Anna. Am I? She just walked in here out of nowhere, after over ten years away, she thinks she can just walk in here and call me her son?” he snapped.
“Just calm down, you don’t need to get all upset today, it is your special day.” Anna said consoling words and then she broke the hug, walking to his left by the edge of the wall.
“Do you want to talk about it? People say a problem shared is half-solved, moreover letting it out might make you feel better,” she urged in a reassuring voice.
He sighed and turned to face her, the sadness etched all over his face was very noticeable. “What exactly is there to talk about?” he asked, looking into her eyes.
“Everything…” Anna whispered as she pulled closer and placed her palm against his chest, feeling his heartbeat and slowly looking up to him with those beautiful eyes. “Tell me everything.” She requested with genuine concern and curiosity.
Mr. Blackwood took a deep breath in and then let it out, before he began his narration. “I was just eighteen years old, my father wanted me to run the family Business, he wanted to involve me with his circle, I had other interests, I just wanted to play basketball and get really famous… I know, you probably think that was a silly dream, I realized that over the years but it never warranted what that family did to me.”
“What happened? Your father didn’t like the idea?”
Mr. Blackwood scoffed and turned away from her, looking back at the tall trees. “My father got really upset when I told him my dream, he froze all my accounts and when I protested, he threw me out.”
“Huh? Like, disowned you?” Anna asked curiously.
“We were on a family trip, somewhere in Los Angeles. He asked the driver to stop the car in the middle of the road and he asked me to get down, he asked me to never return home and I cease to be his son. My mom was there with him, she said nothing, she just watched as her son was thrown out to the wilderness, and then they drove off; that was the last time I set eyes on my family.”
“Oh my God, why would they do that? That is extreme.”
“Nope, what was extreme was what followed. I got mugged, beaten up, thrown around in the hoods, trafficked and much more. I don’t hate them for leaving me on that highway, I hate them for what happened after there. I went through a lot and somehow, I found myself in Europe. I did things that changed who I was, things that made me who I am today, many things that I am not proud of and I would forever regret, all because of them… they never cared to find me, not in all those years. I could have been dead and they wouldn’t even know!” Mr. Blackwood yelled as he relieved the pain of his past.
Anna felt bad for him and words failed her, she didn’t even know what to say. It felt like he was going to burst into tears anytime soon.
“So why is she here right now? What does she want from me? Why is she trying to bring back these painful memories?” he spoke in a rush of words, reeking of emotions like never before.
“Maxwell! Maxwell, just relax!” she tried to calm him down as he was beginning to panic. Anna had never seen him this broken before and she didn’t know how to get him relaxed as he was losing control of his emotions.
Without thinking about it, she held his cheeks, quickly standing on her toes and she pressed her lips against his, shutting him up with a kiss. She curled her left hand around his neck and kissed him passionately, slowly breaking it after he was calm.
Mr. Blackwood stood frozen, his eyes focused on her face as she slowly pulled back. “What was that for?” he asked slowly, almost in a whisper.
“Something I read somewhere about calming people with a kiss,” she smiled. “You were freaking out, and now you are calm, so I guess it works.”
Maxwell couldn’t hold back the chuckle and he shook his head. With his index finger he cleaned the tears under his eyes. “I am sorry for scaring you, and you never saw me like this.” He said deeply yet a soothing voice.
“Who is going to make me forget?” she smiled at him.
Mr. Blackwood couldn’t help but admire her innocent eyes, she looked so beautiful when she made that face, the pouting lips and the puppy eyes.
He took a step closer to her and she pushed backwards to the wall. “You know, I have also read somewhere about a prince who can make people forget things with his kiss.”
Before Anna could protest, he curled his right arm around her tiny waist and pulled her to his body, and then he kissed her, locking their lips in a raw and affectionate kiss. Anna gave into him, embracing the feeling that built inside of her. She felt her fingers fighting the urge to hold his face, feel his facial hair and kiss him deeply.
He slowly moved away from her lips and kissed her neckline, making her unconsciously close her eyes and throw her head backwards, exposing more of her neck to him. a soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt the excitement crawl through her.
Annabel clasped her thighs together and grabbed his hair, driving her fingers through them. Of course she messed it up but neither of them cared about that right now. His left hand went down and grabbed her ass, a soft moan escaped her lips and she slid her hands down to his broad shoulders, pushing it into his suits and grazing it against his buttons.
Mr. Blackwood grabbed left leg and raised it gently, she instinctively hung it on his waist, wrapping it around while standing on one leg. This was getting out of hand and she really wanted to stop it but her body would not obey, they clung onto him tight, feeling the heat of the moment.
However, their moment came to an end with the sound of footsteps approaching them. Anna was the first to push him off slowly and he groaned in frustration, quickly turning around to see who it was.
A maid walked up to them and the look on her face could tell that she realized she had messed up. “I am sorry to bother you sir, but it is time to address the guests and they are beginning to worry.” she said with her head low.
Mr. Blackwood sighed and then he nodded. “Alright, you may leave now.” He discharged her.
As she walked away, he turned back to face Anna who had fixed her gown, a look of guilt on her face. “Thank you Miss Ann, for that moment of weakness which we will never talk about,” he said with a smile and she chuckled shyly.
“I will be downstairs.” He said and turned around to leave.
Anna immediately grabbed his arm. “Wait!” she called out and he paused, turning back to face her.
“Look, I know your family did you wrong and you are really mad at them, but your mom is here now because she loves you, I am not asking you to forgive her, I am just saying maybe you should give her a chance, hear her out.” She said in an appealing tone.
Mr. Blackwood let out a sigh and then he nodded. Without saying any words, he walked away. Anna watched him leave and then she turned to the front, holding the balcony rails with one hand, she looked out to the expanse.
Anna touched her lips with her fingers and then with her tongue, she could still feel the taste of his lips on her, she closed her eyes with a soft sigh and pushed the strand of her hair behind her ears as she felt the wind on her face.
!