The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max) novel Chapter 52

Lark stared at Ollie as they finished tidying up the clothes she’d strewn about the room and then sighed. “I think we need to tell Max and Johan.”

Ollie immediately spun on her heel, “are you nuts?”

“No. Ollie, we can’t keep secrets like this. I’m lying to Max and it’s affecting my relationship with him. I need to come clean.”

“Are you going to come clean about everything?”

“What do you mean?”

“Heriberto wasn’t wrong. You haven’t told Max about why you left him. Not the real reason. He needs to know.”

“Fine. I’ll tell him my secrets if you tell him yours.”

“You weren’t supposed to agree!” Ollie snapped a towel at her.

Lark grabbed her phone and sent a text to Max and Johan before she could chicken out.

We need to talk. Come to my room asap and please be really quiet when you do.

“Lark, this is a bad idea.”

“It’s not. It’s the best idea. If there was ever anyone who would have our backs and come up with far better plans than me hiding you in a suitcase, it’s Max.”

“This sucks,” Ollie whined.

“Do you think we should call your security team up?”

“Not yet.” She groaned and flopped on the bed.

“I might throw up,” Lark thought as she considered the ramifications of telling Max she was almost raped the night he left her on the rooftop. However, as she watched Ollie staring at the ceiling with her hands on her flat belly, she knew the only way to help her friend was to come clean about what Ollie was dealing with and if it meant she needed to spill her own secrets then she was going to do it.

She heard Max’s door open, and she heard him speaking quietly and knew Johan was coming down the hall. She pulled the door open and waved the two men in and then motioned for them to sit down.

“What’s going on?” Johan asked.

Lark couldn’t help herself and she moved to Max and wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tight. His arms crushed her as his lips pressed to the top of her head.

“I’m sorry, Max. I -”

“It’s okay. I should have known she was part of why you were acting off,” he shot Ollie an annoyed glance. “Why is it always chaos with you?”

“It’s not my fault and lower your voice,” Ollie glared at him angrily. “They’ll hear you.”

“Who will hear me?” Max appeared confused.

“You go first!” she pointed at Lark. “If you don’t tell your story, I’m not telling mine.”

“You’re a b***h,” Lark sniffed as she rested her forehead on Max’s chest. She really didn’t want to do this.

“Yeah well, once my stuff comes out, they’ll be all in our faces and there won’t be time to discuss yours and I’m only doing this if you do. All in or all out?”

“f**k,” Lark moved away as Max reluctantly released her. She waved to Johan and Max. “Sit.”

“What is going on?”

“Ollie managed to talk me into doing something stupid and the only way she will let me ask you for help and spill her secrets is if I spill mine.”

“You’re keeping a secret from us?” Johan asked as he sat on the edge of the windowsill.

“Yes, about prom night and why I left.”

“It’s not because you were pissed Max f****d the cheerleader instead of you?” Johan asked bluntly.

“Well, yes but,” she huffed an indignant breath. “The night I asked you to meet me, I was going to tell you how I felt, Max. I was ready to lay it all out there.”

“I’ll be okay. I only need to catch my breath,” he backed away from her touch.

“Are you angry with me?” she felt tears welling in her eyes.

“No. God no,” he insisted he wasn’t. “I don’t understand how you can even look at me.”

“I am. I’m angry with you.” Johan was shaking with anger. “She was our best friend. Even if she wasn’t your love interest, she was our best friend and your bullshit need to f**k put her in danger.”

“Me too. I’m really angry with you Max. This was too much.” Ollie added her two cents.

She rolled her eyes at the pair and then focused on Ollie, “you’re in no position to judge Max for dragging me into dangerous situations.” She tugged Max and made him sit in the chair she’d vacated. She cupped his cheeks and stared at his flushed face, “Max, you need to breathe. Is this your heart or a panic attack?”

“Don’t know. It hurts,” he huffed the words out. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” she rubbed his brow with her thumbs. “Just breathe. Johan, you may need to go to his room and get his medications.”

Max protested, “no, it’s getting better. I think it’s anxiety. I’ll be fine.” He tugged her to sit on his lap, “we’ll talk more about this later, you and me? Promise? Can we talk?”

She nodded at him as he kissed her forehead. “I promise.” They hugged for several minutes while Johan muttered under his breath.

“Now then,” he leveled an annoyed glance at his sister, “tell me what the hell she meant when she said you’re in no position to judge. What did you do which has her feeling freaked out enough she was answering your texts during our meeting this morning and ready to bail on her father when he needs her most and then told us this secret when she clearly didn’t want to.”

Ollie lifted her middle finger at him, “f**k you Max. You don’t get to judge me when you hurt her all the freaking time. The number of times either I or Johan needed to step in -”

“Are you kidding me right now?” Max shot back. “You’ve always been the one to get her pulled into s**t. Christ, you do know she’s been arrested and could have been refused entry to law school because of you, right?”

Ollie looked away her jaw clenching angrily.

“Okay, these are all things we can talk about in therapy, later,” Lark tried to calm everyone’s nerves.

Johan shook his head, “Lark if I were you, I would be seriously questioning my choice in friends. I have a very sinking sensation the reason Ollie is stalling has to do with a cartel leader she told us about last week. She got you mixed up in it, didn’t she?”