The Oddities of Grand Marquis - Book 3: Elegant Armageddon 🪼✔️

Sixth

MARS

I can't believe it finally hit me after all these years. I knew in my heart that Max was a loner and didn't really need me but I didn't realize how much I was pushing myself on to him than right now. How could he not love Kasai? Whether or not he actually literally carried him or not, his consciousness was moving the body and he felt what the clone felt, so that meant he felt Kasai growing within him. He was there when the mind thing happened and because of him, Kasai was able to be formed. Kasai loves him so much and yet...

And I can't believe he's trying to blame me for not recognizing him as himself. That's not my job! I was so happy he was alive and had returned that I didn't care. What's the point? He didn't even see it himself, so why is it my job to look after him? What does everyone want from me? Kole acted like I was God's gift to man because of my anger issues and I guess Max thought of me like a perpetual body guard... It's like they were two sides of the same coin...

No... Max wasn't like that...

"Fuck!" I screamed, my ankle buckling as I fell.

I wanted to cry from the pain but also because I felt so stupid. I let myself be used by the person I thought was my friend.

"Here."

I looked up, finding Max in front of me, holding out his hand. I hit it aside and tried to stand up, but it felt like someone had sent shattered glass into my leg and I kneeled in pain. Max knelt in front of me and just stared at me.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"That's not good enough. You just... You can't just fix this."

"Why not?" I looked at him as he watched me with a tired expression, exhausted. "I really am sorry for blaming you. I know it's not my place to say what I said and you're right, if you were supposed to see the scars, why didn't I see them? It's not your job to always watch over me..."

"Damn right it's not."

"But you always have... you've always been there for me when no one else was. When I thought I was alone, you somehow always found me. You were always the one that could see before I ever knew and... and I'm sorry that I took advantage of that. I relied on you too much to see what I couldn't."

"What do you want me to say, Max? That we're good? Even if that were the case, I can't look at you. Thinking about how much Kasai loves you and the fact that-"

"I never said I didn't love my son." I turned my head at him. "I told you that you didn't give me enough time... I was silent because it's confusing. I love Kasai, but I technically don't know him, but I do, but I don't. I'm confused about everything. I remember it all but am I really his father? Would he feel the same about me if he found out?"

"Kasai knows his father, he always has. He never liked the King and he never gave into him. In his mind, the only man he viewed as a father was you. Finding out he was born from a clone wouldn't change his mind at all. Your mind and consciousness still propelled the clone, so whatever was said and done was still you. You may not have physically carried him, but psychologically, you remember how you felt. Kasai just wants to come back to you... that's all he's ever wanted."

Max nodded and then stood back up, holding out his hand.

"I know you may not forgive me or really want to talk, but we have to keep moving. You can't walk anymore on your own. Let me help you for once."

I really didn't want to accept his help but he was right and we needed to keep moving. I grabbed his hand and he helped me up, putting my arm around his shoulders. I just now noticed he didn't have a shirt on and it was tied on his arm, which was bleeding.