The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

Lark was on her knees as they wheeled Max away. The shouting of the man doing compressions on Max's chest eerily familiar to the way her mother did them to Nana Prue earlier. She was going to throw up. Bile rose from her stomach, and she heaved on the floor as Ollie grabbed a trash bin and held it under her chin.

"Shh," Ollie held her hair back.

Olivier and Bobbie were racing down the hall after Max after ordering their children to stay put.

LJ grunted, "once again, they're chasing after the golden boy. The minute he's not the center of attention he has to cause a scene."

"LJ," Mori growled, "he has a heart condition. He could die. Could you stop your weird vendetta against our brother for ten minutes?"

"He won't f*****g die. Mom wouldn't allow it. Heaven forbids anything happen to her precious Max." "Are you for real?" Ollie growled.

"They are needed here, and they ran after him." LJ waved his hand. "Nana Prue is gone, and Gracie is probably dying, and he has to have a panic attack, so the attention is back on him."

"You're an asshole. He was probably having a heart attack!" Margot smacked at LJ. She looked at Mori, "should we go with Mom and Dad?"

"Dad said to stay here." Mori shook her head as tears coated her cheeks. "I can't keep doing this. It's too much for one day.

"Suck it up," LJ growled at her. "It's only a panic attack, Mori. He always has them when s**t gets too real for him. We're here for Fallon, not him."

"LJ!" Everly snapped at him angrily like the second mother she was, "whatever your problem is right now, take it elsewhere. If you can't be supportive and loving, then take your anger and your frustration and petty jealousy of Max and go somewhere else so we can focus on what we needed."

"Fine!" LJ rose to his feet not noticing his father came back to the room and was accompanied by his grandfather Levi. He froze as both men glared at him and then was about to walk out when they each grabbed him by an arm and cornered him.

"I have had it with your s**t," Olivier growled. "I warned you about hurting the people you loved and instead of being the kind of person who we could be proud of, you've gotten even worse since you arrived on Monday. You're going with your grandfather."

"What do you mean I'm going with my grandfather?" LJ gave them a panicked look.

"You've been jealous of your brother's success. You have always been given the same opportunities as your brother and sister but instead of embracing them, you squandered them and then made your mother feel badly for not giving you more. You think because your brain doesn't work as well as Max or Margot's you should be given more. You forget, Ollie, Mori, Ronnie all have intellect comparable to yours and yet they all continue to work hard and make the best of their situations. Your anger is hurting the people around you, and I draw the line at you causing your mother pain. You hurt her last week and then again yesterday. No more."

Lark couldn't believe all of this was happening right now.

"Your father called me yesterday to say he heard you making disparaging comments about your family, LJ. I told him I would be here today to take you with me." Levi was firm. "You were the one who leaked to the paparazzi about Max meeting a woman who was extorting him. You did it. Max might have recognized the photographer in the lobby and didn't stop them, but you were the one who called it in. Family doesn't set family up."

"Where are we going?" LJ folded his arms mutinously.

"Bayou," Levi said simply.

"As of this moment, you are hereby cut off from all financial support of the Villeneuve and Moreno families."

"What?" LJ was incredulous.

"This," Olivier waved around them, "is a family and we stick by one another. Nana Prue died today." He took a shuddering breath, "do you understand this LJ? Grady's mother, Fallon's grandmother, died in Everly's arms. Yet from the minute we arrived here, you've complained about your brother and your mother. If you think I didn't hear you plant the ear worm in Johan's head about Max's culpability you are wrong. You took an emotionally strung-out man and gave him a horrible thought to let it fester. Shame on you, LJ. It is not how a man acts. Not a real man. You are a spoiled boy."

"Wait," Lark spoke up, "you were the one who made Johan blame Max for all of this?" she stood in front of LJ. "Why?" "He's the f*****g golden child. He is always the center of attention." LJ blurted as if unable to help himself. "This is jealousy?"

"I'm not jealous. I'm sick of him getting away with everything. I hate him." The gasps at his bold statement made him immediately back down. "I don't hate him, but he pisses me off."

"Well," Bobbie's voice broke in, "the brother you claim to hate is down the hall fighting for his life. He suffered a heart attack."

Lark looked at Bobbie nearly falling to her knees again, "What?"

"The doctor questioned whether he's been taking his medication regularly. Do you know?" She looked at Lark who shook her head.

"He hasn't," Ollie answered. "He told me he forgot to bring them with him on the trip. He had this episode thing the other day in Lark's room, and we asked him if he needed his meds and he declined and said it was only panic. I knew something was off and I cornered him later and he told me he forgot them. He was supposed to have Peaches get a prescription over to him."

"I'm going to kill him." Lark growled furiously.

"He flatlined," Bobbie gave a shaky breath, "but they brought him back with those paddle things but he's not out of the woods. Olivier, we need to get back down there." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she clung to her husband.

"Wait, he," LJ stepped forward, concern finally reaching his eyes, "he actually suffered a real heart attack?"

"Yes," Bobbie wiped her eyes and then cupped his jaw. "I love you LJ. I'm sorry you think I love you less but it's not true. I love you the same. I cannot make you understand how a mother's love doesn't get divided but rather grows exponentially with each child. The more kids, the more love. It is time though for some tough love and I agree with your father and grandfather. You're going to the bayou." She sniffed and rubbed the end of her nose with her hand as Olivier rubbed her shoulder, "you will be relieved of all your electronics, contact with the family other than your grandfather and financial support."

"What if Max dies? What about Nana Prue's funeral?" he looked to Fallon, "I need to be here for Fallon." "No. You don't. You can't be here for anyone when you harbor so much resentment and hate in your heart that you can't even love yourself." Bobbie turned to Grady and Everly, "I'm so sorry this is happening now. We were supposed to do this after dinner this evening but after Olivier heard what LJ said to Johan, we agreed for Levi to come now and collect him." Levi shook Grady's hand, "I am very sorry for the loss of your mother."

"Thank you." He waved to LJ. "I understand. For the record, LJ," he gave him a smile, "I love you kid. I know who boy who used to sit with me and Fallon on the back steps and count the stars is still in there somewhere. Max didn't cause any of this. A psychotic man who thought the world owed him did cause this. Be careful you don't end up more like Doug than like Max."

Grady's words seemed to impact LJ and he staggered under the pat to the shoulder Grady gave him. "I don't want to go." LJ protested as if realizing for the first time in his nineteen years he was going to be held accountable. "Look, I'll apologize to Johan and Max."

"It's

late. The damage is done," Lark said angrily. "Your actions caused Johan to flake and for Max's blood pressure to skyrocket. He died, LJ. Do you understand what flatline means? It means his heart stopped beating. If I lose him after I just got him back now, I don't know what I'll do." Her voice trailed off as she fell against her father's chest. "Daddy, I can't lose him."

"He's strong, honey. He's so strong. Don't you worry. He has so much to live for in you. He's going to fight to the bitter end to come back to you." Grady rubbed her back.

Lark gave LJ another angry glare, "how can you be so selfish as to tear your own mother's heart apart?" LJ shook his head, "I didn't think he was really sick. I mean last time at the hospital he checked himself out and wasn't even listening to anyone. I figured it was his bloody anxiety."

"He checked himself out because he was worried sick about Lark, dumbass. All he wanted was the chance, spit

an opportunity to tell her how he felt. You wouldn't understand, LJ because you're selfish." Ollie t furiously at him. "He loves her, and wanted to fix things with her and it was why he checked out. He has a billion-dollar business in Dallas, and he should have been home Monday afternoon, but he is here, with her because he loves her." Ollie waved at Fallon, "she's been your best friend since you were an infant and yet, you are so wrapped up in your own ego and self-righteous bullshit you're forgetting her. I hope wherever it is they take you, it is somewhere you can find yourself because this," she waved at him, bitter tears staining her cheeks, "is not anyone I would want around my family." She looked at her mother, "Mom, we need to go see if there is an update yet. He's my twin and if he dies," her voice trailed off a sob cutting her words. "I don't want him to die!" LJ argued as Levi gently led him from the room despite his protests.

Lark looked to Ollie, "I can't believe he's the one who put the s**t in Johan's head."

"Johan has his own mind," Ollie lifted her chin. "I'm going to give him a pass because of all of this but he doesn't get to blame LJ for his thoughts. He's a grown man."

Bobbie leaned sideways and kissed Lark's forehead. "I'm going to go wait down there for the cardiologist to give me another update. I don't know if he needs surgery, they mentioned he made a stent or something due to risk of blood clots. They said they would let me know shortly. I just wanted to come down and say bye to LJ before he left."

She was torn about where she should be. Part of her wanted to stay with her parents and wait for news about Gracie but a bigger part wanted to go with Bobbie and wait for news on Lark.

"We will bring you news as soon as we can," Olivier pressed a kiss to Lark's forehead as well. "Lark," her father rubbed her shoulder, and spoke quietly "go."

"What?" she looked at her dad in confusion.

"Sweetheart, if your mother was down the hall, I'd be down the hall."

"Same," Everly agreed. "We will wait for news on Gracie. You go."

She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the surgical unit where Gracie was and then towards the

hall where Max was taken. She let her feet guide her in the direction of Max and prayed she wasn't making a mistake in leaving her family alone.