"If we're honest here, I already don't feel like driving all the way back down to the city tomorrow so, as the owner and CEO of Hollier Inc., I hereby give us both permission to come in late on Monday morning," Brent declared while playing with a piece of grass that had grown through the boards on the pier.

"Well, if you want to get technical, I could come in at any time I'd like considering I work for your mom. But, in spirit of not ruining the moment, I definitely will not argue with your statement," Maisie smiled.

The two of them were sat on the slightly warped pier that led to a stream located in the cabin's backyard. Slightly frozen and half-dead blades of grass grew in between a few boards in random patterns. The trees that were scattered all around them provided for a great defense against the wind, allowing the pair to sit comfortably in the sun with light conversation passing between the two paired with short intervals of comfortable silence.

"Have you enjoyed your day so far, Brent?" Maisie asked, honestly interested.

"Yeah, I really have; it's been extremely relaxing. What about you, Mace? Does being here bring back any good childhood memories?"

"It's funny you ask that. Every summer when we come down here I eat lunch on this pier everyday. In the spot you're sitting in, to be exact. But, yeah, I've had a lot of good times here. I don't remember a year when we haven't come up at least once. What about you? Your family must have had quite the vacation spot growing up."

"No, actually. We grew up quite average. It was just me, my brother, and my mom. I never met my dad and my mom worked all the time, we never really had enough money to afford our own house, much less another. I mean, we took a small vacation every few years but it was never anything big. Wow, that is honestly the first time I have ever told anybody that. Sorry for getting personal on you, there."

"No, no, don't apologize. I'm really happy that you felt comfortable enough to say that, Brent," Maisie smiled, "I'm really proud of you for that, truly!"

Brent beamed, unable to pretend like her words didn't affect him. After a few more moments of comfortable silence, Maisie spoke back up, "So what was your childhood like? I mean, you totally don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it. I just figured that, since we were on the topic, I'd ask."

"Well, like I said, we didn't have a lot of money. My mom worked day in and day out to provide for us and the minute Brandon and I were old enough to work, we did. That was basically it our entire lives. And then Brandon became successful and I obviously had to find a way to be better than him so I worked really hard all day and all night until it eventually all paid off and I became the richest man in America. I bought my mom a house before I even bought mine, actually. It was finally my time to give back to her just like she had our entire lives. I mean, what was the harm in living in my offices for a few more months if it meant my mom was happy, you know?"

"Is that why you're like this? I mean, always working and so determined to let money control everything? Not that you had a horrible childhood or anything, just that you're focused on giving yourself everything you didn't have as a kid."

"Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way. That's really how it started, well, that and being determined on being better than my brother. But, in hindsight, yeah."

They sat in silence for quite sometime. Simply sharing each others company and looking up at the sky that had been painted all shades of pink and orange to clash with its blue background. You could see the faint outline of the moon as the setting sun shone above the horizon of the mountains. It was truly beautiful and something that was impossible to see in all the bright signs and flashing billboards that littered the streets of the big city.

Eventually, Maisie turned to face Brent and, pulling her blanket tightly around her body, she spoke so softly that it was almost as whisper, "I'm sorry, Brent."

"Sorry? Sorry for what, Mace? You never did anything wrong, and if it's for asking about my life-I chose to answer you, don't feel bad for that," Brent answered, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just very poorly judged you from the start. I mean, I always knew that there was more to you than you let on but I just always assumed that you were a brat from the start. Like, you grew up in a mansion and drove a convertible to school. And, for that, I am very sorry; that wasn't fair for me to do at all. And even though you didn't actually know that I thought that about you, I couldn't live without apologizing for it."

Brent scooted right over to Maisie so that there was absolutely no space between the two and tightly wrapped his arm around her. Soon, Maisie realized that no matter how many blankets she put on herself, they wouldn't have made her nearly as warm as his simple arm and kind gesture had. "I don't mind, you know," Brent started once they both got comfortable, "I'm sure everybody does. And since you're the only other person that knows, thank you. Thank you for apologizing and thank you for being somebody that I can trust even only after a few short months."

And, whether it was the sincerity of the moment, their close proximity, or the relaxing environment all around them, his lips were on hers.