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“But you want me to invest, so you can buy the place?”
“Yes. Not all of it. Just a portion. You’d get returns commensurate with the investment.” Bea’s all business as she explains, blissfully unaware that the idea of watching Madison disappear to some far-off place again is actively shattering all the plans I have for the future.
“I see. And how much investment are you looking for?” I can only hope this place is so absurdly expensive they’ll need a while to get the investors for it. Give me time to show Madison that I’m worth sticking around for. That once she and A.J. are done faking it, she could have something real if she wants it.
“Five hundred thousand.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, I mean… I’d love to have more if you’re interested and willing. The total funding we need is two point five million.”
That’s nothing. I mean, it isn’t nothing. Not really, but in the world these two women lived in where they’re surrounded by athletes and celebrities, they could probably get the money in just a short while.
“I’ll do it.”
“You’re in?” Bea grins.
“Yes. I’m in for all of it. Just one catch.”
“All of it?” She’s wide-eyed. “But there’s always a catch…” Bea scrunches her nose. “Hit me with it.”
“Let me be the one to tell Madison? I’ll need a couple of weeks to get the money together and have my accountant draw stuff up. You can send over whatever yours has in the meantime. But I want to tell her if that’s okay?”
“Okay. Just don’t wait too long. I’m terrible at secrets, and I’ll let something slip without meaning to.”
“Fair enough.” I nod.
“Thank you so much, Quentin. You don’t know how much this will mean for us.”
“Of course. Anything I can do to help.” Bea wraps her arms around me to hug me, and I hug her back.
“Just let me know when you’ve told her. Or she’ll probably run to tell me. She’ll be so excited.” Bea grins so brightly that I feel ridiculous for not being able to return it wholeheartedly.
But I love Madison and want whatever she wants for herself. If that means a new world, a new business, away from here then I’d be happy to help her make it happen. I just wish I had known earlier how limited this time we’d have would be. I’ll have to make the most of it while I have her. Which is going to start with explaining to her why I left her in the first place.
27
Madison
“I needto tell you something I should have told you before now,” Quentin says as he sits down at the table across from me.
“You’re secretly married?” I joke.
“Worse than that.” His voice is flat, and I feel my heart seize in my chest. I look at him and there’s guilt in his eyes. My stomach twists, and I feel goosebumps rise on the back of my neck like my body already knows it needs to prepare for the worst.
“Okay… tell me,” I say softly.
“When I left Colorado that summer, I got a transfer to another team—another school. It meant getting off the bench and getting a second chance. A second chance to fix all the things I’d fucked up and get drafted.”
“I know...” I nod. “I saw you that season. The end of it anyway.”
“You watched?”
“I mean, I was hoping you’d still do well. That you were okay wherever you were.” I shrug. “At least until she kissed you.”
“She?” He frowns.
“Whoever you were seeing at the time. After the championship game. Hurt a little to see you happy. I was still bitter at the time. Broken heart and all.”
