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I lift my hands in defense. “I just need to talk to her.” My eyes jump to the sound studio. Derrik looks just as pissed off as Maddox and EJ, while Jade stares at me over this shoulder. The happy expression she was wearing a moment ago, listening to Maddox, morphs to hurt.
“You’re not talking to anyone,” Maddox growls, stepping around EJ, pushing me.
“Maddox, I know you guys are pissed off, and you have every right to be. But I didn’t mean to lie.”
“No, you just meant to play my sister, pretending to like her so your dad could swindle away her work.”
“No!” I shout at him. Looking back at the sound studio, Derrik and Jade hurry over, opening the door that’s connected to the room we’re in. “Jade,” I call out to her, but I’m stopped by Maddox pushing me.
“I’m going to tell you this one last time; get out. Now.”
Ignoring him, I gaze back at her. “I’m sorry. I never meant to—”
“Screw it,” Maddox hisses, then swings a right fist, connecting it with my jaw. I stumble back, able to hold myself up by grabbing the door handle.
“Maddox!” Jade calls out.
EJ and Derrik rush over; EJ holding back Maddox, and Derrik pushing me against the door. “You need to leave,” Derrik hisses.
“I just want to apologize. I never meant—”
“I don’t care!” Derrik yells. “No one here wants any lame-ass apologies.”
My eyes shift to Jade again. “If you just give me a chance to explain.”
Derrik pushes me harder against the door. Jade steps closer, and I see EJ’s and Maddox’s gaze land on her. Slowly, she shakes her head. Her green eyes stay on me for a moment longer, before turning to the floor. “Just leave,” she whispers.
Maddox’s face drips with disgust. EJ seems annoyed but more concerned with Jade, and Derrik keeps his eyes on me, his arm still extended to keep me away from them all. Jade turns around, staring into the empty sound room, holding herself.
I knew I screwed up. I knew it before she ever found out. Standing here, seeing the mixture of annoyance, apathy, and hurt on all of their faces reinforces the fact that there isn’t anything I can do to make up or apologize for this.
Keeping my eyes on Jade, she never looks back at me. I open the door and leave, knowing it’s over.
