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I need to take some more time off from the club
I laid my phone on the nightstand and rolled over. Tomorrow, I’d spend much-needed time focusing on my manuscript and myself, keeping as far away from the Whitman family as I could.
15
THE MORBS
MADDIE
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
My eyes sprung open. I pushed the blankets back, put on a robe, and trudged groggily to the foyer. Peeking through the peephole, I sighed when I saw it was Antonio. The moment I unlocked the door and opened it, he pushed past me.
“I thought you were dead!”
“Hi to you too?” I let the door close, and I whirled around. “Why would you think I was dead?”
“Have you not checked your fucking phone?”
I averted my gaze.
“Maddie, for fuck’s sake.”
“What?” I threw my arms out. “You were there last night! You saw what went down!”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. I was just worried about you because you texted me about work and then you didn't reply to me when I replied to you.”
“I really just wanted to be alone last night. My family was blowing up my phone with text messages and phone calls and, to be honest, I didn't really check anything when I got home.” I trudged to the living room, throwing myself back on the end of the couch. “Do you want to sit down?”
He sauntered into the living room, sitting at the other end of the sofa. “I know what happened last night was fucked up, but why don't you want to come to work for a while?”
“Because?” I rolled my eyes. “James loves hanging out there.”
Stroking his tattooed arm, he shook his head. “And it's your job. You have every right to be there just as much as he does, if not more.”
“Besides thinking I'm dead, why are you here?”
“You're one of my closest friends and I wanted to check on you.” He scooted to the middle cushion, between us. Stretching his arm out across the back of the sofa, he tilted his head. “I know I'm your boss and I know we have a little past, but I do give a damn about you. And after everything that went down last night, I just wanted to make sure you're okay.”
Pushing off the sofa, I paced the room. “I'm not the one people should be worried about. They need to worry about Eliza, Lucas, and James. Not me. I just want their family to be okay.”
“They're a family. They’re always going to be good. If that fucking cunt can't break them, a secret relationship between you and James isn’t going to break them, either. And I know you can't see it now, but I have a feeling it's going to bring all of you closer together.” He slouched, propping his feet on the coffee table, and lacing his fingers together over his stomach. “Eliza's literally getting married to his best friend. I know she's mad, but once all that processes, and he has a chance to talk to her and calm her down, I guarantee you that you and her are going to be more than okay.”
Stopping, I rested my fists on my hips, and he stood, stepping around the coffee table to me. “The best thing you can do right now is come back to work and let things blow over.”
Bottom lip pinned between my teeth, I nodded. “I'll think about it, but I really just want to take this weekend off.”
“Why don't you let me take you to lunch?”
“Lunch?”
“It’s 1:00 p.m.”
“Holy shit!” I ran my fingers through my hair, twirling a strand around my index finger. “I can't believe I slept so late.”
“Now you know why I was worried.”
I sauntered into my bedroom, taking my phone off the bedside table, and daring to look at the screen. My mom had called six more times, my father called three more times, and my brothers called six times between the three of them. Rolling my eyes, I scrolled through my text messages seeing an array of new messages from them and Antonio as well. Among those were text messages from James.
