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"I've been better,” I said.
Maddy's lips formed into a pout. "I know. This is all that bitch Jade's fault. If she hadn't tried to convince everyone that you're a rat, this would not be happening."
I gave her a wry smile, dropping my bag on my desk. "Thank you for being such a good friend, Maddy, but we both know that's not true. Even if Jade hadn't said anything, the leak was from my laptop."
"Yeah, about that. I'm totally on your side, but how the fuck did that happen?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea, and my father won't say anything. He says his source has requested to remain anonymous."
Maddy frowned. "Your father's a real cactus."
"Tell me about it."
It wasn't like I'd expected him to reach out to me, but after my outburst in his office three days ago, a part of me had been hoping for a text or call. Just…anything.
But, as per usual, I'd gotten nothing. Nada. So much for caring about me.
"I'm just going to keep my head down and wait for all this to be sorted out," I said with faux confidence. Inside me, I was this close to losing hope. "The IT guys confiscated my laptop anyway. There's not much to do."
"I'm sorry, Felicity,” Maddy sighed. “I wish there was something I could do."
I gave her a tight-lipped smile, thankful I had her by my side.
Her eyes lit up. "Have you spoken to Aaron? You sort of embarrassed him last week in front of everyone."
I averted my gaze, guilt eating at me. I still couldn't forget the look on his face when he told me he loved me. He had seemed vulnerable and bare, and it hurt me that I wasn't able to give him that.
At the same time, I'd shown him the ugly parts of me, and he'd stayed. I still wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Yeah." I licked my lips before shyly meeting her eyes. "He came over on Friday, and we talked."
There was a knowing smile on Maddy's face. "Talked, huh?"
A blush crept up my face. "Okay, we did more than talk."
She jerked forward with a chortle. "I knew it! He dicked you down real good, didn't he?"
At that point, there was no doubt I was as red as a tomato. "Twice."
Maddy burst into laughter, then stopped abruptly, narrowed her gaze at me, and furrowed her brows. "Wait. Did you just admit to being fucked without trying to change the topic, or act like a prude?"
Hmm. I guess I did. Who would have thought? Maybe it was because I'd come to the point where it was easy to tell Maddy things. Or perhaps I was becoming less of a prude. I mean, I'd begged Aaron for his cock, hadn't I?
I held back a giggle.
"In fact, now that I think about it, there is something different about you," Maddy continued, almost burning a hole in my face with the intensity of her gaze. "You seem…lighter. More…free."
A smile played on my lips as I shrugged, leaning against my desk. "Who knows? Nothing a good dick can't fix."
Maddy blinked, gawking at me. "Oh, my God. You just made a sex joke and didn't stutter."
Okay, now she was laying her reaction on a bit thick. I was about to shout “Ha!” when she suddenly snorted and burst out laughing. Her laughter gathered a few curious stares from the other employees around us, but I didn't care. I joined in.
So, I made sex jokes and laughed at them. So what? Besides, there was some truth in what Maddy said. Long ago, before my life fell apart, I used to laugh loudly and talk freely. Jeremy had doused most of that flame with his hurtful words, but with shock, I realized that Aaron had played a huge part in bringing this part of me back.
"Aaron helped me realize that life is what I make it,” I said, “and I can't continue to let my past define me."
He encouraged me to speak freely without judgment and reassured me that I was my own person and could live on my own terms. Somehow, I was beginning to believe that.
