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“We’re throwing a party. I was going to book the ring at Backyard Bucks, but I have a better idea.”
Justin’s eyes came to mine, worry etched into them. “Dawg, I just—”
“—You know how it is.” Was all I had to say.
“How what is?” Madison asked absently, kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs under her ass. I knew, if I didn’t already know, I knew right then and there, that it didn’t matter what this girl had done. It didn’t matter what she was about to do, and even though my thoughts and feelings were always conflicted where she was concerned, make no mistake, I’d end any motherfucker who dared come near her. With her, it always felt right, and that’s cliché as fuck, but she had a habit of doing that. Bringing shit out of me that I didn’t know was ever there. I just needed her to remain oblivious for now, and I needed to put a wall where my feelings were until I knew I could trust her. I’d never given my heart to anyone, not only because I struggled to give enough of a fuck to pull it from my chest and hand it out, but because I knew no one wanted a washed up, lifeless, damaged mess of what whatever the fuck was left of it.
“The consequences to fucking with what’s mine, that’s what.”
Madison’s body stilled beside me. She looked between Justin and me, and then she opened her mouth. “What? What do you mean?”
Justin chose that time to interfere. “Are you having the party here?”
I shook my head, propping my foot on the coffee table. “Nah, at the condo.”
“Mommy dearest doing you a solid, huh?” Justin grinned.
“You have a condo?” Madison yelped. “Oh wait, yes, Nate said something about that.”
“Yeah, Mom got one in the city, close to campus.”
Her eyes dropped to her hands as she fiddled with her fingers. “You’re going to NYU?”
I shrugged. “Possibly. My mom went there, and her dad and so on.”
Madison’s phone dinged in her pocket. She read something on the screen and then shot off the sofa. “I need to go home.” My eyes darted to Justin, who knew exactly why I was holding Madison here. To keep Nate from telling her what was about to happen at this party.
“I’ll take you.” If Nate bitched out and spilled everything to her, it’ll only make his punishment worse.
I jogged up the steps to my house and slammed the door open. “Dad!” I called out, heading straight for his office. He had his phone pressed to his ear, but his eyes flew to the entrance when he saw me appear. “I’ll call you back.”
My chest rose and fell. “That girl.”
“Yes?” He seemed interested.
“She’s the girl you showed me all those years ago, isn’t she?”
My dad’s grin deepened. “You met her? She’s at your school?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you know what you have to do.”
“You’ve never seen what she looks like?”
Dad shook his head. “Only when she was around ten. Why? Is she ugly? Not your type?”
“Something like that,” I lied. “I’ll do what I need to do.”
I stopped over at a store on my way home to pick up Bishop’s present. It’s honestly nothing great, and he probably won’t even like it, but it was all I could think of. “Nate!” I hated being back here. Over the past couple of days, I had loved being away. Or I loved being with Bishop, not sure which was more true. Maybe a bit of both.
“Hey, Kitty,” Nate called out, coming down the stairs.
I turned to face him. “Hey!” Then I pulled out my phone. “Dad texted me and said he was calling a meeting?”
Nate gave me a strained smile—actually, his whole face was strained. “Yeah. It has to do with your mom coming back and shit.”
“Where is she?” I walked into the kitchen, needing a drink. Milk, not alcohol. Finding chocolate flavored, I took it out and then a glass before pouring.
Nate pulled out a bar stool. “She’s coming too.”
“What!” I snapped. “Nate, I don’t want to see her—ever again. As far as I’m concerned, the bitch can stay dead.”
“Lovely, thanks for that, Madison. Great to see your father has done such a stellar job at controlling that mouth.” I didn’t flinch, my eyes remained on Nate as I swallowed the cool, creamy milk.
I put my glass down. “Did someone speak?” I asked Nate, ignoring her. He stifled a laugh, cranking his head over his shoulder, tensing.
“Madison, come on sweetheart.” My dad gestured to the sitting room. The layout of our home was more traditional than Bishop’s. The sitting room hung off the kitchen which was joined by three big white pillars. Our house sort of reminded me of a modern Greek establishment.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Elena asked me, her arm snaking around my shoulders. Since I first met her almost a year ago, I instantly warmed to her. She was much like Nate in that aspect. Warm and inviting. Something about their aura just had you craving to be around them.
