“How long have you been stealing Maddie?”
“He’s not stealing me, Mase! It was my idea!” Maddie blurts out.
My head snaps toward her. “Enough. Stop talking.” My voice comes out rough, shaking with fury I can barely hold in.
Stephen exhales, guilt settling heavy in his eyes. “She came here for the first time back in July,” he admits quietly. “She… she even has a bedroom here now.”
I surge forward, fist winding back, but Hunter clamps onto my arm and jerks me off balance. He shouts at me, desperate and urgent, but his voice sounds muffled like he’s underwater.
Stephen holds his hands up in defense. “Look—Mason, I know it’s too late to fix things between us. You have every right to hate me,” he sighs. “But if Maddie wants a relationship with me, you can’t stand in her way.”
I scowl. “Don’t tell me what to do, asshole.”
“Son—”
“Don’t fucking call me that,” I growl before turning to Maddie. “I’m taking you home.”
She glares at me. “I hate you,” she hisses.
Her words knife through me, but I don’t let it show. I drag her toward the truck while she thrashes against me, her tiny fist collidingwith my abs in a series of punches. I lift her into the truck and shove her in the backseat as tears spill down her reddened cheeks.
“Mason,” Hunter says gently, trying to reach me.
“Not now,” I bite out, slamming the door.
I start the engine, jaw clenched so tight it hurts. Maddie sits in the rearview mirror with her arms crossed, her face blotchy and wet. “You’re grounded for three weeks.”
She sniffles and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “Whatever.”
I start driving toward Claremont Shores on autopilot, ignoring the painful ache festering in my chest. My hands grip the wheel, knuckles white, but inside I feel hollowed out. Hunter reaches for my thigh, trying to ground me, but I brush him off. I can’t be touched right now. Not when everything feels like it’s caving in.
When we finally pull into the trailer park, Maddie throws the door open before I’ve even shifted into park. She bolts for the house, ignoring me when I call her name. The slam of the screen door echoes through the still air.
I’ve never felt this disconnected from her. No matter what I do, I’m still losing Maddie.
I sit there, stunned, arms folded on the steering wheel, my face pressed against them. The cab feels small, the air thick and stifling. Hunter’s hand lands on my back, tracing slow circles.
I drag in a shaky breath, throat tight, eyes burning, but I swallow the tears down before they can fall.
“That was… intense,” Hunter says quietly. “Are you okay?”
I lift my head, meeting his gaze through my fog of anger. His eyes are soft, full of concern that I don’t deserve. “No,” I admit, my voice cracking.
He hesitates. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I just—” I exhale, shaking my head. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it. I was so damn stupid.”
“You’re not stupid, Mase,” he says gently. “She’s a teenager. Teenagers are sneaky.”
“Yeah, but I should’ve noticed. I should’ve been paying attention.” My hands curl tighter around the steering wheel. “Instead, I was… distracted.”
Something in his expression shifts. His hand stills on my shoulder, and when I glance at him, his eyes have gone sharp.
“Distracted?” he echoes, voice thin. “By me?”
I don’t answer right away. I can’t. The silence stretches between us, taut and unbearable. Finally, I force myself to nod, even as guilt tears through me.
The words crawl painfully up my throat, coming out in a cowardly whisper. “We need to end this, Hunter.”
