Page 9 of Make You Mine

I take out my phone and dial my mother. There’s no way—there’s just no way I’m letting this happen.

“Maddy, honey.” My mother’s voice has certain tone of alarm. “Is everything okay? You never call.”

That’s true. I don’t talk to my mother as much as I used to in the past, and when I do, I prefer texts.

“Mom, since when are you conspiring against me?”

“What?”

“Did you know Kayden is back in Clearwater?”

I steal a glance at him and he grins at me.

“Oh. That. Yes.” She pauses. “Is there any problem with him?”

“Is there any problem with him?” I laugh. “Did you invite him to live in my apartment, with me, without my permission?”

“Oh, honey.” My mother sighs. “You know how things are here. There’s no way we can have him stay in the house with us, otherwise I would have suggested it. But Lucas isn’t doing well. And seeing Kayden may trigger him. You know things between them didn’t end well.”

Things between us didn’t end well, either. I want to say it. I really do. But I can’t.

Mom’s trying to be nice, caring about everyone as usual. Even people who don’t deserve to be cared for.

“This isn’t the best environment for him to be in. I wouldn’t have sent him to you if I had other options. Bear with him for a bit, please. He’s your brother, and he needs help.”

I purse my lips and take a deep breath. I can do this. It’s okay.

I hate Kayden, but I love my mom. And I don’t want to do this—but I will.

“It’s temporary,” my mother adds.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll talk to you later, Mom. Take care.”

I hang up the phone before I heat up even more.

There’s no way Kayden really came back home after all these years, and he’s changed.

He’s trying to get back at me for talking his father into sending him away back then.

I should never have come up with that idea myself, but I did what I had to do to move on with my life.

He messed with the wrong girl. I did it to protect myself. And that’s exactly what I’ll do now.

He thinks he got the upper hand, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.

“Okay, then,” I say, bringing my attention back to him. Pretending that what Kayden said to me now didn’t just flip my whole life upside down. “Cool. That means, I get a free driver, right?”

May as well take advantage of the fact he can drive and I can’t, because I’ve got a car collecting debris in the parking lot. And it’s no other than his red Porsche.

“Anything you want, sis.”

I dig into my handbag and take out the car keys I’ve been keeping with me.

“Think fast.” I toss them toward Kayden.

He catches them in the air, tilting his head. “These are…”

“The keys to my car.”