AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Things with my…dad,” I reveal. He made his feelings perfectly clear the other day, so I’ve given up on a reunion any time soon.
“What do you mean?” She watches me closely, waiting for me to elaborate.
I sigh, deciding to share this one small snippet with her. “If I had a brother, maybehecould be the son my father deserves.”
Madison’s eyes fill with pity, and as she opens her mouth, I dread what she’s going to say. But at the last second, it appears she changes her mind. “I think this world can only handle one Dixon Mathews. And besides, I’m sure Hunter and Finch were like brothers, right?”
I grin, grateful for the change of pace. “Yes, they still are. We were neighbors all through school. My poor teachers,” I say, shaking my head.
Madison laughs quietly and seems more relaxed now that the topic has shifted away from her family.
“Sounds like Mary and I,” she says cheerfully.
“Oh yeah?” I ask, happy she wants to share this piece of information with me.
“Yeah,” she replies with a reminiscent smile, as if touching on a memory. “Before my mom married Sebastian, we were dirt poor. We lived in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment, right next door to Mary. Both our moms were single, working two jobs to make ends meet. We were inseparable, and still are.”
“So she knows all of your deepest, darkest secrets?” I say jokingly.
Madison frowns, her finger skating around the rim of her cup. “Not all of them.”
I give her a small smile, but don’t press. She’ll tell me when, or if she’s ever ready.
My phone chirps, ruining the moment, and I apologize to Madison as I pull it out of my pocket. The sender is someone I was not expecting, considering she got what she wanted from me last night.
I’ve got an itch only you can scratch. Are you free tonight?
Madison must see my face drop as I read Juliet’s message because she asks, “Everything okay?”
Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I nod, clearing my throat. “Yeah, fine.”
And just like me, she doesn’t press; she simply sips her coffee, and gives me a reassuring smile. Both Madison and I have secrets, but every so often some secrets are better left unsaid.
After dropping Madison off at her place, I decide to hit the gym and burn off some of my pent-up sexual energy, and also my smorgasbord of sweets. I texted Hunter and he was keen for a workout, and to brag about his night.
After he’s done scarring me with images I so wish I could burn from my hippocampus, he decides to inquire about my night.
“So how was your evening?” he asks, running on the treadmill beside me.
“It was great,” I reply, my feet pounding on the belt.
“Oh, yeah? How was Marisa?”
I could try to elude him, but I don’t see the point.
“I wouldn’t know,” I respond breathlessly.
“You wouldn’t know? What the fuck are you talking about?” he questions, utterly confused.
When I don’t reply and focus on running instead of talking, he grumbles, “You choked, didn’t you?”
“Call it whatever you like,” I say with a casual shrug. “I call it not catching crabs.”
“There was a time in our lives when crabs were cool, Dix,” Hunter rebukes, and I blanch.
“There is never, ever, a cool time for VD, Hunt,” I say, brushing my sweaty hair off my brow.
“Yeah well, that’s what the new, boring Dixon says. But the old, fun Dixon would be down with a medicated crab wash.”
