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She swallows hard at my bold statement. “I just, I didn’t want to assume. I mean lately…” But she pauses.
“What?” I prompt softly.
“Lately, you’ve just been distracted. I’ve hardly seen you all week. Have I done something wrong?” She looks regretful that she’s said too much, while I’m regretful that I’ve said too little.
As hard as I’ve tried to mask my shame, it obviously hasn’t been hard enough. She’s seen through my bullshit, just like I knew she would.
“No, Maddy, no. You’ve done nothing wrong.” I cup her cheeks, searching her eyes. “It’s me who’s done wrong.” She looks at me, waiting for me to explain. But I can’t.
“I’m sorry, you’re completely right. I’ve just been busy with…work.” She hears me break but doesn’t press.
“Okay. As long as you’re sure.”
I stroke my thumb over her lower lip. “Yes,angelo, with you, I’m always sure. You’re the only stable thing in my life.” Her smile lights up the darkest night.
I kiss her forehead a second later. “C’mon, let’s go.”
I reach for her bag and shrug it onto my shoulder. “Jesus, what have you got in here? A dead body?”
She laughs. “Not yet.” I know she’s referring to Juliet, and I can’t help but smirk at her comment.
If only my life were that easy.
We walk to my car hand in hand, and I listen to Madison fill me in on her week. I really have been a horrible boyfriend because when I ask her certain questions, she informs me I asked her the same ones last week.
“Are you sure everything is all right?” Madison asks as we’re waiting at the lights.
“Yes, why?”
She reaches over and stills my drumming fingers on the steering wheel as her response.
Looking over, I smile. “I’m fine. I just had a hard day today. I counseled my first teddy bear.”
“Pardon?” She retreats, pulling a similar face to mine when I was witnessing the debacle.
I grin at her adorability. “You don’t want to know.”
When she toys with her seat belt, I wonder what’s troubling her. She answers my question a moment later. “I had my session today.”
“Oh?” Of course she did. It’s Tuesday today. Get it together, you damn fool.
“Yeah.” She leaves the word hanging, waiting for me to lead the conversation.
“How’d it go?” We have an unspoken rule that we don’t discuss her sessions. Ever. So I’m curious to know why she brought it up.
“Dr. Canetti thinks I’m making real progress. She suggested that I write my feelings down.”
“That’s a good idea,” I reply, pulling onto the freeway.
“So I have.”
“And that’s helped?”
“Yeah, a little. I want to confront Beth. I mean, Juliet.”
Her name is like a swift kick to my balls. “Confront her about what exactly?”
She shuffles in her seat, her breathing turning ragged. “For, for being so…mean to me while we were growing up.”
