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“Madden?” My mom’s voice calls from outside the door. “Are you coming down? Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Yeah.” I grit my teeth and force myself to get up, smoothing my hair back into place as I wipe my bloody knuckles on my jeans.
I wait for her footsteps to fade away while I stand at the door, my forehead dipping against the wood. I really can’t trust myself not to explode down there. I don’t know what will come out of my mouth when I’m face-to-face with her again. But I’m on this train now, and there’s no stopping it.
I open the door and force my anger into submission as I take the stairs to the depths of my own personal hell. My gaze latches onto the two of them immediately. Adam has his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her with a possession that every cell in my body wants to challenge. I’ve never envied my brother for anything. I never gave a shit about his flashy car, or the money, or our parents’ love that seems to come so easily to him. Despite our differences, he’s always been the one person I could confide in. I love him, and I respect him, but right now, it feels like he’s the enemy. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to throw down with him in the middle of the family fucking reunion.
They don’t see me approaching, but one of his buddies nods behind him, and Adam turns to catch my gaze. He cocks his head to the side, oblivious to my murderous thoughts as a shit-eating grin lights up his face. It takes Bianca three seconds to turn. I know because I count them in my head, loud and fucking clear. When she does, her eyes lock onto mine, and her mouth falls open in horror.
Before I can react, Adam releases her and drags me in for a hug. I’m a good four inches taller than him, and over his shoulder, I watch as Bianca gulps in a mouthful of air and then slams her lips shut.
“What’s up, you grouchy bastard?” Adam steps back to examine me. “You look like a million bucks. Feeling good?”
“Never better.” My eyes drift back to Bianca, unleashing a torrent of unspoken questions as she tucks her hair back with trembling fingers.
Adam catches me staring, and he shoves her forward like she’s a trophy he wants to show off. “MJ, you haven’t met Bianca yet. This is my girl.”
His girl.
His fucking girl.
I don’t know if it’s obvious to anyone but Bianca that I’ve turned into a fire-breathing demon. But she knows. I can see it in the rigid set of her shoulders as she blinks rapidly, trying to dispel whatever fucking emotions she even possesses right now.
I wait for her to speak. One second. Two. After five, it’s beyond awkward, and I realize this is the moment that will lay down the course of the rest of our lives. I have a chance here. A choice to be the dick everyone knows I am. I could expose it all, blow up Adam’s misguided notions that she belongs to him. I could annihilate him in front of all his friends. Our family. And it would. When he glances at her in question, I can see a sense of pride lingering in his eyes. He’s never looked at any other girl that way. But Bianca isn’t any girl. She’s a fucking hurricane, and she’s going to destroy us all.
“Oh good.” Mom interrupts the charade before I can say anything I can’t take back. “Madden, I can see you’ve met Bianca. Isn’t she just wonderful?” Mom gives her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “We couldn’t be happier Adam found someone so lovely.”
Bianca swallows, dipping her head in shame. I can tell she’s on the verge of tears. And a sick, demented part of me wants them to fall because that’s what she deserves.
She fucking broke me. She. Broke. Me.
And now she’s come back to do it all over again.
“Sorry,” she murmurs softly. “Allergies.”
“Oh, do you need an antihistamine, honey?” My mom frets over her.
She looks up at me with watery eyes, and I glare back at her, cold as fucking ice. And without another word, I walk the hell away.
I ignore my mom calling after me as I cross onto the other side of the property and slip through the shrubbery to my cottage. I can’t remember taking the stairs or slamming the door, but I know I must have because it rattled my teeth and gave me a splitting fucking headache.
Or maybe that’s just her.
I’m standing in the middle of the room, trying to rein in the urge to throw back an entire bottle of whiskey, when there’s a soft knock on the door. I don’t answer, but a moment later, the knob turns, a familiar scent invading my senses as Bianca slips inside. I don’t have to turn around to know it’s her. I can feel her like a noose around my neck.
