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With my chin resting on her head and her body trembling in my arms, I say, “You’re risking abolishment from The Society, Scar. Not just you, but your parents, too.”
She tenses. A beat of silence between us. “You’re bluffing.”
“Try me.”
Audible breaths escape her while her chest heaves against me. “What do you want from me?” She chokes on the words, on the verge of tears.
“Nothing. And everything. At the same time.”
“Scar.” Maddie’s voice hits Scar’s ears, before they do mine, and I don’t even process them until Scar is breaking free from my hold.
I stand back, observing the reunion, and while I should be happy for them, it feels more like a slow suffering. Knew this was coming. The minute I saw Scar’s face, I knew Maddie would show hers.
“M-Maddie?” Scar blinks rapidly, regaining her focus and failing to believe what’s right in front of her.
They’re at least five feet apart. Scar stands directly in front of me and Maddie is sitting in her wheelchair beside my weight bench. They stare at each other for what feels like minutes and I’m certain all the blood has drained from Scar’s face. She’s as pale as the snow tracks on our living room floor. She takes a couple steps. And a few more, trying to get to Maddie.
I know she’s going down before she does, but as she starts to fall, I’m right there, catching her limp body.
“Scar,” Maddie gasps, wheeling quickly over to where I’m lowering Scar to the floor. “Is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine. She’s just in shock.”
“What is she even doing here, Neo? You told me she was back in Essex.”
Maddie’s looking at me now, waiting for a response, so I tell her the truth. “She’s here because…she lives here…” Or at least, it started as the truth. “…with me. We’re dating now.”
You stupid, fucking idiot!Now I’m pretty sure all the blood has completely drained from my face.
Maddie laughs and it’s a little disheartening that she doesn’t believe Scar and I could be together. “Why is that funny? You think she’s too good for me?”
“Umm. Yes. Among other reasons. For instance, you’ve never liked Scar. So how the hell did this even happen?”
“Things change. People change.”
Unlike my ability to get myself into shit I can’t get myself out of.
Fuck. What did I just do?Now that my lie is out there, it doesn’t feel like it will reap the benefits I’d hoped for. I could have easily said she’s with Jagger and all would have been fine. As long as Maddie doesn’t know about Scar and Crew, we’re good. So why in the fucking world did I just tell her Scar and I are dating. No. This is fine. Scar will be forced to dump Crew and Jagger, and I won’t have to see her with them anymore. Instead, I’ll have to pretend she’s with me. It’s wrong on so many levels, but it’s not real. This can work. It has to.
Maddie looks back down at Scar, a brush of sadness in her expression. “I can’t believe I’ve missed so much. My best friend and my brother?”
Scar begins stirring, her lashes fluttering, and I need to think fast again. “Go get her a wet washcloth from the bathroom. Top drawer.”
“You go get it. I need to be here when she wakes up, so she knows it wasn’t a dream.”
“Dammit, Maddie. Would you please go? I’m worried about her.”
Man, I’m pretty good at this. I almost believe it myself. Truth is, I’d love nothing more than for Scar to stay passed out for the next six months.
“I know how you are, Neo. Be gentle with her.”
I huff. “I’ve changed, Maddie.”
She sighs heavily as she wheels around us. “Yeah, right.”
Once she’s gone, I pat Scar’s cheek a couple times. Her eyes flutter open before shooting wide. “Was that really…Maddie?”
“No. You’re seeing shit.” I fuck with her a little. With any luck, she’ll believe it and leave immediately. Not likely, though.
