AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It has everything to do with me if I find out you’re dealing.”
She scoffs, and her body tightens, her eyes narrowing menacingly. “Get. Out. The. Way.”
“No,” I simply say.
“Move.”
“Dean?”
Mine and Lauren’s heads both swing to see Mads at the bottom of the stairs. She stands, one hand on the banister, the other holding her dressing gown around her. “What’s—”
I watch as Lauren and Mads see each other for the first time.It breaks me when I see Mads’ face. Sadness washes over her, but her shoulders slump with relief at the sight of the person she cares for.
“Babe.” I move closer to her, needing to touch her, feeling bad that we woke her.
Cupping her face in my hands, I kiss her forehead, then step to the side, allowing her to pass me as she takes the final step off the stairs.
A million silent questions whizz through the space around us.
“Where’ve you been?” Mads eventually asks Lauren, who’s shifting uncomfortably on her feet. Poor kid looks like she wants to embrace this, but her guard is up. Mads looks at me, then back to Lauren. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry,” Lauren says.
“Sorry? Why are you saying sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for.” Mads steps closer, wrapping her arms around Lauren’s small frame. “Shh,” she comforts her, stroking her hair as she cries.
Mads looks at me with a tear-stained face as Lauren quickly wraps her arms around her. Just when I think about stepping closer, Lauren unexpectedly shakes herself free from Mads, and runs. “I’m sorry,” she sniffs, flying past me and flinging the door open. She doesn’t look back.
Mads’ feet scramble to follow, but I stop her, grabbing her arm.
She looks down at my hand, annoyed. “Dean?”
“Let her go.”
Frantic, Mads shakes her arm aggressively from my hold. “Get off!” she barks.
My eyes narrow this time. “She needs some time.”
“She’s had nothing but time, get off me!”
She moves to the door and begins to open it, but my handlands flat against the wood, banging it shut. She struggles again, her face pleading with me to let her go. No way I’m letting Mads go, not in this state.
“She’ll come back,” I say.
“You don’t know that!”
“Yes, I do. Just leave her to figure out what she’s going to do.”
Mads’ breathing has quickened where she’s fighting to open the door. She grimaces, and I move to wrap my arms around her, to comfort her.
With my arms draped over her shoulders, I dip my lips to her neck. “Please trust me,” I say, my words softly spoken.
A few moments pass between us, but Mads doesn’t relax. I don’t feel her body give in to me like it normally does. I place a kiss behind her ear, but she turns her head away, letting out a shallow sigh.
“If she doesn’t come back,” Mads starts, before slowly turning to face me. Her eyes stay fixed to my chest, and she lets out a few more steadying breaths. “I won’t forgive you.”
My arms drop.
Mads turns and walks back upstairs, leaving me stood alone.
