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“Alright,” I announce, sliding the last omelet onto a plate. “Here you go.”
They both take the plates I offer, and I decide that having the counter between us is the safest spot to be, so I stay where I am and lean against the cupboard, holding my plate in front of me.
We eat in silence for a few moments, and I decide I’ve made it.
We’ll eat.
I’ll insist I don’t need help with the dishes.
They’ll go downstairs.
And I’ll sprint to Axel’s room to hide under the covers until I die.
It’ll be fine.
I almost believe it, until Brian looks at me and tilts his head. “You look familiar.”
My fork pauses midair, a bite of egg wobbling on the tongs.
“Um…”
Cue screeching tires.
Cue racing heartbeat.
Cue the urge for a quick and sudden death.
“Maddie,” he repeats my name. “Maddie. Maddie. Why does that sound-” his sentence cuts off and his mouth drops open. “Holy shit! You’rethatMaddie. My Maddie!”
Chapter58
Axel
My arm reachesacross the mattress and instead of finding a warm sex nymph, I find empty space.
“Maddie?” I grumble her name, reaching out in the other direction but still finding no sign of her.
Rubbing my eyes, I lift my head enough to see the bathroom door open and the room beyond dark and still.
“What the…” I flip back the covers and climb out of bed.
She couldn’t have left. I told her she could borrow one of my cars, but we haven’t talked about which one. And she wouldn’t just up and leave in the middle of the night.
Like I did.
Wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, I’m fully alert by the time I step out into the hallway. It’s still dark, but I can see a faint light filtering up the stairs. And as I near the steps, the scent of food hits me.
I smile. Just like her to be making a delicious meal in the middle of the damn night.
I’m halfway down the stairs, hoping she saved me some food, when I hear voices. Plural.
“Shit,” I curse and hurry my descent.
When my feet hit the bottom step, I hear Brian’s shocked tone. “You’rethatMaddie. My Maddie!”
“She’smyMaddie.” My gruff voice startles everyone. “She was never yours.”
I close the distance to the kitchen in a few long strides and stop next to Maddie, putting my arm around her trembling shoulders.
