That startles me.“I said I would take you out.That’s still my plan.”
“You don’t have to.It’s fine.I don’t feel like going out.Are we done here?”
“No, we are not done here, sassy girl.”What the fuck is going through her head?“I have a day planned for you, Madison.”
She jerks her head up and looks at me.“A day?Why?I just want to stay in bed and read or maybe watch TV.Am I grounded from that, too?”
I run a hand over my head.We’re not on the same page.Something is going on here, and I don’t like it.I’m starting to believe she actually intends to sneak out.
I have no choice but to come clean.“I read the texts from Kelsey last night.”
She rolls her eyes.“Whatever.Who cares?”
I flinch.This keeps getting weirder.“That’s it?You don’t care that I read your texts?”
“No.Why should I care?You said you would.I don’t have anything to hide.My texts from Kelsey don’t mean anything.I can’t control what she says to me.And you certainly can’t accuse me of misbehaving just because of what Kelsey suggested.I’m not going to sneak out.How the fuck could I?You probably have ten alarms set.I’d never be able to evade you even if I knew all the codes.And that’s if I actually wanted to go out.This is a moot conversation.”
“Tell me what’s really going on then, Madison.Talk to me.”
She looks at her fingers and starts picking at a nail.Seconds tick by.
“Madison…”
She lifts her gaze.“I was embarrassed, okay?I’m a complete dork already.I’m not like other girls.I don’t go out and party.I don’t lie and sneak around and get into trouble.It was one time, Myles.Onetime.I went out with my roommates last weekend in an effort to appear normal.I made bad choices.I got drunk.Now I’m going to pay for it for the rest of my life because you think I’m some stupid girl who parties and has her car stolen and would have driven drunk if some asshole hadn’t taken it.”
Tears start to fall down her cheeks, and I feel like an asshole.She’s right.
She swipes them away and stands, leaning toward me.“I told Kelsey and the other girls I have plans tomorrow night.They already think I’m the lamest woman alive.They can’t even begin to grasp why the fuck I would want to do anything else besides go out with them.I’m not sureIeven understand.But the truth is you’re under my skin.Don’t worry.I won’t fucking disappoint you.I’m too much of a goodie-two-shoes to sneak out.I’ll probably be ninety before you let me have another drink or let me go to Edge, but I’m so fucking hung up on you that I don’t care.Just let me lick my wounds for a few days, okay?I gave up my burgeoning reputation as a potentially normal girl so I could be with you.It doesn’t even matter.I’ll never see most of those girls after graduation, anyway.Why should I care?Idon’t.I’m here.I want to be here.But I need to deal with the enormity of it all for a hot second, if you don’t mind.”
She turns to head for the stairs, but there’s no chance I’m going to let her walk away from me.I take two long strides and grab her wrist.
She struggles, trying to break free.
Maybe I’m making the biggest mistake of my life, but the thought of her running to her room and crying into her pillow makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.
When she swings at me, I grab her other wrist, press her against the wall, and hold her arms at her sides.
She twists her head away from me, not meeting my gaze, still writhing.
“Madison Kennedy, stop fighting me.You just dropped a bomb in the living room.At least give me the courtesy of letting me respond.If you still want to stomp off and sulk, you may do so, but let me speak first.”
She purses her lips and says nothing, but she stops pulling on her arms.
“First of all, I want to say I’m sorry.I’ve thought a lot about it, and I understand why you would want to go out with your friends instead of some old guy who does nothing but boss you around.”
She gasps and jerks her head to look at me.“That isnotwhat I said, Myles.I don’t evenwantto go out with them.They’re lame.I was like a fish out of water trying to be cool last weekend.It was dumb.I’d rather be with you.I’d rather play Monopoly with you than go out with them.But the decision was stressful.Talking my way out of partying with them felt monumental.They knew I was looking forward to going to Edge.Like I said, I’m embarrassed.I’ll get over it.”
I lean my forehead against hers.“I’m still responsible for making you choose, and I’m sorry.I’ve pushed you all week.I probably went too far.”
Her eyes widen as I ease my head back a few inches.“Too far?Myles, you have not— That’s— Are you high?”
I cringe.“Not that I’m aware of.”
“You have not pushed me too far, dork.I’m still here, aren’t I?”
“Well, yes, but you’re pretty pissed.”
“Notatyou, Myles.I’m just fucking nursing my wounds.Can’t you accept that?I’m not always going to be cheerful.Sometimes I might be sad.Let me feel sad for a minute, okay?My life is taking an unexpected turn, and I have a right to stop and ponder what that means.”
