“That’s what she said,” Ryan calls out, and Tillie glares and then groans. “Oh, c’mon, I had to.”
“I’m so sorry, Matt. My fiancé is a douche,” Tillie defends, and I chuckle as Alex slides in next to me.
“No, it’s fine. I can see the funny side. But I had absolutely no idea. Speaking of no idea, what’s happening? Do I have to go to court, or what?” I ask, and Tillie shakes her head.
“No, thanks to quick thinking from Alex, I persuaded the sergeant to drop all charges.”
My eyes bulge out of my head. “What? How?”
Oliver opens the plastic bag and throws me my cell and wallet. “We told them to check your cell because there would be the proof that you were talking to Madeline… Maddison… whatever her name is, and you had absolutely no idea she was a prostitute. That you were, in fact, taking her out on a date and not hiring her for herservices.”
I scoff. “Why didn’t I think of that? But wait, what about the bribery thing?”
Tillie purses her lips. “That was a little tougher to get rid of, but once they saw that Madeline and Maddison were the same person, and she corroborated the story, they saw that the bribe was merely a desperate attempt, not a cover-up. Just a man trying to get to his best friend’s wedding. So they were willing to let it slide… this time.”
“Fuck! So I don’t have any charges against me?” I clarify.
“None. You’re damn lucky.”
“Tillie, you’re brilliant!”
“Wasn’t me, Matt. Sure, I did the talking, but the idea was all Alex.”
I turn to look at her. She’s so beautiful and looking at me like I’m the best thing in her world.
“Ronan? Shit! Where is he?” I ask.
Alex shrugs. “Dunno. I kinda ditched him. He was—”
“Too Irish,” Ryan bursts out.
I chuckle. “How can someone be too Irish?”
“Get this… Irish dancing to rock and roll. The guy’s a total weirdo,” Tillie says, and I raise my brow. Coming from her, that must mean he was really bad because Tillie doesn’t normally speak out like that.
I chuckle as I look at Alex, and she winces. “Yeah, dud-town, and then I was fully crushing on this biker, Techie, but he’s taken, too. Bummer. Looks like it’s a strikeout for us both,” she says.
“Is Danger pissed at me?” I ask, my attention more focused on Ryan.
He sighs. “He was, but when Alex explained what was going on, he was a little more understanding. I’m one hundred percent sure he doesn’t give a fuck right about now if you know what I mean. Actually, he’sdefinitelygiving a fuck right about now…if you know what I mean.” He bursts out laughing at his own joke.
And the entire car laughs right along with him, including me, as everyone breaks off to talk amongst themselves.
I lean my mouth against Alex’s ear. “Thank you. Come back to my place with me?” I ask, and she looks up at me and nods.
“Who am I dropping off first?” Scott asks, and Tillie smiles.
“Matt, he’s had a long day, and he needs to go home and recover.”
“Thanks, Till,” I say.
“Anytime, just don’t have any more contact with Madeline, okay?”
I nod, thinking that’s probably for the best too. As much as I want to yell and scream at her for what she’s done to me—lying and deceiving me—but what good would that do? The relationship is broken. There’s nothing that could possibly fix it, and there’s no way I would want to be with a prostitute. I couldn’t hire one, let alone be in a relationship with one.
Yeah, we were doomed from the start.
Sighing, Alex rests her head on my shoulder, and I place mine on top of hers for the rest of the limo ride. When we arrive, no one seems to say anything when Alex gets out with me. Nate smiles, and so does Ria, but everyone else keeps to themselves. I wave them goodbye and thank them all yet again for everything they did for me tonight. I canneverthank them enough.
