“I’m paying you back for the car,” I interrupted, my voice still level. “And I intend to keep doing that.”
Maddy’s expression tightened. “Edward would be happy to take care of that.”
“I know,” I said. “While I appreciate the offer, I’m still saying no. I don’t want to be kept or paid off.” It came out a little more biting than I intended. Maddy and Edward were still weird to me. “Especially since he’s technically stillmarriedto Archie’s mom.”
Her expression went tight, her eyes furious, and she jerked like I’d slapped her. I didn’t miss how her lips flattened or her nostrils flared. The only thing saving me from a slap right now was the distance between us and the fact we were in a department store and we hadwitnesses.
Rachel counted too.
“This isn’t about independence,” Maddy said sharply, choosing this particular argument though the look in her eyes told me she was not going to forget my earlier comments. “This is about protecting you.”
“No,” I said quietly. “This is about controlling me.”
The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable. To her credit, Rachel hadn’t reacted to anything. She still had her phone out, but I could see her watching Maddy from the corner of my eyes. She had focused on my mother like she was ready to leap.
Then… someone cleared their throat and the ballooning tension burst. Maddy startled so hard that it made me flinch and we both turned to see Edward standing there. Hands slipped into the pockets of his dress pants, he studied us both thoughtfully.
I’d forgotten he was even here. The fact he and Maddy showed up at all had been weird enough. But now, as he rocked back and forth, he managed to not look angry or even bothered. Instead, he seemed—intent and focused.
For a brief second, I could see Archie at Edward’s age. Still good looking, still clever, and still looking for a way to fix everything.
“Maddy,” he said gently. “Let’s take a breath.”
She turned on him. “Edward?—”
“I know,” he said, the soothing notes in his voice helping to ease some of the anxiety vibrating over the surface of my skin. “I hear you. But Frankie isn’t wrong to want space.”
I watched him carefully.
He turned to me then. “I did move too fast,” he admitted. That alone stunned me, but when he added, “I thought I was helping by making things easier. But I didn’t ask what you needed.”
The honesty startled me.
“I don’t know how to do this perfectly,” he continued. “But I can give you time. Real time.”
Maddy looked between us, clearly displeased.
“I’m not asking you to approve,” Eddie continued, shifting his gaze to Maddy. “We have our relationship, we know where we stand with each other—finally. We’ve had years Maddy-darling, we can and should give Frankie the timesheneeds. Just… let her breathe.”
Something in my chest eased. Just a little.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Maddy didn’t respond. She turned away, already retreating into her own frustration. When she strode off, I blew out a breath of my own but Eddie didn’t seem to be done. He watched Maddy go with a long sigh before he glanced back at us.
Focusing on me, Eddie said, “I know she seems—harsh isn’t the right word, but overly eager doesn’t fit either.”
I would have suggestedbitchybut that didn’t seem appropriate right now.
“I can hardly scold her when I am as eager as she to make this family work. You. Archie. Your mother. Me.”
Biting down on the inside of my lip, I struggled with the tangle of emotion that left me in. “I get it,” I said quietly. “But this…it’s not about it all being too new.”
I could give him that honesty.
“It’s about what you two are doing and how your relationship affects mine.” I adored Archie. I didn’t want to be his sister. Especially after how he’d kissed me and made me want him to kiss me again. Even during the party the night before when Coop kissed me, I hadn’t missed the heat in Archie’s eyes or the way his lips curved into that knowing smile when our gazes locked.
“I understand,” Eddie said on a sigh. “I’m also serious about giving you time. You’ve moved in and you’re adjusting as much as you are able. I will do my best to not let anyone push you any faster than you want to go.”
