I hold his stare. “Make it make sense. Tell me what Mase said.”
He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Breaking up was never in the cards, even when Mase first came to me with his concerns. Eventually, though, I mimicked his worry, and I saw everything in a different light. You and I lived in a bubble, far away from the New York spotlight that both my families faced on a daily basis, even still to this day. They dissect every little thing about us; we’re constantly in the tabloids, and they rarely get the story right. Sometimes I have no clue what the hell they’re talking about. Mase pointed out that you’d be under that scrutiny the second we moved to New York together.”
“I’ve gone through enough to know I could have handled that. Why didn’t you ever talk to me?” I ask tightly.
He closes his eyes briefly, rubbing his temples. “You hated living in Mase’s shadow, Maddie. This would have been ten times worse, and it wouldn’t have only affected you personally; it would have affected your whole career. Something you worked so fucking hard for, and I knew I couldn’t be the reason they took away your credibility. Every job you ever got would have not only been second-guessed by the public, but also by your colleagues.”
“So you broke up with me because you thought I couldn’t take the heat?” I grind out, annoyance crawling up hard and fast.
“It wasn’t about taking the heat. It was about making sure you had the opportunity to build a life of your own, so you could achieve everything you ever wanted without having to second-guess whether you deserved your success or gained it because of me. Do you remember when you got accepted into that internship, and you told me the man knew who I was?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“Well, that man was a liar and a total fraud. He didn’t know me, or any of the other Davenports. He lied for leverage.” He pats the spot next to him. “Let me show you something.”
“That can’t be true,” I whisper.
His face falls in regret. “This is exactly what I’m talking about because even though years have passed, I know you better than I know myself, and you’re second-guessing the whole experience. You were at the top of your class, always as talented as you are now, and deserved that internship more than anyone. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, every single thing you did to get to a position you are in now would have been questioned.”
He pats the cushion again.
I hesitate, glancing down at my brother’s oversized leather couch and at how close we’d be, side by side.
At this point, I don’t know if I want to jump his bones or pummel him for making such a massive decision without me.
“I won’t bite. I need to show you something on my phone.”
I get up and ignore the wave of heat that creeps up my spine and the surge of electricity as my arm brushes his when I sit next to him.
I hated him days ago, don’t be confused.
He pulls up a few articles, and then suddenly I’m staring down at a younger version of myself.
“What is this?” I grab his phone and start scrolling, pausing over articles that have my picture.
How did I not know about this?
Nathaniel Davenport is off the market, ladies and gentlemen. He found his diamond in the rough, and we mean rough. Madeline Grace Cunningham, sister to all-American football star Mason Cunningham, is not what we had in mind for our Golden Boy.
We thought the Davenports did enough charity work.
Leo Morales and Nate Davenport, the Dynamic Duo, are back from Cali and are out on the town. Will Nate stay loyal to his Georgia Peach?
Spotted: Madeline Cunningham, Nate Davenport’s girlfriend, visiting New York City with Camila Morales, the younger sister to Sebastian and Leo Morales. Both were seen out to dinner in Greenwich Village.
This must be serious if she’s visiting without Nate.
Madeline Cunningham graduates summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a B.Arch degree, following ex-boyfriend Nate Davenport. We have to wonder if she followed his footsteps to get him back.
Each headline is a slap to my face.
“What the hell? What kind of news is this?” I throw the phone in his lap, then abruptly stand and spill Nate’s water. A frustrated “Sorry” is all that I can conjure.
“It’s gossip, not news, but it never stops. Last week, there was a story about Harrison’s wife cheating on him with one of her bodyguards. They’re vultures and would have gone after you repeatedly.”
“Still, that wasn’t your call, Nate.” My voice rises, my emotions overwhelming all my senses. “I understand your logic, but that’s not good enough. Not for me anyway. We were more than lovers; we were partners and best friends, and you threw that all away without allowing me to make the decision with you as a team. You were supposed to be different.” Tears well up in my eyes when our past comes barreling forward.
He ducks his head and goes silent.
