She blinks. “What?”
“You said, ‘Arewe?’” I gesture between us. “I’ve been waiting to be awe, anus, anything, for so fucking long it sounds damn good to hear.”
Maddie kisses my cheek. “It does sound good.”
“You want another dog, babe?”
She leans back, studying me, her exhaustion finally showing. “So it’s not ours?”
“No, it’s for Juliette. She has been begging Harrison to adopt a dog for over a year now. He’s finally giving in, surprising her as her push present.”
“That’s sweet,” she says. “Sentimental gifts from the men who have all the money in the world mean so much more.”
“You’re right. I’m going to tell him that.” I pick up my phone and text him immediately.
Harrison: Tell her thanks for the insight. I already filled out the application. Can you be a reference?
Yeah. We’re pulling up now. I’ll call tomorrow.
Maddie’s phone starts buzzing in her bag, and she ignores it.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“I don’t want anyone ruining our night,” she says too quickly.
I squint my eyes and stare at her. She’s always been a terrible liar.
I hold out my hand. “Let me see your phone.”
“What? No,” she stammers. I raise my brows and push my hand further toward her, and she glowers just as menacingly, then points to her bag. “Oh, look at that, it stopped ringing again.”
A second later, it rings again, and she sighs in defeat.
I know precisely who is texting her if she’s ignoring it.
My blood begins to boil. “How often does he reach out?”
“It’s only fair that he wants answers. I broke off our engagement out of nowhere; you can’t be pissed at that.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Yes, I can. You ended it, and he needs to fuck off.”
“You can’t be serious right now.”
“Maddie, I won’t have him stand in our way. I don’t want you answering him anymore.”
“Don’t be stupid. He’s not standing in our—” She stops mid-sentence when her phone goes off again. “Dang it,” she huffs out and reaches into her bag to retrieve her phone. “Oh. It’s only Mama.”
“Great,” I mumble under my breath.
“Hi, Mama. Everything okay? It’s late.”
I have a love-hate relationship with Maddie’s mom. No one should have to go through what she did with Maddie’s father. I sympathize with her. But I can’t get over is how she projected her hurt onto Maddie.
She hurt, so she broke her daughter, maybe indirectly, but Maddie battled many mental scars throughout her teens and early adulthood because of it.
I won’t forget that.
“I. No. I’m not home.” She hesitates. “Mama, we’re never getting back together.” My head snaps to the side, and stare at her. No doubt she feels my glare. “I’m with Nate,” she rushes out, then flinches and turns her head, as if I couldn’t hear her mother’s loud screech.
