Page 297 of Mad Girl

“Really? You’ve been stuck in this house with Elliot for days now, and she’s a handful at even the best of times.”

“Hey,” I said, shoving my foot in his side. “What if I’m the one who needs a break?”

“Looks like you could both use a break,” Michael said, eyebrows lifted.

You glanced between us. “I don’t know if I feel comfortable leaving.”

Michael cocked his head. “Why’s that?”

“She’s feeling a bit frustrated lately, so she might talk you into letting her do something she shouldn’t quite yet.”

“She’s not talking me into anything. I know how to handle her. I’ve been looking after Elliot a lot longer than you have, Casey.”

“Okay, first off,” I said. “I don’t need looking after, because I’m not a child.”

Michael ignored me. “And while we’re on the subject,” he said, “you really suck at your job.”

You leaned forward in the wingback, eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“Since you came along, she’s been assaulted, left alone to have a panic attack, received a head injury⁠—”

“Now, hold on,” you said.

“—sliced her hand open after you nearly killed a guy⁠—”

“Are you fucking serious?” you snapped. “You did a good bit of damage to those boys yourself, Michael. You were there, too.”

“Thank God I was,” he said, “because you’d be sitting in prison right now if I hadn’t been looking out for you.”

“Right,” you said with a bitter laugh. “You were looking out for me—or were you also looking out for yourself? When you realized how close you were to tarnishing that big, bright name you have? That golden future? How nice it must be to have friends who can throw their weight around and make all your problems disappear.”

Michael’s gaze flickered ominously. “What, like you’re not currently benefiting from those same friends, simply because you’re my friend? Without me, you’d still be living in a shithole where people are stealing from you, busting your ass every night for tips, and doing lines off the stranger you’re fucking in a bathroom—or, if you’re really lucky, somewhere with actual walls and a lock on the door. Fucking people whose names you never bothered to ask for or can’t recall the next day.”

“Tell me, Michael,” you said tightly, “how many one-night stands can you name? You know, all those girls you hooked up with in England? ‘Oh, I’m a relationship guy, I’m not really into that sort of thing’—isn’t that what you told me once? But how quickly your own morals slipped when you finally broke free of Mummy and Daddy and suddenly you could walk into a place where absolutely no one knew who you were.”

Beside me, Michael stewed, breathing hard, indignation coming off him in waves. “If you hadn’t met me,” he said, voice deep and menacing, “the only thing you’d have going for you, besides that face of yours, is a place at Harvard—and I’m still not sure how you managed to pull that off, given what I know about your past. If Nic only knew how many girls you ghosted before moving here, he sure as hell wouldn’t be leaving you alone with his daughter. You act like you don’t deserve what Nic gives you, but you must secretly covet it all, anyway, because nothing’s stopped you from taking it. Taking everything—including center stage in my life. You think you’re one of us now because Nic treats you like family. But here’s the truth: you’re just convenient.”

You repeated that cruel little word back to him. “Convenient.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Nic needed someone to watch Elliot, and there you were. Compliant, eager to please, and more than willing to give him full control of your life. You let Nic treat you like you’re his personal property—like he owns you. But you like that, right, Casey? Being owned? I bet you wish Nic was your daddy—don’t you?—instead of that piece of shit who raised you. You’re so desperate to feel wanted, you’ll take anything. Even if it already belongs to someone else.”

You stared at Michael, who gazed back with a look so cold and scathing it brought tears to my eyes. You quickly glanced away to hide the tears in yours, then left the room. Seconds later, the back door slammed.

I glared at Michael’s profile. “I’m not the only one who can be cruel.” When he didn’t respond, I shoved him in the shoulder. “You’re an asshole.”

Michael thrust one hand out. “I’m tired of walking in here and finding his hands all over you. He touches you like you belong to him.”

“I don’t belong to anyone.”

“He doesn’t see it that way. You know why? Because Nic’s setting him up to have a career at the firm, and a future at the firm means a guaranteed future with you. Nic’s handing Casey his blessing on a silver platter, and Casey knows it.”

“You need to apologize to him.”

He made a face. “I don’t need to do anything.”

“Fine,” I said with a shrug. “But if you don’t? This friendship is over.”

Michael drew back. “Is that a threat?”