My dorm door opens as I reach it, and Kay holds out her arms. I let the books drop to the floor and collapse into her comforting embrace.
~
“I'm done!” Lila yells, throwing her pen at the wall behind my head. “I'm done!”
“Shut up!” Megan holds a finger up. She mutters to herself and scribbles something down on the book in front of her. “Okay, carry on.”
“So kind,” Lila snaps. She turns her eyes on me. “You! I'm done.”
“Me? What have I done?” I look at Megan. She shrugs.
“You, being a miserable bitch!” Lila exclaims. “I am so done. I'm not taking it anymore. I'm gonna put a goddamn smile on that face even if it's a forced one!”
“I'm fine, Lila.” I turn my attention back to the laptop in front of me. “Really. You don't need to put your fingers in the corners of my mouth and pull it up.”
“You are a liar. And do not tempt me, Maddie Stevens, because so help me, I will do it!” she threatens.
“I have no doubt of that,” I reply dryly. Megan giggles.
“There is a party tomorrow night, at the frat house. You. Are. Going.”
“No. I'm. Not.”
“Oh yes you are.”
“I'm not going, Lila. It’s not about Braden, or even about seeing him. I just don't want to go, okay? I have loads of schoolwork to catch up on from last week. I have to catch up.”
“Bullshit!” Megan cries, her pen flying across the room. “I call bullshit! You've already caught it up. The biggest load you'd have is from English and you already handed that in. Excuses!”
“It's not excuses,” I argue lamely.
“Just because you don't want to see him-” Lila starts.
“I've seen him four times this week and spoken to him twice.” I raise my eyebrows. “I have no issues with seeing Braden Carter.” My jaw is tight.
Lila shakes her head. “You still don't wanna see him.”
I sigh. “I do want to see him.” I look away from them. “But after the 'thing' outside the frat house, I'm scared that when I do see him, I'll jump on him and kiss him instead of kicking him in the balls like I actually want to.” I shrug a shoulder, and Megan giggles.
“Then you have to come because either one could be amusing.”
“You're going to make me go, aren't you?” I look between them.
“Maddie, honey,” Lila begins in a softer tone. “I love you, but it's been three weeks. I'm not letting you mope anymore. You're going.”
That settled that, I guess.
Chapter Forty-Eight – Braden
I grab a beer from the cooler in the kitchen and head into the front room, taking a seat in the corner with Aston and Ryan. Neither say anything. What can they say? We're all expecting Maddie to turn up tonight with the girls. Megan and Lila will drag her along because Lila's fed up with the – and I quote – 'goddamn miserable look on her face all the damn time.'
I guess we're both gonna be forced here tonight because I'd rather be anywhere but here.
I take a mouthful of beer and swallow it heavily, just waiting. I don't know what I'm waiting for.
Maybe I'm waiting for her pretty green eyes to meet mine. Maybe I'm waiting to hear her laugh and see her smile again. Maybe I'm waiting for a moment I can approach her – in a totally non-caveman way – and just.... See her. Without the shouting about how shit my life is without her. I can do without that, and she probably can too.
The house fills up as the guys and I sit in silence. I don't touch the beer again. I have no desire to get drunk tonight. The only desire I have is-
laughing in the kitchen.
Fuck.
That sound - it cuts me to the core.
Ryan is looking at me sympathetically, and Aston isn't even looking at me. I drop my eyes to the floor and twist my untouched beer bottle between my fingers. How can I enjoy this stupid f**king party when the only person who makes it enjoyable is laughing on the other side of the room? It was one thing being here without her and letting it pass me by, but knowing she's here.... Knowing that makes me hypersensitive to her.
She laughs again, and I grit my teeth, turning sharply to look at her. She's standing next to Kyle. His arm is around her shoulders. What the f**k?
Maddie glances up quickly. Her green eyes meet mine for a split second - long enough for me to see the complete sadness there. I might be the reason she's so damn sad, but I'll be f**ked if I'm letting that punk comfort my girl. I slam the bottle on the table and cross the room in a few quick strides.
“Excuse me,” I say, even though I don't care.
I take Maddie's arm and pull her away from Kyle, ignoring his cry of protest, and yank her through the room.
“Braden, let go of me!” she cries, trying to loosen my grip on her. “Braden! You're being an ass**le!”
“Fuck this!” I stop and grab her waist, hoisting her over my shoulder. She squeaks out a scream and begins to smack me in the back, wriggling and kicking me for all she's worth as I carry her upstairs.
“Let go of me! You're being a caveman again!” she yells.
I shove my bedroom door open, walk through and deposit her inside. Turning, I slam the door shut, pocketing the key.
I turn to her, trying to stay calm. “That's because you're mine, and I'm not watching you laughing with him down there! You don't belong to him, Maddie! You never have and you never f**king will!”
“I. Am. Not. Yours!” she hisses, pointing at me. “I may have belonged to you once, but I don't anymore! Remember that?”
“If that's what you wanna believe, Angel, then you believe it.”
“It's not what I believe! I know it!”
“See those eyes, Maddie?” I cross the room, stop in front of her and look down at her. “They tell me a different story, so why don't we give up the game?”
“The game has been played,” she says acidly. “We both won, Braden, and now it's over.” She sighs. “I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you. Regardless of how either of us feel.... It's over. We are over. I'm not yours anymore. Do you get that? I'm. Not. Yours!”
“But I'm yours!” I grab her face and tilt her head back, making her eyes crash into mine. “I'm yours, Maddie. I always have been, and I always will be. Yours. Do you get that? Do. You. Get. That? I'll always be yours!”
Her lips part slightly, but she says nothing.
“Huh?” I prompt her. “Fight it all you want, Maddie. When it comes to me and you, we'll always belong to each other. Whether you like it or not, I. Am. Yours.”