“I think you might be right,” Madison said.
“You know I always am.”
“I love you.”
“You love me or my psychiatric evaluation?”
Madison chuckled. “Both.”
Next Madison told her about their early dinner with Shade and Owen.
At the mention of Owen, Kennedy perked up. “I still want to ask that guy why he got his junk pierced.”
Madison shook her head. “One. Track. Mind.”
“You could ask him for me,” Kennedy said.
“He has other things to worry about,” Madison said.
When she told Kennedy about Lindsey’s pregnancy, her sister’s jaw dropped.
“Oh God, you’re all going to end up on the Maury Povich show, aren’t you?”
“Shut up. We are not.”
“And did you meet this chick? Is she the biggest slut you’ve ever seen?”
“Yeah, I met her. And she’s just a normal girl. Very pretty. Completely fixated on Owen.”
“How can a woman not know who the father of her baby is? I mean, come on, Madison, how could any woman enjoy getting screwed by a bunch of strangers? That’s pretty fucked up by anyone’s standards.”
Madison’s face went hot, and she concentrated on her cinnamon roll, as if trying to move it with the power of her mind.
“You’re not telling me something,” Kennedy said. She elbowed her in the ribs when Madison continued to stare at her plate. “Madison?”
“Adam took me to this club,” she said, “And, well . . .” She shrugged.
“The sex club? I thought you were just going to observe.”
Madison bit her lip. “Well, that’s what I had planned to do, but I kind of got caught up in the moment. Anyway, I can totally identify with getting off with a bunch of strangers. I can’t really judge Lindsey for it, now can I?”
Madison peeked at her sister, who appeared to be trying to catch flies with her gaping mouth.
When Kennedy finally decided to inhale, she blurted out, “I can’t believe Adam would force y—”
“He didn’t force me. Actually, he was very disturbed by my behavior.”
“If he hadn’t taken you there—”
“Stop trying to blame him for everything, Kennedy. He’s not a villain.”
“You’re not the same person since you met him.”
“You’re right, I’m not. I’m much more true to myself. Much less afraid of being who I was meant to be. I don’t even know why I came home,” Madison said, slipping from her stool. “I have to go back and make it right.”
“What? Tonight?” Kennedy hopped from her stool and wrapped Madison in a bear hug. “You are not going to talk to him until you sleep on this. Besides, you don’t have time to drop everything and chase after him again. You have to work on Monday.”
Madison stopped trying to force her way to the door and went limp.
“About that . . .”
And just that quickly it was all too much. She couldn’t hold it together any longer. Her life had completely come apart over the last forty-eight hours, and the enormity of it all crashed down on her like a landslide. A strangled sob escaped her, and her vision blurred with tears.
Kennedy took her by both arms and gave her a shake. “What is it, Madison?”
“I got f-f-fired.”
“What? How the hell did you get fired?”
“Somehow Joanna found out about my relationship with Adam and—”
“Oh God,” Kennedy said, covering her mouth with a trembling hand. “Oh God. Oh God. I’m so sorry, honey. I’m so sorry.” She hugged a very bewildered Madison tightly. “You have no idea how sorry I am. Oh God.”
Madison let Kennedy hug her and stroke her hair and cry with her until her brain started to ponder why Kennedy was so freaking sorry.
“You told her!” Madison accused, pushing her comforting sister away.
Kennedy didn’t have to validate Madison’s suspicions; her look of guilt was unmistakable.
“I didn’t know,” Kennedy said, avoiding Madison’s accusatory glare.
“You didn’t know? You didn’t know what, Kennedy? That sleeping with one of my clients is unethical?”
“Well, yeah, of course I knew that,” she said. “I didn’t know she’d fire you over it. I hoped she’d just talk to you about getting that poison out of your life.”
“Poison? Do you really think of Adam that way?”
“You know I do, Madi. I’ve told you so many times that he isn’t right for you, but my words go in one ear and out the other. I thought maybe if reason came from someone you respect, it might stick somewhere in that gray matter between your deaf-to-reason ears.”
“I can’t believe you would get my boss involved. What the hell were you thinking?”
“You know I only want what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me! How is this what’s best for me? I’ve lost my job and maybe the love of my life. Why would you risk something like this? Just to prove you’re right? Don’t you want me to be happy?”
Her own sister had gotten her fired. Madison was so stunned she couldn’t wrap her head around the betrayal. Madison knew that Kennedy didn’t like Adam—even though she’d never actually met him—but to get her fired over the relationship? Why would she do something so damaging to Madison’s career? The longer she thought about her sister’s treachery, the angrier she became. And beneath the anger was plenty of hurt.
Kennedy cupped Madison’s face between her hands and tried to get her to look at her. “Of course I want you to be happy. That’s why I intervened. It just didn’t go the way I’d planned. That man operates as blinders in your life, Madi. All you see is him.”
Madison’s angry glare burned from her aching heart and seared into her sister’s troubled gaze. “That’s because I love him!”
And now with the puppy dog eyes. “I said I was sorry, Madi—”
“And that’s supposed to make it all better? Ugh! I can’t even look at you, at your treasonous, backstabbing, cruel, selfish jerk face.” Heat rushed through Madison and she shouted, “Stop touching me!” She shoved Kennedy out of the way and fled toward the back porch, the only direction open to her with her betraying, sorry-excuse-for-a-sister blocking her path to the rest of the house.