Page 100 of Betting on the Brainiac

Yes. Fine.

I give it 2 months, only bc Madi is the most hardheaded.

Then the date changes and they’re talking about some library outreach thing.

I hand it back. Ruby is watching me with a small smile. Smug doesn’t look good on her.

“What did you think I would say?” I ask her, my voice quiet and flat.

Her smile fades. “Are you mad?”

“Am I mad?” I give a few gentle nods, mostly because I’m self-soothing before I lose it. “I hate being manipulated by my parents so much that I’m here planning an exhibit to teach them a lesson. So yes, Ruby Ramos, I’m upset to find out I’m your puppet too.”

I scoop up my bag beside the display case and head for the exit.

“That’s not what I’m doing,” Ruby says, hurrying to keep up with me. “I was helping!”

I keep walking. I know this looks like an overreaction to her, but ever since the fight with my dad when I said out loud how much I hated their attempts to control and coerce me, the resentment has grown, not eased. This coming from Ruby…at least with my parents I had a choice to actively work against it. This feels far too much like being lied to.

She scrambles to keep up. “I wasn’t manipulating you! I followed a gut feeling that you and Oliver would click, and I made sure you had a reason to spend time together. You would have made up a dozen reasons to peace out if I told you that.”

I glance over my shoulder to see if Charlie is there. He is, keeping a short distance behind Ruby, his face concerned. “Maybe you can explain the problem to her. Or maybe not since you went along with it.”

“Grudgingly. I went grudgingly.”

“Charlie,” Ruby protests.

I’m almost to the main entrance, and I pour on speed. Now Ruby has to jog to keep up.

“Mads, please, let’s talk about this.”

I’m moving so fast that the sliding door barely opens in time to let me through. I honestly think I could have charged right through it. I’m mad enough to chew glass; whynotwalk throughit? I bet it would be cathartic to hear the glass shatter, like a physical manifestation of my anger.

She sets her hand on my arm, but I shake it off. “Leave me alone, Ruby.”

I head straight for my car, and I’m already in the driver’s seat when Charlie catches up.

“Madison, I’m sorry, and I know Ruby’sreally—”

“Don’t tell Oliver yet.”

Charlie blinks at me.

“It’s going to force a conversation between us, and I don’t have the bandwidth for it right now. Can you both do me at least that favor?”

He nods. “Okay.”

I slam my door shut and back out, turning my car in the direction that will take me the long way out of the parking lot. But at least I won’t have to go past them.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Oliver

Something is wrong withMadison.

When I texted her to thank her for the cutting board I found on my kitchen counter, she only sent me a thumbs-up. I let that go, but when I get home the next day, there’s nothing new in the apartment. The only way I can tell that she’s been by is that the cats’ water bowl has been recently topped off.

Is she mad at me? Did I do or say something wrong?

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