Page 22 of A Promise For Tomorrow

I risk another glance at Liam before allowing Diego to guide me through the crowd and up to his room.

“Wait.Madison, wait up,” Liam’s voice echoes behind us.

We are halfway up the flight of stairs as Liam catches up with us. I grip the banister and spin around to see him taking the stairs two at a time. The heat radiating off him absorbs into my body as he closes the distance, stopping a step below me.

“I know it’s late. Do ya think after you get cleaned up,” he nods to my foot, “That we can talk? It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“I’ll meet you in our room,Mariposita. Take your time. But if that foot becomes infected, there will be punishment.” Diego shoots me a wink while smirking as he continues his ascent.

“I’m a nurse, asshole. I think I know how to take care of a blister. But thank you so much for the reminder of your wavering sanity.”

“You love it,” his amused baritone voice carries down the stairwell. He clucks his tongue. “And before you think to lie to me, remember how I feel about it.”

I whip around angrily to see his back still to me and his index finger motioning back and forth horizontally.

Ugh. Why does that turn me on?Maybe I should be more concerned with my wavering sanity than his.

My cheeks flare with heat and my core tingles with desire.Liam notices. His strong jaw works and his face turns red for other reasons. Trying to calm down, he inhales deeply before releasing it.

Hmm. That’s new.

“I can find a bandaid for you. Let’s get that foot cleaned up.”

I nod in response and follow him toward his bedroom, coming to an abrupt stop.Is he fucking insane? He’s going to bring me to his bedroom where Lainey is probably sound asleep in the bed? No fucking thank you.

“She’s not in here. Lainey and I aren’t together at the moment. We never really were, but it’s…it’s complicated, Mad. Please come in? I’ll explain it all.”

He opens the door and guides me inside our old bedroom. Memories come flooding back like Polaroids in a scrapbook. Every good moment right up to the one where I found out Diego was dead—which he wasn’t.

Aaaand I’m right back to the day I left here.

Madison remainsquiet as she sits on the lid of the toilet with her foot in my lap. I run a cotton ball with alcohol over the broken blister on her pinky toe. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Madison in a pair of heels, but seeing what it did to her feet and what all these women endure by wearing them has me irritated. Once more, I dab a fresh cotton ball and wipe the injury.

Air hisses through her clenched teeth and she places her hand over mine.

“I can take it from here.”

Tilting my head up, I raise an eyebrow at her. “Let me help you. I know you are fully capable of taking care of yourself, sweetheart. Iwantto help. There’s a difference.”

She cocks her head and bites her bottom lip, clearly holding back what she was going to say. Which is sexy as hell, but also allows me to continue. Those chestnut eyes study me as I retrieve the antibacterial ointment and place it over the raw skin with a Q-tip.

“I was never trying to dictate your life, Maddy. Or make you feel trapped by an overbearing, overprotective arsehole like me. I just wanted to lighten the weight you keep on your shoulders at all times. Weight that isn’t yours to bear, but you do it anyway.”

I open the seal of the Lion King bandaid and remove the plastic tabs. Gently, I wrap the adhesive around her pinky toe before running my thumb up the arch of her foot.

“All done,” I rasp, patting the smooth skin of her bronzed calf. “Sorry, Lion King was all I could find. The house has changed to a baby-zone since you left.”

She lowers her foot off my lap as I stand and clean the garbage up. I rinse my hands and walk out of the en suite to change into something more comfortable. Entering my walk in closet, I grab a pair of gray sweats and a shirt, knowing Madison will complain about me being topless.Although…

Fuck the shirt.

A minute later, I find her sitting at the edge of the bed looking around. Narrowed eyes briefly take me in before landing back down to her lap where her hands are clasped together.

“I used to feel that at times you could be overbearing, but not an asshole, Liam. Your need to protect runs deep, anyone can see that. Especially for the ones you love. Or loved in my case.”

“I never stopped, princess.” My feet carry me to her until I am standing directly in front of her. I gather her trembling hands in mine. She’s so strong. Today was intense and I’m sure this place and all of us bombarding her with our affection is taking a toll on her. “Lainey and I started this past Halloween. We got drunk after Selena had hosted a party here. I was hoping you would have reached out—had you still felt something…anything for me. But…you never did. I hated myself for not having the courage to tell you how I felt. I kept reminding myself that you asked for space and I’d be disrespecting you by contacting you.”

“I’m sure Con gave you a daily update,” she jabs, crossing her hands over her chest. There’s that fire. This is the Maddy we have all been missing. The sassy little spitfire.When did she become so timid? So unsure of herself?

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