Page 121 of What Lies Within

“Not really.”

“He came back from that run,” she says quietly. “He’ll make it back from this one too.”

“I hope so.”

Maddie shuffles her stool closer, sliding an arm around my shoulders and leaning her head on the closest one. I tip my head against hers and move my hand off the glass to take her fingers instead, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“I’m sorry I was such a bitch about it at the start,” she whispers, words choked. “I just didn’t understand.”

“It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not.”

"Yes," I stress. "It is." I pull back and force her to look up at me. "Mads, I came in here, toyourhome, and shook things up. It’s natural to feel threatened by that change, to be out of your comfort zone.I’msorry I didn't talk more with you about it first."

“You didn’t know.”

“Know what?” I ask.

“That you’d catch feelings for Digger.” She shrugs. “Dad.” Maddie expels a long, heavy breath. “I mean, who am I to bitch about it, right? I’m the one in love with her stepbrother.”

"You're in love with him?" I exclaim, grabbing her by the shoulders and leveling our gaze.

She grins, wide and toothy. “I am. Is that weird?”

"You don't share a drop of blood," I reassure her before frowning. "Do you?"

“Ew! No.” She slaps my bicep.

I laugh, and joy grows when she does, too. The importance of the moment isn't lost on either one of us. Her face falls first, mine following until we stare at each other with stupid, matching smiles. "I'm so glad you're talking again, Mads."

“Me too.” She resumes her earlier position, head on my shoulder, yet my arm around her.

“Where did you go?” I ask gently. “When you were lost in there?”

She takes a moment to answer, and I play with the wavy strands of her lengthy hair, running them through my fingers and laying them down her back.

"I don't know. I mean, there were echoes of what happened—shaky images, but mostly the noises, over and over. And when there wasn't that, there were just questions—so many questions."

“Can I help you answer any?”

She shakes her head. “They don’t need answering, bud.”

I don't ask her more, content to enjoy this moment with my best friend. It's not until I have her back that I realize how much I’ve missed her these past days. My fears and insecurities worry that it’s a sign I’m too dependent on her, too reliant on others to help me through my shit. But I did it alone before, and no doubt there’ll be times I’ll do it alone again. I don’tneedto have her there for me through dark times, but shit, it sure makes it easier.

I hope I give her the same comfort.

"Love you, Mads."

She squeezes tighter against me. “Love you too, trouble.”

48

TYKE

“You want to explain what happened here?”

Ronan smiles. “You shot a man, Tyke.”

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