Page 163 of Ever With Me

She sank against a brick wall, tightening the shawl over her shoulders. Her mind spun, trying to process the events of the last few minutes, which felt chaotic.

Jumping into the car with Josh had been stupid, but she couldn’t have foreseen him hitting on her like that.

He’s engaged, for goodness’ sake.

She hadn’t seen that coming.

More importantly, Brooks might have written a song about her and now she’d need to figure out a way to deal with the press again until that settled down.

How long would it be like this?

She really didn’twantto care about Brooks anymore.

Didn’twantto love him as much as she did. At times, she even let herself be mad at him—but it didn’t last long. Mostly, she just felt sad.

Lonely.

Because she understood why he left the way he did. She still recalled the absolute devastation on his face as he thanked her for loving him—as if that was a hard thing to do—and told her that the only way forward he could see to keep her safe was to separate himself from her. It just didn’t make things hurt less.

Of course she knew he could be cold and detached—that how he’d gotten through life. But even when they’d been strangers . . .

Ugh, who am I kidding?Dealing with Brooks hadn’t been a walk in the park at the beginning. He was arrogant, difficult, and sometimes rude.

But he washerarrogant, difficult, and rude man. Or he had been. And when he had been, he’d treated her like a queen.

Those were the moments that were so hard to forget.

She’d forced herself not to listen to his music, but the sound of his voice stayed with her no matter how hard she tried to forget it.

“You’re it for me, Madison. I love you. Only you. Always. But I will rip out my own heart if it means protecting you.”

He’d meant it, too. But he’d ripped hers out in the process.

Her eyes welled with tears.

She drew her knees up and hugged her arms around them, sighing. She didn’t even have her cell phone out here with her—it had been in the Depot when she’d gone out to talk to Garrett.

“Psst.”

The whisper came from farther down the alley.

Maddie lifted her head. She didn’t expect to see Gina Strickland standing at the back door to her father’s store, but there she was. She waved Maddie forward. “In here. You can hide here, Maddie.”

Maddie hesitated. After her run-in with Josh, Gina was the last person she wanted to talk to.

What’s she up to?

Gina held the door more widely. “Truce. I promise, Maddie. I have no agenda.”

She’d never really trusted the Stricklands, but Gina also had no reason to offer her shelter right now. She could have just kept the door closed.

Unless she has reporters hiding in there with her.

Maddie rolled her eyes at her own ideas.That’s ridiculous.

She stood and hurried down toward the Stricklands’ place, trying to forget the last time she’d been in here.

The first time Brooks and I kissed.

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