Page 77 of Face Me Off

But the fucking cherry on top? Maddy’s name was listed as a witness. She may not have known about her dad’s shitty offer, but she withheld the fact she gave a deposition. She knew more than she let on.

I need to get to the bottom of that, or there may be no us in the end.

Once inside my car, I fish the phone from the Tux’s pocket.

Maddy: Yes! I’ll meet you behind the mall.

I toss the phone in the passenger seat and take off. No matter how angry I am with everything, there’s one thing constant—I still can’t wait to see her.

Guess I’m just a shit person after all.

Twenty minutes later,Maddy pulls up beside me. My breath catches when she exits the car, looking sexy as hell in a waffled knit V-neck pullover that matches her jeans. It’s quite the contrast to my formal wear.

With our busy schedules after Thanksgiving, we’ve hardly had time to see each other, which hasn’t helped my mood.

But that’s going to change. It’s getting harder to pretend that we aren’t a couple. The skills competition. The dinner afterward with Blake and Amanda. Maddy and I sneaking glances at each other, pretending we were just friends. I run a frustrated hand through my hair. All these secrets … They’re eating me alive. And for what? To have our families tear us apart when everything comes to a head?

“Don’t you look handsome,” my sexy ass girlfriend says.

“You look rather sexy yourself.” Despite the conflicting battle inside, I plant a kiss on her lips. It’s rough and demanding, but she matches my intensity. She grabs my lapels as I weave my hands through her curls and press into the back of her head. But as quickly as we came together, I pulled away just as abruptly.

“Hmm, this was … nice,” she pants.

“Yeah?” My eyes are dark and heavy. I notice her tiny flinch as she searches my face. I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I want everything out in the open. No more secrets.

“What’s wrong?”

I run my fingers through my hair, which is a nervous habit I can’t shake. The crisp winter air of Los Angeles feels heavy around us, charged with tension. “Maddy, I need to know. Do you really trust me? Or is this relationship always going to be overshadowed by all this, this social crap and trust issues?”

Her eyes narrow in confusion. “Of course, I trust you, Ryan. How can you even ask that?”

I let out a bitter laugh. “How can I not? Your family’s lawsuit, the way we have to sneak around … It’s like we’re always fighting against something bigger than us.”

“And you think I don’t feel the same?” Her tone is sharp as hurt flashes in her eyes. “Do you think it is easy for me to hide our relationship? I live with my best friend and can’t even tell her. It’s fucking destroying me, especially knowing she’s going to have to move to Boston.”

“What?” I jar back as Madison swears under her breath.

“You can’t say anything to Blake yet. Amanda hasn’t told him about it, but she didn’t get the internship here in L.A. But she got the one in Boston.”

“Shit.” I feel bad not talking to Amanda much this year, but this will devastate Blake. “When will she leave?”

“Soon. I think her flight is the twenty-second.”

“She’s not even finishing out the year?”

“No.” Her eyes glisten in the streetlights. “So you acting like I don’t care when I’m holding out on my best friend is a little fucking much.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know about Amanda.” I glance out the windshield, unable to see straight. “Now that the Gala is over, are you ready to tell?”

“We should wait until Alex signs the check.” She places a soft hand on my jaw and forces me to look at her. “Where is this doubt coming from?”

I swallow, staring into her eyes. I can see her confusion and worry, which only makes this harder. “Your name is on the lawsuit, Maddy,” I say finally, watching her eyes widen. “You’re listed as a witness.”

“What?” she stammers, pulling her hand away from me like I’ve burned her. “I … I didn’t know…”

“Didn’t know or didn’t tell?” The words are out before I can stop them. She recoils, pressing a hand against her throat.

“Neither, I…” She goes silent. “Do you not have faith in me? Is it always going to be a question between us? Is it always going to be this social dynamic between us?”

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