Page 25 of Beyond Oblivion

I wanted to believe her, if only to avoid acknowledging how gullible I’d been, but I wasn’t going to ignore my own intuition to do it, even if it made me feel like a dupable asshole. “He won’t be back. I’ve gotta bounce.”

“Trent,” she said, grabbing my arm. She slid her hands between my elbows and rib cage, around to my back, and then she squeezed me against her as she pressed her cheek against my chest. “Even if you don’t believe me, thank you. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always made me feel safe, and I…” She looked up at me, her face inches from mine, eyes dancing back and forth between my irises.

For the first time, I noticed her appearance. A fresh coat of shimmery gloss on her lips, her damp hair still had a faint smell of hairspray. She was wearing dangerously short cut-off shorts, a low-cut black crop top, and wedge heels. She’d either just come from a party she’d been at for less than an hour or she’d dolled up to watch her ex cower like a little bitch at the mere sight of me.

She rose up on the balls of her feet, closing her eyes, her sweet perfume wafting around us.

I took a step back. “Whoa. Maddie,” I exhaled sharply. “This?” I gestured to the space between us, “is never going to happen. Even if you weren’t too young and weren’t Mackenzie’s little sister, which is already in so many ways fucked up, I’m in love with my wife.”

She blinked, somehow not expecting my answer. “It doesn’t make sense, Trent. I’ve loved you mywholelife.” She stared at the sidewalk. “We share something neither of us can explain to anyone else.Cami?” She glared up at me, her face screwing into disgust. “The whole town knows she can’t get pregnant. Whywould you want someone who can’t even give you a family? Why her?”

“Sheismy family,” I said, trying to keep my temper in check. “Why anyone else when she exists?”

Madison’s eyes glazed over, processing the sting of disappointment from my answer. After a moment, she shook her head, unwilling to accept it. “You actually think you love her,” she muttered in disbelief, almost to herself. “She’s an infertile bartender. Her own dad didn’t want her.”

“Hey,” I warned.

“She’s shared a bed with yourbrother. Don’t tell me you don’t think about it, Thomas touching her, kissing her, him beinginsideher. How many times do you think he made her come, Trent?”

“Stop talking,” I demanded.

“No! You have to listen to me!” she begged. A tear fell down her cheek, but then an incredulous laugh escaped her throat, a sound that made my skin crawl. “You don’t really want her. She’s actually fooled you into thinking that by marrying her you’re better than Thomas. That’s all it is. You needed to win. And what did you win, Trent? A trashy, weak,slutwho’s embarrassed you in front of your entire family! You can’t see it right now, but I know… I know you’d be so much happier with me,” she said, pressing her fingers against her chest. “You could have a clean slate, respect, adoration. You loved Kenzie. I’ll do anything,beanything for you. I look like her, you know. You’ve said so before. I can be her, if that’s what you want, I…” she trailed off, reaching for me.

“Madison!” I growled, startling her.

She seemed to snap out of whatever conversation she was having with herself. I had to assume that’s what was happening because at no point during her delusional rant did she look me in the eye.

I backed away, just out of her reach and sighed, my anger replaced with pity. The poor kid needed a shrink, a reality check, and a lifetime pass to a pharmaceutical buffet.

I tried to organize my thoughts into words. Admittedly, I wasn’t fluent inImaginese, the common tongue ofFictasia. “I heard everything you said. I understand now.”

Madison’s shoulders relaxed and she grinned, relieved. “I knew it. You just said I almost had you. I knew you’d stop fighting what we both know is true.”

What?There was no point in explaining—she’d twist it however she wanted. So, I took the direct approach, “I’m going to say this as clearly as I can. Madison,” I began.

Her eyes sparkled with the anticipation of the words she’d been longing to hear.

“Believe me when I say there is no version of you I want. There is nothing you can say or do that will ever make me want to be with you, to want a future with you. Do you understand that? I don’t want you,” I said, emphasizing the last few words. “There are only two women in my life I’ve ever loved: my mom and my wife. You just disrespected Cami in a way I’ll never forgive. Starting right now, whatever friendship we had is done. Don’t come back to the shop. If you need help, call your dad. I wish the best for you, I really do, but no one and nothing is more important to me than Camille. Not your feelings, not helping someone out—”

“No.No!Do you hear yourself? It’s like she’s brainwashed you!” She thought for a moment, and her eyes brightened as if a light bulb had flicked on over her head. She nodded, giggling. “That’s it. You’re just not thinking straight. You need me, Trent. You need me to show you the damage she’s doing. No one else is going to tell you the truth.”

I breathed out a condescending laugh, my patience wearing thin. “Because everyone but you knows that Cami is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Even if she was everything you’ve said and worse, I’d still never want anyone else. If she left me tomorrow, drained my bank account, framed me for murder, and kicked a puppy on her way home from giving the DA a handy, I’d write her love letters every day from prison. Does that compute, Annie Wilkes, or do I need to grab your ankle hammer real quick so you can knock some sense into yourself?”

Madison’s mouth fell open slightly, but I was pretty sure that was just her brain short-circuiting over theMiseryreference, not some sudden epiphany about her own obsessive, unhinged devotion.

I turned to leave, but she rushed after me and grabbed my arm.

“Trent, wait. Don’t leave me. Trent…”

I yanked my arm away and glowered down at her, keeping my voice low. “You don’t wanna be the one standing between me and my marriage, Maddie. I don’t care who you are. I’ll burn the whole fuckin’ world down for my wife.”

Madison’s expression froze, her lips parted in stunned silence as I turned away from her a second time.

Just as I climbed into the truck, I heard her apartment door slam, but before I pressed the ignition, a hulk-sized shadow loomed next to me.

I raised my elbow, ready to turn someone’s head into a busted piñata, but Lachlan’s massive hand landed on my arm before I could let it fly.

“Jesus Christ, dude!” I yelled. “What the actualfuck?”

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