Page 28 of Masked Darling

The silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the soft click-clack of Madison’s typing. Kade took in her profile, the way her hair fell over her shoulder, the curve of her neck. She was beautiful, even when she was angry with him.

Finally, Madison spoke, breaking the quiet. “What you’re doing is shitty, you know that, right? Stopping this thing between us before it even starts.” Her voice was steady, but he could hear the hurt beneath her words.

The tension in the air heightened as Kade remembered the nights they spent together, the laughter, the study dates before classes, the long hours in this very office. But those were just memories now, tainted by the reality of his situation.

“I don’t know what else to do,” he replied, his voice rough. “I have to get away from the gangs, or I’m never going to. I don’t trust myself to stay and not get caught up in it all again. I can’t risk that.”

She turned in her seat to face him, her eyes searching his. “But next week, we’ll both be done with school. We could go somewhere together. Start fresh.”

Kade shook his head. “I could never ask you to do that. To just pick up and leave with me. You have your whole life ahead of you, Madison. You can’t throw that away for some runaway.”

“Don’t you dare decide what I can and can’t do,” she said, her voice rising. “I’m not some damsel in distress waiting for my prince to whisk me away. I make my own choices, and if I choose to be with you, that’s my decision. Besides, didn’t your brother’s girlfriend move back with him? They’re doing just fine.”

He held her gaze, seeing the determination in her eyes. “They’re engaged, actually. And what if I can’t give you the future you deserve?”

“That’s not your job.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kade gritted out. “I couldn’t be with you and not want what was best for you. And what would your parents say?”

Madison sighed and looked away, eyes looking over the printers in the corner of the room. “My parents only wanted me around until I turned 18. I haven’t spoken to them since I got toschool a few years ago.” Her sigh was sad, clearly remembering that she didn’t have any family waiting on her. That must have been why she was so close to her friends. Her anger flared again when she remembered the other part of his statement. “And I don’t know how you can say that after the shit you just pulled because clearly, you don’t give a fuck about what’s best for me; you want what’s best for you.” She cleared her throat but continued to look away. “But you’re not ‘with me,’ so none of this even matters.”

Kade swallowed, the words catching in his throat. “I’m sorry, Madison. That wasn’t fair. It wasn’t...”

“Just honest?” she finished, her voice flat.

He wanted to argue, to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. He knew she was right. His actions spoke louder than any apology.

Silence fell between them, thick and heavy. Kade hopped off the desk, feeling suddenly awkward and exposed. He paced, restless, unable to meet her gaze.

“Look, I’m not asking you to forgive me,” he finally said, his voice barely a whisper. “Just...understand. This isn’t easy for me either.”

“Easy?” Madison scoffed. “Easy? Kade, you’re running away. Again. Leaving behind everything, everyone, because you’re scared.”

“I’m scared, yeah. Scared of getting hurt, scared of hurting you. Scared of becoming what my father is.”

“Then maybe, just maybe, facing your fears is the only way to escape them.”

He stopped pacing, turning to face her. Her eyes, usually bright and playful, were dull, sad–disappointed. He’d done that to her and it made him want to gouge his own eyes out so he never had to see her like that again.

“I’m trying, Madison. I am. But sometimes, running feels like the only option,” Kade admitted, his voice filled with a desperation that made her draw back in her chair.

“Then run, Kade.Run.But don’t expect me to chase after you. Because I won’t.”

Madison turned her attention to her computer, and after a few keystrokes, the printer in the corner started coming to life and spitting out pages. She leaned over to grab her phone and walked past him without a second glance as she swung her backpack over her shoulder. Stopping at the doorway, she paused and took a deep breath. “The final columns are all sorted and printed. You’ll just need to box them up and turn them in tomorrow. Since the semester is over, I had to use a different column in its place instead of the Upcoming Events page.”

Kade nodded even though she couldn’t see him before whispering, “Okay.”

Madison seemed to visibly relax as she continued towards the doorway.

“Maddie.”

The sound of her name on his lips sounded pained and she paused.

“Did you know my mother passed away when I was only five?”

What? Why was he telling her this?

“No, I didn’t,” Madison admitted softly and clutched the green cotton fabric of her dress hem in her hands. “I’m sorry.”

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