Page 158 of Mad As Hell

Court rolled his eyes. “Right. God forbid Maddie gets upset, but Bex is fair fucking game.”

“That’s not what he meant,” Ash countered, trying to diffuse the tension. “And fighting right now is the last thing we need. We need a plan.”

Court held up his hands. “You know what? You two plan. It’s what you do. I’m just the muscle, right? I’m gonna take a walk.” He ripped the door open and slammed it hard enough to make me jump.

After a beat, Linc sighed and stood to follow him. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

“I have shit to do before my econ class,” Ash muttered, getting off the couch. He glanced back at me. “None of this is your fault, Maddie.”

Sure didn’t feel that way, but I forced a smile as he left. As soon as he closed the door, it disappeared.

“Fuck,” Ryan muttered, dropping his head in his hands.

I slowly walked around the couch and sat across from him at the other end. “You realize the moral to the story, right?”

He looked at me with a frown.

“Keeping things from people you love often does more harm than good,” I pointed out.

He grimaced. “Do you want me to tell you the whole truth? Because I will.”

“There’s more?”

He nodded slowly, looking conflicted as my stomach plummeted.

“No,” I admitted at last. “I can’t know before she does, it wouldn’t be right. And if you asked me to keep it from her, I don’t think I could.”

“Fair enough.” He rubbed a hand over his face and looked at the clock under the television. “Why don’t I walk you to class?”

I wrinkled my nose. “It feels weird to think about sitting through a class on the limits of algebraic inequalities when our lives are imploding around us.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he relented, “but at the end of this, I’m assuming you still want to go to college?”

I nodded. “Of course I do.”

“Then you need to use that gorgeous head of yours and get good grades.” He leaned over and tapped the tip of my nose.

“Ugh.” I fell back against the couch. “Can’t I just have someone pay my way in?”

He barked out a laugh. “Like you’d let anyone pay your way. I don’t think you’re capable of letting someone else make a bribe on your behalf.”

“True.” I smiled at him. “But some days I can’t even imagine what the future will look like. Where I’ll be, what I’ll be doing.”

“Me,” he answered swiftly with a knowing grin as he pointed a finger at his chest. “You’ll be doing me in every variation of every possible future. It’s probably best if you just accept that now.”

I glanced at my engagement ring. “Maybe I can coerce Gary into finding me a less ego-centric fiancé.”

With a playful grumble, Ryan grabbed my wrist and pulled me across the sofa until I was half sprawled over his lap. “You love my ego.”

I arched a brow. “I love your dick. Your ego is still in question.”

His eyes narrowed. “Just my dick, huh?”

My bottom lip rolled between my teeth as I felt his dick swell against my ribs. “You’ve also got a great ass.”

He tipped his head back and laughed, the sound warm and soothing. God, I loved that sound. I loved this man.

And I realized in that moment that there wasn’t a lot I wouldn’t do, too many lines I wouldn’t cross, to keep him.

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