Page 71 of Mad As Hell

Bex, though, didn’t seem to care that emotions swirled around him like storm clouds about to be swallowed by a black hole.

Then again, the darkness seemed to dissipate when he was around her.

“I think you should consider how you’d feel if Court was trying to rub another girl in your face.” I tried to pick my words carefully, but apparently I’d said the wrong thing.

With a soft hiss, Bex got off the bed and stormed to her closet. She started hurling the clothes on the floor into the empty hamper.

“What did I say?” I asked, slipping off the bed but hanging back.

She shook her head but didn’t turn around. “Nothing. It’s nothing. He’s just… Court Woods. I guess I should just accept that, in some way or another, he’s always going to be in my life. Even if it’s just in the regrets I can’t seem to kick out of my brain.”

“Bex, I’m sorry.” The compulsion to apologize was overwhelming. I’d bitch-slapped some kind of nerve, but I didn’t know what, or how to fix it.

She spun, and the defeat on her face broke my heart. “It’s not you. It’s just ancient history.”

“Wanna talk about it?” I offered.

She shook her head. “No. Not now, anyway. But you’re right. Hurting him won’t make me hurt any less.”

Ooof. Those words hit a little harder than I liked.

She was right.

Me hurting Ryan wasn’t making me feel better. If anything, it made me feel worse. And what was the point of that?

“I hate it when you make sense,” I muttered. The only thing that would happen by dragging Charles into this mess would be Ryan getting furious, me getting sadder, and Charles probably visiting an emergency room.

I’d have to find another way to make Ryan hurt the way I did. Because he totally deserved that.

At least, that’s what I was trying to convince myself.

CHAPTER 20

MADDIE

When I walked through the cafeteria doors later that evening for dinner, my back ached from the tension I carried in my spine. It wasn’t my imagination that the room quieted considerably as soon as I crossed the threshold.

The only thing that kept me from turning back was Bex at my side. She looped her arm through mine and pressed against me. “You’ve got this, Mads.”

I scanned the room, and my eyes widened when I saw Ryan stand up from his table in the center with the rest of the football team. His long legs ate up the distance between us as a devastating smile broke out across his face.

“Hey, baby.” That was the only warning I got before his hand slipped into my hair and his mouth crashed onto mine.

It was like being struck by lightning; the feel of his mouth as his body pressed against mine while he pulled me away from Bex in one effortless move. Shivers danced down my spine, curling my toes, as I eagerly met his kiss in response. One hand cradled my head, angling my lips just where he wanted me, while the other landed on my hip before slipping around to squeeze my ass like he owned me.

I’d missed this. His taste, his touch, his possession… his everything.

And then I remembered we weren’t really together. Reality crashed around me, and pain ricocheted through my chest with enough force to make me gasp.

As if he could sense the change in me, he ended the kiss but didn’t stop smiling as he took my hand and led me to the table.

The room was completely silent as people watched and openly stared.

Unease curdled in my stomach, and I squeezed his hand harder.

Ryan turned and arched a brow at the gawkers.

That was all it took. One look, and they immediately stopped staring and started talking. Because that was the power of Ryan Cain.

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