Page 116 of Mad Love

I opened the message and didn’t understand the embedded link, but when I clicked on it, a news article popped up about the most recent victim of an overdose, citing a bad batch of heroin that had been sweeping across Los Angeles.

Another message from Gary popped up, and I hit it with my thumb before the notification could vanish.

A photo filled my screen. A woman, lying amongst a pile of garbage, a needle sticking out of her arm. Her face was slack-jawed and pale, at odds with the designer clothes. But there was something familiar—

With a gasp, Maddie ripped the phone from my hand. “No, no.”

Panic squeezed my chest as she went pale and made a low, keening sound that shredded my insides. “Babe—”

“It’s my mom,” she whispered, clutching the phone to her chest and slamming her eyes shut. “Oh, my God. What have I done?”

Bex shoved her chair back from the table with a screech, coming around to Maddie’s side and kneeling. “Maddie, it’s okay.”

“He killed her,” Maddie choked out.

I looked at my friends, who all looked as shell-shocked as I felt.

Tyler looked a little sick. “I’m so sorry, Maddie. If I hadn’t taken all the money…”

“This isn’t your fault either,” Chase told her, wrapping an arm around his cousin’s shoulders. “Madison, if there’s anything I can do—”

I swallowed my irritation, because it wasn’t what my girl needed right now.

Abruptly, Maddie stood. “I need to be alone right now, okay?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she fled the room.

I pushed back and got up, tossing my napkin on the table.

“She asked for space, mate,” Chase said in a nearly benign tone, but I caught the undercurrent of smug annoyance. “Best let her be.”

I laughed, the sound utterly devoid of humor. “The day I take advice from you about what my girl needs is the day I roll over in my grave.”

Taking the stairs two at a time, I headed for our bedroom. Sure enough, Maddie was curled up on her side in the middle of the large bed. Without hesitation, I slid in beside her, wrapping her in my arms and snuggling her to my chest.

Her shoulders relaxed as soon as I touched her, tension draining from her body like I was the comfort she needed.

“Did I do this?” she whispered, tracing a vein on my forearm.

“No,” I said as firmly as possible.

She rolled onto her back and looked at me, eyes glassy. “Ryan… God, I’m a terrible person.”

“Bullshit.” I shook my head. “Mads, you’re the best person I know.”

“Not because of what Gary did.” She swallowed and blinked, the tears falling free. “I’m relieved.”

I wiped away her tears with my thumb and let her continue at her own pace.

“My mom has been like an anvil around my neck for as long as I can remember,” she admitted. “I’ve always cleaned up her messes, and when she took Gary’s side… I don’t know. I guess something in me broke, and I finally stopped seeing her as the woman who raised me. She was another person who was using me to better herself.”

“She was,” I agreed, stroking Maddie’s hair away from her face. “Not seeing your worth… Baby, that’s on her. And there’s nothing wrong with how you feel.”

“What daughter feels freaking relieved that her mother died?” she cried, eyes wide with disbelief.

“One who’s been put through the fucking wringer because the one person who was supposed to give a shit cared more about her next fix than her daughter,” I answered, fury for her vibrating in my words. “Angela Porter was your egg donor, baby. She wasn’t a mother. Not in any way that ever counted. Feeling relieved she can't hurt you or betray you doesn’t make you a monster—it makes you human.”

Sniffling, Maddie handed me my phone back. “There was another message from Gary. He said for you to tell me that this was the price for my betrayal.”

“Fuck Gary. He knows his days are numbered, and he’s lashing out.” I cupped her face, feeling the familiar ache of want echo in my bones as I caressed her soft skin. “He’s out of options, and he knows it. He knows we’ve won.”

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