She bows her head and sinks to sit on her heels, and I follow her down to sit on the bed beside her. Madison shakes her head and inhales to steady herself before she speaks up.

"Kylie was at my place when I got back," she says. "And I just...I don't think we can ever fix things."

I frown, trying to parse what she's telling me. "Okay," I say. "So...just to recap—I dropped you off at home, you fought with Kylie—presumably about the pregnancy—and then you came here and asked me to use you?"

Madison bites her lip, her face screwed up like she's holding back tears. "You're making it sound like I'm fucked up."

I take her hand. "We're all a little fucked up," I say, "but Madison...I don't want to be that to you."

"Be what?"

"The thing that confirms you should feel bad about yourself."

"What does that mean?"

I sigh, rubbing my jaw with my free hand.

"You're not wrong for being angry with Kylie and your father," I say. "You don't deserve to be punished. And I told you...I told you I fucking love you, and that's because I admire you. What we just did...it was fucking fun, but that's not me. It's not us."

"Then what are we?" she asks.

Tears are threatening to spill now, and I take her face in my hands to look her in the eye.

"We're together," I say. "I'm with you. I love you. I'm not going anywhere."

Saying it scares the shit out of me, but it's true.

And I guess my words scare her, too, because her chin trembles as she starts to cry, flinging her arms around me. I rub her back, holding her close and giving her time to breathe.

Finally, Madison gets her bearings and takes a shuddering breath. "I told her about us," she whispers.

I don't even pull back. "Okay."

She's the one that breaks away from me. "Okay? You're just...fine with it?"

I nod, only coming to the realization as I confirm her question. "Easier than telling your father ourselves."

"But what if he...what if he's angry?"

I shake my head. "You mean more to me than he does now," I say. "He's my friend, sure...but you? You're everything."

Her face has this unreadable expression, her brow furrowed, and her mouth turned downward. I think she's angry for a second—and then she moves to straddle me, pushing me back to the bed.

"I need you to fuck me again," she says. "I need you to fuck me until I feel better."

I smile up at her as her hands glide over my chest, her hair hanging in a curtain around us.

"I don't think that's how it works, but I'll try," I promise.

"Damn straight," she smiles. Her hips move, and somehow, I feel myself getting hard again.

Only for her.

Always for her.

"And Quinn? I love you too," she says. "I really, really love you."

Chapter nineteen