Page 71 of Enticing My Off Limits Billionaire

"I still don't think you did anything wrong," I murmur. "But...I get it. I'm sorry."

She sighs, and her shoulders slump as she sits down on the couch, reaching out for Stanley as soon as he makes himself available. Usually, it's just me and my cat, but he's been providing an awful lot of therapy lately to all kinds of people.

"I called Andrea," Madison says quietly.

I raise my brows. "My therapist?"

"Yeah," she says. "And mine too, now. She said she could squeeze me in tomorrow. Said it sounded urgent."

I sit down next to Madison and reach out to take her hand. "This really got to you, huh?"

Madison sighs. "Of course it did. I mean...I wasn't there for my best friend or dad when they needed me the most. I was ready to bail on them completely; we've been fighting non-stop. What if this happened because of the stress from Kylie's relationship with me?"

"I doubt that," I cut in.

"But the timing isn't exactly working in my favor," Madison breathes. She shakes her head. "I'm just...I'm lost, Quinn. It feels like my whole life has been uprooted, and I don't know what to do."

I squeeze her hand. "You don't have to have all the answers right now. It's okay to feel lost."

She looks up at me, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "What if I never find my way back?"

"You will," I say firmly. "You're strong, Madison. You've been through a lot, and you're still here. You'll find your way back."

She nods, but I can tell she's not entirely convinced. I don't blame her—it's hard to believe in yourself when everything feels like it's falling apart.

We sit there in silence for a while. The only sound is the soft purring of Stanley as he snuggles up against Madison's side. I don't know what to say to make things better for her, but I know that just being here is helping. Sometimes, that's all you can do for someone you love—just be there and let them know they're not alone.

And maybe I've done too much. Perhaps I'm too willing to let people unload on me...

For her, I would do anything.

That might not be the best approach when she's going through so much.

"I wish we'd met under different circumstances," she whispers. "The timing just...it feels off. I don't know what I'm doing."

"You're doing fine."

"I'm very clearly not," she says, her voice sharp. "Quinn...I've been using you as a crutch. Do I love you or what you've done for me?"

That fucking hurts, not that I mention it. I can feel her on the edge of breaking things off—and I can't tell if it's because she's worried about Kylie or Gavin or Adam...or herself. And maybe it's selfish, but I want to keep her. Even if she needs to take some time to figure herself out, I want her to do that with me.

I'd let her use me until I'm used up.

But I know that's not what she needs right now. She needs space to figure herself out, meaning I need to back off a bit.

"I don't want to be a crutch for you," I say quietly. "Or anyone else. I want to be here for you, but not at the expense of your well-being."

Madison looks up at me, her eyes searching mine. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that maybe we need to take a step back," I say. "Not break up or anything, but just...give each other some space. I don't want you to feel like you have to rely on me for everything."

She nods slowly, and I hate how quickly she agrees. "Yeah...I think...maybe that's a good idea."

"It doesn't mean I'm not here for you," I say quickly. "I am. Always. But I don't want you to feel like you have to lean on me all the time."

Madison bites her lip and tears well up in her eyes as she squeezes them shut. "I'm going to have to spend some time alone, aren't I?"

I take her in my arms and hold her to my chest, treasuring every moment that she's still here. I know this isn't the end, but it feels like my whole world is collapsing.

---