Page 53 of Mad for Madison

“What is going on?” I asked, standing my ground against the oncoming torrent. These people and their meddling. They thought they could just take you someplace against your will and make you happy, even if they had to force that happiness down your throat.

“We’re having a party, darling. Do keep up.” Mama Viv turned away from me and walked into the bar. Austin nudged me, and I grunted before taking a step forward. Damn it.

The bar was alive with noise and light, a kaleidoscope of neon hues landing on rustic surfaces. The bass from the speakers pulsed in time with the crowd’s movements, and for a moment, I stood frozen in the doorway, overwhelmed. Neon Nights wasn’t unfamiliar, but tonight, it felt transformed—bigger, brighter, fuller.

Austin nudged me again, and I let him guide me inside. As we stepped further in, I started to make sense of the chaos. My friends—my chosen family—were scattered across the room, laughing and mingling with faces from every corner of my fractured life.

Tristan was at the bar, deep in conversation with Jett, who, in his leather jacket and easy grin, looked like he belonged anywhere and everywhere. Ricardo leaned against the counter beside them, his arm draped casually over Oakley’s shoulders as Oakley animatedly described something with wild hand gestures. Cedric and Roman stood near the stage, sharing a private joke that had Roman throwing his head back in laughter.

And then there were the others—Luca, Parrish, and Levi—art-world contacts who somehow looked at home amidst the glitter and noise. Parrish raised a glass in my direction when he spotted me, his ever-brooding look in place.

Mama Viv held court in the center of the room, her presence larger than life as she drew people into her orbit. Everett was by her side, looking as polished and perfect as always, while Lane hovered nearby, clearly starstruck.

It was chaos, and it was perfect.

The worlds I’d kept separate for so long had collided here in this bar, blending seamlessly in a way I’d never dared to imagine. The weight I’d carried for years—of hiding,compartmentalizing, pretending—eased just a little as I stood there, taking it all in.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel like I had to choose. I didn’t have to be a runaway kid lost in the big city, or the artist, or the porn star. I could just be me.

A hand clapped me on the shoulder, and I turned to find Tristan grinning at me. “Took you long enough,” he said, his voice barely audible over the music. “Get in here.”

I let him pull me into the crowd, into the warmth and noise and laughter. And for a moment, just a moment, I forgot about everything that had brought me here.

Until I saw him.

It was like the entire world slipped from under my feet. Bradley stood in the far back of the bar and looked through the crowd straight at me. Passing bodies didn’t distract him or pull his gaze away. He looked at me and nobody else.

Tristan’s arm slipped away from my shoulders, and his hand touched my upper back, pushing me forward as I glided through the crowd. Nobody stopped me. Nobody bumped into me. They parted to let me pass, clearly being in on the plan, and I closed the distance between me and the person I wanted the most in this world.

Guilt roiled in me as I neared him. What had I done? What had my selfish nature caused? I’d hurt him. I’d abandoned him after he had let me into his home and his life. I’d turned away from his family because I was so little and so scared.

“Did you do this?” I asked quietly as I stepped in front of Bradley. I should have fallen on my knees and begged him to forgive me. “For me?” I asked.

Bradley gazed at me. There was some apprehension in that gaze. It wasn’t all welcoming. He looked at me like he wanted to believe in me, but he still feared I might decide to rip his heart apart. And that hurt the most. That I had done this to him.

But the disbelief in my tone made him soften. “Of course, Madison.”

“Why?” I whispered, still desperate to know why anyone would think of me twice, let alone put such a thing together.

“Because I need you to see,” Bradley said and swallowed, his eyes glimmering with welling tears. “You act like such a loner, Madison, but you are loved by so many people that we can hardly all fit. Look at them. Gran would have come if she wasn’t watching Lily tonight.” Bradley laughed. “You pretend that you’re cursed, but that never stopped anyone here from loving you, Madison.”

“Anyone?” I asked, not daring to hope.

“Anyone,” Bradley said softly. “Least of all me. Because I love you. I do.”

I mouthed the words, not yet fully understanding their meaning, their weight.

“Yeah,” Bradley said, smiling and taking a step closer. “And I don’t intend to let you go.”

A frown creased my brow as I fought against the oncoming tears. “After all I did and said, why would you…? All this?” I choked.

“You think you’re unforgivable,” Bradley said simply. “But I already forgave you for leaving me. And telling you that doesn’t get through, so I had to show you.”

I blinked, tears rolling down my cheeks furiously, and I stepped closer to him. He was inches apart from me. “I don’t deserve you.”

“We don’t get what we deserve,” Bradley said. “We get what we need. And I need you in my life, Madison.”

“I need you, too,” I blurted, then a breath hitched in my throat when I realized I hadn’t said the words yet. The magic words. The words that were so simple, so mundane, but that carried a promise that could last a lifetime if honored correctly.“And Bradley,” I said, putting my hands on his chest. To touch him again after thinking I would never be near him for as long as I lived felt like a miracle. “I love you, too. I love you more than I can say with words.”

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