Page 52 of Double Trouble

Demi takes my tray with hers and tosses the uneaten food. Candace loops her arm through mine, and we walk down the hallway, almost like a family, and something warm and comfortable hits me in the chest, and I didn’t think I’d love Mad more, but I do. I feel connected to all these other people who love her, too.

I’m a goner. No matter what happens after this, I will forever be in love with Madison Owens.

Pete’s sitting in the seat I vacated when we all enter the room. The anger still rests in his eyes, his shoulders tense, his arms crossed. His jaw clicks, and I stand my ground, stepping with confidence to Mad’s other side and planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Whoa!” Demi exclaims, pointing to the gesture. “Are you… you guys boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Red tinges Mad’s cheeks, and she lets out a girl giggle—one that gives her audience matching surprise.

“Yes, Dem. Tanner’s my boyfriend.”

Pete shifts in his seat, letting out a huff that would blow this hospital down. Candace jumps at the chance to change the subject.

“So, Mad… did you completely black out?”

She lets out a giant sigh, and we share a glance. I guess we’ll be retelling this for a while and might as well get used to it.

“Completely. I don’t remember anything between my drop-in and the leg x-ray.”

My brow furrows. “Nothing from the ambulance ride?”

“Nada.” She taps the side of her head. “There are flashes of color, lights, but that’s it.”

“Damn,” I say with a laugh. “You said some pretty funny stuff.” And some other not so funny stuff I won’t bring up in front of everyone. Maybe I’ll tease her later about dropping the L-bomb first. Never been in a relationship when that’s happened.

“Cool,” Demi says, and at the same time Candace says, “Scary.”

She nods to both of them with a small smile. I check on Pete who is still quiet in his seat, frozen in place. I don’t even know if he’s listening.

“CT was clear, though,” Mad continues. “And it’s a small fracture in my leg. All in all, I still have my tough girl card.”

Demi laughs, and Candace shifts her attention to me. “Are you feeling better about all that? I’m sure you were up all night with her.”

Hell yeah. It was the longest night of my life.

I reach for her hand, and Mad tucks her fingers through mine. “I’m just happy she got out of it okay.”

The moment the words slip off my tongue, I know they’re the wrong ones. Pete snaps his head up, narrowing his eyes at me. “Yeah, Maddie sure looks okay.”

Candace sighs. “Pete…”

“Shit, am I the only sane person here? This isnotokay.” He shoves to his feet. “Who’s gonna have to pay for this, huh? Did you think of that? Because hell, if this happened on Troublemaker’s property, you’d think them. But think again, because you were trespassing. Insurance will deny the shit out of this because of where it happened. So Troublemakers takes the hit, and guess whothey’llgo after?” He thrusts his hand out at me. “Ding ding! The responsible party.”

“Pete!” Candace says more forcefully, but he’s gone off, and he’s not getting reeled in. Pete steps in my face, and as much as I want to shrink under him, I don’t. I take the hit. I let him yell and scream at me, saying everything I’m saying inside, but I’m too afraid to admit.

“You don’t deserve her. You get that, right? Someone who would do this just to get her alone? Just to spend more time with her. To get her tolikeyou. You gambled with her safety. Now she’s out of the competition and has a medical bill she has no way of paying. But it’s worth it, because you got the girl, huh? You get what you want, and what does she get? A cast and a freaking concussion. I say that’s bullshit.”

Spit flies from his mouth and lands on my cheek, and anger rises up my neck, burning the back of my tongue. Anger not directed at him, but at myself.

I breathe fast and hard, my back teeth skating off of each other as I grind them together. Candace tugs on Pete’s arm, her voice fuzzy in the buzzing in my ears.

“Pete… calm down.”

He tosses her hand off him, and she steps back from him. The wideness of her eyes softens his stance immediately, and his shoulders ease down. “Sorry,” he whispers to Candace, shaking his head. “I’m… I’m gonna get some air.”

“Good idea.”

He doesn’t look back, storming from the room. The door thuds shut, and Demi jumps in her seat, tears running down her small, innocent cheeks.

---