Page 44 of Love Complicated

I’m still trying to figure out what that book meant, andwhyI chose Madalyn, but that’s a story for another day.

Finally, Madalyn releases me from her grip and inspects my face closely.

While she’s searching my eyes for warmth she’s never going to find, take a look at her a little closer. Look past the makeup and superficial bullshit like her designer clothes, the perfectly applied lipstick, and you’ll see that nothing willevercover up the fact that she’s fake.

She fed me lies my entire life and now she wants to play nice? I don’t think so. Never.

“You’ll love the food here.” She nods toward the table in the back.

I wouldn’t put it past her to poison it. Madalyn leads me to a table in the back, telling me about how good the food is and the world renowned chef she hired like I give a goddamn about any of it. I’m not even listening.

Nope. I’m thinking about Aly and that lowcut shirt she’d been wearing at school. Had she done that on purpose? And then my thoughts move immediately to my dad, and him dying and the fact that had he not, I wouldn’t be here now.

At the table, we sit down and neither of us say a word as we flip through the menu, not looking at each other. I’m curious how she’s going to approach the subject of the race track. It’s the only reason she made me come here.

Instead, she waits until the waitress serves us our breakfast. Then she finally speaks up, clearing her throat to draw my attention to her. “Your dad’s funeral was beautiful.”

I stab my eggs with my fork wishing it was her heart, metal grating against porcelain. “Yeah, itwas. Too bad it wasn’t yours.”

Too harsh? I think not.

Madalyn’s gaze locks with mine and she reminds me of the Evil Queen inSnow White. There’s a striking resemblance, isn’t there? “Is there a reason why you have been ignoring my phone calls over the years?”

Because I hate you.

“Why don’t you just get to the fucking point, Madalyn. I don’t have all day.” I smile, a bit sinisterly, empting my glass of bourbon. Yep. I’m drinking with breakfast. It’s no wonder my dad was an alcoholic when he was married to her.

“Ridge. . .” She sighs, and my jaw tightens. I hate the way my name sounds rolling off her tongue. It reminds me of all the times she tried to explain to me the reasons why she cheated on my dad, like there was anything to explain. “What are you going to do with that track?” Madalyn asks scowling at me. Now she really looks fucking old. “You don’t know anything about running a business of this nature. You don’t have it in you.”

My fist clenches under the table. Memories of every degrading thing she ever said to me pulses like flashes in my head.

You don’t have it in you to graduate high school.

You don’t have it in you to stay out of trouble.

You don’t have it in you to stay away from Aly.

Okay, maybe she didn’t say the last one. I did, but regardless, you understand where this is going, don’t you?

I hold rights to something Madalyn wants, and that’s theonlyreason I’m sitting here with her now. Does she honestly think I’m going to give her anything?

Sure, she’s right on some level. I don’t know what I’m doing running a race track, but I’m not about to let her know that.

“Well fuck.” I lift my brows. “Seems like you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”

“What are you going to do with it? You don’t even live here.”

I offer a smile. “I do now.”

Oh, look at that glare I’m getting. I pissed her off.

“Sell me the property.” Her tone is clipped, and surprise,surprise, she’s no longer pretending to be nice. If you look close enough, horns are coming out of her head, and she’s turning red. “I’ll make you a lucrative offer.”

She watches me, waiting on my reaction and honestly, she looks a little like she wishes she would have drowned me at birth. I can’t imagine hating a child that much, especially one who came from you.

Although Arrow is certainly one I question her parents’ motives. I’m kidding, kinda.

There’s just no fucking way I’m letting Madalyn Campbell have anything. “Sorry, Madalyn. I’m keeping the track.”

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