Page 18 of The Truth of Our Secrets

I grind my molars to let out some tension. I regret telling her I couldn’t be in her life. Madyson and Jayce consume my thoughts. But I won’t read too much into her showing up here.

She has a huge blind spot for her husband. I’m not letting him run me out of her life. If she wants to be my friend, I’ll take it.

Fuck Jayce. I’m not walking away unless she tells me to.

Twenty minutes later, I’m at the checkout counter. It would be in my best interest to turn on the charm and try to get a bigger tip, but Madyson hovers in the hallway by my station and I don’t.

“There’s a coffee shop a couple doors down,” Madyson suggests.

“I’m the only one here and I can’t leave.” It’s best to keep whatever this is private. “We can sit over here.” I point to the couch in the consultation area across from the checkout counter.

She fiddles with her necklace and glances at the huge picture windows. The couch is visible from the street.

“Jayce doesn’t know you’re here?” The answer is clear—I’m a secret.

“I’m not lying to him. I stopped by on a whim.” She swishes the charm back and forth.

“We can talk in Cole’s office. He’ll be back in forty-five minutes.”

“Great. I’m due back at the gallery soon.” She saunters down the hall familiar with the rooms.

Cole has two chairs in front of his desk, and she sits in one. I debate sitting behind the desk or next to her. With the irresistible urge to be near her, I turn the second chair to face her.

“I took my phone to the Apple Store and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it.”

I nod, keeping my mouth shut. It’s not my job to tell her that her husband is a lying sack of shit. If he lies enough, she’ll figure it out on her own.

“Alec is my best friend. I’m hoping we can…figure something out.” She crosses her legs and twirls a strand of hair. “It’s inevitable that we’ll see each other. If you’re not part of my life, I respect that, but we’ll run into each other.” Her eyes implore me to agree to something, but I’m not exactly sure what.

“I was angry, and I didn’t mean that,” I say carefully.

Her shoulders drop, and she relaxes into the chair. “I’ve always cared about you. I tried to follow your hockey career, but you dropped off the face of the earth after your first season.”

My knuckles whiten as I grip the chair. She’s clueless about his lie, claiming she didn’t want to see me again. He doesn’t deserve her. I might not be a rich ex-pro hockey player, but I wouldn’t lie to her. I wouldn’t drive people she cares about away. The more I learn about Jayce McKenna, the more I hate him.

I swallow the anger and slip on my smile. “I had to drop out to care for my sister. CPS was going to put her in the system. My great-aunt took us in, but I had to work because she couldn’t afford to support us. My mom was a disaster.” I use past tense as if it’s in the past.

Madyson scrapes her chair closer and rests a hand on my thigh. The contact shouldn’t feel as significant as it does. Like a warm hug, but she’s barely touching me.

“I’m so sorry you had to deal with that. I wish there were something I could’ve done to help.” Our knees touching spikes my body temperature, and I want to pull her close.

“Eh, what can you do? It’s life.” I shrug like it’s not a big deal, but her words soothe old wounds. Without her belief in me, I wouldn’t have escaped the trailer park.

Madyson purses her lips as if she’s going to say something but stops herself. She pats my leg and her gaze darts around the office.

“I’m glad you ended up here. Cole and Alec are amazing and you can do your art. I saw the tattoo on that girl. It’s exceptional.”

“Thanks.” With her praise, my heart skips a beat. “Tell me about the gallery you work at. The pieces in your apartment are fantastic, so they must sell great.”

She blushes but describes The Artistic Edge. She has pictures on her phone and I’m blown away by the layout aesthetic. It’s not like any other gallery I’ve seen before.

“Fuck, this place is cool. Are you there a lot? I’d love to stop by on my day off.”

Her face scrunches up and my heart sinks.

“I don’t mean to be a dick, but how can we be friends if you keep this a secret from your husband?”

“He’ll come around. He’s protective of me and sometimes he goes overboard. I’ll tell him, I promise.”

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