Page 79 of Say You Remember Me
“Yes—quite the shift,” I said, feeling my face warm at his mention of what I’d done at last year’s mixer.
“I’ll say.” Slade grinned, clearly relishing his walk down memory lane. “But I mean, just because you’re this bigwig now, I hope you’re still finding time for fun. Man, we had a wild time together last year, didn’t we? I mean, you must’ve hooked up with what? Three different women in three days? That must be some sort of conference record.”
Shut up, Slade.My jaw clenched as I tried to think of a way to get him to stop. Because while I knew that Maddie was somewhat aware of how promiscuous I’d been in the past, I really didn’t want her to hear Slade’s version of things.
But before I could stop him, Slade barreled on with a wide grin. “Wasn’t one of them even a big social media influencer? What was her name? Nala? Man, she was hot. Probably a great lay, too.”
My stomach twisted, a wave of panic washing over me as I saw any good opinion Maddie may have formed of me slipping away before my eyes.
I needed to get Maddie away from Slade before she could hear anything more.
But before I could figure out how to drag her away, Drake cleared his throat loudly and said, “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about Ian’s past indiscretions in front of hisfiancée.” His tone was calm but pointed as his gaze flicked to Maddie.
Slade’s grin dissolved instantly with Drake’s words, his eyes going wide as he looked between Maddie and me.
“Oh crap,” he said, clearly flustered. “I didn’t realize. I thought she was just your assistant or…you know, your usual arm candy for the night. I didn’t know you were engaged.”
“Well, I am,” I said, forcing a tight smile, every muscle in my body wound tight with frustration. “I’ve been more discreet—and hopefully matured—since we last saw each other.”
I prayed that would finally shut him up, but Slade, true to form, wasn’t done yet. He let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “Man, that actually surprises me. You were the last guy I thought would ever settle down.”
My gaze darted to Maddie whose smile had grown brittle, and it looked like she wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.
Slade, finally seeming to notice the discomfort he was causing, tried to backpedal. “Oh, but I’m sure he’s been great with you. You seem like a nice girl. I mean, unless he got you knocked up and that’s why all this is happening.” He chuckledand shook his head as he looked back to me and Drake. “Yikes, can you imagine getting baby-trapped? What a nightmare.”
“That’s enough,” I said, my voice sharp and cutting. “Really, Slade. Sometimes it’s better to just shut your mouth.”
Slade’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback, but I didn’t care. My focus was already on Maddie. She inhaled sharply, her expression paling as her crystal-blue eyes filled with a raw pain that twisted my stomach into knots.
Because even though Slade didn’t know Maddie’s history, he’d somehow managed to hit the exact nerve that would cut her the deepest.
“Hey,” I said softly, leaning closer to her. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”
She nodded, her movements stiff and automatic. “Okay.”
I placed a hand on her back to guide her through the crowd. But as we stepped into the hallway, I thought I heard Slade mutter to Drake. “What crawled up Ian’s butt?” he asked. “Is she actually pregnant or something? Is that why he’s marrying her?”
I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body going rigid. And when I glanced at Maddie, her lips were pressed together, her eyes closing briefly as she swallowed hard.
Yep. She’d heard it, too.
What a disaster.
Maddie and I didn’t speak as we walked back toward the elevators, but the silence between us was thick. Every few seconds, I glanced her way, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was feeling, but her face was unreadable, her expression carved from stone and carefully guarded.
When we reached our floor, I expected her to follow me into my suite as she had the last two nights. But instead of heading toward my room, she paused at the door to her suite instead, pulling out her keycard with trembling hands.
“Maddie,” I said, my chest tightening as she swiped her card and pushed the door open. “I’m so sorry Slade was such an idiot down there. Please forgive me for ever being connected to someone like him.”
“It’s okay,” she said softly, her gaze meeting mine.
And for a fleeting moment, I thought she might let me in. But then I saw it—the moisture gathering in the corners of her blue eyes, the slight tremble of her lips.
And I knew that it wasn’t actually okay. None of it was.
She was barely holding it together and seeing her in so much pain broke something inside me.
“Hey,” I tried again, stepping closer to the doorway. “Can we talk? Please. I—I hate what just happened down there. I hate that you had to hear it.”
