Page 133 of Cold As Ice

“Still, I should have protected you. I should have—”

She got up and wrapped her arms around me. “No, Austin Hart. We are not going to keep doing this. I’m okay. I’m okay, Austin. She didn’t break me, and she’ll never have power over me again. Because do you know what, I won’t give it to her. And you shouldn’t either.”

“I fucked it up.” I didn’t expand. I didn’t need to. Rory knew exactly what I was talking about—she was there. She saw the look of devastation on Madison’s face when she thought… Shit, I couldn’t even say it.

“Then fix it.”

“Why do you care so much?”

“Austin.” She let out an exasperated breath. “You’re my brother. My family. I love you. And until you can learn to forgive yourself—toloveyourself—I’ll love you enough for both of us.”

* * *

Rory’s words stayed with me all weekend.

Apart from our second game against the Cavaliers, where we managed to scrape another win, I kept a low profile, hanging out in my room, going for a run, hitting the gym.

Anything to distract me from what I really wanted to do.

Go and see Madison.

It wasn’t fair on her to barge back into her life without being one hundred percent certain I knew what I wanted.

I wanted her.

That was a given. But she came as a package deal, and that was uncharted territory for me.

Then there was the more pressing issue. What if I threw my cards on the table, and she rejected me?

I wouldn’t blame her. I’d acted like a fucking coward. But she hadn’t exactly fought for me either.

We’d done everything backward, though. Gotten hot and heavy from the start, insisting that it couldn’t be more than sex. Keeping each other at arm’s length.

But my sister was right; there was a reason we kept coming back for more. A reason why Madison felt safe enough with me to bring me into her home. A reason why I couldn’t look too far into the future.

Fuck me.

I liked her.

Ireallyliked her.

And I hated the idea that we were done.

I just didn’t know what the fuck I was going to do about it.

“Hey, man. Didn’t realize you were here,” Connor said as he entered the kitchen. “What’s that look about?”

“Just thinking.”

“Thinking, huh? Watch it, you might hurt yourself.” I flipped him off, and he grinned. “What is going on in that head of yours?”

“How much do you know?”

“If you’re asking me if Rory and Noah filled me in, what do you think?”

“I think you’re worse than a bunch of gossiping old women.”

He snorted at that. “They’re only worried.”

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