He was right, but I was so upset, angry and desperate for answers that I didn’t think I could wait till he sobered up. “I know,” I said softly, the tears threatening to fall again.
He watched me thoughtfully. “You’re not being you,” he stated.
“Huh?” I didn’t understand what he meant.
“I haven’t known you that long, but I’ve worked out that you’re a hothead. You’re very passionate, and your mouth goes off before your brain kicks into gear sometimes. And yet, you’ve let these problems with J go on for weeks without sorting it out. That doesn’t seem like something you would do, babe. What gives?”
“I’m trying to change, trying to be better. I’m trying not to nag him about sharing stuff with me because it’s caused us problems in the past.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“No, what?”
“No, you don’t change who you are for someone. Those things I mentioned about you are you, Madison. The people who have chosen to love you have also chosen to accept those things. So, fuck it, you don’t change for any-fucking-one.”
I just sat there and stared at him. “But I really did cause problems in our relationship when I nagged him to tell me stuff.”
“It takes two people to fuck up a relationship, not one. Sure, you don’t need to nag him about shit, but babe, when the man you love is pulling back, there’s a reason, and you have every fucking right to ask for that reason. And to keep asking until you get an honest answer.”
I thought about what he’d said and I realised he was right. I’d wasted so much time and let J slowly slip through my fingers. This shit needed sorting out and I was going to do it; to hell with what J thought of me nagging him on this.
I wiped the leftover tears off my cheek, and smiled at Blade. “Okay, I’m going to sort this out with him tomorrow. Thank you.”
He nodded. “Good.”
***
Jason
I sat at the clubhouse bar and drank my coffee. Stalling. Time was ticking and I needed to go home and face Madison. I’d fucked up last night and now I had to try and put it right.
“So, you still haven’t gone home?”
I turned to see Blade enter the room, a look of complete contempt on his face.
“None of your business, Blade,” I muttered.
“It is my business, asshole, when it involves my sister. She phoned me crying her fucking eyes out last night. You need to get your shit together and sort out the mess you’ve created.”
I turned to him. “And you need to stay out of shit that you know absolutely nothing about.”
His eyes narrowed and he took the time to look me up and down. “You recovered fast from your hangover.”
“Didn’t have a fucking hangover.”
“What’s the real story then? Where were you last night when Madison thought you were here drunk? And I hope to Christ that answer doesn’t involve another fucking woman.”
“I’m going to let that one go. But just because you’re Madison’s brother doesn’t give you the right to come in here and treat me like shit. If you must know, I was here last night, alone and sober,” I snarled.
His forehead creased in a frown. “I’m listening.”
I gestured at the chair next to me. “Take a seat, and let me tell you a fucking fairy tale about your father.”
That got his attention and he sat, his full attention on what I was about to say. I proceeded to tell him about what happened in Adelaide. When I’d finished, he shook his head and murmured, “Jesus.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, “It’s put me between a rock and a hard fucking place. I don’t want to break Madison’s heart even more where her father’s concerned.”
“Yeah well, I can tell you that if you don’t share this with her, your days together are numbered. Marcus is a prick and she knows that. She can deal with this so long as she has you and the rest of us to support her.”
I blew out a breath. He was right. “Okay.”
“Today?” he pushed.
“Yeah, today.” I stood up. “Give me your number in case she needs you later.” I hadn’t had a lot to do with Blade but I was starting to see what Madison saw in him; he genuinely cared for her.
We swapped numbers and then he left. I was just heading out myself when Marcus texted me. He wanted to see me in his office as soon as possible. He obviously had no clue I was here. I stalked into his office.
“What do you want?” I snapped at him.
He gestured to the seat in front of me but I remained standing. This wasn’t a friendly meeting and I had no fucking intention of sitting with him for a chat.
Annoyance flashed across his face before he started talking. “Proved yourself while you were in Adelaide, J. Knew you had that darkness in you, just didn’t know if you’d show it.” I wasn’t sure why he was sharing this with me now, two months after the fact.
I snarled at him. “The only thing I proved was what a cunt you are.”