“Oh honey, I think you have your brother wrapped around your little finger. Blade might be in charge of everything else in his life, but not so much where you’re concerned. He’d do anything for you.”
I jerked my thumb in Harlow’s direction. “She might be onto something there.”
Madison hit me with a look that made most of the shit I’d been through in my life worthwhile. Having her as my sister had changed me in ways no one else had ever been able to, not even Ashley. Madison made me want to be a better man. I was buried under a million fucking layers of darkness, and I’d embraced that for most of my life, but with her in it, I was trying hard to find a way out from under the murky depths.
She watched me watch her, and then, on a sigh, she said, “Okay, big brother, time to get your wallet out. I want pancakes and coffee today, and no skimping on the ice-cream and whipped cream.”
As I pulled my wallet out, I asked, “Cream and ice-cream?”
“Of course.” She shrugged. “Why not?”
Harlow interjected, “A girl needs a pick-me-up after her brother ditches her.” She winked at me as she said this.
I shook my head and muttered, “Once. I cancelled on you once.”
Madison continued to rib me. “And let the record show that you won’t do it again. Right?”
This type of exchange wasn’t something I was used to. Kidding around didn’t come easily to me, but Madison had been teaching me how. I played along with her. “Right. Especially not if it means you’ll resort to ice-cream and cream at eight o’clock in the morning.”
Madison and Harlow burst out laughing as I just stood there shaking my head at their antics. I lifted my chin at Harlow. “Make it two coffees.”
Harlow had worked out my moods and read me perfectly well now: I was done with the joking around. She nodded in agreement. “Done.”
I moved to sit and Madison followed. As we did this, Scott entered the cafe. His focus was entirely on Harlow. He didn’t see us. We both watched him, though, as he and Harlow discussed something. It looked serious, and I wondered about that, especially as they’d recently moved in together.
Turning to Madison, I asked, “All good in paradise?”
“As far as I know, yes. But that looks pretty intense, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe Harlow’s finally worked out that Scott’s not the perfect man she thought he was. Living with someone can do that.”
I frowned. “Are you and J okay?” I’d never stop worrying about her, and god fucking help him if he ever screwed her over.
“Yes, but you know what it’s like when you do day in, day out with someone. It’s hard sometimes. There are days I could kill J, and I’m sure he feels the same way.”
I thought about that, remembering back to when I lived with Ashley. She was the only woman I’d ever lived with. “Ashley used to hate the way I cooked.” It was out before I had time to even filter it, and Madison was straight on it.
Her eyes widened in surprise. I never spoke about Ashley. “Why?” she asked softly.
I took a deep breath. This was the last thing I wanted to be discussing this morning. “She said I made too much of a mess, and she would have preferred I washed up as I went.”
She listened but didn’t say anything, and then she reminded me of one of the reasons I loved her; she let it go. Turning her attention back to Scott, she asked, “Have you spoken to him lately?”
“No.”
“Will you?” Her question was short, but her eyes held all the words she hadn’t spoken. She was worried about him.
I nodded slowly, hesitant to commit but wanting to put her mind at ease. “Yeah, I’ll touch base with him, babe.”
Her chest rose on a sigh, and some of the worry eased out of her expression. “Thank you.”
“J doesn’t tell me much about what’s going on, and Scott’s never around to talk to, so I don’t really know what’s happening. I hate what Griff’s done to the club; to Scott and the boys. And I hate not knowing what they’re going through.”
I shifted forward slightly in my seat so I could bring my gaze closer to hers. “When a friend betrays you like that, it’s not something you ever recover from. Not for a long time, anyway. And I know women like to talk about that shit over and fucking over, but a man doesn’t want to rehash the betrayal, babe. I doubt you’ll get J talking about it anytime soon, at least not with the kind of details you’re looking for, so I suggest you let it go and just be there for him.” I said what I had to say and then settled back in my seat, hoping she’d take it in.
“Why don’t you have a woman?” she asked, throwing me with the sudden change in direction.
“I had a woman.” My shoulders tensed as I answered her.