The Do Over

I stood frozen, maybe thirty feet away from them. Chris and Macy were somewhere behind me, not saying a word. Dani sat by a fountain, wearing what looked like Rick's jacket. I watched as he crouched down and held her hands. All I could see was that she was crying. I wanted to rip off his head, but all the air left me. Seeing him with her felt like someone had punched me in the balls.

"Marin," I said, getting his attention.

Dani looked over at me. Her eyes were sad, and her face was stained with tears. I'd told her to leave last night. The thought of losing her for good caused an ache in my heart. I choked back the lump in my throat.

Rick leaned in and said something to her. She stood up, took off his jacket, and handed it back to him. She looked over at me and then back at him. She hugged him.

I was going ape shit, clenching my fists. I was ready to tackle him for touching her. I wanted to f*cking kill him. Chris and Macy started saying something, but I couldn't hear them.

Dani pulled away from him, grabbed her purse from the ground, and started walking toward us. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. No matter how hurt I was, I loved her with all my heart. I hated that this was happening to us. Like the chick Chris said I was, my heart was broken. But like the man I was, I was f*cking pissed off as shit at Rick, and he needed to pay for what he did.

I started walking toward Dani. She could have been coming to tell me to get lost. I didn't know, but I didn't care. I just needed to be close to her. This was the longest ten feet I'd ever walked. We finally stood in front of each other. She hung her head down, crying, as she buried her face in her hands. When I tilted up her face, she kept her eyes closed.

"Look at me, baby," I said softly.

Her eyes fluttered open to meet mine, and then she closed them again. Wrapping her in my arms, I held her like I'd done so many times before. She laid her head on my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

Nestling my head in her neck, I whispered in her ear, "I love you, baby, no matter what."

As I kissed the top of her head, I looked over to see Rick exchanging words with Candace who I could only assume got the call from Macy. Candace could have her dealings with him later. I had unfinished business to tend to. Dani and I wouldn't be able to rebuild anything, if that was what she even wanted, until I dealt with a little problem named Rick Marin.

I pulled back, cupping her face in my hands. "You need to go over there with Macy. I need to have a word with my friend."

I wanted to kick his ass. I was so pissed off at what he had done to her, to me, to us.

"Liam, please. This is between you and me. Rick and I were just saying our good-byes. If you need to be angry at someone, be angry at me," she said.

I knew she was begging me not to confront that a*shole.

"Dani, you have no idea what you're talking about. Go to Macy now," I ordered.

I didn't know if she got it or not. As a man, I couldn't let this go. I wouldn't let this a*shole get away with everything he'd done.

"Bro, let's just leave it alone. Walk away, Lucas," Chris said, putting his arm on my shoulder.

I couldn't. I needed to deal with this motherf*cker. He was not getting away with this. The more I thought about the lies, the manipulation, and God only knows the games he'd played with Dani, the more I was ready to tear him apart.

"Marin, you're f*cking mine!" I growled at Rick.

"Please, Liam, let it go. Come on, please." Dani pulled on my arm.

She obviously didn't get it. She probably thought I was having some sort of ego power play. If only it were that simple, I might've walked away, but this was so much more personal.

I turned to her. "Dani, please just go over there."

I needed to focus on the a*shole in front of me.

"Lucas, come on. I know you're f*cking pissed off. She's yours. You won. I'm f*cking trying to the do the right thing," Rick said.

He was trying to weasel his way out. He was dead wrong if he thought he was going to negotiate his way out of this one.

"You motherf*cker," I said, clenching my fists. "The right thing? I want to f*cking kill you for everything you did."

"Liam, no!" Dani shouted. She moved to stand between us, pressing herself against me. "Please look at me. Baby, look at me."

I looked down at her as she pleaded with tears in her eyes.

"Please be mad at me. I was the one that hurt you. This is all my fault. I'm the one that let it get out of control. Be mad at me. Yes, he should have stayed away when I told him I had a boyfriend. I know that's really bad, but the one you need to be mad at is me, not him. I should have been more direct with him."

I couldn't believe she was taking the blame for what that a*shole had done. I thought I was going to blow a blood vessel as rage coursed through my body. I didn't know it was possible to actually hate Rick's guts more.

I huffed between breaths. "Baby, go. This definitely has to do with me." I moved her out of the way and then started clenching my fists again.

Everything happened quickly. Rick straightened his shoulders as his eyes narrowed. Fortunately for him, Chris grabbed my arm and was holding me back. The tension between us was frightening.

"I can't f*cking believe you would let her take the wrap for your bullshit. You're a worthless piece of shit," I said while Chris struggled to hold me back. I turned to Dani. "Just listen to me. Go with Macy and Candace. You have no idea what he's done."

She stood there, like a deer caught in headlights, with tears streaming down her face. F*ck him. This was all his fault. I was torn, struggling between the overflowing rage I had and my desire to take care of her.

"Daniela, por favor, just f*cking listen to him," Rick said strongly.

I lost it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "Don't you f*cking talk to her!" I shouted, charging toward him.

"Back off. Don't do this. Look, you got the girl. That's all that matters. She loves you, not me. She never f*cking loved me. I'm f*cking out of here!" he shouted back with a scowl.

Chris stood between us. Dani tried to pull me back, but I couldn't let him walk away. I couldn't let her think that she held the weight of this.

"You're not only an a*shole. You're a coward, too," I growled at him. "You're going to walk out of here, letting her think that you took the f*cking high road when everyone else knows what you did. You tell her the truth or I will, and then I'll f*cking rip out your heart with my bare hands."

Every vein in my body was bulging. I was running on pure adrenaline, and I was pretty sure that I could do exactly what I threatened. Dani dropped the grip she had on my arm.

Rick turned around and started running his hands through his hair. He kept looking over at her and then at me.

I looked back at Dani, and our eyes met. She stood still, shattered .

Maybe this wasn't the right way and the right time. Shit. I might have just majorly f*cked up.





I let go of Liam's arm as he yelled at Rick to tell me the truth. What on earth is he talking about? I looked around, and Lincoln Road was still relatively empty with only a few pedestrians strolling, drinking their lattes, or walking their dogs. We were the Saturday morning freak show.

I looked over at Macy and Candace. They were huddled together, appearing shocked, as they were probably trying to stay warm. Chris was still standing between Liam and Rick.

"Rick, what's he talking about?" I asked.

I needed to know what the hell was going on. Macy and Candace came over to me and stood behind me. They literally had my back. I wouldn't have doubted this under normal Rick circumstances, but I was confused as to why they were so quick to do so now.

Rick leaned his head back, looking up at the sky. Maybe he thought the answers would come to him by divine inspiration. I had no idea. I just felt like he was stalling, and when it came to Rick, stalling was never good.

When I'd first heard Liam call his name, I was stunned at the familiarity. Rick had ran his hands through his hair, something I'd noticed he was doing a lot, and then he'd acknowledged Liam. It was as if they knew each other, but that was impossible.

Then, Rick had turned to me. "Good-bye, Cariño. Go to him."

I snapped out of the recollection. "Rick, tell me what Liam is talking about." I started walking closer to him. I looked over at Liam. He now had his arms on his head and a look in his eyes that I couldn't read.

"Someone tell me what the hell is going on here," I said, looking around at everyone.

They looked like they were afraid to tell me.

"Liam? You know what? Forget it. Macy, you tell me what's going on."

"Dani, I can't. Not here. Not like this," Macy said, shaking her head. "Come on, let's get out of here. We'll go home and talk about it. Please, Dani. We just found out."

If Macy wasn't blabbing, this was bad. I was on emotional overload. I couldn't process much more, and I was scared that everyone around me knew that whatever I was about to learn would be catastrophic.

Rick stopped looking at the sky and turned to me. "Daniela, everything I told you before was true. You have to believe that. I should have left you alone."

I had a very bad feeling about this. Rick had a look in his eyes that I'd never seen before. It might've been regret.

"Lucas, don't be pissed at her. You and Chris know that I was having a hard time winning her back. She's yours. She always was."

Liam dropped his hands off his head and covered his face with them. I had to be in the middle of a mental breakdown because I didn't understand anything that was happening. I was freaking out. I looked at Liam and then back at Rick.

"I must be going crazy because I swear I've heard you refer to Liam as Lucas, and only his friends call him that. And how would he know you were having a hard time winning me back? What's going on? Do you know him?" I said, trying to keep it together.

I didn't know where my energy was coming from. Maybe they would Baker Act me because I had to be losing my mind.

"Baby, let's just forget I pushed this. Please let's go, like you said. Macy and Candace will tell you everything at home," Liam said.

He wanted me to go home with my friends and not with him. I didn't know what I was expecting from Liam. God, I broke his heart, yet I assumed that he'd want to work things out. Instead, I felt the sting of rejection.

"No, I want to know now. Rick, just tell me the truth," I said. I straightened my shoulders, getting myself ready to receive the news.

"Daniela, everything I told you before was true," he said. He shifted his eyes, letting me know there was more to the story. "What I didn't tell you, and I hoped you would never know, was that I saw you at Breathe that night. That was the same night I first met Lucas. I wanted you back, Daniela. I wanted the life we had, and I felt like shit for how I treated you. I needed to make things right between us."

"I didn't see you there," I said, shocked at this admission.

"No, you didn't, but I saw you. Lucas and I were watching you the whole night. I was going to go up to you, but then I saw you leave with him. I had to find you. You were right. I couldn't leave you alone. The only thing I regret more than what I've done to you now is what I did to you then."

"Wait, are you telling me that you're friends with Liam? How could that be? I've met his friends, and he's never mentioned you. What's going on here?"

Liam spoke up. "He's Chris's friend. He started playing basketball with us. I never liked him, and now, I know why." He glared at Rick.

If looks could kill…

"Why didn't you tell me he was your friend? You know how upset I got when I first saw him. I told you the story of our breakup and how hurt I was. Was this a game the two of you played to see who I would pick?" I asked, accusing Liam of being part of a conspiracy against me. "After all, the two of you were staring at me at the club. Was this some type of competition? He keeps saying that you won. Was I the prize? Oh my god. I can't believe you. I thought you loved me."

"Baby, I swear to you that I didn't know who he was. You never mentioned his name. I didn't know until this morning when Macy started rambling. When I found out, I wanted to kill him. He did this to us. He lied to you and to me." He came closer to me and held my face in his hands, like he'd done so many times before. "Baby, I love you. You have to believe me. I would never lie to you."

His hands moved down to rest on my arms. He turned and looked at Rick. "You're such an a*shole. Why would you do this to us?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Daniela, please. You're coming to the wrong conclusion. Lucas didn't know anything. I found out where you were going to be because Chris made an innocent comment, and I used that information to my benefit. I knew you would be here, so I made up the story about running into you," Rick said.

My legs buckled at this admission. Liam steadied me and kept me from falling. I looked over at Rick. I thought I was going to pass out. Maybe I was going into shock.

I asked Rick, "Is there anything more?"

"Daniela, isn't this enough?" he asked.

I shook my head because this was the Rick I knew. I thought I was going to be sick.

Liam looked over at me. "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?"

I started replaying everything from the first time I ran into Rick all the way through our good-bye. I shook my head, disgusted.

I turned to Rick. "No, it's not enough if it's not everything."

I needed to know everything. Fueled with rage, my mind cleared, allowing another variable I had discounted to surface—Yoga classes, wheatgrass, and mind f*cks—Rick was the cock-blocking inconvenience.

"Madison was part of this, too," I huffed. "What else haven't you told me?"

"Leave her out of this," he said, shaking his head.

"Why? You're the one that brought her into this with all her bullshit. Did you tell her to say all those horrible things to me? Tell me everything."

"F*ck my f*cking life. Daniela, what more do you want to know?" Rick asked, seeming exhausted. "How much more of this goddamn shit do you need?"

I smiled and started to walk toward him. "There you are. I was wondering when I was going to see you. All this time, I thought you were the man I hoped you'd become. Now, I see that you are the same old Rick I knew so well. You're still the same one that broke my heart and didn't bat an eyelash. Yes, I know you really well. You're the Rick who gets everything handed to him on a silver platter, who experiences no consequences, and who uses people to his delight. How have you been? It's been a while."

"Daniela, I know you're pissed off, and you have every right to be. But it's not black and white. It's like that book I'm sure you read—some shades of grey or something," Rick said, staring me straight in the eye.

I knew he was trying to dig himself out of the hole.

"Oh no, you didn't just compare yourself to Christian Grey. Oh my dear, you are no Christian Grey. I suppose though that I could say that you're fifty shades of f*cked-up, but here, between us, this is very black and white. I asked you to leave me alone. I told you I had a boyfriend. You effing knew him. Just a few minutes ago, I was going on about the type of man he is when you knew full well. You knew all of this, but you didn't give a shit about me or think about what this would do to me," I said.

With my entire five-foot-four frame, I shoved his chest. If this was his attempt to bring in a book reference to work in his favor, it was an epic fail.

"Daniela, you don't have to be so harsh. It's not so simple. Why can't you see that? Yes, I'm an a*shole. I'm sure Wikipedia has a picture of me next to the definition. I'm a motherf*cking a*shole. You're so right about that. I'm a selfish bastard. But I loved you in my own way, and I thought that I was making things right for us. When I told you that I wanted to be the man you thought I was, I wasn't lying to you. F*ck, I want to be that man, but I'm not him. I wish I were.

"F*ck, I came here today to put an end to all of this. I was finally doing the f*cking right thing. So, please excuse me for not having your moral standards. I regretted losing you, and I wanted you back. I did things I knew you wouldn't like. I hurt people in the process. I hurt you. You have no idea how horrible I feel right now.

"You were the good thing in my life that I let go. I wanted a second chance with you. I'm sure you understand right now the value of a second chance. I f*cked up. I went about it wrong. I should've left you alone when you told me to go that first day. If I could do it all over again, I would've done the right thing," he said.

He looked at me intently for what I could only assume was his attempt at making me see the sincerity in his lying eyes.

Then, it happened. I wasn't prone to violence, but without a thought, my hand flew across his face, hard and fast.

Without even registering what I'd done and before the sting could set in, I yelled, "How dare you justify lying, manipulating, and destroying my life because you wanted me! What about what I wanted?"

I started shoving him. The jerking motion was so strong that my hair slipped out of my clip. Rage permeated every cell of my body.

"You have destroyed everything that mattered to me. I hate you. If I never see you again, it'll be too soon. I'm so stupid. I can't believe I thought you changed. You're the same a*shole that you always were. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you," I said, shoving him harder.

He looked at me with sad eyes. "I f*cked up, Daniela. I'm sorry," Rick said with desperation in his voice. Closing his eyes, he looked away. "I'm really trying to do the right thing now."

I had lost everything. I figured that if I lost my mind as well, it would just be par for the course. "You're sorry? Sorry doesn't make this better. Sorry doesn't make the guilt I feel go away. It doesn't make the pain I caused him disappear!" I yelled through my tears as I pointed at Liam. "And it doesn't make me feel any better. You'll leave here and go on with your life. And me? You took everything. It took me all this time to finally open up to someone who actually loved me. This isn't kickball. I can't call a do-over because you're f*cking sorry." I pounded my fists into his chest.

"Come on, baby, let's go home." Liam's arms came around me as he pulled me off of Rick.

"Daniela, I'm so sorry. I really am trying. I'm sorry," Rick said, running his hands through his hair.

"You know what? You've taken everything from me, but I'll give you this, not that you deserve it. The Rick I knew would never be sorry, and sure as hell, he wouldn't be trying. Maybe there's hope for you yet, Rick," I said, walking away.





This whole confrontation was surreal. When I'd gotten here, I'd wanted to rip off Rick's head and throw it like a football. Now, I just wanted to take Dani in my arms and make all this hurt go away. F*ck. I hated what that a*shole did to us.

As we started walking away, reality suddenly dawned on me. I could feel my body tense as my eyes iced over. Dani and I had broken up last night. She'd walked out on us, on me, because she'd needed time to figure things out with that a*shole. Just thinking about that was like picking at a raw wound and then dumping alcohol on it.

"Dani, where's your car? I'll drive you home," Macy said sympathetically.

Dani looked like a zombie. She was definitely in no condition to drive. Shit, she shouldn't be alone right now. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I loved her so f*cking much, and it was killing me to see her broken. How the hell do I fix this?

She started looking for her keys. For the life of me, I never understood why women had such big purses. Under good circumstances, she could never find anything in there. When she looked like she was about to hurl her purse across the parking lot, Candace came over and took the damned thing out of her hands.

Dani looked over at me, and our eyes locked. I thought I smiled. I didn't really know. I wasn't feeling happy. F*ck. I was crushed. As I looked at her with her big sad eyes, I knew I couldn't stop loving her. While she walked over to me, I swore I thought my heart was going to explode in my chest. When she just buried herself in my chest, I swallowed hard, and I wrapped my arms around her. I nuzzled my face in her neck, losing myself in her sweet scent. I straightened up and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Let me take you home," I whispered.

She nodded and hugged me tighter. I had to pull it together, or I would start crying like a little girl.

I called over to Macy. "Hey, Mace, I'm going to take Dani home. Can you take her car?"

"Sure, if that's cool with Dani," Macy said as Candace handed her the car keys.

Candace came over to wipe the tears away from Dani's face. "Hon, we'll be over soon."

Taking her hand, we walked together to my car. I opened the door for her before I walked around and climbed in. After I pulled out, I reached for her hand and started to draw circles on it. Without a doubt, my love for her was all-consuming. Right now, it felt like it was killing me.

The drive was quiet. I knew her little mind was going a mile a minute. Dani had an incredible imagination. She had the ability to create scenarios in her head that were far more colorful than what was actually happening. On this drive though, I didn't think that she would be too far off target. I'd usually try to coax her out of it. I'd want her to talk. This time, I couldn't. I didn't have it in me. I just kept picturing her, sitting near the fountain, wearing that motherf*cker's jacket. I kept replaying last night in my head. I didn't f*cking know how to make this right because it hurt so goddamn much. I was jarred from my thoughts.

Suddenly, Dani said, "I don't want to go home."

"Where do you want to go?" I asked, looking over at her. I wanted to run away with her and go where there weren't any reminders of any of this crap.

"I don't care as long as I'm with you, and it's not my house," she whispered.

I knew my girl, and I knew exactly what she wanted. I smiled over at her. "Dani, you're tired. It's been an emotional morning. I need to take you home."

"Then, take me to your home," she said, speaking more intently with a hint of desperation in her voice.

I knew she wanted me to reassure her and tell her that everything was going to be fine between us. I'd never lied to her, and I wasn't about to start now. I knew Rick had said that she was mine and that she loved me. I knew that a*shole had trouble winning his ex while I'd handed her over to him with a freaking bow. Why couldn't she just love me more?

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said, looking straight ahead at the road.

"Macy has my keys. I won't be able to open the door," she said, tightening her grip on my hand.

"Fortunately for you, I still have my set of keys," I said with a tinge of sarcasm. I was still hurting from her having left the key to my place on the counter. I had to stop this because I didn't want to be bitter with her.

I turned on the radio to drown out the deafening silence. When I pulled into her driveway, we sat quietly for what felt like an eternity, but it was more like a few seconds. Then, I got out and opened the door for her.

She looked so tiny next to me. Her nose was red, and her eyes were puffy, but all I could see was how beautiful she was. I wanted to see her smile, but it was hidden behind all the recent insanity. I remembered that first time I'd brought her home and carried her inside. I'd wanted to take care of her and protect her.

"Dani, you're going to be okay," I said, overwhelmed with that same desire as I led her to her room. "Come on, you should lie down."

"Lie with me, please. I need you to hold me, please," she implored.

I thought back to that night when had we fought, and I had done just that. I'd wanted to hold her, and love her, and show her exactly who I was and who she was to me. I was brought back to reality as I realized that I didn't know if she'd ever gotten that. With that thought, I hurt just a little more.

"You're going to be okay," I said. Pulling her into a hug, I kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Liam. I really do. Please lie down with me. Hold me," she said as she tried pulling me toward her bed.

"Baby…" I looked into her eyes as I cupped her face with my hands. I leaned down and softly kissed her.

Her mouth was soft and sweet. I had never loved anyone as deeply as I loved her. As I teased her lower lip with my tongue, her mouth opened for me. When our kiss deepened, I wanted to be with her, make love to her, possess her, and claim her more than anything else in the world. While she pulled me closer to her, she tried again to lead me to her bed.

I said, "I can't."

"I'm so sorry. I know that I hurt you. I f*cked up. You have every right to be mad at me. Please, Liam, I need you right now," she begged. Her eyes pooled with tears. "I love you."

I knew she loved me. I just didn't know if she loved me the same way I loved her.

I leaned my forehead against hers. "You know I love you. God, I love you so much." I pulled away and took a step back. "This isn't one of your novels. I'm not some book boyfriend who can overlook everything in the name of love. We can't ride off into the sunset like nothing happened. I'm a real man. This," I said, placing her hand over my heart, "my heart, it beats for you. I was ready to kill today because of you. I love you with everything that I am. My love for you isn't the question here."

"Liam, I never said I didn't love you. I love you. Truly and hopelessly, I love you. I'm not telling you to forget what I said or did. I'm asking you to just hold me for now, and we can work things out later."

"Last night, you needed time to figure things out. What's changed in the last twenty-four hours? The only difference is that you learned Rick is a motherf*cking a*shole and not the fantasy you made him out to be."

"Please, Liam." She sobbed.

I hated to see her cry. I had to choke back my own tears. If I gave in how, how would I ever know if she really loves me as much as I love her?

"Today might have changed how you think and feel about him, but it doesn't change the fact that you questioned us. You doubted your feelings for me. You didn't pick me." I had to stop and close my eyes before I lost it and cried my own river of tears.

"No, I didn't doubt my love for you. I just didn't understand how I could love you and be conflicted about him. I didn't pick him. I don't know how to explain it. I love you. I do. Please. I pick us. I want us. I want you. I love you."

"Do you have any idea how badly I want to crawl into bed with you right now? I love you, Dani. I want to make love to you and put this all behind us. I want you. I want us. Don't you understand how much I love you? But I can't. How do I know that I'm not sloppy seconds? What if Rick didn't turn out to be the manipulative, lying motherf*cker that he is? Then what? I can't be your default. You need to love me the way I love you. I deserve that. We deserve that. You needed your time, so take it. Figure whatever you need to figure out."

"Don't do this. Please. Don't," she said, burying her head in her hands. She sat on the edge of her bed.

I hated that I felt this way. I wanted to forget the last few hours. I really did, but she didn't pick me. How could I overlook that?

I kneeled in front of her and held her hands as I looked into her eyes. "I love you, baby. With all that I am, I love you. I will always love you. Do whatever you need to do."

"I'm sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me. I want to be with you. I love you."

"Take your time. Let me know if you still feel that way after the dust settles," I said.

I stood up and kissed the top of her head. I started walking toward the door, and then I stopped and looked back.

"I love you enough to give you what you need. I hope you come back to me."





I watched as they walked away. What a f*cking morning! I'd come here with every good intention of putting an end to my quest. I had no more games, pretenses, or bullshit. I'd given the straight-up truth as best as I could tell it.

I rubbed my cheek, soothing the sting from Daniela's slap. Damn. Her open palm against my face had hurt like hell. I deserved the shit that they had said to me. I accepted the title of a*shole. Madison had reminded me of my A*shole Extraordinaire status on a regular basis. It was all her f*cking fault for that damn self-fulfilling prophecy shit. I'd lived up to my name. I had all this coming to me. She had been right, of course. She was always f*cking right, and I hated that. Why didn't she try to stop me sooner? If anyone could have, it would've been her.

I had watched Daniela storm out of my life after I broke her heart again, but I really didn't care. I'd done what I thought I needed to do. It was part of being an a*shole. I did shit, and I moved on. Now, I felt like shit. This time, I had f*cked her up worse. I was a motherf*cking son of a bitch. F*ck. I had no idea where the Karate Kid bullshit comes in here. What the f*ck am I supposed to wax on and wax off? I wished Madison would speak English.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, trying to make sense of the mess I'd created. I ran my hands through my hair and cursed. I needed to stop doing this. I loved my hair.

They had to be okay. Liam would work it out with her. He was the most p-ssy-whipped son of a bitch I'd ever seen. Daniela deserved that. He'd also kill for her, and that was an added bonus that chicks went nuts for. Liam was ready to shred me to pieces, and if Chris hadn't been here, I would've been in a shitload of trouble. Madison had been right to be worried. Once again, she was f*cking right.

As I walked to my car, I thought about the only consolation I had was that I'd done the best I could to make things right. I wasn't sure if Madison would be proud of me for how I'd executed things, but I'd done it. I'd done the right thing for the first time in my life. I'd taken responsibility. I even told the truth.

I didn't regret spending these last few months with Daniela. She had become the standard for the type of woman I wanted to settle down with. Shit, my mother adored her. I really did want to become that man she thought I was and have that life with her. I hoped that one day, she would see beyond the lies and manipulations and know that my intentions had been good. I'd been an a*shole that had wanted his girl back. I'd loved her the only way I had known how. I had to let her go. She wasn't mine, and I wasn't hers.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys. Clicking the keyless entry, I opened the door and sat in my car. I lowered the mirror to check out my cheek. Just as I suspected, it was red. I needed to stop at CVS and get some anti-bruising cream. I pulled out of the parking lot and drove. It wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning, and it had easily been the most intense day of my life. I knew where I was headed. I needed to see her. F*ck, I just need her.

I wanted to say that I'd done the right thing because I'd owed it to Daniela, but that wasn't it. I didn't even do it for myself. I did it for her, my cheerleader and motherf*cking pain in the royal ass. She was the only woman who put up with me and didn't take my shit. I'd spent every day with her without f*cking her once. Although, well, we had come close, and I should have taken advantage, but I didn't. I did all of this for Madison. I told her last night that I was going to prove to her and Daniela that I wasn't the same man she first met.

I don't know when it happened or what exactly happened. She's the first woman I've ever gotten to know. It was funny how I noticed things when I actually talked to someone, even if it was mostly about me, or just watch them.

After my hamstring catastrophe, I'd told Madison she was going Christmas shopping with me. I had caught Madison eyeing the bracelet. Her eyes sparkled as her head tilted slightly to the side. That look she had in those very brief moments, always got me. She was happy. I wanted to give her that. I wanted to make her happy.

Granted, those moments were so few and far between. Most of the time, I wanted to strangle her. F*ck. I hated her so goddamn much. I didn't know if I'd passed or failed the Madison Stuart School of Castrating Rick. I just needed to see her and figure out what the f*ck this was because I sure as hell didn't know.

I pulled into Madison's building. I hadn't bothered calling or texting her. That alone would put me in Madison Jail, but I didn't give a shit, not today. In fact, I could use a little bit of her badass-put-me-in-my-place attitude right about now. It was such a f*cking turn-on. Tomorrow, I would do her manners and patience crap…maybe. But, if some son of a bitch got past my p-ssy-protection plan, I was going to kick some major ass. I wasn't in the mood for that shit.

"Good morning, Walter," I greeted as I did every single morning. "I'm going up. I don't care. Tell her I'm coming if you want or don't. I'm not in the mood for her bullshit."

"Good morning, Mr. Marin." Walter quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, but Ms. Stuart isn't here."

I pulled out my phone.

Rick: I need to see you.

"Did she tell you where she was going?" I asked, placing my phone on the counter.

"She left." Walter's eyes darted from side to side.

Rick: Maddy, where are you? I need to see you.

"She's not answering me. Did she say something?" I asked, putting my phone in my pocket.

"Mr. Marin. She left." He pulled me to the side. "Listen, I could lose my job, but I like you. One of those car services picked her up this morning. She had her suitcases with her."

"What the f*ck? I just saw her last night. She didn't tell me shit." My body tensed as I leaned against the counter to keep my composure. I was fuming. "Who was in the car with her?" I asked with a clenched jaw, glaring at Walter. This was typical f*cking Maddy drama. God, she drives me f*cking insane.

"There was no one else in the car." Walter shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Mr. Marin. I can call you when she comes back."

"Did she put you up to this shit? Is she pissed off at me for God only knows what I did to deserve this f*cking shit today of all days?" I rubbed my face, avoiding my hair. F*ck. My cheek was tender. I couldn't catch a f*cking break today.

Walter shook his head, shifting his eyes. "She's not here. I promise if she was and was telling me to lie to you, I'd let you know. I swear. But she's not here. I'll call you as soon as she walks through those doors."

I patted Walter on the back. He was a good man. Maddy, on the other hand, was in deep shit.

As I walked out the door, I pulled out my phone. I stood in front of my car and dialed her number. The call went straight to voice mail.

"Maddy, where are you? I need to talk to you. Call me."

I walked back inside.

Walter stood immediately. "I promise you. She hasn't returned in the last two minutes."

"Walter, I'm having a really shitty day. Cut the crap. I know she isn't back." I rubbed my temples with both hands, avoiding my hair at all costs. "I have a job for you. I need you to call every single car service and find out who the hell picked her up and where they took her. Name your price."

"Okay, but you don't have to pay me. I like you and Ms. Stuart. You're good for her."

I patted Walter on the shoulder, and then walked out toward my car. As I pulled out onto the street, I called her again. I was going to follow her f*cking rules. With my voice a little softer, I said, "Babe, hon, where are you? I need to see you."

F*ck, why isn't she calling me back?

If anyone knew where she was, it was that cocksucking motherf*cker, Bruce. So, I made a U-turn and headed straight for Martini Bar.

I was a man on a mission. I pulled out my phone again and tried calling her. Why the f*ck was her phone turned off? She always has it on.

I tossed my phone on the passenger seat as I pulled up to the street Martini Bar was on. F*ck, no valet. I drove around searching for a spot until I finally found one down the block. This better not be one of Madison's f*cking cat and mouse games. I ran my credit card in the meter and made sure the volume on my phone was on high. There was no f*cking way I was going to miss her f*cking call. Moments like these I wondered what the f*ck I was doing giving a shit about her. God-damn you Madison.

As I jogged up the steps leading to the bar, my phone rang. I stopped mid-step and looked at the screen. My mother. I put my phone back in my pocket. I wasn't up to her shit right now. Standing outside the doors, I looked into the bar. Lo and behold, there he was, drying goddamn glasses. I hated him, but if I could fool Daniela for months, I could play nice with my archenemy. Pushing the door open, I walked inside.

"Hey, Bruce," I said casually. "Is Madison here?"

The cocksucker snickered and poured me a drink. It was f*cking Black Label. This was f*cking bad.

"Dude, she's done with your shit. Have your drink and get the hell out of here."

The a*shole had no idea that today was not the day to push me. I slid the drink back to him. I'd come a long way. I could've thrown that back in a heartbeat, but I needed a clear head.

"I'll get the hell out of here when you tell me where she's at."

The motherf*cker laughed. Reaching over the bar, I grabbed his shirt and yanked him toward me. He was a couple of inches from my face.

He smirked. "F*ck you, a*shole."

Big. F*cking. Mistake. With one hand on his shirt, I reached back with the other, closed my fist, and swung across his jaw. It hurt my knuckles like hell, but he deserved it. His head flew to the side as he stumbled back, as I let go of him.

"No. F*ck you!" I yelled.

My cheek was tender, and now, my knuckles were red and burning. Shit. I hoped I hadn't broken something. What the hell happened today? I'd tried to do the right thing, but everything was falling apart.

While my hand throbbed, I turned on my car and called Madison from the Bluetooth. There was no way I could tap the numbers on my phone. Again, I got f*cking voice mail.

"Maddy. Please. I'm going nuts. I just punched Bruce. I'm losing it. Where are you?"

I leaned my head against the steering wheel. This couldn't be happening. Where is she?

The instant my phone rang, I jerked up. I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Boss," he said. "I found her."

Walter. I love that f*cking guy.