“Turdsky?” When I don’t answer him, Bry presses his lips to my temple. “Hey? You in there?”
I’ve been on the verge of crying all day. Every time anyone asks how I’m doing, brand new tears rush to my eyes, and force me to harden up or humiliate myself.
I draw in a long, chest-filling breath, let it out with a nod. “I’m fine.”
“Wanna go home?” he whispers. “We can swipe a pizza box and make ourselves scarce in two minutes flat.”
I shake my head and hate the way my breath hitches. “No… I, uh… I actually have something I need to tell you guys.”
His breath comes to a standstill. His family continues chattering, but Bry’s body stills while he searches my eyes. “Are you okay? Are you leaving us? Are you marrying someone else? Dammit, Turdsky, don’t break my heart.”
“No.” My voice comes out on a laugh that draws eyes. I reach up and swipe at my falling tears.
“Maddi, sweetheart?” Kit leans across the table and pats my hand. “It’s okay. Ben enjoyed the cake the way he got it.”
“Fuck he did,” Evie’s dad snaps. “I can’t get that shit out of my brain now.” He turns to Evie. “Why’d you have to do that, Smalls?
She only chuckles and picks at her pizza. “I had fun, I don’t know what y’all are complaining about. I got hitched, I got to eat a great meal, I danced with my husband, and with my daddy, then I got lucky.”
“Smalls!”
Sitting beside her, Ben only rests his elbows on the table and chews his knuckles to hide his smile.
“What?” she exclaims. “I’m a married woman now. You can’t get mad at me.”
“I do not need to hear about your s—” He shakes his head. “Ugh! No.”
“My sex life?”
Ben snorts around his hand and turns away before he takes a fist to the jaw.
“See?” Kit winks and sits back to nestle under Bobby’s arm. “It was fun, and the pictures will last a lifetime.”
I shake my head with disbelief. “My family singlehandedly trashed a Kincaid wedding, and you think it’s funny?”
Smirking, Evie shakes her head. “Your family singlehandedly created memories that will last forever. We’ll speak of last night a billion times, and we’ll laugh about it a billion more. I’m still married.” She shrugs. “Who cares about the cake?”
“I care about the cake,” Bry drawls. “I was excited to get some of that in my belly.”
“Probably should have asked Maddi to wear a booby dress, then.” She shrugs again and picks up a stringy piece of cheese. “Next time, you’ll know.”
Bry pulls me into his side and nods. “Mac and Bean’s wedding, Turdsky. Wear the booby dress.”
Mac shoots silent daggers at Bry.
They’ve discussed this, and though Lucy only snickers and eats her food, Mac is ready to kill his friend.
“Um…” I draw the attention away from the dueling friends and back to me as brand new tears want to choke me.
I shrivel under the family’s heavy stare.
I’m tempted to tell Bry yes to the pizza-swiping plan, and hide away another day. But I can’t, because I know loyalty, even if my family does not.
“Uh… so I kind of have something I need to tell you all. A business development, and it’s not going to be fun to hear.”
“Aw shit,” Evie groans. “We’re a month out from the tournament. What is it?”
“I lost my job last night.”
“What?” Kit jumps to her feet. That’s actually not the bad news, and yet, she’s ready to go to battle for me. “You lost your fucking job?”
“Swearing, Momma.”
“You were employed by your own damn family, Madilyn, and you’re telling me they booted you? Get the fuck out of here.”
“Swearing,” Bry chuckles. “Momma, stop it.”
“I will not stop it! Why would they fire you, Maddi? What possible reason could they have to put their own flesh and blood out of work?”
“It’s about pride.” I draw in a long breath, and will my tears to stay away. “It’s about tantrums and getting their own way. They made me choose; stay there, or leave for good. There was no middle ground.”
“They kicked you out?” Evie exclaims. “Of your family? What kind of jacked-up fuckery is that?”
I only shrug, but their outrage on my behalf feels kind of nice. “I chose to leave. I chose Bryan and you guys over their horrible pettiness, and now I have no home, no family, and no job. But that’s not—”
“You will always have a home,” Bobby declares in his low, dangerous timbre. “You will always have a family here. Even if you dump my son for being obnoxious and weird, you will still have a home here.”
“We could probably find you a job too,” Ben adds. “We know a shitload of people.”
“Benjamin,” Kit scolds. “Swearing.”
“What?” He throws his hands up and laughs. “You say ‘fuck,’ she says ‘fuckery,’ but I say ‘shit’ and I’m in trouble?”
“Sorry, honey. I’m wound up.” Kit turns back to me. “Your family made you choose between them and a boy?”
I shrug. “That’s the gist of it. But I chose wrong in their eyes. I’m not looking for a job from you guys. Or a home, or sympathy, really.”
“She’s gonna live with me,” Bry says.
“That’s best,” Kit agrees. “We have more fun anyway.”
“No, you’re not—”
Bry cuts off my words with a noisy kiss to my temple.
“You guys need to let me finish!”
“The gym could do with a PR person,” Evie’s mom ponders. “Especially now that we have Stacked Deck.”
“Exactly!” Evie agrees. “Like with the dinner we’re doing next month. She’s doing a great job on that.” She looks to me. “You’re doing a great job on that. That could become your job permanently, if you want.”
Oh god. Just do it, Maddi! Do it!
“Monaco has rescinded their endorsement deal,” I blurt out.
Silence overtakes the rowdy crowd.
“If I lose my job, my home, and my family, then it’s logical I lose the deal too.”
“But we have a contract,” Evie murmurs. Gone is the rage, and in its place is shock. “We’ve already plastered Monaco’s name everywhere. We’ve plugged your fucking company to millions of fans, Maddi!”
Nope. There’s the rage.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to– I didn’t mean for this…” I draw in a long breath. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, Evie. I swear to you, when I approached your gym, I never meant for this to happen.”
“We have a contract,” she pushes. Quieter now, gentler. “Maddi, contracts are more than a temper tantrum.”
“I know.” I swallow. “I suspect you’ll be paid a small sum to cover the damages from the broken contracts.”
“How small?” she growls. “We were promised four and a half million fucking dollars. We’ve already announced that money to our fighters. We’ve already spent it, Tosky!”