But I forced the past away and tried to keep my tone dry when I said, “Well, she sounds awful.”
A soft huff left him, but he simply studied me under the light of the moon as a mixture of need and hesitation reached toward me. “Right,” he said after a while. “Your turn.”
When I responded, my voice was nothing more than a soft tremble. “Okay then.”
“Where do you wanna start?”
I thought for a moment.
There was so much he was going to want to know. Things I’d been asked about multiple times since arriving in Amber. Others Hunter had never known about.
None of which I could tell him. Not yet . . . maybe not ever. Because what’s the point in bringing up that kind of pain if I’d just have to leave for Seattle soon anyway?
Hurt people and leave? I barely survived the first time I’d done that. I wouldn’t survive a second.
So, I’d give him the only truth I could.
“With why I’m here.”
I fitted my shoulders deeper against the corner of the truck’s bed and folded my arms over my chest, watching as Madison played restlessly with her hands, staring off to the side as she did.
God, having Madison in my truck brought back thousands of memories. Each of which led to more that were filled with some of the greatest pain I’d ever endured.
But she was there.
In Amber. With me.
And I was wondering so many things . . .
How her life had turned out. Why she’d really left. If she’d thought about me—about us. If it ever crossed her mind that she’d made a mistake.
Because I’d always been sure a life without Madison was wrong. Incomplete.
“You saw my daughter,” she blurted, her head shifting back in my direction. “I know you saw my ring.”
At the mention of it, my stare moved to her twisting hands.
To where I’d already noticed her bare finger when we’d been driving to the orchard.
“I know I’m not going to shock you by saying I’m married,” she continued, an airy laugh made up of irritation tumbling from her as she did. “Technically.”
My hands curled into fists where they rested against my sides at the word she tossed on like an afterthought. A vain attempt at keeping my thoughts and questions in.
Like, what the hell does technically mean?
“Three weeks ago, I would’ve said my marriage was fine. Good even . . . I dunno.” Her shoulders lifted in a faint shrug. “Few days later, I had the pleasure of meeting my husband’s girlfriend by way of the two of them stumbling into a room. They were attached to each other and tearing at each other’s clothes, not realizing I was there.”
A heavy breath left me. “Shit, Mads.”
“Yeah.” She let out a sigh, the sound somehow delicate even though it seemed to hold so much weight. “Over the next few days, she sent me screenshots of their conversations and pictures of them. From that and her social media, I found out they’ve been together for years. That he’d given her a ring months before.”
Jesus.
If that all happened less than three weeks before, then she found out right before she came back to Amber. No fucking wonder Savannah told me to give Madison time.
“So, I packed us up and came here,” she said. “He’s filing for divorce. They’re getting married and trying for a baby . . . as she carelessly told my five-year-old tonight.”
“What?” It was sharp and cold, and from the silence that met me, she heard the threat in my voice.
As much as I hated knowing any other man had ever touched the woman in front of me . . . as much as it killed me knowing she’d taken someone else’s name when I’d been sure the only name she would take was mine . . . rage slammed into my veins at the picture she’d just painted.
“This shit all happened in the last three weeks?”
“Less than,” she confirmed.
“And he’s just pushing y’all out and acting like he can start the fuck over?”
Something resembling a laugh left her. “Yeah . . . I mean, not exactly. He’s mad because I took Avalee. He thinks . . . well, I dunno. I think it’s his girlfriend putting this idea in his head because it’s just so not him. Then again, I guess I don’t really know him all that well if he can get away with an affair for two of our ten years together,” she rambled. “But Raf is really such a great dad, so me leaving with Avalee is hard for him, and he thinks I’m doing it to punish him. Which, I’m not.”
“You left to protect y’all.”
“Exactly,” she said, the word wrapped in gratitude. “And the guy I knew would’ve understood that. But Raf’s sure I’m doing this maliciously even though he and Avalee FaceTime every night. I told him that he can come see her whenever he wants, but that I need to be here. That Avalee needs to be with me and not near Raf’s girlfriend. Or fiancée . . . whatever she is now. She’s gross.”
The last part was said so softly, almost as if Madison was afraid to admit her thoughts out loud. Making the corner of my mouth tick up in a smirk and my chest move in a hushed laugh.
“She is.” A smile tugged at her lips, teasing me with a whisper of that glow I’d been missing for so long. “I’m not just saying that because I don’t like her, and I really don’t like her,” she continued, her voice getting louder and more animated—more like the Madison I’d known. “But tonight, for example . . . Hunter, she had a boob hanging out. And I don’t mean her shirt was cut low, which it was. I mean,”—she gestured to her chest, a laugh bubbling up and sounding like the best damn thing—“one of her entire boobs had fallen out of her shirt, and she was just walking around like that while we were all on FaceTime. She even came and talked to me like that.”
My next laugh was louder, fuller.
When she joined in, I fell silent and just listened to her.
God damn.
Best sound in the world. Right there.
Before it ended, I tried to memorize the way it filled my veins and rushed over my skin and had my mouth curling into a smile in response. But I knew nothing would ever do it justice like hearing it in person.
“Her name’s Madelyn—she goes by Maddie.” Her brows lifted knowingly when an incredulous huff left me. “Probably made it easier for Raf, I guess. He never had to worry about calling me the wrong name.” Her head shook quickly as she said, “Sorry, I know I’m being hateful.”
“You’re not,” I reasoned. “Even if you were, I think you’re allowed, considering the situation.”
A grateful smile stole across her face before disappearing. “It takes two people to do what they did, I know that. But with her . . . I can’t get past the way she gloated over their relationship when she sent me proof of it. She was proud of being the other woman, and she was extremely happy that she had finally succeeded in destroying our marriage.”
“Madison, I’m sorry,” I said honestly. “For what you’re going through . . . what they did.” My head shook as I tried to comprehend anyone giving her up. Hurting her in any way. “I’m sorry you’re hurting.”
An appreciative hum sounded from her, and a few seconds later, she said, “It’s weird and it hurts at times, and I feel betrayed. Maybe embarrassed. But I’m doing better than I expected to be—maybe better than I should be.” A breath rushed from her as if she’d been holding that in, and finally admitting it eased some of the weight on her shoulders. “Is that bad?”