“Right.” Madison said tightly. There was no possibility of Opal going to college after she’d become a full-blown addict.
Brynn smiled then. “It’s funny though, because we both ended up having kids at the same time, regardless.” She looked thoughtful. “Now that I think about it, the last time I saw Opal was at Mary’s lake house.”
“What?” Madison sat forward. “I thought you said they weren’t friends.”
Brynn’s face turned crimson. “They weren’t. She and Felix, had, um…. broken in to host a house party.” Her cheeks flamed brighter. “It wasn’t like abigparty, just like fifteen people from high school. I didn’t realize the situation until after I’d been there for a while. Felix was being really gross, talking about how he had the security code because he’d come up there to have sex with Mary, and how she’d do anything for him.”
Cami cast a look at Madison. “He said this in front of hisgirlfriend?”
Brynn chewed her lip. “Yeah. I think Opal already knew though… You know how they were…” She glanced at Madison and then quickly averted her gaze. “The definition of toxic. But I guess he went too far because then Opal was screaming at him and breaking stuff. That’s when I left.”
“When was this?”
Brynn startled at Madison’s sharp tone. “Um, it wasn’t long after college graduation, and I found out I was pregnant in August… so Juneish?”
Opal would have already been pregnant.
Did she know yet? Was that why she was so angry this time?
Her brain was whirling. Opal left Felix in August, then he disappeared.
How had he found himself back with Mary?
Did Mary know what Felix had done?
Could Madison use that somehow?
“Uh, wow. Speak of the devil.”
Madison’s head snapped up, and she heard Cami mutter an obscenity under her breath. She glared at the approaching couple.
“Oh, they’re here for…” Brynn looked like a deer in the headlights as her head swiveled from Madison to Jax, then to Felix and Mary. “This must be her dream come true,” she muttered.
“Why?” Cami asked.
Madison was too busy concentrating on her breathing as she shoved Jax’s snacks and toys into his diaper bag to pay much attention to what the women were saying.
She stood and shouldered the white purse. It had gotten such a reaction the last time, Madison had decided to be petty and wear it to every hand off.
Brynn flushed again. “I just meant Mary always wanted Felix and babies. Now she gets both. Which is fine, of course… I mean, I know she was upset when she found out she couldn’t have kids…”
“What are you talking about?” Madison snapped, the woman’s words breaking through her anxiety at having to say goodbye to Jax.
“Mary… We were in the same sorority at UGA. She told a group of us one night that she can’t have kids.” Brynn’s eyes were wide in her face, growing more wary the closer the couple got. “I don’t know why… She was sick as a kid, or something didn’t grow right… I don’t remember…” She broke off, her voice growing panicked under Madison’s fierce scrutiny. “I should probably go…” Brynn quickly picked up her daughter and sent a wave toward the couple before scurrying away.
“That was fucking weird,” Cami said under her breath.
It had been, but it also had Madison’s brain racing.
“Madison,” Mary greeted as she reached her. “Was that Brynn Warren?”
“Yes, I’d never met her before. She wanted to give me her condolences for Opal.”
The muscles at the corners of Felix’s eyes twitched.
“I wonder why she didn’t stay to say hi.” Mary smiled easily. “We were all friends.”
“Really? That’s not how she made it sound. Not the biggest fan of yours, Felix.” Madison intentionally goaded him.
