“Is it withdrawals?” she asks, her brows furrowed into a deep V between her eyes. “You were doing so good for so long. Why did you start using again?”
I grip her hands, removing them from my face with another humorless chuckle. “That right there, darlin’? Zoey, it’s not a recent occurrence. Your brother and husband know that.”
Shock mars her delicate features as she takes a step back. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said, Zoey. I haven’t been sober for nearly five years. I just made sure I was never high around you.”
“Five ye… Maddox, when did you… I mean—”
I can see her doing the math in her head. She’s trying to figure out when without me telling her. Because I won’t tell her. I won’t tell her that I started drinking again when shelivedwith me. When I was watching her waste away a little more every day. And I won’t tell her that I did that first line of coke after I cleaned her blood off my bathroom floor. That she left enough behind on the counters for me to get the relief I needed.
She can’t handle it. She’s come a long way from that broken girl that had so much stolen from her. Her fire is back, even if she still has moments where she looks like she could crawl out of her skin. Her eyes are full of life and love again. I’m not going to take that away from her.
“When doesn’t matter, Zoey. The point is that this didn’t happen recently. It wasn’t a slip-up.”
“Why?”
“That doesn’t matter either. My point remains the same. I don’t want you or anyone else aroundmeright now. Is that so fucking hard to understand?”
“But I just want to help you,” she begins to sob. “I love you, Maddox. I don’t want to lose you.”
Unable to stand the tears, I pull her into my arms, holding her close. “You won’t lose me, Zoey. I’ll always be with you.”
“Why do you say that like you’re going to—”
“I love you, too, Zoey,” I cut her off with a kiss to her forehead.
I linger there for a minute, not realizing the elevator had begun to move again when my eyes are met with wide eyes the color of whiskey.
They are filled with embarrassment and hurt as her cheeks flare bright red. “I—uh—I forgot my—my outfit for tonight,” she stammers as she darts quickly to her room.
I pull away from Zoey as my eyes follow the tiny blond that just took off like a hurricane across the room. “You need to go, Zoey,” I tell her while my eyes linger on the path just taken by the little canary.
She turns her head in the direction of Quinn’s trail then looks back to me with wide, knowing eyes. “You like her,” she announces. I open my mouth to deny it, but the words don’t come out. Zoey’s eyes get impossibly wider as she slaps a hand across her mouth. “Oh my God, Maddox. You’re in love with her.”
My jaw clenches. I can’t allow an admission, but denial is firmly stuck in my throat. “It’s complicated,” I finally relent.
“Go get her, Maddox.” Her tone holds no room for argument as she steps away from me, pointing down the hallway. “Go get her now. I don’t know what you’ve told her—”
“Everything that matters,” I confirm.
“You mean everything to chase her away.” She shakes her head quickly, her hair flying around her face. “Go tell her how you feel, Maddox.”
“Not that simple, Zoey. She doesn’t need me or my complication.”
“Looks like it’s too late for that if her face was any indication. Now, go!”
She starts to back away from me some more, her eyes lingering where Quinn just disappeared. Just before she reaches the elevator, her eyes find mine once again. “You deserve to be happy, Maddox. Don’t let your need to save everyone keep you from that.”
When the elevator has descended, Quinn comes out of the room with a small bag draped over her shoulder. She doesn’t look at me, but I can tell she’s looking for Zoey.
“She’s not here,” I tell her in a weak attempt to alleviate her insecurities.
“Oh,” she exclaims, pretending to be oblivious. “I wasn’t looking—”
I move to her, crossing the space between us in three long strides. Gripping her by the waist, I pull her into my chest. “Don’t lie to me,cher,” I warn her. “I saw your face when you walked in.”
Her eyes drop to the floor, avoiding my stare. I grip her chin,forcing her to look at me. My eyes dart between hers, and I see her anxiety, embarrassment, and insecurity. “I was just surprised,” she tells me as she begins to nibble on her lip. “I swear that’s it. I know we’re not—”
