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“Are you swimming butterfly or trying to Hulk out in the water?”
“The fact you think I’m cockblocking you because I won’t let you call my girl…” I gritted my teeth. “Who is with my girl right now.” Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. “Your girl?” Hell yes, my girl. She was mine from the minute Ryan and I ran into the theater to stop our former Elite bad apple from attacking Rory.
Yes, I use a fork to eat pizza. I’m not a savage.
“That’s the thing about intense situations. You see who people really are.
“Jamie is a lot of things, but nice isn’t one of them. He is very loyal, though, and very dedicated to the people important to him.”
“And all six feet five is yours.”
“Promises might be extreme lies, but pinky swears are legally binding.” “No, they aren’t,” I argued. “Yes, baby. They are.”
I understood his bossiness. I mean, hell, here I was tossing cash down on the counter and taking food over to Mads to make sure she ate too.
Two tiny women trying to run us around. And what were we doing? Feeding them so they had the energy to do it. This was some messed-up shit.
Just because I had my pick of which of his businesses I could walk into and take over didn’t mean I had to be an asshole about it. The least I could do was earn the right to be there with education and not just my last name.
“I wasn’t bossing you. I had your back. You don’t want to hang out with that guy, and I gave you an out.”
“It’s okay, Maddie baby.” He soothed, the pad of his thumb caressing my chin. “If you aren’t ready for me, I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as you need.”
“Because even when you aren’t mine, you’re mine. I have no idea how it happened, but you own me, Madison Hartley, and nothing is going to change it. And if I can’t smother you in my wingspan”—he paused to flash me a smile that literally made my knees weak—“then at least let me protect you with my name.”
I understood wholeheartedly in that first second of our very first kiss that nothing would ever satisfy me again unless it was her. Her and only her.
Yeah, in love, size doesn’t matter. In love, even the widest of wingspans could be tamed by the smallest of hands.
“I make a lot of jokes and crack some hella good one-liners, but I can be serious too.”
Madison knew this wasn’t my doing. She was freaked as hell and wanted me, but she couldn’t admit it. So she used the excuse of being angry to come here.
She’d made it all the way here. I would absolutely go the rest of the distance.
“Just so we’re clear, I can’t help my giant status any more than you can help your shrimp one.”
My brain fell offline, and dear God, the silence of it was incredible. The way this man muted literally everything, even my own insecurities, was astonishing and overwhelming.
“Your heart is safe with me, Mads. I swear it.” Did you hear that sound? It was the cracking of the wall I’d built around myself.
“You never call me bro.” Madison spoke in my ear. “Nope, and I never will. Just like I’ll never call any of them baby.”
“All right now, Mads. Come on, come here.” I tugged her hand, and she came, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face against me. “That’s my girl,” I praised. “Good girl. I got you now.”
because the rage was still churning inside me, I snapped my attention to Max. Excuse me. According to him, only his friends could call him that, so to all of us but Wes, he was Maxen. “Next time you wanna punch some faces, don’t do it around my girl.” “I’ll punch faces whenever someone insults Wes. Something I thought his friends would also do,” Max retorted.
“I’m not gonna give up,” he told me. I didn’t say anything. My heart ached. My entire chest felt bruised. “You don’t want me to.” He was right. I didn’t. I wanted him to fight for me. For the first time ever, I wanted someone to want to stay.
“He’s Elite,” one of the girls still eavesdropping put in. “Oh, I didn’t realize.” “No reason to,” Jamie said smoothly. “The same rules apply to all of us.”
“I’ll just swim the extra laps. Keep it.” My head shot up. “Extra laps?” He nodded. “Yeah, we get docked points or have to swim extra laps when we show up without it.” I made a distressed sound. “You have to take it,” I said, quickly peeling it off and holding it out. “I’d rather you wear it,” he said, refusing to take it.
What little sleep I did get last night was probably because of this shirt because it somehow acted as a ward to keep the worst of my nightmares at bay.
He only cared I knew I could trust him. That he proved he wouldn’t hurt me. And well, since I was literally sleeping in his shirt, I had to admit he was succeeding.
I knew Rory would understand, though, because she had her own swimmer. One that was similar to mine. Mine. I have a swimmer.
Rory sat forward, her lips parting like she would defend Jamie, but that wasn’t her job. It was mine.
“Guess he’s right, though. Me being gay is the worst-kept secret in Elite.” Kruger shrugged. “No reason to keep it a secret.” “Maybe that’s how Wes wanted it,” Ryan countered. Understanding dawned on Kruger’s face, and he glanced back to Wes. “Right. That choice should have been yours.” “Yeah, well, for me, choice might as well be a wish,”
“I know. Every time I see him, I want to punch him in the face.” “Don’t do it. Just gives him more ammunition to use against you.” “Fuck him.” I scoffed. “But I’ll keep it in check for Mads.” Ryan nodded. “Well, if you need me to do some punching for you, just let a bro know.” “Will do.”
“Depending on anyone but yourself is a recipe for disaster, Madison,”
What I really had was a strong sense of responsibility to fulfill someone else’s dream.
he grumped. “Thank you, Max.” He grunted. “Thanks, bro. Appreciate it,” I told him. His gaze hardened when it lifted to me. “I’m not your bro.” “You brought my girl coffee when she needed it. We’re bros now.” “You could call off your watchdogs and just give us your number,” Ryan mused. “We could just call you next time. It’s probably cheaper that way.”
“Thank you for calling me, Maddie baby. You have no idea what that means to me.” “Thanks for coming for me, J.”
“You’re safe here, Maddie. I locked it to keep the bad shit out, not keep you in. Okay? If you want out, just say the word.”
“I never should have borrowed it,” I murmured to myself. “Borrowed what, baby?” he asked. “Your wingspan.” He made a sound, reaching for the hem of the hoodie. “You can’t borrow something that’s already yours.” “What if I never give it back?” I asked. Grasping with gentle fingers, he pushed my face up so I had to look at him. “What if I don’t want it back?”
“That was better than all the sex I’ve ever had,” I murmured. Clearly, his skills also dissolved my filter.
“Life conditioned me to fear and grow strong. But you, J… you make it safe for me to be soft. I know you don’t like it, but you do scare me. I tremble at the power you hold because my heart is literally lying at your feet. And even if you trample it, abuse, and ultimately toss it aside, it will never be fully mine again. So all I am is yours to keep. That is if you still want me after everything I’ve put you through.”
How humble she was with her ownership like she just couldn’t let herself believe she owned me. And she did. She fucking owned me.
“There will never be a day—a moment—when I don’t want you. I would wait a thousand years for you because every single second is worth the wait.”
“Because there are no takebacks. I won’t give you up. And I don’t share.” “Will you be mine too?” My heart clenched, and laughter vibrated my throat. “Oh, baby, I keep telling you. I’ve been yours since the day we met.”
But there’s a serious side to me too, Mads. And I take you seriously. I love you seriously. I wouldn’t go bare with someone I wasn’t all in with. I wouldn’t go bare with anyone but you.”
“Because you never gave up on me. Even when I made it hard.” “You are not hard, Maddie,” I intoned, lifting my head off the pillow to punctuate the words. “You’re careful. You’re guarded. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re wrong for doing what you need to do to protect yourself.”
I felt no fear. For the first time in forever, all I felt was reassured.
“I dare you to love me as long as I love you.” I giggled. He was beyond ridiculous. “What do I get if I win?” “My entire lifetime.”
“Okay, Mads. You tell me your secrets, and then I’ll tell you they don’t matter.”
“I said you will tell me all the things you think I will hate while I’m inside you reminding you I don’t give one goddamn.”
