Once Upon A Half-Time 2(155)
He didn’t answer. The fight extinguished from him, the fire burned out, starved of any reason to care. A shell remained—cold and hollow.
A shadow.
A fading memory of what we once had together.
“I didn’t have a choice,” I whispered.
He lowered his head. “Well, I’ll make this one easy on you, Sweets. I’m leaving.”
“Please, let’s just talk—”
“I’ve wasted enough time talking, trying to prove I could take care of you…” He swore again, the word torn from his throat. “I never said I was a good man, but I thought I’d pretend for you.”
“Don’t go yet. I can make you understand.”
“Save it.”
“Maddox, I love you.”
His eyes darkened, and I couldn’t stand the way he stared at me.
“Yeah, we all make mistakes. Just so happens, most of mine were made for you.”
The door closed behind him.
I sank onto the bed and clutched my cellphone. The text message came immediately. Nolan must have followed us, watched as my life crumbled and Maddox left me with my regrets.
His text set my teeth on edge.
I hope you said goodbye.
Goddamn it. This ended now. No more threats. No more warnings. No more buying my body so I could buy my freedom.
Nolan wasn’t hurting either of us anymore.
I opened the app on the main screen, replaying the sound recording I made of Nolan.
“Like I would trust you around Maddox.”
“You can trust this, Josie. If I wanted Maddox dead, he’d be buried by now.”
“I’m tired of your threats.”
“Meet me at Jackson’s in an hour or it won’t be a threat any longer.”
My thumb hovered over the send button.
Even if Maddox left, I could still protect him from Nolan’s jealousy.
Maybe it was revenge, and maybe it would eventually destroy the little of me that remained, but I wasn’t letting Nolan Rhys control my life any longer.
First, I’d protect us from Nolan.
Then, I’d get the man I loved back because it was never a mistake loving him. It was a mistake to lose him.
I sent the text and recorded clip to Nolan, wrapped in my own dire threat.
Come near us, and I’ll end your campaign, your reputation, and your life. Your move, Mayor.
17
Josie
The knocking echoed through my apartment.
Damn it. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. The papers bundled over my chest. They made lousy blankets. I tossed them on the couch and checked my watch.
Seven o’clock. A three-hour nap?
Ew. I figured I’d be tired, but this was downright lazy.
The persistent thudding on the door chased away my grogginess. I listened, wishing to hear Maddox call for me. But the rapping was too light and feminine. Plus, she tapped out the rhythm of our high school marching band’s drum cadence. As relieved as I was that it was Delta on the other side of the door, two weeks had passed since Maddox left.
I guessed he wasn’t coming back tonight either.
I didn’t bother with a headband. My curls went wild, billowing around my head. Delta snickered when I let her inside, but she had endured my puffball pigtail phase in junior high with me. A little volume wasn’t scaring her away. She came bearing an accordion folder stuffed with insurance forms and a paper bag filled with Chinese food.
I wasn’t in the mood to eat. Didn’t even think I could.
“Whoa.” Delta nearly dropped her armload as she stared at my apartment. “Okay, Josie. It’s time for you and me to go out and get some air.”
She didn’t hand me the insurance paperwork. I took it anyway. More to add to the once meticulously sorted piles of newspaper clippings, police reports, and information I found on the fire.
Delta headed to the coffee table with the food. No room around the piles of papers there. She tried the kitchen but my counters sprawled with bags of chocolate chips, mixing bowls, and the construction plans for Nolan’s proposed bed-and-breakfast. Delta thumbed through my notebooks and ignored the whiteboard in the corner.
“All right, this is fucking weird, Josie. Even for you.”
“I’ve been a bit busy,” I said.
“No, you’ve been a bit crazy. What the hell is all this?”
I sorted through the papers on the couch as best I could. Nothing was giving me the answers I needed anyway, so I pushed everything onto the floor to make room for Delta and dinner.
“I’m trying to figure something out.” I edged away from the bag of Chinese with a quick swallow. “And it’s…hard.”
“And not at all obsessive.” Delta picked up the paper at her feet. A newspaper article from the fire. Next to her were the court documents and transcripts from when Maddox was tried. “Josie, what are you trying to do?”