Chapter 36
MADDIE
Ido my best to entertain Mom with tales of the kids in my classroom as we share a simple boiled chicken dinner.
“Oh my, Maddie,” she says, touching my hand. “Those kids were so lucky to have you. What will happen to them now?”
“They’ll be okay,” I force myself to say. “The new school's not bad. It’s just four times as big. And I have a secret project I’m working on. Hopefully, I can turn the situation around.”
“Secret project, eh?” she says, raising a curious eyebrow. “Tell me about it.”
“Then it wouldn’t be secret.”
She laughs and gets up to clear the dishes.
“I’ll take care of that. You better rest up. You’re getting your first round of injections tomorrow. I’m going to escort you. I’ve already arranged to take the day off.”
“No need, Maddie. I can handle it.”
“Nope. It’s already done.” I help Mom to her room, finish cleaning the dinner dishes, and head out to the front porch to reflect.
I’m startled to hear the gate latch click.
“Maddie?”
Joseph steps onto the brick path, illuminated by the only garden light that hasn’t burned out.
"Can we talk?" His voice startles me in the darkness.
"What are you doing here?" I grip the porch railing, feeling my knuckles tighten. He steps closer, his expensive brown leather shoes crunching on the gravel path. His face half-shadowed under the dim porch light.
"To apologize. Properly."
"Not necessary. Please leave."
Instead, he comes even closer. "I've been thinking about what happened in Vegas. About us. About the mess I made of things back then."
"You can say that again." I cross my arms over my chest, creating a barrier between us.
"You took care of me when I was drunk out of my mind. You didn't have to. But you did."
His eyes search mine, and for a second, I see something genuine there.
"And it reminded me of who you are—who you've always been."
I stare at Joseph, my throat suddenly dry.
"What's all this about? You've never apologized to me before. About anything. Not even leaving me at the altar with 142 guests watching me cry."
He shifts his weight. "I was a jerk, and I know it. But I want to change all that. I want to be a better man."
He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.
"What's this?" I ask, though I already know.
"An engagement ring."
An uncharacteristic laugh escapes me. "Why now?"
"I want to marry you. For real this time. No mistakes. No running."
My heart pounds. "Please take your ring and leave. I don't have the energy to go through this again."
"That's just it. This time, it's for real. I don't know what happened two months ago. I chickened out. I let a so-called friend talk me out of it, saying I could do better."
"Better!" The word hits me like a slap. I jump to my feet. "Just get the hell out of here, Joseph. I've had enough of your insults."
"Maddie, I didn't mean it that way." His voice softens, the way it used to when he wanted something.
"What I'm trying to say is that at the time, I didn't have enough confidence in myself to stand up to him."
"And you do now?" I scoff.
"Yes," he says, stepping closer. Even in the dim light, the ring glitters. I can see it’s enormous.
At least four carats, with smaller diamonds flanking it. No way is that cubic zirconia.
"I heard you were successful," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "But that ring must cost more than a hundred thousand dollars..."
"It does," he says. "I'm the golden boy at my company. Well paid, with incredible bonuses. They just keep getting larger."
"Good for you," I say, my voice as cold as the night air. "Not interested."
"Maddie, let me sit down." Without waiting for my answer, he settles onto the bench. "You must become my wife."
"Why?"
"Because I need you."
I look at his perfect hair, his perfect teeth, his perfect suit. "You don't need anyone, Joseph. Except some drinking buddy and a hooker once in a while."
"That's precisely the reason I need you."
My mouth falls open. "What?! You're not making sense."
"Maddie, you've always been the steady rock in my life. First when we were back in junior high. Then when we met at that party last year."
"If that was the case, why did you—"
"Why, why, why," Joseph cuts me off, his voice rising. A vein pulses in his forehead. "Can't you just accept the fact I fucked up and I want to make up for it? I want to fix things between us so they're right."
I grip the arm of the bench tighter. "Fix what, Joseph? And what's this 'us' business? There is no 'us.' There's only your conceited self and your delusions of grandeur."
"I deserve that," he says, his voice dropping low.
"And you don't even know what you're trying to fix."
"Not true. I know exactly what I'm trying to fix. My life. My life's a mess. I need someone who can stabilize me."
The cool night air prickles my skin. "And why exactly is that my responsibility?"
"It's not your responsibility. It's your job—if you'll accept it."
I blink several times. "What are you talking about?”
"Consider this marriage a job. You'll be my wife. Manage the household. Manage my life. Manage me. Look, Maddie, next year I'll be pulling in a cool five million a year. And that's not including the bonus.”
I let that sink in.
“If I fuck up—if I pull anything like what happened in Vegas and get caught—that would be the end of my career. I almost lost everything once. I can't risk it happening again."
I cross my arms over my chest, feeling the soft cotton of my sweater against my skin. "And you want me to be your... bodyguard?"
To my surprise, he nods, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Call it what you will. My bodyguard. My wife. I want you by my side. Your job will be to manage my life, and you'll be well compensated.”
He pauses.
“Look. I heard about your mother's illness. And when I saw Janie at the gym last night, she hinted about your job. You need financial help."
I'm silent, studying his face in the dim porch light. I search for signs of sincerity in those familiar features.
And to my complete shock, I actually see it.
I study Joseph's face. "Are you absolutely sure about this? You're not secretly holding out for some fairy-tale romance with a perfect woman who'll make your heart skip?"
Joseph's expression doesn't change. "No. I just need someone to keep me from self-destructing."
"But why me specifically? There must be thousands of women to choose from."
"Yes. Of course." He places the velvet box on the bench between us. "But they don't know me like you do. Think it over, Maddie."
I watch him walk away, the garden gate clattering behind him.
My stomach churns in surprise. In indecision. Part of me wants to run after him and throw the ring in his face.
Another part wonders if this is the solution to all my problems.
I grab my phone and dial Janie's number. When she answers, I gush out what just happened.
"So what's your plan?" she asks when I finally finish.
"I haven't decided yet."
"WHAT?" Her voice blasts through the speaker so loudly I have to hold the phone away from my ear. "Are you serious, Mads? If you marry that jerk, I swear I'll show up to your wedding in funeral attire."
"I didn't give him an answer," I say, picking up the ring. It's heavier than it looks. I turn it over, watching light dance across the facets.
Five million dollars a year. Mom's medical bills paid. Making her last days comfortable. The words ‘last days’ make tears pool in my eyes.
"What are you going to do?"
I stare at the ring, feeling its weight in more ways than one.
What am I going to do?
The door clicks behind me as I step back into the kitchen. The house is dim except for the light above the kitchen table.
Mom sits there, sorting through her nutrition logs.
“Maddie? What’s wrong?” she says, seeing the expression on my face and the elegant engagement ring box in my hand.
“Joseph was here,” I say. My voice feels like sandpaper. “He proposed.”
She sets her papers aside, slowly, like she’s afraid of what comes next. “And what did you tell him?”
“I didn’t.” I sink into the chair across from her. “I didn’t say yes. I didn’t say no."
"Did he explain why he left you at the altar last time? And what will be different now?"
"Not in so many words," I say, spinning the ring around on my finger.
"What started all this is that when we were in Las Vegas, I ended up doing him a favor. A big one. One that saved his career. This is his way of thanking me."
"Thanking you with a marriage proposal?"
"It won't be a real marriage," I say, looking up at her. "He wants me to arrange his life. Fix him."
"Sounds like Joseph," she says, her expression tightening. “And what do you want?”
I stare at the ring.
"Is there someone else?"
I turn to her, thinking of Rio. "Yes."
"And why isn't this man with you? Who is he?"
I bite my lip. "Rio."
"Ah," says Mom, a slow smile spreading on her face. "I always figured you two would end up together. You were so cute stalking him when you were a teen."
"I did not stalk him!"
Mom laughs softly. "Remember it your way. When Steven said you were joining him in Vegas, I figured something like that might happen."
"Well, it did," I say, remembering that magical night we dined at the romantic Italian restaurant. And then the delicious, slightly naughty play afterwards.
"So with Rio in the picture, why would Joseph even be a consideration?" Mom asks.
Snorty looks up at me. Then he lets forth an inquisitive yip.
"Good question, Mom. Good question."