27. Maddie
27
MADDIE
The light streaming through the hotel curtains didn’t feel as cheerful as it should have when I woke the next morning. I blinked against it, my head pounding slightly from the restless night I had. Sleep had come in fits and starts, my mind replaying Slade’s words over and over again like a broken record.
But even though all I wanted to do was stay in bed a little longer, I had to get up. Get up and face Ian and all the people at the conference who, after hearing Slade’s words at the mixer, now probably thought Ian had only gotten engaged because I was supposedly pregnant.
Yay…it was like my senior year of high school all over again.
Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled into the bathroom, flipping on the light. The reflection in the mirror stopped me cold. My eyes were swollen, puffy reminders of how hard I’d cried the night before. I pressed my fingers lightly under them, wincing at the tenderness.
Slade’s voice echoed in my mind. His thoughtless laughter. The cutting way he’d joked about Ian’s past escapades and thrown in that awful comment about the “nightmare” of getting stuck with a baby.
I gripped the edge of the counter, the sting of those words settling heavy in my chest.
Did Ian feel that way, too, then?
He had said before that birth control was always important to him, that avoiding fatherhood too early had been a priority. At the time, I’d thought he was just being responsible—kind, even—when he comforted me after I shared my fears about Jaxon feeling trapped by my pregnancy with Grant.
But had Ian been judging me all along? Thanking his lucky stars that he hadn’t ended up with someone like me?
The thought cut deeper than I wanted to admit. And honestly, I couldn’t blame him if he had. Not many guys would want to find themselves in Jaxon’s shoes.
I let out a bitter laugh, the sound echoing in the small bathroom. How stupid had I been to get swept up in the romantic whirlwind of this week? To think, even for a second, that Ian might actually want something real?
He wasn’t going to settle down. Not with me. Not with anyone.
I thought of the guilty look in his eyes last night. Pity. That was what it had been. He’d felt sorry for me. Sorry that I’d ever thought I’d have a chance with someone like him.
The realization sent a fresh wave of embarrassment crashing over me, and I dropped my gaze from the mirror.
Oh man, I can’t face Ian today. Not after everything.
Would it be super obvious if I texted him to say I was sick?
Say I needed the morning off to recover—just a little more time to pull myself together?
No. That would only make things worse.
I was here for work, and even if the lines between boss and assistant had gotten incredibly blurry over the past few days, Ian was still my boss and I still needed this job.
Grant and I still deserved our fresh start in Eden Falls, and I wasn’t going to mess that up all because I’d gotten caught up in a fairytale and my feelings had been bruised in the process.
I took a deep breath, then stepped back from the mirror.
I could do this. I would do this.
One more day as Ian’s fake fiancée, and then I’d be more careful.
Professional.
Detached.
Because even if listening to Slade’s words had sucked, last night had at least made one thing abundantly clear: I didn’t know Ian as well as I thought I did. And as much as I wanted to believe he’d changed in the ways he claimed he had, I couldn’t afford to let myself be blind to the truth.
Not again.
I had a son to think about.
A life to rebuild.
And getting caught up in Ian’s charm, no matter how genuine it seemed, wasn’t worth the risk.
I turned on the shower, resigned to facing the day. After today, I’d guard my heart more carefully. I’d make sure to keep Ian at a distance where he couldn’t hurt me.
Because I couldn’t afford to be careless this time. Not when Grant was counting on me to get this right.
I was curling my hair—the final step before heading out to face Ian—when my phone buzzed against the bathroom counter. My sister Lexi’s name lit up the screen.
Frowning, I set the curling iron down and grabbed the phone. Lexi never called this early. Was she hoping for more details about my fake relationship with Ian?
Probably, since my last text to her and Juliette had been a picture of me in that gorgeous red dress from last night, accompanied by a playful, Wish me luck!
My stomach twisted at the thought of explaining how the evening had actually gone. The night I’d hoped would dazzle had ended in disaster instead. But I couldn’t ignore Lexi’s call, so I answered, pressing the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Lexi,” I said, forcing a lightness I didn’t feel. “What’s up?”
“Maddie.” Her voice was tight, panicked, and that single word made my heart lurch.
“What’s wrong?” My voice rose.
Has something happened with her baby?
“It’s Dad.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “He had a heart attack.”
The words slammed into me like a freight train, and my entire body went cold. “What?” My knees wobbled, threatening to buckle beneath me as my stomach churned violently. “Dad had a heart attack? Is he okay? Is he alive?”
“He’s alive,” she rushed to say, but her voice was trembling, shaky with emotion. “Sorry—I should’ve led with that. Yes, he’s okay as far as I know.”
“Okay, good.” A small wave of relief crashed over me at her reassurance that he was alive. “What happened?”
“He went out for a jog this morning,” she said quickly, “and Juliette’s mom was driving past and found him on the sidewalk on the corner. She noticed he was struggling and was able to help him in time for them to life-flight him to the hospital in Syracuse. He’s in surgery now.”
“He’s in surgery?” I closed my eyes, a wave of nausea sweeping through me. “Is he stable? Is he—will he be okay?”
“They don’t know yet,” Lexi said, her voice cracking. “I just heard about this a minute ago from Juliette and Easton, but I guess it depends on what they find. Noah and I are heading to Syracuse now to be there when he gets out of surgery.”
“How can this even be happening?” I asked, my breath coming in shallow gasps, the edges of my vision darkening.
My dad.
My strong, indestructible dad. He couldn’t—no.
“He’s not even fifty,” I choked out, tears welling up in my eyes. “He’s not old enough to die.”
“I know,” she said softly, and I could tell she was holding it together for my sake. “We’re going to be there, Maddie. He’s in good hands. I’ll call you as soon as I know anything, okay?”
“Okay.” My voice wavered. “Please call me as soon as you hear anything.”
“I will,” Lexi promised. “Be safe and let me know if you’re able to come, okay?”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Okay. Bye.”
The call disconnected, and for a moment, I just stood there, staring blankly at my reflection in the mirror. My puffy eyes from the night before were nothing compared to the raw panic now etched across my face.
I burst out of the bathroom and started throwing my things into a suitcase.
I needed to leave. Now.
Ian would understand—I just had to tell him I couldn’t stay.
As if knowing I was thinking about him, there was a knock from the adjoining door to his suite.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t be upset with me for ditching out early.
As I stepped up to the door, I hesitated for half a second before turning the knob.
As soon as the door opened, Ian’s gaze swept over my face. Then, seeing the suitcase on my bed, his brow furrowed as he asked. “What’s wrong? Are you leaving?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m sorry. I can’t stay.”
“Is it because of Slade?” He stepped into my room, concern flashing in his dark eyes. “Because I promise I?—”
“No,” I cut him off, shaking my head, tears spilling over. “It’s my dad.”
“Your dad?” His expression became serious instantly. “What happened?”
“He had a heart attack,” I whispered, the words barely making it past the lump in my throat. “He’s in surgery right now, and I—I don’t know if he’s going to be okay.” My voice broke on the last word, and before I could stop myself, I was sobbing.
Ian stepped forward, his hands resting gently on my shoulders before pulling me into his arms. “Hey, hey,” he murmured, his voice low and steady as he held me. “I’m so sorry, Maddie. I’m so sorry.”
I clung to him, my tears soaking into his shirt as the fear and helplessness poured out of me. “I can’t lose him, Ian. I just can’t. He’s my dad.”
He’s supposed to be invincible.
Ian’s arms tightened around me, his hand smoothing over my hair. “You’re not going to lose him,” he said with quiet determination. “He’s strong, Maddie. He’s going to fight.”
I pulled back slightly, looking up at him through blurry eyes. “I need to go see him, though. I need to get to Syracuse so I can be there for him.”
“Then let me take you,” he said without hesitation.
“But—don’t you have meetings today?” I blinked at him, thrown off by his immediate offer. “And the summit?—”
“I can reschedule everything,” Ian said firmly, his gaze unwavering. “They’ll understand. Right now, you need to get to your dad, and I’m going to make sure you get there.”
His words hit me like a lifeline, and I felt my knees weaken. Before I could stop myself, I fell into his chest again, clutching his shirt as the sobs wracked through me. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”
“Anything for you, Maddie,” he said softly, his lips brushing the top of my head. “Literally anything.”