9 MADDY
MADDY
Call me petty, but payback feels really good
Sophie stands at the front of the classroom, finishing her explanation, before clapping her hands once. “Alright, you’ve all seen the demonstration. Try not to accidentally kill each other, and we’ll be fine.”
A couple people laugh.
I’m standing next to Mel and Liam at one of the stations, a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, and IV kit spread out in front of us. Mel reaches for the cuff.
“Okay,” she says, focused, rolling up Liam’s sleeve. “Sit still.”
“I am sitting still,” Liam protests.
She starts wrapping the cuff around his arm with precise, practiced movements.
I lean against the counter beside them, watching as she adjusts it, and listening carefully as she positions the stethoscope.
Her entire expression narrows into concentration like the rest of the room has completely disappeared for her.
“You’re doing it like you’re performing surgery,” Liam mutters.
Mel doesn’t even look up. “If I do this wrong, I get marked down.”
“If you do this wrong, I lose an arm,” he shoots back.
I snort. Then Sophie passes behind us, glancing briefly at Mel’s technique. “Good placement,” she says, nodding once before continuing on.
“Thank you, Sophie,” Mel says, sounding relieved.
“Proud of you,” Liam mumbles with a quick smile.
“Thanks,” she responds. A moment later, she finishes and steps back. “Okay. Your turn.”
He wraps it around my arm a little too loosely at first, then tightens it too much. “Okay, I need circulation to live.”
“Relax,” he mutters, adjusting it again. He fumbles with the stethoscope before finally getting it in place, his brows furrowed in concentration. But he still looks a little unsure. Then Sophie’s voice cuts in from behind us. “If you’re unsure Liam, try adjusting your placement slightly.”
He nods, shifting the stethoscope just a bit. “…Oh,” he says after a second. “Okay, yeah. I think I got it.”
Mel leans in, checking. “You do have it.”
He sits back like he just performed a miracle. “Thank Goodness.”
“I knew you could do it,” Mel says.
I shake my head, laughing, as I reach for the IV kit.
“Alright, IV’s,” I say. “My turn to be reckless.”
Mel immediately straightens. “Do not be reckless with a needle.”
“I’m joking,” I say, reaching for the fake arm, tying off the band and tapping the practice arm like I’ve seen in the demo. I line it up, adjust slightly, and then go for it. The needle slides in. Liam immediately recoils. “Why did you stab it like that?”
I blink at him. “I didn’t stab it.”
“You absolutely stabbed it.”
Mel leans in, checking my placement, her brows drawing together for a second and then she nods. “It’s actually fine.”
I glance at him. “See?”
Liam just laughs, shaking his head.
After class, we head toward the library. The smell of old books hitting immediately when we step inside, along with the low hum of whispered conversations and the soft tapping of keyboards.
It’s cooler toward the back, and it makes me wish I’d grabbed a sweater before leaving the house. Noah, Kiara, and Ryan are already sitting at one of the long tables near the windows, notebooks spread out between them.
I’ve been avoiding talking to Noah as much as possible—on the way home yesterday, at dinner, even this morning at breakfast—because I have absolutely no idea what I’d say if he asked what’s going on.
Hey, funny thing, I agreed to fake date your best friend because I want to make my ex jealous like some kind of lunatic.
Yeah. That’s not gonna work.
Ryan is the first to look up as we approach, his green eyes lifting from the page in front of him. I slide into the chair beside him. Across the table, Noah glances up from his notebook, pen still loosely held between his fingers. “How was class?”
Before I can answer, Liam drops into the chair beside Noah and leans forward dramatically. “Great,” he announces. “I didn’t cut of your sisters circulation, so I’d say we’re doing amazing.”
Ryan turns slightly in his chair toward me, one eyebrow lifting as he studies my face. “Saving lives out there, nurse Gracelyn?”
“Of course,” I reply easily, leaning back in my chair. “Someone has to.”
“Wow.” He presses a hand to his chest like he’s deeply offended, even though there is a small grin. And then he suddenly shifts in his seat, stretching his arms briefly before letting one rest casually along the back of my chair.
When I glance up, I catch Noah noticing. His eyes flick once to Ryan’s arm behind me, then to my face, before he lowers his gaze back to his notes like he didn’t see anything at all. Which somehow makes it worse.
Two girls walk past our table, their voices dipping the second they notice us. One of them leans slightly toward the other, whispering something, while the other glances our way before they disappear down the aisle.
What only an arm can do in Baylin.
We study for the next hour or so, pages turning and pens moving while the afternoon drags lazily toward evening. Ryan stays relaxed beside me, his attention mostly on the laptop in front of him, his arm still stretched casually along the back of my chair.
“If I read the words ventricular fibrillation one more time,” Liam groans, dragging a hand down his face, “I’m going to start seeing double.” He pushes his chair back and stands, stretching his arms over his head. “I’m getting snacks.”
A minute later he comes back from the vending machine with his arms stacked full of snacks. He drops everything onto the table in a loud, chaotic pile.
Beside me, Ryan pulls his arm away so he can reach one of the drinks that roll over the table. The second he moves, the cold hits me properly and a shiver slips down my arms before I can stop it. Why is it so goddamn cold in here? It’s February. It’s supposed to be spring.
“Here.”
I glance up to find Ryan holding his jacket out toward me. “You look like you’re about to turn into an icicle,” he says, giving me a knowing look.
Good move.
I take the jacket, giving him a small smile as I pull it over my shoulders. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
The moment I slide my arms into the sleeves, warmth settles around me, the fabric soft and big.
I don’t even have to look up to know everyone’s watching.
When I do look up, the entire group is suddenly very interested in their snacks.
But Noah is just staring. And even though he’s my brother, I have absolutely no idea what’s going through his head right now.
I don’t know if a speech is loading, or a list of questions, or—worst case scenario—a fight.
I clear my throat quickly and push my chair back. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom,” I say, already standing. “I’ll be back.”
I tug Ryan’s jacket a little tighter around me as I step through the library doors.
I’m halfway down the hallway, tugging my sleeves over my wrists, when I spot Jacob. He’s standing a few lockers down, leaning back against them, scrolling on his phone.
Oh my God. This is it.
For a second, I just stand there, my brain glitching—half turning like I might walk the other way, then stopping, then almost turning back again.
Okay. What do I do?
I straighten my shoulders and start walking again. Slow at first, then a little more steady as I get closer, forcing myself not to look at him too directly. Just as I pass, I clear my throat, a little louder.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him pause, his head lifting, attention snapping away from his phone.
“Hey,” he says, a small smile forming as he pushes himself off the lockers and tucks his phone away.
“Oh hey, Jacob,” I say easily, tugging at Ryan’s jacket very obviously. “Didn’t see you there.”
He looks me over, slow and obvious, and then his eyes stop at the jacket. That smug look he always wears is replaced by narrowing eyes and a frown between his brows. “That’s new,” he says, nodding toward it. “You get a new jacket?”
I shrug, light and easy. “Who says it’s mine?”
His expression changes; his eyes darken and his jaw clenches. And inside my head, I’m absolutely losing it.
Did you see his face? That totally worked!
Jacob looks like he’s about to say something; his mouth parts, brows knitting together like he’s deciding between playing it cool or asking the question, but I don't give him the chance. “See you around,” I say, already stepping past him.
My heart is pounding as I walk, but in a good way. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling like an idiot. I square my shoulders, tug the jacket a little tighter around myself, and keep walking.
One point for Maddy. Zero for Jacob.
Noah and I drive back to our house in silence, the radio is playing just a little too quietly and every red light seems to last longer than it should. Then after a while, Noah exhales slowly through his nose. “Okay, Mads,” he says after a moment. “I gotta ask.”
My stomach drops instantly. I keep my eyes forward, watching the road instead of him. “Ask what?”
He glances at me briefly before looking back at the road again. “What’s going on between you and Ryan?”
Shiiiiittttt.
“Uhm… I like him, I guess.”
The second the words leave my mouth I internally groan.
That’s the explanation you went with?
“As in, you like like him?” He asks.
I nod, because I can’t come up with anything else. “Yeah.”
Noah lets out a slow breath, like he’s processing that answer carefully. “That’s… weird.”
I hum softly in response, keeping my gaze out the windshield while I brace myself for what’s coming next.
“I mean—” he pauses, clearly choosing his words carefully. “Ryan doesn’t date. Like… ever. And you were pretty firm about being done with guys.”
“Yeah. I guess that changed.”
Noah glances at me once more before looking back at the road. “But,” he says, tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel, “I’m okay with it.”
Wait, what?
I turn toward him, genuinely confused. “You are?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna need some time to wrap my head around it.” He pauses, then adds, “And don’t expect me to say yes when he asks for your hand.”
A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. “That’s fair.”
“I trust both of you,” he adds, with a warm smile.
“Thank you, Noah,” I say quietly.
“But if he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”
I snort. “You’re not going to kill him. He’s your best friend.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Noah says simply. “I’ll feel bad about it, but I’ll do it.”
I shake my head, smiling despite myself, not wanting to think about what would happen if we found out about the deal. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Yeah, well,” he says, glancing over at me briefly, “we share the same genes for a reason.”
I smack his arm lightly, laughing as the car keeps rolling, relief washing over me.