29 RYAN
RYAN
That goddamn dress
I’ve never had a stronger urge to punch someone in the face so hard they’d need to be hospitalized. Even now, as the car pulls into the driveway, my fists are still tingling like they’re not satisfied. I mean fuck—I’m not satisfied either. I wanted to wipe that smug look clean off Jacob’s face.
Jesus Christ. I need to calm down.
Noah kills the engine as we roll to a stop in the driveway.
The car doors open one after another. I step out first, my shoes crunching against the gravel, and the others follow a second later.
As we head toward the front door, Maddy walks a few steps ahead of me, Liam, Noah, and Mel falling into place beside her. Kiara drifts back, matching my pace.
“Dude,” she mutters quietly, her eyes flicking over my face. “You good?”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically.
“You sure?” she presses, studying me. “Because you look pale as hell.”
“Yeah,” I repeat, softer this time. “I’m fine.”
Judging by the look she gives me, she sees straight through my bullshit. But thankfully, she lets it drop.
My gaze shifts toward Maddy. She’s quiet. Arms crossed loosely over her chest, her eyes fixed somewhere ahead like her brain is still running through a hundred different thoughts.
Something tight pulls in my chest.
Shit. Is she mad? Is she freaked out? The last thing I ever wanted was to scare her.
We move slowly toward the front door, the crunch of gravel loud in the quiet night. Just before we reach the porch, Maddy glances back at all of us.
“Hey,” she says softly. “Can we… maybe not tell Dad what happened before he freaks out?”
“Of course,” Liam answers immediately.
“Yeah,” Mel adds, looping an arm around her shoulders.
“Thanks,” Maddy murmurs.
Noah fumbles with the keys for a second, trying to unlock the door. When the door finally opens, we head inside. Luke’s standing in the kitchen, halfway into his jacket while shoving a charger into his bag. He looks up when the door shuts behind us.
“Back already?” he asks. “Thought you’d be out another couple hours.”
“It got pretty crowded,” Noah says easily, tossing his keys into the bowl by the door. “Wasn’t really our thing.”
Luke nods like that makes perfect sense.
“Well, no harm in bailing on a bad party.” He checks the clock. “I’m heading to the other café, so you’ve got the house to yourselves.”
He walks over to Maddy and presses a quick kiss to her forehead. “You looked beautiful tonight, Mads.”
She smiles faintly. “Thanks, Dad.”
Then Luke pulls Noah into a quick hug. “Keep things under control while I’m gone, yeah?”
“Always.”
Luke glances around at the rest of us—Mel, Liam, Kiara—shaking his head fondly. “You kids behave.”
When he passes me, he gives my shoulder a quick clap, casual and familiar. “Don’t let them burn the place down.”
I huff out a quiet laugh. “I’ll do my best.”
He nods once and heads for the door. A moment later it clicks shut behind him, and the house settles into that strange late-night quiet. I immediately glance over at Maddy, who is just staring in front of her.
Eventually people start peeling off upstairs to change, one after another. Shoes get kicked off, jackets dropped over chairs, quiet footsteps moving across the hallway.
I head upstairs too. Halfway up the stairs, I take off my blazer, undo a couple more buttons of my shirt and let out a slow breath. I’m almost at Noah’s room—where I dumped my bag earlier—when I hear her voice from down the hall.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she mutters, sounding genuinely annoyed.
I glance over and catch a glimpse through the half-open door. Maddy’s turned slightly away from the mirror, her hair falling down her shoulders now, arms twisted awkwardly behind her back, fingers fumbling with the straps of her dress.
A quiet laugh slips out of me before I can stop it. I step closer and lean my shoulder lightly against the doorframe, watching her struggle for another second. Then I lift my hand and knock softly against the wood.
“Jesus—!” She spins around, hand flying to her chest.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t,” she says, which is obviously a lie. “I am just… losing a fight with my dress.”
“Yeah. I can see that.”
A small pause settles between us, stretching a little longer than it should.
“Mads,” I say quietly. “I’m sorry for what happened at the dance.”
Even though that son of a bitch deserved it.
She studies me for a moment, her expression softening slightly. “Well,” she says gently, “you didn’t hit him. So I think we’re okay.”
I let out a quiet breath and nod once, a faint laugh slipping out. My eyes drift to the thin laces running down the open back of her dress, and she tries to undo them again, not even close to reaching it.
“Want help?”
“Yes, please,” she says immediately. “Before I have to sleep standing up.”
I huff a laugh and step closer. The only light in the room spills in from the hallway behind me—low and soft, leaving most of the room in shadow. The tension between us is there the second I’m near her. I stop just behind her.
“Turn around,” I say quietly.
She hesitates for half a second, like she’s suddenly aware of how close we are, then slowly turns. And now she’s right in front of me.
“Okay,” I murmur, forcing my attention down to the laces. “How does this even work?”
“No idea. They crossed it, looped it, pulled it tight, and told me not to breathe.”
“Wow,” I mutter. “Helpful.”
Carefully, I reach up and gather her hair, moving it over one shoulder so it falls down her front, exposing the bare skin of her back. My fingers brush the back of her neck for just a second. The contact sends a slow heat spreading through my chest.
“Tell me if I’m doing it wrong,” I say quietly, my voice rougher now.
“I will absolutely scream if you do,” she whispers.
Holy shit.
I start loosening the laces slowly, focusing on the simple motion of it—fabric sliding, knots giving way. But every small movement she makes pulls my attention right back to her. And it’s seriously messing with my head.
She shifts slightly, then stills again.
“Sorry,” she murmurs. “I’ll stop moving.”
“It’s okay,” I breathe, because I can’t think of any other words that are sane.
I fumble a little more with the laces, now mostly loose and my hand settles at her waist, which makes her lean back. Her shoulder blades brush my chest.
Fucking hell.
A shiver runs down my spine. And the only thing my brain can focus on is the overwhelming urge to pull her closer.
Carefully, I slide one strap from her shoulder and let it fall down her arm. My head dips before I even realize I’m moving, and my lips brush the top of her shoulder.
She makes the quietest sound and that tiny breath slides straight under my skin, making me feel dizzy.
I feel all the blood in my body rush to a certain lower region in one quick motion. And I’m dying to get more reaction out of her like that, so I brush my mouth there again, slower this time. She tilts her head just slightly, like she’s giving me space instead of stopping me.
God, woman. You’re killing me.
My hand tightens gently as I pull her back a fraction until she’s fully against me. For a second the world narrows to nothing but warmth, breath, and the steady rhythm of her breathing against my chest.
I lower my mouth to the side of her neck, pressing another slow kiss there, and I feel goosebumps rise across her skin under my mouth.
“Mads,” I murmur quietly, my voice rougher than I expect. “Do you want me to stop?”
She inhales slowly. Then whispers, almost under her breath, “No.”
Fuck.
I close my eyes for half a second, pressing a gentle kiss just below her ear, trying—and failing—to keep my thoughts from what’s gonna happen if she turns around right now—
“MADS! MOVIE’S STARTING!”
Kiara’s voice crashes down the hallway like a door slamming open, and we both pull apart instantly.
Maddy turns around quickly and I step back, clearing my throat while I try to get my head back on straight.
“Yep—coming!” I call down the hallway.
Maddy’s eyes are wide, and she lets out a small, slightly breathless laugh like she’s trying to shake herself out of whatever just happened.
“I’m just gonna, uh, change,” I say, nodding toward the hallway. “I’ll be downstairs in a minute.”
“Yeah,” she says quickly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. Me too.”
I turn and head into the hallway, running a hand through my hair as I push open Noah’s door and shut it behind me. I lean back against it for a second, hoping it will calm me down. But my chest won’t settle. I still feel like I just slammed five scoops of pre-workout and sprinted up a hill.
I push away from the door and change quickly, ditching the button-up for something more normal. I grab my hoodie, pull it halfway on—then immediately take it back off because I’m still running too hot.
“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath.
Get it together. Put on a shirt. Be normal. Go downstairs.
We all end up on the sofa, watching some action-comedy movie. The whole room has settled into that late-night kind of calm where everyone’s half watching the movie and half talking over it.
The only open spot had been next to Maddy when I got downstairs. So that’s where I ended up. We’ve both not moved an inch for the last hour, doing our best to act normal after what just happened.
After a while, Maddy lets out a big yawn next to me.
“You falling asleep?” Mel asks from across the couch.
“No,” she says immediately, even though she’s rubbing her eyes. “I’m fine.”
I glance over at Noah, and he catches it at the exact same time. We both let out a quiet laugh.
Five minutes later, I feel a gentle pressure against my shoulder—and I go completely still. Slowly, I turn my head. Maddy’s head rests there now, her hair soft against my arm, her breathing slow and even. She’s asleep.
A quiet huff of laughter slips out of me as I glance down at her, careful not to move too much. She looks peaceful. Cute as hell, if we’re being honest.
I lift my gaze. Mel and Liam are still watching the movie. And across the room, Kiara nudges Noah lightly, both of them glancing over before sharing a quiet, knowing smile.
The movie keeps playing, but I couldn’t tell you a single thing that happens after that. Because sitting here, with her asleep against my shoulder, one thing becomes very clear; nothing about this is fake anymore.
I stay exactly where I am, barely moving, keeping my breathing steady so I don’t wake her.
I’ll just wake her when the movie ends.