Chapter 11
Nate
“What did you just say?” I must have misheard him.
There’s no way one of my best friends, Maddie’s brother, could have just suggested what I think he did; the thought of it has my stomach in knots.
“I’ve been doing some thinking, and I think the two of you need some time apart.”
I’m waiting for the punchline, or for someone to jump out and tell me this is all a sick joke.
“Funny,” I say, with zero humor.
“I’m not saying forever.”
Wait, he’s for real?
“Are you fucking serious?” I take a step back.
“I am. But hear me out.”
“Hear you out?” My voice ricochets, echoing off the walls. “You might be her brother, but that doesn’t give you the right—”
He holds up a hand to stop me from completely losing my mind.
“Just give me a minute to explain, Nate.”
I laugh sardonically. “You could give me the speech of a lifetime, and I still would never break up with your sister.”
“You don’t get it—”
“No! You don’t get it.” I bang my fist against my chest. “You come into my goddamn house, making requests that would rip us both apart, and not just physically. Do you not understand how much I fucking love her?”
He stays silent, so I go on, my voice breaking, my eyes burning.
“She is my anchor, Mase. My reason for getting up, for trying to be better every damn day. You think I’d throw that away because you asked? The fact that you think I would means you don’t know me, and we’re not friends at all.”
“Nate—”
“No.” I point to the door. “Get the hell out of my house.”
“Goddamn you. Will you just sit down and listen to me for one minute? Please.”
I clench my jaw, breathing heavily through my nose like a bull ready to charge. I’ve never been more infuriated with anyone in my whole life.
Break up with Maddie?
I want to force him to leave, and I should, but something in his voice stops me.
“I’ve been worried lately…” He chugs his bottle of water.
Worried?
The words land like a gut punch. “Worried about what?”
He takes a long pull from his water bottle, sets it down, and rakes a hand through his hair before leaning back into the couch like the weight of the world is pressing down on him.
“I’m worried she’s never going to live a life that’s truly hers,” he says. “She grew up in my shadow. And now…” He gestures to me. “She’s in yours.”
“She is not in my shadow. Maddie has become fiercely independent at school,” I say defensively.
“No, she hasn’t. More confident, most definitely, not independent. She’s thriving in her classes and participates in the one-off activity. But how many friends does she have here that aren’t connected to you?”
I go to open my mouth, and nothing comes out.
“How many times has she gone to a party without you? Made a decision that didn’t include you? Done something spontaneous just for her?”
He isn’t wrong. And that pisses me off even more.
“You know how she is. She doesn’t trust easily. She isn’t going to waste time making friends for no reason. And she had Addie until this year.”
“Yeah, and only if Addie initiated or pushed Maddie out of her comfort zone would she do something, but she never initiated it on her own.” His voice is quiet now.
Thoughtful. It’s clear he’s been chewing on this for a long time.
“Before she met either of you, I always hoped that college would finally be her chance to step into her own identity. No big brother hovering, or people using her to get close to me. But instead, she fell right into your orbit. A different kind of shadow.”
The anger bubbling inside me begins to turn, morphing into something more complicated.
Guilt, doubt, and maybe even grief at the idea that he might not be totally wrong.
“Why now?” I ask. “Why bring this up after all these years?”
“I’ve thought about saying something a hundred times. End of camp. Her first year at college. But I didn’t. Thought maybe I was overreacting. That it’d work itself out.” He sighs. “But now you’re graduating and moving home. And it hit me that if something doesn’t change now, it might never.”
“I just made an offer on a place for us in the city,” I say, my voice cracking. “I’m going to marry her, Mason. What’s the point of separating now?”
“The point is, if she doesn’t build her own foundation now, she’ll always wonder if she only got where she is because of you.
She worked too damn hard to second-guess her worth,” he says.
“I don’t want her to wonder if that’s because she’s Nate Davenport’s girlfriend or Nate Davenport’s wife.
Or worse, be accused of getting a leg up because of who she’s with, and believe it.
She’ll relive her whole childhood, the exact opposite of what I wanted for her. ”
I drop my head into my hands. His words slam into me with the force of a freight train.
He’s not wrong.
And that’s what’s killing me. But I can’t even fathom being with anyone but Maddie.
“I feel sick,” I mutter.
“You know as well as I do that the day she moves to New York, your life together will change entirely. Tabloids constantly write about you and your brothers. Four young, successful men from billionaire families get a lot of attention, and you know it. She’s a poor girl from a small country town. They’re going to have a field day.”
“Fuck.”
“This isn’t about you. Or me,” Mason says quietly. “It’s about Maddie. What’s best for her long-term.”
“I am what’s best for her,” I whisper, but even to my ears, it sounds weak and defensive.
“You love her. I know that. Hell, I’ve never doubted that. But maybe loving her means giving her space to figure out who she is outside of you. And I’m not saying you’re not long-term, I’m saying you’re not right now.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block it all out. “I can’t…I can’t do that.”
“You can,” he says. “Because you’re one of the most selfless people I know, Nate. Think it over before you shut the door completely.”
Then he walks out, leaving me with a shit pile of emotions at my feet.
My phone rings, and of course, I already know from the ringtone alone that it’s Maddie.
I stare at the screen. Seeing her name only cements my feelings.
There’s no way.
The phone rings again, but even after the second call, I still can’t answer.
Not because I don’t want to, but because the second Maddie detects the slightest hiccup in my voice, she’d be on the next flight out.
Mads: HI!!!!!! Where are you?
I drop my head, hating that I need her to hold off calling me again.
So I lie. The last thing I ever want to do.
Still out with the team. How was lunch?
Mads: Oh, sorry! I figured you’d be home by now.
Mads: Your mom took us to an authentic Spanish restaurant, and I ate Tortilla de patatas. OMG. They were delicious. I could eat them every day.
Mads: I even practiced my Spanish with the staff. I try with Rosa, but she tells me I’m doing perfect every time, even though I know I’m not. LOL.
Even through the turmoil filling my head, she’s still able to put a smile on my face.
That’s because Mom loves you.
Mads: Guess what we’re doing tonight?
What’s that, Mads?
Mads: We’re going to see Wicked on Broadway! I’m so dang excited.
That doesn’t surprise me. It’s been Camila’s latest obsession.
Mads: You’ll have to help me buy a gift for Rosa. She won’t let me pay for a single thing.
She doesn’t expect a gift, babe. She likes taking you around the city.
Mads: I know, but I want to.
Mads: G2G. ILYSM!!!!! I’ll call you after the show xoxoxo
Maddie
“Nate!” I call from his bedroom, flipping the page of my notes. He’s downstairs watching a movie with Leo while I cram for my last exam of the year.
“What’s up?” he asks, stepping into the room. He tosses a blanket over my shoulders without hesitation, always knowing when I’m cold.
My eyes track him as he crosses the room, my thoughts derail, forgetting why I even called him.
Nate’s tanned, broad chest is on display, and his large muscles flex with every move he makes.
He’s wearing gray sweatpants that hang low on his hips, and my eye travels down the “V” cut of his muscles, leading straight down into his sweats.
I bite my lips, grinning, as I watch the outline of his penis grow right before my eyes.
“Need me to wipe the drool off your chin?” he teases.
I throw my pen at him, laughing. “You’re so cocky.”
He shrugs and replies, “You can’t keep your eyes off me. Just admit it.” He’s right. My eyes sweep over his body once more. I can’t help it. He’s sexy as hell. “Keep looking at me like that, Mads, and I’ll have you bent over the desk in one second flat.”
I point at him, becoming serious. “Don’t you dare. I need to finish studying, and I wanted to ask your opinion on—” My sentence is cut short when the chime of my email distracts me.
It’s from Jordan, one of the owners of CityScapes Architecture Firm, the man I interviewed with two weeks ago.
“What is it, what’s wrong?” Nate asks, already leaning over my shoulder to see.
“I hope I got it,” I whisper, heart thudding as I click open the message for us to read it together.
Madeline,
I hope this letter finds you well. On behalf of everyone at CityScapes, I am delighted to offer you a summer internship position with our firm.
The team greatly enjoyed meeting and interviewing you a few weeks ago. Thank you for flying in on such short notice. We were impressed by your passion for design and your keen interest in sustainable urban development.
Your portfolio and application stood out, and we’re excited about the energy and perspective you’ll bring to our team.
The internship will run from June 1st through August 15, and you’ll be working closely with our design and planning teams on several exciting projects currently underway.
I read the rest out loud.
“Please let us know by April twenty-sixth if you accept this offer. Once confirmed, we will send you the onboarding materials and internship schedule.”
“Yes! I accept! I accept!”
Nate wraps his arms around me from behind, nuzzling into my neck. I inhale his scent, sweet cherry and something distinctly him.