Chapter 17 #3
I nod. “Of course.”
“Well, that man was a liar and a total fraud. He didn’t know me, or any of the other Davenports. He lied for leverage.” He pats the spot next to him. “Let me show you something.”
“That can’t be true,” I whisper.
His face falls in regret. “This is exactly what I’m talking about because even though years have passed, I know you better than I know myself, and you’re second-guessing the whole experience.
You were at the top of your class, always as talented as you are now, and deserved that internship more than anyone.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, every single thing you did to get to a position you are in now would have been questioned. ”
He pats the cushion again.
I hesitate, glancing down at my brother’s oversized leather couch and at how close we’d be, side by side.
At this point, I don’t know if I want to jump his bones or pummel him for making such a massive decision without me.
“I won’t bite. I need to show you something on my phone.”
I get up and ignore the wave of heat that creeps up my spine and the surge of electricity as my arm brushes his when I sit next to him.
I hated him days ago, don’t be confused.
He pulls up a few articles, and then suddenly I’m staring down at a younger version of myself.
“What is this?” I grab his phone and start scrolling, pausing over articles that have my picture.
How did I not know about this?
Nathaniel Davenport is off the market, ladies and gentlemen. He found his diamond in the rough, and we mean rough. Madeline Grace Cunningham, sister to all-American football star Mason Cunningham, is not what we had in mind for our Golden Boy.
We thought the Davenports did enough charity work.
Leo Morales and Nate Davenport, the Dynamic Duo, are back from Cali and are out on the town. Will Nate stay loyal to his Georgia Peach?
Spotted: Madeline Cunningham, Nate Davenport’s girlfriend, visiting New York City with Camila Morales, the younger sister to Sebastian and Leo Morales. Both were seen out to dinner in Greenwich Village.
This must be serious if she’s visiting without Nate.
Madeline Cunningham graduates summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a B.Arch degree, following ex-boyfriend Nate Davenport. We have to wonder if she followed his footsteps to get him back.
Each headline is a slap to my face.
“What the hell? What kind of news is this?” I throw the phone in his lap, then abruptly stand and spill Nate’s water. A frustrated “Sorry” is all that I can conjure.
“It’s gossip, not news, but it never stops. Last week, there was a story about Harrison’s wife cheating on him with one of her bodyguards. They’re vultures and would have gone after you repeatedly.”
“Still, that wasn’t your call, Nate.” My voice rises, my emotions overwhelming all my senses.
“I understand your logic, but that’s not good enough.
Not for me anyway. We were more than lovers; we were partners and best friends, and you threw that all away without allowing me to make the decision with you as a team.
You were supposed to be different.” Tears well up in my eyes when our past comes barreling forward.
He ducks his head and goes silent.
He should feel ashamed. I trusted him with my whole heart.
“I’m sorry, Mads. I truly thought it was for the best. My only wish was for you to succeed and have the independence you’ve always wanted. You couldn’t do that with me as your partner.”
“Who said that’s what I wanted?” I throw my hands up.
“The funny thing about all this is you wanted me to gain independence, yet you took it all away. You took away my ability to choose the path of my own life.” I aggressively wipe the tears that are now flowing freely from my eyes.
“Growing up, I never had a choice, but I thought you truly saw and respected me. You’re just as bad as them. ”
“Please don’t say that.” He shakes his head violently, as if trying to reject the thought itself. “It’s not true. I knew you would never agree, that’s why I left you. I was protecting you the only way I knew how.”
“God, I’m sick of all this protecting bullshit!”
He flinches at my choice of wording. “I don’t know what to say anymore.
” His voice rises. “Would you rather say I wanted nothing to do with you? Well, guess what? I’ve been dead inside since you, so that would be a fucking lie.
Maybe I did it because I cared more about you than anyone else, or maybe I did it because no one ever stood up for me, no one ever made me a fucking priority.
No one protected me until Rosa, so I’m sorry if I cared too much for you and made the hard decisions. ”
I go still, slowly turning my attention to Nate as he storms off onto the terrace.
In all the years we were together, we never dug deep into his past. Looking back, it was foolish. I was young and naive and thought sweeping things under the rug was okay because I never wanted to hurt his feelings or see him upset.
This is the first time I’ve seen him so visibly distressed and vulnerable about it.
“Nate,” I quietly murmur as I follow him out. “You can’t be upset with me, because I know nothing about your past. Explain it to me.”
He’s lying on the lounger, his arm thrown over his eyes. “I think this night has been depressing enough.”
I hesitate, not wanting to push too far, but that’s got me nowhere in the past. “I think tonight is the night to confess everything. It’s the perfect time to get everything all out in the open. Talk to me, Nate. You can trust me.”
His arm lowers, but his focus is straight ahead on the Brooklyn Bridge.
“I’m fucked up, Madeline.” Time slows when he turns his attention back to me. His eyes, even as the moon shines down on them, are dark and despondent. “You really want to know all about that?”
“I do,” I whisper.
He blows out a breath. “I was neglected and mentally abused as a child. The only reason the cycle stopped was because Rosa broke into my parents’ house and saved me.
She was arrested that night, but she took a chance no matter the consequences.
From that night forward, I vowed to be just like her and do whatever it takes to protect the people I love. ”