The Wedding Party (The Wedding Date, #3)(82)

All of what she said sounded right, but it felt dangerous to believe her.

“Okay,” he said. What else could he say?

He wished he could ask Alexa for advice about Maddie. She knew Maddie better than anyone else, and he knew she’d be honest with him about that. But if he told Alexa the secret Maddie had been so adamant to keep from her, Maddie’s revenge might reach biblical proportions.

“Also, stop eating all of my potstickers,” he said.

“Delivery tax.” She picked up her purse.

“I’ve got to get home. You still think you’ll be back at work Monday?”

He nodded.

“God, I hope so. And . . . thanks, Lex.”

She gave him a quick hug.

“Anytime. About anything. I promise, everything is going to be okay.” She waved at his brother on the way out the door. “Bye, Ben, see you soon.”

“See?” Ben said, after the door closed. “I heard her! She agrees with me that you’re freaking out for nothing. You should have talked to her about Maddie. I bet she would agree with me there, too!”

Theo sat down on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. He needed to get back to work soon, just so he didn’t kill his brother.

Maddie was just about to walk out of her house to go to her mom’s place when her phone rang. She glanced down at it. Some 415 number. Not Theo. She hated that she still hoped it was him every time her phone rang.

He’d called twice, the day after their fight, when she was still so mad at him there was no way she could have done anything but scream into the phone. Good thing she’d been with clients both times and had her phone on do not disturb.

Why did she even want him to call again? She never wanted to hear from him again, remember? Was it because she wanted to be able to yell at him like she’d done in her head for the past week? She had no idea.

Why had he even called her those times? Had he been calling to apologize? She’d hoped it had just been the concussion that had made him say those things to her, but if that was it, wouldn’t he have left a message, or texted her, or called again?

She didn’t even know if he was okay. Alexa had mentioned offhand that he was doing better, but she didn’t know what that really meant: back at work better? Staying awake for more than an hour better? Could hold down lunch better? Had he even gone back to the doctor?

Not only was she still worried about him, but she felt so guilty about what she’d said to him. She’d said those things just to hurt him like he’d hurt her, and she was pretty sure she’d succeeded, but now she felt like the biggest asshole in the world for being that cruel to someone who’d gotten out of the hospital less than twenty-four hours before.

But if he didn’t care enough about her feelings to call her to apologize for what he’d said, she had to make herself not care about his feelings, either.

Wait. That phone number calling her. Wasn’t that the number of the TV station? Focus, Maddie.

She dropped the garment bag full of dresses for her mom on the couch and took a deep breath.

“This is Maddie.”

“Hi, Maddie. This is Allen Barnes, over at KPTZ. How are you?”

Alexa had told her that if you smiled on the phone, it made you sound more friendly and warm, so she tried to smile.

How the fuck was someone supposed to smile at someone on the phone? Especially when she was this nervous?

“I’m great!” she said. Wait, was that too effusive? Should she have just said, I’m doing well, thank you, how are you? Why was he calling her in the first place? Couldn’t they cut the preamble and just get to it?

“Good, good, that’s wonderful to hear. It’s great to talk to you again. Maddie, everyone at the station really enjoyed working with you, but unfortunately we’ve decided to go in a different direction for the show. But I certainly hope you . . .”

Maddie didn’t listen to the rest of what he said. She said words like “thank you” and “wonderful opportunity” and “all my best” as she sank down on the couch. Finally, she heard him say goodbye, so she put her phone down.

She didn’t get the job. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d wanted it until this moment.

She put her head in her hands and took a few deep breaths.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the garment bag with dresses for her mom to wear to Alexa’s wedding hanging over the side of the couch. Thank God her mom was already expecting her.

She got in her car and drove to the tiny two-bedroom house in East Oakland her mom had managed to buy about ten years ago.

Her mom opened the door, already talking.

“Hey, girl, I made those meatballs you like, but did you bring . . .” She took a look at Maddie and pulled her into the house.

“What’s wrong?”

Maddie sank down on the couch. It was an old one her mom had had since Maddie was a teenager. She curled up in the corner and pulled a blanket around her shoulders. It felt comforting, to be around stuff that had been in her life for so long.

“I didn’t get the job.” It hurt to say it out loud. “They just called to tell me.”

Her mom sat down on the couch next to her and wrapped the blanket around both of them.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I know how much you wanted it.”