“What do you say we give this dating thing another shot?”
“Hell no,” she snaps, and I straighten, my spine so rigid it feels like it might crack.
“Forget I said anything,” I mutter.
“Shaw.” She grabs my arms and tries to shake me. “I wasn’t turning you down.”
“It sure sounded like you were.”
“You didn’t give me a chance to finish. Now listen.” She shakes me again. “I said hell no to dating you.” She holds up her finger to keep me from jumping in. “If we’re going to be together, then I want to be your girlfriend. Never mind this dating crap. We’ve already been there and done that.” She tips her head, studying my stunned face. “What do you think? Put me out of my misery one way or another.”
Gripping the back of her head, I slam my mouth down on hers. All the pent up longing rushes through me—I feel like I may explode if I don’t taste her. My tongue slips between her parted lips, plundering and getting reacquainted. I can’t be gentle when I’ve missed her so much.
Our reunion makes everything right in the world.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Marshall’s voice is the last one I want to hear.
I tear my lips from Maddie’s and turn around, facing my best friend. An arm slips across my stomach before Maddie steps in front of me.
“Oh no you don’t.” She points at Marshall. “You are not going to waltz in here and ruin the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“You can’t mean Shaw?”
“Well, I do.”
“Over my dead body,” he shouts.
“Whatever it takes, brother. You better listen to me good. I’m done letting you control my life. I’ve cared about Shaw for years now, and you’re not going to stop us from being together.”
“Maddie, you’re not thinking this through. He’s my best friend. You guys will end, and Shaw and I will still be friends. You’ll have to see him for the rest of your life.”
“I can deal with the risks involved. What I won’t put up with is your meddling. You can either accept us as a couple or keep your distance.”
Marshall shakes his head. “You’re my sister. I’d never cut you out of my life, no matter what.” He turns to me, poking me in the chest, hard. “But you’re a different story. If you don’t stay away from her, our friendship is over.” He pokes me again, and I catch hold of his hand, pushing it away.
“Don’t make that threat, Marshall. I won’t choose you over Maddie. I made that mistake once before and learned the hard way.”
“What do you mean once before?” He glances at Maddie.
As much as I want to cut in and answer for her, I don’t. She needs this. She needs to stand up to him. It’s long overdue.
“Shaw and I dated when you were a counselor at summer camp two summers ago.”
“And you never told me?” He looks hurt.
“Marshall, you’re older now than you were then and you’re still handling it poorly. How do you think you would’ve reacted back then?”
He grips both sides of his head. “This is too much to take in right now. I don't care how you resolve this,” he wags his finger between Maddie and me, “but it needs to end.” He walks away without another word. The front door slams so hard I’ll be surprised if the hinges are still intact.
Buddy stirs in his crate and whines. Maddie steps toward him, and I catch hold of her hand, tugging her back. Wrapping my arms around her back, I stroke up and down her spine soothingly. “Before you get busy with the puppy or anything else, we need to talk.”
“Shaw, if you’re going to choose your friendship with my brother, tell me now.”
“You really have a problem letting me speak.” I grin.
She shrugs. “Maddie Winters, I’ve missed you every single day we’ve been apart. I’ve never regretted anything in my life until I let you go. I won’t make that same mistake ever again.” I suck in a deep breath, slowly expelling the air. “I love you.”
“Oh my God.” She covers her mouth. “I love you too.”
My arms tighten around her. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
“Yes.” Her eyes glow with happiness.
“What do you say we walk this little guy, and then we come back here and take advantage of the house being empty?”
She bites her lip and looks at me from under her eyelashes, a flirtatious move I’ve never seen her do before, and my