Madison

“What’s this?”

Bryce winks and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “Open it.” His eyes flicker with excitement. “Go on.”

The large rectangle box has silver wrapping paper and a black bow on top. Gradually, I tear the paper, not wanting to be an impatient maniac even though I can’t wait to see what he got me.

“For fuck’s sake.” Bryce laughs and nudges me.

“Fine!” Once all the wrapping paper is off and on our bedroom floor, I rip the top off and tear the tissue paper covering my present. Sitting pretty is a beautiful black Prada purse. I pick it up and immediately notice it’s the one I’ve had my eyes on. “Bryce.”

“You’re welcome, baby. You should look inside.” The eager grin on Bryce’s face makes me giggle. He looks like a little boy on Christmas morning.

Happy.

Anxious.

Waiting.

My fingers latch onto the zipper to open my purse, and inside, there’s a blue box. The excitement bursts, and my eyes go wide at the beautiful crusted heart pendant. Bryce takes the necklace from my shaky hands and brushes my hair to the side. “A beautiful necklace for my beautiful girlfriend.”

I spin around and kiss him, letting myself fall right into him. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Get ready. We need to leave soon.”

A smile plays at the corners of my mouth. I’ve been working in Bryce’s office for the past few days. I’m still putting together outfits for him and consulting, but mostly, I admire the way he dominates his business. He doesn’t know about the position Henry’s offered me. Knowing how protective and overbearing he is, this may not end well for me… or Henry.

Once I’m dressed and ready, I move my things from my old purse to my new one. My birth control pills fall on the bed, and I panic. I look at the pills and see I’ve missed two days.

“Fuck,” I mutter and double the dose and toss the other missed pill. I groan and rub my temples. There can’t be any mistakes and missing doses. If I end up pregnant ... oh hell, I don’t want to think about it. I’m twenty-two years old, in a brand-new relationship, and I don’t have my life together. Sure, my boyfriend’s rich, and he wouldn’t abandon me, but it’s not convenient whatsoever. If I’m being honest, I’m still in the selfish I want all your attention stage in the relationship.

“Problem?” I look up to see Bryce walking toward me. He looks down, then at me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Is everything okay?”

“Of course. Just had to take my birth control.” I lift the package to show him. “All good.”

“Good. Come on.”

“Okay.” I easily relent. The uncomfortable notion I could be pregnant is hitting me with force, and all the what-ifs smack me in the face.

My skin instantly tingles as his hand rests on the small of my back. Just like that, all my worries are gone. With one touch, Bryce has the capability to erase my worries and replace it with desire. Pure sensuous desire.

“I like your dress,” he says softly, leaning down to kiss the side of my head.

“You like all my dresses,” I counter and turn my head to look at him. “Is that why I’m missing my dress pants?”

“Of course.” He winks before we climb into the back of his SUV.

* * *

While Bryce is in a meeting down the hall, I take it upon myself to organize his files. How this man finds anything is beyond me. He has papers in disarray and some aren’t in numerical order. I grab the papers and put the pile in the correct folder. It’s brainless work. I want Bryce to be less stressed out, so hopefully, this’ll help. He wants me to spend the day shopping and going to the spa. As much as I’d like that as well, I enjoy working and earning a paycheck. It’d be so simple to fall into that life of luxury. My mom always said a woman needs to be able to stand on her own two feet and never depend on someone else to breathe for her. I didn’t know what she meant until recently. Thinking about her brings a sadness I haven’t felt in months. I wonder if she’d like Bryce. Or if she’s in Heaven upset because of how dominant he is with her baby girl. I laugh, imagining her in the clouds, flying high and smiling. The pain she felt here isn’t up there with her. Up in the clouds, she feels love, happiness, and life. She’s alive and will always be alive.

“I miss you, Mom,” I whisper and look outside through the glass, hoping I’ll feel her someway or somehow.

Tiffany saunters in, interrupting my organizing. Her smile immediately turns into a scowl when she sees me. This makes me a little happy. I love getting on her nerves. I know it’s immature and childish, but she deserves it from the way she acted toward me.

“Madison. How lovely to see you.” I don’t miss the annoyed tone she’s desperately trying to hide. I’m a woman who can smell fakeness from a mile away. It’s easy to decipher fake versus genuine. Tiffany’s smile is forced—in a thin line, not showing her teeth, and there’s tension all through her body. Yep. She’s not happy to see me. Tiffany has made herself scarce lately, and it’s been nice not seeing her try to get Bryce’s attention. I roll my eyes when I think about it and feel the bile creeping up my throat. I didn’t wonder about her … until now.

“So you’re here. With Bryce.”

“Yes.” All unkind thoughts of what I wish would happen to her cross my mind. There’s a possibility of her falling on her face with those awful looking stilettos since it’s obvious she doesn’t know how to walk properly in them. She reminds me of a baby calf—wobbly, unsteady, and unsure. Or there’s a possibility of her getting food poisoning and staying home with no one to take care of her. If any of my thoughts come to fruition, I’ll feel bad for a millisecond, and then laugh so hard I’ll probably fall over. Seeing her unleashes the bitch inside me. She comes out to play every so often, but I haven’t seen her in a while. My inner bitch is clawing to get out and give Tiffany a piece of my mind.“Tiffany, is there something I can help you with?”

“No.” She crosses the room to Bryce’s desk. “I need the report we saw in California. It’s important for our next meeting.”

California.

His business trip.

Tiffany went.

He never told me.

My body turns numb. I hide my reaction and tell myself not to display any emotion. This is what she wants. She wants to get under my skin the way I get under hers.

“I haven’t seen it.”

She scoffs. “Of course, you wouldn’t. Why would Bryce tell you anything about his company?”

“That’s rude.”

“Anyway, tell Bryce my flight landed early. I have some things to catch up on since he put me to work in California.” I don’t miss her snide tone. “I’ll stop by later.” She pauses and turns to sit on the armrest of the sofa. “I understand you and Bryce are officially together. I’d say congratulations. Only I won’t.”

“I don’t need your congratulations,” I sass.

“And why would you? It would be wasted. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but Bryce isn’t the type of man to settle. You won’t see him coming home every night for dinner and sleeping with you at night. If you think you’re going to get married and have kids, then you’re sorely mistaken. You have no idea what kind of man he is, and soon enough, you’ll find out. Bryce isn’t capable of having one woman in his life. He has several. It keeps his life exciting. Do you honestly think you’ll last?”

I’m holding back my annoyance and anger. There are several words I can spew at her, but if I do, they won’t affect her. She’s toxic. Pure poison and full of jealousy and insecurity. It’d be easy to get up and slap her across the face. I’d have instant satisfaction. It also won’t stop her, though. “Tiffany, I know about Bryce’s past. He’s not that man anymore. He was who he was before, and now, I have the changed man. Honestly, it’s none of your business what we do.” My irritation rises. “Why do you care? Since the day we met, you’ve been a bitch to me, and I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Women like you are after one thing – money. He’s a very wealthy man.”

“Again, not that it’s any of your business, but I get an inheritance when I turn twenty-five. Also, I’ve made several smart investments. As far as money goes, I’m good and can take care of myself.”

She scoffs mildly and crosses her arms over her chest. Her defensive stance isn’t needed. Not wanting her to talk down to me—literally—I get up from where I was sitting and hold my ground. We’re at eye level, and the words I want to say explode from my lips. “Tiffany, I’m going to be real with you. I’m in love with Bryce. He makes me happy, and I make him happy. We’re building a life together. A life of happiness and love. So much love. I love him for who he is, not because of his worth or his business. I’m in love with his heart. His soul. All of him. Nothing you or anyone else can do will make me feel otherwise. I don’t know what I’ve done to you, but this accusation and treating me poorly needs to stop.”

Her eyes bulge as she uncrosses her arms. “You'll never make him happy.”

And then it hits me. “Are you in love with Bryce?”

She remains stoic. The air between us becomes hostile. The question’s out there, and the ball’s in her court. I don’t know how I’ll handle it if the word yes slips from her Botox-injected lips. It makes sense. Her hostility and hate toward me.

“Once upon a time I was,” she begins as I watch her hand play with a silver locket around her neck. “He was my world, but life isn’t fair. My love for Bryce now is strictly friendship.”

My annoyance falters. I know where she’s coming from. As much as I despise Kent, I don’t want anything to happen to him. There’s no love felt toward Kent or even hate. What happened is done, and nothing can change it. The choices Kent made are his alone, and I can’t hold a grudge against him forever. The longer I hold the hate and anger, the more it’ll filter into my life and my relationship, and I can’t have that happen. I won’t do what Tiffany’s doing and become friends with Kent. I don’t ever need to think about him again, and I’ll ignore him if he sees me or tries to contact me. Nothing good can come from seeing or talking to him again.

My tone and stance turn softer. “Please, don’t worry. I won’t hurt him.”

She winces. “And what if he hurts you? Will you be able to handle it?”

I’m about to respond when Bryce walks in and looks at us before turning to Tiffany. I hope he doesn’t yell at her or make her feel bad.

“Is everything okay?”

Wait. What?

He knows I’m standing here. Right in his office. Why isn’t he acknowledging me and my feelings?

“No worries. We’re okay. I’ll see you at two for the meeting with Antonio.”

Bryce nods and watches Tiffany leave. The way he’s staring at her smothers me with fierce jealousy and confusion. Now I know for sure they had a past … a connection. The realization constricts my air, squeezing tightly and refusing to ease the rigidity of the hold. The sheer pain leaves me nearly breathless and about to fall to the floor. I never want to be second in a relationship again. Everything I’ve done to lift myself to this position is slowly crumbling.

Why am I allowing this to happen?

Does Bryce love her?

Am I his rebound?

Picking up my things, I touch his forearm and see the smile on his face. The same smile that brings me to my knees. “I’m going to head out. I have a meeting with a client.”

“Excuse me? I’m the only client.”

I shake my head. “No. You’re not. I’ll, um, see you later.”

I’m moving faster than I have in a while, and it’s challenging with my stilettos and dress, but I need to get out of here. I know he won’t call out to me and follow. There are too many people in the office and several meetings going on with important clients. As soon as the elevator doors close and I’m out of sight, I release a weighty breath and let the tears fall without a care.