Make Me Bad (Page 41)

Don’t be stupid?

“I’m not, just—here, let me have your gun for a second.”

He laughs and the sound is so shocking that I blink, my rage-filled cloud starting to dissipate.

“Jesus. Remind me not to piss you off,” Colten says, shaking his head.

I chuckle, just once, but it feels good. Oh shit. Oh fucking shit. I was so close to walking into that bar and doing something stupid. My adrenaline was already pumping. My heart was prepping me for the fight. I wasn’t even thinking.

I lean forward, drop my hands to my knees, and laugh. I’m near tears. I think I’m delirious with relief. I really didn’t want to have to go in there and face Mac. I had no plan. I sort of hoped he’d feel bad for the whole talking-shit-about-my-mom thing and getting me arrested, bad enough that maybe he’d be willing to give me information about his friend here.

All in all, I was going to end tonight with another black eye, at least.

“So…what are you doing here?” Colten asks again. “I take it you’re not just here for a drink.”

I stand back up and face him. “Turns out, the same thing you are.”

He furrows his brow.

I shrug. “After your dad said there wasn’t much hope of solving the case, I thought I’d take matters into my own hands. So you got him?”

Colten nods. “We’ve been looking into people who might have had a motive for hurting Madison. Turns out, I arrested this guy’s brother a year ago on a grand theft auto charge.” He tilts his head toward the cruiser. “He thought he’d get revenge by scaring Madison, but then he bragged about it to some friends, friends who had no problem throwing him under the bus when we pushed them on it. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”

Any ill will I might have harbored toward Colten is gone, just like that, with the snap of a finger. He just made sure Madison won’t get hurt again. He’s arresting the guy. I kind of want to high-five him, but I don’t get the feeling that we’re there yet.

“If you’d shown up and we weren’t here,” Colten continues, eyes narrowing on me. “What were you going to do? Just march in there and—what? Shout out to the bar and ask if anyone’s held up a girl at gunpoint lately?”

I smirk. “Basically.”

He laughs then. “Idiot.”

I shrug. “I love her. What would you do if you were me?”

His laughter dies suddenly and, much the way his dad looked at me outside her apartment, Colten assesses me like he doesn’t quite recognize me.

Then he nods, a look of resigned understanding on his face. “Yeah. I guess I’d have done the same thing.”

His partner calls out to him, asking how long he’ll be. Colten holds up his hand before turning back to me.

“Listen, about the other day at your office…the stuff I said to you…”

I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

I know all the wrongs haven’t been rewritten for us. We still have a long way to go, but I don’t need him to apologize for looking out for Madison. If I had a sister, I know I’d act the same way.

I hold out my hand and he shakes it. Before he walks away, I continue, “Hey, I’m not sure what time your shift ends, but Andy’s birthday is tonight. He’s having a few people over to his house for a party.”

Meanwhile, said birthday boy is still sitting in my car, safe and sound with the doors locked. When we look over, he waves excitedly.

Colten nods, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see. This’ll take a while.”

“Do you want me to tell everyone you beat the guy up and then the police had to pull you off him?”

“No.”

“Okay. I’ll just say you had a knife and you were waving it around like a wild man.”

“Andy.”

“You’re right—no weapons. Instead, you unlaced your shoes and tied his hands behind his back with the laces. The police commended you for your hard work. Hometown hero, they called you. On Monday, you’re being presented with a medal.”

We’re in my car, at DQ, drinking milkshakes. Andy’s party has already started, but he said he was so “shaken up” from the events of the last hour that he needed to cool off. I remind him that we didn’t actually do anything.

“We were close to doing something, and that fear was real, my friend. I was worried I was going to have a little accident and ruin your nice leather seat here. You going to finish that?” he asks, grabbing for my half-finished milkshake.

“No.”

“Cool.”

“Happy birthday,” I say with a smile.

“Thanks. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to tell Arianna I helped the police detain him. She beat me at foosball the other day and I’m still trying to regain some ground in the manly man department.”

I smirk, leaning back against the headrest. “Andy, have you ever thought that maybe you’re not a manly man? You’re wearing a pink gingham shirt.”

He looks down and runs his hand across the button-down. “Arianna says it brings out my eyes.”

His eyes are brown. I don’t tell him she’s full of it.

“Ready to go to your party?”

“Give me another ten,” he says, sucking down the frozen chocolate treat. “I want to make an entrance. Think word will have spread about our good deed yet? I really want people to clap when I walk in.”

I don’t have the heart to burst his bubble.

If pressed, I’ll lie and tell Arianna he saved the day. It is his birthday after all.

21

Madison

Ben lied.

First, when he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. Second, when he told me he’d be on time for this party.

I’ve been at Andy’s house for half an hour now and Ben still hasn’t showed. Andy isn’t here either.

“Bet they went to a strip club,” someone jokes. A group of people snicker near the drink table and I pour myself an extra inch of wine before heading right back to where Kevin and Eli are sitting with Arianna.

She’s madder than I am. Apparently, Andy just disappeared too. We have no idea where they ran off to.

“I planned this whole freaking party for him and then he bails? I’m about to pop all these balloons and kick everyone out.”

I hand her the extra glass of wine I poured. Honestly, I was going to double-fist it, but she needs it more than I do.

“If it helps, you look really pretty.”

She’s wearing a leather miniskirt. Combined with her short blonde hair, she looks like a kickass Tinkerbell.

She offers a small smile as she accepts the wine. “Thanks.”

There are a ton of people here, cool kids, people I recognize from around town, and people who would have paid me absolutely no attention before I started dating Ben. It’s not like we’ve announced our relationship on a billboard or anything, but we didn’t have to. Ben is…Ben. Everything he does is newsworthy in this town, and I suppose I’m just as intriguing now too.

“…what designer is she wearing…”

Ah, yes, the illustrious TJ Maxx.

“…do you think she got those shoes in Paris…”

I’ve had them for three years. I honestly think they just appeared in the back of my closet one day.

“…she really is pretty, but maybe it’s just the makeup? Do you think she’s had some work done…”

Do people not realize their voices carry?!

I get it, though. They’re all curious about how the dopey librarian won over the unattainable king of Clifton Cove.

When I find out, I’ll be sure to let them know.

I take another hefty sip of wine as a cute guy cuts through the crowd and makes his way over to us. His shaggy blond hair makes him boyishly handsome. I don’t recognize him immediately, which is rare for Clifton Cove.

“Hey sis, is the beer in the fridge free game or—”

His question is cut off by the tell-tale sound of glass shattering somewhere in the house.

Arianna groans and jumps to her feet, running toward the noise. I hear her murmuring obscenities under her breath as she goes. Andy better get here soon or she’s going to lose it.

I meet her brother’s gaze and shrug, holding back a laugh. This whole night is truly a bust. Where the hell are those guys?

“Guess that’s a no on the beer,” her brother says, scratching the back of his head.

I stand up, taking pity on the guy. “C’mon, there are some coolers out back—I’m pretty sure that’s where the beer is.”

He holds open the door to the patio and I point him in the right direction. I’m about to go back inside when his hand juts out in greeting. “I’m Pete, by the way.”

I smile. “Madison.”

He nods and reaches for a beer. “Want one? I saw you double-fisting earlier.”

“Oh, yeah, about that…”

I could have sworn no one was watching me.

He laughs and breaks the awkward moment. “I’m kidding.”

Now that he has his beer, he should leave me alone, but he doesn’t. I’m wearing the jeans from my “bad girl” day at the bowling alley. They hug my butt. I had a cardigan on over my silky white tank top, but with all the people crammed inside, I got hot. Now, I feel like I should probably run back and get it.