The Love Game (The Game #1)(33)
Author: Emma Hart

“You wanna tell me what that was about?” she says softly, handing me a glass of water she must have gotten sometime while I was calming down.

I accept the glass and sip it, looking down. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

“No, I don’t. He’s made sure of that.” I look out the window.

“Who has?”

“My brother.”

“What’s he doing, Mads?”

“He’s coming here. He wants money, and I won’t give it to him. Not anymore.”

“So tell him that when he gets here, and he’ll leave.”

I look at her, almost sadly, because compared to me, she’s led a sheltered life.

“You don’t tell my brother anything, Megs. He’ll do whatever it takes to get the money he needs to feed his habit.”

“His habit? Oh, you mean, drugs?”

I nod.

“Then he can get his own damn money!” She squeezes my hand.

“I wish it was that easy. When I meet him, I’ll have to hand it over. I know I will.”

“You’re going to meet him alone?”

I nod again.

“Hell f**king no!” She explodes, standing up. “Do you hear me, Maddie? Hell. Fucking. No. I don’t wanna know what you mean when you say ‘he’ll do whatever it takes to get the money he needs’ so I ain’t gonna find out! When you meet your brother, you ain’t gonna be alone.”

“Thanks, Meg, but-”

“No goddamn buts!” She shakes her head vehemently. “No buts! I love you, Maddie, and I can see you’re absolutely petrified of him. I don’t know why that is either, but I’m not letting you walk in there alone. If you don’t wanna give him your money, then you damn well don’t, and if he lays one finger on you, Braden will break his legs.”

I sigh, focusing on a spot on the wall behind her. “It’s not that simple-”

“No, it is. The bottom line is I’m not letting you see your brother alone, and if that means you’re not left alone for the next f**king month, then you won’t be alone, do you get that? You’re one of my best friends, and I care about you, and that means you don’t have to do anything alone. Friendship means never having to be alone, it means there’s a constant wall of solidarity even when everything else is crumbling around you. If he’s the crumble in your life, then I’ll be the damn wall!”

Tears spring to my eyes unannounced, and I smile gratefully at her. “Thank you, Megan. Thank you.”

She wraps her arms around me, and I cry silently into her shoulder for five minutes.

Friendship. Never having to be alone.

For the first time since my Mom died, I don’t feel alone.

Chapter Twenty-Eight – Braden

“No, Mom. She’s not a ‘weekend buddy’, as you put it,” I groan into the phone.

“Well Megan told Gloria you were dating, and when Gloria told me this morning over breakfast, I told her that was silly, that my boy isn’t a dating kind of boy. She was adamant though, Braden, that you were dating this Maddie girl.”

“That’s because I am.”

My mom has never been speechless before now. She has an answer for everything, and I guess that’s where I get it from.

“You are?” she shrieks, delighted. “Oh, Braden! Thomas, Thomas! Gloria was right! Braden has a girlfriend!”

I cringe at how high she’s squealing to my father. I hear his baritone voice declaring, “That’s lovely, darling, I’m so happy for him, but could you possibly turn down the strangled cat a notch or two?”

I snort into my fist.

“Oh, what’s she like, Braden? I must meet her. Oh, I’m so happy for you,” Mom babbles.

“Honestly, Mom, I’m dating her, not marrying her.”

“I know, I know, but she’s your first girlfriend!”

“No she isn’t.”

“Yes, darling, she is. You usually just sleep with them, and I know sleeping is all you do. Now, I’ve never been one to get involved in your business because, well, boys will be boys and all that. In fact, your Uncle Calvin was exactly the same when we went to college. Anyway, I’d just love to meet her.”

“I’ve been dating her for like, two weeks. Can you let me, y’know, be with her first?”

“Oh, you mean you haven’t done it yet? Oh, good for her.”

“Mom, not like that!” Kill me. Just f**king shoot me now. “Be in a relationship with her. Let us get to know each other before I introduce her to my family, okay?”

“Oh, well I suppose.” She’s pissed. Oh well. Damn Megan!

“I have to go, Mom,” I lie. “I have to get to class.”

“Of course you do. Now, be good, and make sure you use protection. I’m happy for you, Braden, but not that happy, do you understand?”

“Yes, Mom.” I grit my teeth. “Goodbye, Mom.”

“Goodbye, Braden.”

I put the phone down and sigh. Good god, I love my mom, but she’s a f**kin’ nightmare sometimes. Not to mention embarrassing. Really embarrassing.

I shake my head and glance out the window. Being directly opposite the main campus, I can see people coming and going. A fire-red head next to a blonde one catch my eye as they leave the gates, and I grin. I jump up onto my bed and push the window open, putting my fingers into my mouth and whistling loudly.

Maddie jumps, and Megan gives a perfunctory look over her shoulder, notices me, and gives me the finger. I laugh, return the gesture, and Maddie looks up at me smiling. She waves and I wink at her, blowing her a kiss. She laughs and shakes her head. She turns away, and they head towards Starbucks.

Damn Starbucks. The one near campus probably remains open on Maddie and Megan’s money alone.

I grab the remote from the side and flick the TV on, reaching out with my leg to press the Xbox’s start up button with my toe. I don’t have a class for two hours…. I might as well put it to good use and get some practice in killing zombies.

Chapter Twenty-Nine – Maddie

If Pearce was telling me the truth, I should see him at some point today.

I don’t think it’ll be quite the brother-sister reunion he was hoping for.

Since Megan explained the situation to the girls – and I think she also told Braden, even if she won’t admit it – I’m constantly surrounded. If there isn’t Megan at my side, Kay is, or Braden, or Lila. Even Ryan walked me to class. That was creepy.

My body is warring with itself. My gut tells me that Pearce will be here while my head tells me it’s not possible. After all, if he has the money to travel across the country, he has it to pay off his debts. Right? Not in his eyes. As much as I want to ignore it, I know he’ll show.

I fidget all the way through my classes. I barely listen to anything any of the professors say, and even Braden doesn’t joke his way through English like usual. He spends the hour running his fingers through my hair. Strangely, it relaxes me. A little. Sort of.