Page 109 of The Draft

“Protect him from what? Cade’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”

“Scotty told me that you spoke to Cade last night, so I’m sure you understand how incapacitated he was. There was no way he could deal with Sienna on his own. I urgently needed to find out what she knew because there’s a very real chance it could be about his extra-curricular activities.”

He didn’t need to elaborate. I knew what my brother did in his spare time when he thought no one was watching. I also knew that it could get him in huge trouble with the NHL if he was ever found out.

“Did she know anything?”

Dash shook his head. “I don’t think so. She mentioned a couple of names, but that was it. I think she’s still trying to figure out the story, which means Cade and I have time to stop it or find something else for her to focus on.”

I raised my brow, my lips turning up. “That’s an awfully convenient excuse, isn’t it?”

“Madison, think about it for a second. If I was trying to hide something, don’t you think I would have been able to do it? I’ve managed to hide uspretty well.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? That if you were cheating on me, I wouldn’t know because you’re better at hiding it?”

He growled, dropping his head. “What can I do to get you to believe me?”

I thought back to Scotty’s words from last night. He told me to hear Dash out and had essentially vouched for him. Scotty had nothing to gain by asking me to do that, so why was I still reluctant to listen?

“Don’t you get it? You’re the only person in this world that I want to be around. I hate the fact that I didn’t try to date you in high school. I hate that you ever thought dating Henry would make you happy. I hate it that you can so easily flirt with every other guy on campus and not see that it makes me want to kill them. I hate that whenever I look at you, all I want to do is kiss you until you can’t remember your own name.”

Well, that reluctance was starting to fade. Dash’s harsh breaths were all I could hear as he looked around, making sure we were still alone. My mouth dropped, but I didn’t know what to say. That was the most Dash had ever spoken about anything, let alone his feelings, and out in public no less.

“You’re the only reason I broke Henry’s nose. It was all for you because you deserved so much more than him. You deserve more than me, but I’m too selfish to let you go.”

“Why does it feel like you’re going to rip your shirt off and turn green in a minute?” I tried to soften the tension with a joke because I’d never seen him so intense.

“Madison.” It was another growly warning, which seemed to be all he did with me these days. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”

“Yes, but sometimes it feels like we’re not saying anything.” He reached his hands out to touch me, but I took a step back. He sighed, dropping his arms, and seemingly giving up. “Look, I just want to have a conversation with my girlfriend. Alone.”

With pinched lips, I looked at him, confused. “Girlfriend? Thought you didn’t want to do that until you told Cade about us. Which you’ve been too chickenshit to do, might I add.”

“So, we’re having this conversation here? In front of everyone?”

“There’s no one around, Big Man. It’s just you and me.”

“I wasn’t chickenshit. The minute I finished with Sienna—”

I raised my hand and cringed at the mere mention of her name. She made me feel desperate and stupid, and I hated that. “Can we please stop talking about Sienna?”

“Absolutely.” Dash pulled his phone out, showing me a note on his screen. “I’d been planning all the things I was going to say to your brother for weeks. I finally cut it down to a few minutes, and after having a heart-to-heart with Cade, I told him.”

The words took a few minutes to process, but when they did, I yelled, “What?! Youtoldmy brother about us?”

I took a step forward, and for some reason I raised my hand, ready to slap him in the chest, but Dash caught it with ease, holding my hand in the air as he looked down at me. “I thought that’s what you wanted me to do?”

“Yes,beforeSienna.”

Dash growled. “Stop talking about her. She means nothing. When are you going to realize that there is no one else? There never has been. No other girl compares to you because, for some asinine reason, my heart only beats when it sees you smile.”

I shut my mouth, staring at Dash with confusion. “Have you been drinking?” This wasn’t like him. Not at all.

“No.” Dropping our hands to his heart, Dash pulled me closer. “I told Cade about us, but he was so drunk, he’d fallen asleep before he heard it.”

Again, I couldn’t help but feel disappointment at those words. “Why does every part of this story lead to another convenient reason for Cade still not knowing about us?”