Page 111 of Madden

Trey holds his hands up and backs away, always trying to steer clear of the drama. Ivy and Kyla exchange concerned glances before Brix shrugs, shaking his head.

“Does someone want to spit it out, or are you gonna play stupid all night? Should I pretend to shut the door and let you finish?”

“Brielle,” Kyla says on an exhale. I still at the sound of her name. “We were talkin’ about Brielle, okay?”

They all study my face, waiting for the reaction they believe will soon follow.

“You remember the email I told you I got from Hollywood Tea wanting to share a story about what happened with Hanna?” Kyla continues.

Yeah, I remember. They asked if we wanted to review a story they were running about how Hanna was behind the break-in and how the pregnancy claims were all a setup.

When have they ever given us a heads-up before?

Never.

“What about it?”

Kyla swallows, flashing her eyes over to Ivy. “Brielle wasn’t trying to hurt you when she reached out to Hollywood Tea, Madden. I understand how it looks, and I get why you were upset, but she wasn’t doing it for reasons, you think.”

My brows knit together and Kyla adds, “She was the one who gave them the story to print. She was trying to clear your name.”

She pulls her phone out of her pocket and presses play. The muffled audio is hard to hear, but I'd know that conversation anywhere.

It’s the same one we heard when Abel recovered the footage.

“How’d she get the recording of them in the kitchen saying the baby’s not mine?” My brows deepen, shaking my head in confusion. “We saw the recording. She was unconscious on the floor.”

It’s not making any sense. Why didn’t she tell me before?

“She didn’t realize it at the time, Madden, but her smartwatch recorded a voice memo. She’s had it this entire time.”

She was trying to help me by reaching out to Hollywood Tea, and she knows the baby isn’t mine?

“Madden, you need to go talk to her,” Ivy says, squeezing my forearm. “She was doing what any of us would’ve done, if we had the connections and thought it would help.”

I push past Brix to pace back and forth across the room. Kyla chews on her lip, and I can see the worry on Ivy’s face. I drag my hand through my hair, tugging on the strands.

How could I think she’d ever hurt me?

How could I ruin the one good thing in my life that was all mine?

“I need to go see her. I need to talk to her before it’s too late.”

***

The temperature has dropped since we pulled into town, and the sun has disappeared into the horizon.

I lean against the brick building outside Brielle’s apartment, tilting my head to stare into the dark night amongst the tall buildings and skyscrapers making up downtown.

Each time someone shuffles down the sidewalk or another car drives past, I hold my breath in hopes it’s her.

Every time I’ve been left disappointed.

I tried going inside to talk to her doorman, who reassured me she hasn’t returned home for the evening. For all I know, she could be out of town or have other plans for the night. Who knows when she’ll be home.

I don’t care. If I have to, I’ll wait here all night.

What if she’s on a date?