DECLAN: I never wanted things to end up like this.
MADDIE: Neither did she. But it’s not my place to speak for her. Hey, so if you need someone else to go to the wedding with you and pretend to be your GF, I am available!!! LOLOL.
DECLAN: You’re a great kid, Piper. One day, some guy will be lucky to have you. When you’re twenty-five or so.
MADDIE: Maybe by then I’ll have boobs.
DECLAN: I cannot comfortably respond to that, sorry. But you’re great no matter what.
MADDIE: Well anyway. Maybe you should try her again tomorrow. Give her some time to cool down. Give yourself some time to cool down too?
DECLAN: You’re very wise. Except I have to go to Cleveland to be with my brother tomorrow morning. But I’ll try calling or texting.
MADDIE: Okay. And also, if Eddie needs a date let him know that I’m available too LOLOL JK but not really.
DECLAN: You got it. Take care. Don’t forget to delete this conversation.
MADDIE: I’ll do it now. See you later. I hope.
DECLAN: I hope so too. Have a happy new year.
MADDIE: <red heart emoji>
Thirty-Three
Declan
THE WORST MAN HOLIDAY
Everything in this suite at the Cleveland Ritz-Carlton is mocking me. The king-size bed that Maddie won’t be in when I return tonight. The view that I can’t look out at with her. The orchids that I know she’d love. I could be pleasuring Maddie Cooper under the rainforest shower head right now. Instead, I’m Googling “what to eat before drinking alcohol” and trying to order bananas, salmon, eggs, sweet potatoes, and hummus from in-room dining before Billy Boston and Irish Nolan show up to kidnap me.
“I have no idea what Korean pear juice tastes like,” I tell the moron on the other end of the line. It’s not his fault that I didn’t feel like eating on the plane. However, it is definitely his fault that the kitchen doesn’t stock Korean pear juice. “But I’m pretty sure that apple juice is not a comparable substitute. If drinking apple juice could prevent a hangover, then I’m pretty sure they’d just say that in the article, Raymond. Let me speak to your supervisor—you know what, never mind. I don’t want any of it. Cancel my order. This is horse shit.” I hang up the hotel phone, cursing Raymond, my life, the world, tomorrow’s inevitable hangover, and every single thing I said to Maddie in my office yesterday.
I don’t know why it hadn’t even occurred to me that she’d want to quit for any reason other than hating my guts. So as soon as she brought it up, my brain just shut down. I was already in defense-mode, but all I could do was think about how shitty my life would be if she weren’t my assistant anymore. I didn’t even have time to think about what it would be like if she isn’t in it the way she had been since the 23rd. For a guy who prides himself on saying all the right things at the right time, I totally shit the bed.
All I needed to do was listen to what she was saying and tell her how I felt, but I didn’t.
I threw myself into work for a couple of hours after she left, because that’s what I do. But once I’d blasted through everything, and the dust settled, I finally heard what she’d said. I finally heard what I’d actually said and realized five important things. One: I suck at relationships. Two: What she said about Hannah and me stung because she was right. Three: I can’t function without Maddie in my life. Four: I will do whatever it takes to let Maddie know how much she means to me. Five: I also have an obligation to my brother and my entire family to be here for this wedding, and the timing sucks almost as much as I do.
I can damage control almost any corporate nightmare that any idiot can throw my way, but apparently I’m still a novice at cleaning up my own messes. None of this is news to me—I knew I’d fuck things up with Maddie eventually. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. I honestly didn’t expect to fall for her as hard as I did. And I certainly didn’t expect her to feel anything other than lust for me either.
I reach for my cell phone, which has been charging ever since I got to the room. I can’t believe I’m taking advice from a thirteen-year-old girl, but Piper probably knows more about Maddie than I do. I intend to change that of course, but hopefully she was right about Maddie only needing a day or so to cool down.
Just as I’m opening up my phone app, I get a call from my sister.
“Hey, Case. Can I call you right back?”
“No. What kind of asshole answers the phone like that? You at the hotel?”
“Yes. What kind of asshat won’t let someone call them back?”
“You know what—I wasn’t even calling for you. I need to talk to Maddie.”
“Why?”
“We forgot to invite her to our spa day while you guys are out stirring up trouble. And by the way—keep your eye on my husband. If he gets anywhere near another woman today, I will castrate all of you.”
“That’s a pretty picture. I don’t think you have anything to worry about—have you not seen Aiden’s itinerary? The first stop on the party bus ride from hell is a Dave & Buster’s.”
“Yeah, you know how much respect Billy and Nolan have for Aiden’s itinerary? About as much respect as they have for your liver. Good luck not puking your brains out. Put Maddie on.”
What to say, what to say, what to say…
“Maddie isn’t here, actually…yet.”
Fuck you, optimism.
“What do you mean?”
“She had a minor family emergency to attend to, but she’ll try to make it to the wedding. Probably. We’ll see.”
“Dec…”
“What? What am I supposed to do—not let her deal with
