Page 23 of False Start

The way she listed out those demands made it so hard not to laugh. Her little cheeks were growing redder by the minute, the blush creeping down her neck, too. She could barely look me in the eye when she saidkiss.

“Madelyn,” I said, leveling her with a gaze that I hoped told her she was being ridiculous. I took a tentative step toward her. “Come on. We’re adults, and weusedto be friends. I think we can handle some fake kissing.”

“Absolutely not.”

“No one is going to believe we’re actually together if you won’t let me touch you, least of all your ex.”

She chewed on that, then swallowed and crossed her arms over the binder she still had, crushing it to her chest like a textbook.

It made me flash back to when I was a sophomore and she was a senior, when I saw her walking the halls and had the irresistible urge to hold her hand, to claim her for everyone to see.

“Fine,” she gritted out. “Butminimal, you understand? No tongue.”

“No tongue,” I conceded with a wry grin. “My turn to list a condition.”

“You don’t get conditions. This was your idea, remember?”

“Exactly — which means I get to make some rules, too. And my number one rule?” I cracked my neck. “I don’t want you around Marshall without me there.”

She blinked at me. “You don’t want me aroundthe father of my childwho I co-parent with.”

It was a deadpan statement, not a question.

“Nope.”

“He’s Sebastian’sdad.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” I shot back without hesitation. “Did you hear what I said? Unless I am with you, you’re not to be around him.”

Distantly, I was aware I was overstepping. Madelyn had survived this long without me here to do shit about it. She could handle herself.

But that didn’t stop me from wanting to help her now that I was here.

I watched her digest what I’d said. At first, she looked appalled, like she was about to slap me hard across the face and walk out of this house.

But then, she softened, her chest rising on a deep inhale before she slowly let it go. And that’s when I saw it.

Relief.

It wasreliefin her eyes.

She may have been strong enough to take care of herselfandher son, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like the idea of someone else wanting to protect them, too.

“First of all, do not get the impression that youeverget to tell me what to do,” she said sternly. “Second of all… okay,” she conceded softly. “But I don’t know how that’s going to work out. We trade off at least once a week, sometimes twice.”

“Any time you need me, I’ll be there.”

“What about football?”

“We have a while until camp. Right now, it’s technically off-season. So, like I said,” I repeated, inching toward her with my eyes locked on hers. “Call me, and I’ll be there.”

Madelyn held my gaze for a long pause before she tore her eyes away and nodded.

Her face fell a little then, and she shook her head, eyes falling to her feet. “This means you have to meet Sebastian.”

I couldn’t explain why, but my heart both broke and swelled at the sound of those words. I could tell Madelyn was scared. But I also could feel my own excitement.

I wanted to meet her son.