Page 25 of I’d Be Honored

Maddie’s pulse raced as the three typing bubbles danced, only to vanish. Once, twice, three times, before the phone finally buzzed with a reply.

Hayley: I didn't have nearly enough wine for that to have been an option.

Maddie: We can certainly change that. Let me take you out for drinks tomorrow night.

Hayley: I'm busy.

Maddie hesitated, first typing out With who? before quickly deleting it. She drew her hands back from the glass, took a deep breath, and tried again.

Maddie: Busy thinking about how you almost kissed me for the second time?

Maddie stared at the glowing screen, waiting patiently for a new gray bubble to appear, but it never did. Minutes ticked by, and she wondered if Hayley had fallen asleep or if Maddie had finally managed to render her speechless. She wasn’t planning on letting Hayley off the hook for either of those almost-kisses, but the small victory of shaking her up a bit finally lulled Maddie to sleep.

——

Maddie woke up again a few hours later, well after sunrise. She’d never needed much sleep. She worked full days on set after a night out and a quick nap. Without lines to memorize or excess liquor sweating from her pores, she was confident she could handle whatever the day would throw at her.

Caitlin looked up from her seat at the kitchen island as Maddie walked in. “Morning Mads.”

“How’d you sleep?” Gemma asked from beside Caitlin, two half-full cups of coffee in front of them.

“Morning. Not the worst night I’ve had.” Maddie pulled a mug from the cabinet. “What about you two?”

“Great,” they chimed in unison, then exchanged a giggling look.

Despite the fact that their bedroom was on the floor above Maddie’s, she had heard unmistakable sounds late in the night while heading into the kitchen for a glass of water. Even if she hadn’t, the morning-after glow on Gemma and Caitlin’s faces would have given away their midnight rendezvous.

“I cannot figure Hayley out,” Maddie blurted, her spoon clinking loudly against the mug as she stirred creamer into her coffee a little too vigorously.

Caitlin and Gemma’s eyes met in silence. Then Gemma sighed.

“Hayley’s had a tough life,” Gemma offered, glancing out the kitchen window. She paused in thought before continuing, unaware of how Maddie was hanging on to her every word. “She had to grow up a lot faster than most of us. She’s been taking care of her dad and brother since she was only fifteen, and it wasn’t easy for her.”

“Why are you asking, though?” Caitlin studied Maddie hesitantly, looking concerned. “Did something happen between you two?”

“No.” Maddie leaned back against the countertop, sipping her coffee. “But it’s not for a lack of trying.”

“Mads…” Gemma’s voice was serious but not unkind. She set her mug down. “You know Hayley’s my best friend, and I love her. But I think it’s for the best if you two just stay in your own lanes.”

“Gem’s right,” Caitlin added. “I told you, Hayley and relationships don’t mix. You’re going to find your person, Mads, I know it. But it’s just not Hayley.”

Maddie let out an exasperated breath. “I just don’t understand why. She’s beautiful—a bit scary, but in a sexy, mysterious way, you know? It’s like she’s stuck in this darkness, though, and I want to pull her out into the light. Does that make any sense?” She wasn’t sure that it did.

“Believe me, it does. I spent the first five years of our friendship trying to get her to see the other side, but ultimately I had to learn to accept Hayley the way she is.” Gemma’s words turned sad. “You aren’t going to change her.”

“I just want to jump in for a second here, Mads, and remind you of what you’ve always told me—you want marriage, a soulmate, right?” Caitlin didn’t wait for an answer. “Well, this isn’t The Proposal, and you aren’t Ryan Reynolds. You’re not going to swoop in and make the ice queen fall in love for the first time.”

Maddie laughed, which she figured had been Caitlin’s goal. The idea of Betty White—may she rest in peace—giving Hayley a “baby-making blanket” almost sent her into hysterics.

Still laughing, Caitlin moved around the kitchen island and reached for Maddie’s hand. “Look, I say this with love. You always try to change women instead of just accepting them for who they are. It’s not your fault, you love a good rom-com with a happy ending. But the right person won’t need to be changed.”

“When have I ever tried to change someone?” Maddie asked, pressing her lips into a thin line as her grip tightened around her mug.

“Well, let’s see. There was that actress, Gina, who told you she would never come out, yet you kept dating her because you thought you could change her mind. Then there was Zoey, who, I guess, technically changed you. You spent months pretending you wanted an open relationship because she said she’d never be monogamous. And then there’s Kim. I don’t think I even need to elaborate, considering you’re still trying to fit that square peg into a round hole.”

Maddie’s mouth hung open slightly.

Well, shit. How had she never realized this about herself?