Page 119 of Ravaged For You

“You could say goodbye. You could say that I meant – mean – something to you. Do I mean something to you?”

The man just shrugs again. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, Maddie. We did a business transaction. Now it’s over. Done.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

My hands curl into fists. I want to cry and lash out at the man in unison.

But instead, I raise my chin in his direction and direct all my anger at that smug, arrogant, gorgeous face of his.

“You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

The words come flying out of my mouth. I can’t take them back now, nor do I want to.

I simply spin around on the spot and march out of there.

I hear him call my name behind me. Once. Twice.

But I don’t care.

I’m out of that world. That fake bullshit rockstar world.

Forever.

52

AXEL

Maddie is gone.

That’s it?

Yep. It’s over. All done.

And I am the asshole?

Give me a fucking break.

I’m surrounded by people here backstage at the talk show. Producers and crew and production runners all swarming around me like busy bees.

And yet I feel totally alone in this crowd of people.

Before I even have a moment to process the girl that I’ve just spent weeks getting to know intimately walking away from me for the last time, my mother appears by my side in that silent, graceful way of hers.

“You know I love you, Axel, but you’re an idiot if you let that woman go.”

I sigh. Mom is the last person I want to talk to right now. Especially about Maddie. I can already sense there’s an argument or, even worse, a lecture brewing in the air.

“She left of her own free accord,” I reply bluntly.

That’s not enough for Mom.

“Did she?”

I bristle at my mom’s passive aggressiveness. She knows how to make me squirm.

“She’s got my money,” I retort. “She isn’t sticking around. This is her own choice.”