Page 51 of Real Forever
“Jesus Christ. Sorry. What the hell’s your problem, Laur? I know you have a lot going on right now, but it’s not my fault.”
Lauren slumped on to the edge of the bed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry, Mads. I know none of this is your fault. But honestly, I don’t think it’s fair that I always have to be the strong one. The one keeping it together. Or whatever. I’d like to take a turn falling apart once in a while too.”
Lauren’s words hit Madison square in the gut.
“Lauren… I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt like that.” She pulled her hands into her hoodie sleeves and shifted her weight. “But you’re right. You have always been there for me, and I never meant to take advantage of it.” She stood up and walked around to the foot of the bed, pushing aside the laundry to sit beside Lauren. “I love you and I have got your back. One hundred percent. No matter what.”
Lauren dipped her head into her hands and began to cry, leaning into Madison’s shoulder. “I know you do, Mads.”
Shit.Madison had come in here to tell Lauren about how she and Jake had been working together to help her out of the jam she was in with NorAsana, and about the letter from the lawyer, but now it didn’t seem like the right time.Or is it the perfect time? Maybe it’ll be a weight off her back?
“Well, ahh, actually I think I have found a way to help you out. At least a little.”
Lauren sat up and sniffled, wiping her nose along the sleeve of her fluffy fleece robe. “What do you mean?”
“Okay, so, you might kind of be a tiny bit mad at first,” Lauren’s jaw clenched, and Madison raised her hands, “but hear me out. So, I felt horrible about the whole NorAsana thing, and I wanted to help. It’s kind of a long story, but Jake actually offered to help me and—”
Lauren raised her hand. “Sorry, Jake? Jake, who? Wait, is this the same ‘Jakey’ person from the other night?”
Madison winced. “Yeah, the same. It’s, ahh, it’s Jake Murphy.”
Lauren flew to her feet. “Jake Murphy? Like Jake Murphy, my trustee? What the fuck, Madison?”
Madison turtled into her hoodie. “I know.” She peeked back out. “But, I promise, it’s not as bad as it sounds. He’s actually really nice and a super cool guy and so smart and he’s been such a big help and—”
“Oh my god.” The cogs in Lauren’s brain chinked into position, making sense of the entire situation. “Oh my fucking god You’re fucking my fucking trustee?” Lauren was fuming.
Madison stood and took Lauren’s wrist as she tried to storm out of the room. “Whoa. Laur, chill out. It’s not like that.” Lauren whipped back around with a hand on her hip and a distrustful glare on her tilted face. “We were only talking to figure out this NorAsana shit. Jake hates those guys as much as we do, and he thought he could help. And he did.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lauren, Jake found this law, this implied warranty law or something. And he talked to his lawyer friend from university, and he said he thinks it should force NorAsana to refund you for all the leggings you can’t sell because they’re damaged.”
Lauren seemed skeptical.
“He even wrote a letter for you. And he can send it to NorAsana for you and those fuckers will have to take all that shit back.”
“Huh.” Lauren sat back down and Madison sat back down beside her. “Okay, so, you went to Jake and asked him for help—”
“Well, not exactly. We sort of bumped into each other.”
Lauren drummed her fingertips across her bottom lip. “Madison, this is huge. If they take back all those leggings… it’s like several thousand dollars of debt.”
Madison grinned hopefully, cautiously at Lauren.
Lauren chuckled and wrapped her arms around Madison. “That was incredibly stupid, Mads. But thank you. Thank you so, so, so much.”
Madison sighed with relief and returned Lauren’s squeeze.
“Wait,” Lauren pulled back so she could see Madison’s face. “That doesn’t explain why Maisie met him or was calling him ‘Jakey’?”
Fuck.
“Right. Well, he was with me when you needed me to rush home to watch Maisie. So he came in for a while.” There was a silent beat while Madison waited to see how Lauren would respond.
She nodded her head slowly. “So you are fucking my trustee.”
Madison nodded back. “I am fucking your trustee.”
