Page 113 of Keeping Score

She looked so small with her arms crossed over her chest. So helpless. It took everything in me not to step forward and reach for her. To ask her what I could do to erase everything that happened lately and go back to normal.

“Maggie?” I said into the darkness.

Nothing.

“Come on, Maggie.” I sighed. “Let’s just go home.”

At that, her eyes snapped up, fury boiling beneath the surface as she glared at me. My heart accelerated. At least she was looking at me.

“Why would I go anywhere with a guy who spent the night making out with another girl?”

“Hold on, I did not make out—”

“Who was she anyway?” she asked. “Some hockey fan or stalker or something?”

“Her name is Abbey. She’s my—”

“Your ex-girlfriend Abbey?” Her eyes narrowed into terrifying slits.

I fought the urge to gulp. I’d never actually been on the receiving end of one of Maggie’s death stares. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

“Uh,” I scratched my head guiltily. “Yeah… but—”

“Oh, that’s great!” She clapped her hands in mock cheerfulness. “Well, I’m so happy I got to be there for your long-awaited reunion.”

“Maggie,” I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face. “It’s not like that and you know it.”

“So, where’d you go after?” she asked, deadpanning.

“What?”

“If it’s not like that, then I’m sure you just went home after, right?”

I said nothing.

“Right?” she asked again.

“No.” I gritted out. “We all went to dinner with some old friends from high school.”

“We, meaning you and Abbey?”

“Abbey was there… yes.”

“How perfect,” she laughed. “Another high school sweethearts success story. You’d make the perfect Hallmark movie!”

“Maggie, stop.” I grabbed her shoulders. “Listen to me. It’s nothing like what you’re thinking.”

“I don’t care what it’s like,” she lied. “Because it’s none of my business.”

“I’m your business,” I told her, and then made the idiotic motion to lean forward and kiss her.

For one, because half of me thought it would make everything better—show her that there wasn’t anyone else for me. And another because it had been a week and I honestly thought I might die if I had to wait any longer.

For half a second, it worked. She relaxed under my touch, lips moving against mine. For half a second, we were just us again, and everything made sense once more.

And then, because she’s Maggie—stubborn, beautiful, obstinate Maggie—she remembered she was pissed at me and shoved me off of her with the strength that no female her size should have.

After making a dramatic show of wiping the kiss off on her sleeve, she turned her furious expression back toward me.