Page 53 of Keeping Score

She rolled her eyes.

It was times like this when she felt a million miles away. I couldn’t get inside her head, no matter what I tried. And until she was ready to talk to me, there was nothing I could do but wait.

Patience was a virtue I had in multitudes.

But, unfortunately, digging her heels in was something Maggie had just as much experience with.

I sighed, gesturing to the path in front of us.

“After you,” I said, letting her begin her sprint once more.

I looked up at the sky once, a silent plea to whoever was listening to end both my misery and this hellish jog in a timely manner.

After another twenty minutes of chasing after Maggie, I realized that request would go unanswered.

She cracked sooner than I expected.

But, I guess she had no choice, considering the topic came up by way of text.

CASSIE: What happened last night? Liam won’t talk about it but I can tell it must’ve been really bad.

I frowned down at Maggie’s phone lighting up on the table. She left it there while she showered, always leaving it in my care to make sure it wasn’t someone work-related trying to contact her.

There had been times when she had insisted that I bring the phone in, jet stream and all, so she could continue conducting business even when bathing.

But this?

I’d say it definitely warranted a conversation.

“Mags?” I asked, walking into the bathroom, carrying her phone in my hand like a bomb.

“Mhm?” she responded, voice muffled by the sound of the water stream.

“Did something happen at dinner last night?”

She pulled the curtain back rapidly, her heart-shaped face poking out with wide eyes.

“Why?” she started to ask, before her gaze went to the phone in my hand.

“What happened,” she reached for it, “did Liam text?”

“No,” I said, handing it to her. “Cassie.”

Maggie deflated, before clicking on the text thread with Liam, apparently dismayed at the lack of notifications from it.

Green eyes met mine and she whispered,

“I think I screwed everything up.”

“Maggie,” I groaned, rubbing my temples with such intensity as if I could erase myself from existence.

At least then I wouldn’t be caught between my two favorite people having the family feud of a lifetime.

“I know,” she groaned in return. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“I don’t understand what you were hoping to achieve by bombarding him with the guy he’s proclaimed to hate for as long as I’ve known him.”

“I thought it was a cover-up!” Maggie said. “I didn’t think he actually meant it that literally.”