Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen

Madison looked like someone had just sucker punched her. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. He needed to know if she’d been telling the truth last night.

“Um, I…” She groaned and covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. I never should have said that to you.”

“Is it true? Did you tell your mother you were engaged?”

“My stepmother. And yes,” she mumbled into her hands.

He laughed, and she jerked her head up, glaring at him. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “But…why would you do that?”

“You don’t know my stepmother. She’s impossible, and she got under my skin. It just sort of slipped out.”

“Mm-hmm.” He checked his mirrors then switched lanes.

“Look, I know how ridiculous this whole thing sounds, and I don’t expect you to pretend to be my fiancé. I was drunk last night, and I was babbling.” She shifted in her seat, tucking one leg beneath her. “I really don’t care about my ex anymore, and I don’t care that he’s marrying my cousin. I really don’t.”

Who was she trying to convince of that?

“And I seriously don’t give a shit that my stepmother thinks Will is the greatest thing on the face of the earth. But I do care that she thinks I’m some poor, broke college girl who’s too pathetic to find a man who might actually like me.”

“I like you.” He sliced a look at her and grinned.

She rolled her eyes and slouched against the back of her seat. “Never mind.”

Ryder was certain that was the most she’d ever talked about herself, and disappointment landed hard when she fell silent. He wanted to know more, but he didn’t want to push too hard. Everything inside of him screamed to help her, to pretend to be her fiancé so she could show her stepmother she was capable of finding a man better than that Will guy—and Ryder had zero doubts he was better than Will—but his growing feelings for Madison were very real. Could he really just pretend?

His eyelids felt like they had lead weights hanging from them, and he couldn’t stop yawing. He could’ve sworn he’d been driving for twelve hours straight already, but it had only been two. And at this rate, it was going to be a long day. He was tossing around the idea of stopping around lunchtime, sneaking a quick nap, and then sightseeing for the remainder of the day. He just wasn’t sure he could sit in this car for hours on end.

“That’s like the fiftieth time you’ve yawned in the past ten minutes,” Madison said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”

That was the fourth time she’d offered. The first three he’d politely declined, saying he was fine. But his resolve was wearing thin, and he really did want to close his eyes. “Actually, I think I’m going to stop. Get out and stretch my legs. Maybe grab something to eat.” Neither of them had eaten breakfast this morning before leaving the hotel, and he didn’t know about her, but his stomach was starting to protest.

“Okay, but if you yawn one more time between now and when we stop, I’m driving. No questions asked. And I will fight you for the keys if I have to.”

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. There was a faint smile on her lips, but he knew she wasn’t kidding. “Deal.”

She nodded, satisfied. “Good. So, any idea where you might want to stop tonight?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it.”

But he had thought about their future sleeping arrangements, and there was no way in hell he could survive another night on a hotel room couch. So, from now on, they either got two rooms, or they got one room with two beds. Either way, he needed a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, he was going to be a zombie by the time he made it to Vegas. And his brothers weren’t the types to let him rest.

Fighting back the urge to yawn, he slowed his speed and followed the curved road into the rest stop. The parking lot was jam packed, and it took him a solid ten minutes to find an empty spot. They both used the restroom, then ordered burgers and fries to go. Thirty minutes later, they were back on the road. The food stopped the rumbling in his stomach and woke him up so that he wasn’t yawning every other second. Or maybe it was the caffeine from the Mountain Dew he’d bought.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said. “I was a jerk about the whole fiancé thing.”

“It’s fine.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Forget I even said anything about it. I’ll figure something out.”

He couldn’t forget about it, though. It was all he’d thought about the past couple hours. While he didn’t like the idea of pretending to be her fiancé, he couldn’t shake the thought that it was his way in. If he did this for her, he’d have to spend time with her, meet her family, go to the wedding… It was the perfect opportunity to get closer to her, show her how great they could be together.

Yeah, it was sneaky and dishonest, but wasn’t that the point? If he was going to be her fake fiancé, they’d have to sell the lie, which meant they both needed to play their roles. The idea was growing on him.

“We should play a game or something, you know, to help pass the time,” she said after swallowing a large bite of her turkey burger.

“Like what? The license plate game? Or maybe Punch Bug.” He laughed. “No, wait, I know. We can play a high stakes game of I Spy.”

“Not exactly what I had in mind, smartass.” She tossed her French fry container in the bag and then took a drink of her soda. “Have you ever played Bullshit?”

“The drinking game?”

She shook her head. “You’re thinking of Asshole. This is a different one.”

“Then, no, I’ve never played.”

“Okay, it’s easy.” She tossed her burger wrapper in the bag, then shifted in her seat so she was facing him, tucking one foot under her. “I’ll say something I think might be true about you, and if I’m right, you don’t say anything. If I’m wrong, you call bullshit. Everything has to be phrased as a statement, though. No questions.”

“Sounds easy enough. But what’s the point?”

“Nothing, really.” She shrugged. “It’s just a way to get to know each other.”

He didn’t need to hear anything else. He’d been dying to get to know her better, and she wasn’t exactly the type of woman who liked to talk about herself. Maybe this would help her loosen up.

After a moment, he nodded. “All right, I’ll play along.”

“You were born into money, and you’ve never known what it’s like not to be rich,” she said.

Damn, she came out swinging, didn’t she? He remained silent, his gaze focused on the road. It’s not like his wealth was a huge secret. He didn’t necessarily flaunt it, but this car, his platinum card, the way he didn’t flinch about spending money on the hotel and dinner last night…her statement was a no-brainer, really.

Still, why had she chosen his money as their first topic? He’d bet every last dime of his trust fund that she was appalled by his wealth—everything she’d said and done had led him to that conclusion—but he couldn’t be too careful. He’d never thought his ex-girlfriend, Amy, cared, either. At least, not in the beginning, but then that’s all she cared about. Was Madison the same way? Was she playing him like Amy had? He really didn’t want to believe that. Madison was different. He knew that with every fiber of his being.

“I knew it.” She laughed. “Okay, so now it’s your turn.”

He licked his lips, debating if he should say what was really on his mind, or go with a statement he knew wouldn’t piss her off. But considering she’d brought it up first… “The topic of money makes you uncomfortable, and so do people who have a lot of money.”

Madison averted her gaze and fidgeted with her straw.

Well, that suspicion was confirmed. Not that he was all that surprised by her affirmation, but what he didn’t know was why. It had been his experience in the past that people without money tended to be nicer to those who did. Unless she was wealthy, too. But that didn’t explain the way she’d snapped when he offered to pay for the trip. And per the rules of the game, he wasn’t allowed to ask any of those questions. He’d just save them for another time.

“You’re not used to girls turning you down,” she said with a sly grin.

“Bullshit.” He laughed. “I’ve been rejected my fair share of times, but never as hard and fast as you did.”

Her eyes widened, and she had a look of disbelief on her face. He waited a moment for her to say something snarky, but she didn’t. She grabbed her soda and took a long drink. “Hmm,” was her only response.

“You’re afraid of commitment,” he said.

“Bullshit.”

His eyebrows lifted in genuine surprise. With her non-committal attitude and the carefree way she had about her, he’d have sworn she wasn’t the type to settle down. Husband, kids, white picket fence… He couldn’t imagine that in her future. Although, he’d happily be wrong about that if it meant he could have a relationship with her.

“You’re going to be some hot shot lawyer at a big law firm with aspirations to make partner,” she said.

“Bullshit.” The word slipped past his lips faster than he could think, but he didn’t regret his answer. In fact, it was rather freeing. He’d known for a while now that he didn’t want to be on the track to partner at some big law firm, and the only reason he’d even considered it for as long as he had was because it was his father’s dream for him. But saying it aloud, to someone else, that he didn’t want that life made his choice much more real. Now, all he had to do was figure out a way to tell his father.

“You’re lying,” she said after studying him for a moment.

“Are you calling bullshit on my bullshit?”

“Yeah, I am.” Her tone was a pure challenge. “I think you’re lying.”

He sighed. “Well, you know I’m in the law program, and I am studying to be a lawyer. And when I first started, that was my ultimate goal—to make partner at some huge firm. But lately…” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been considering something different lately, maybe working as a public defender. Or seeing if I can get in with the DA’s office.”

“Wow. That’s really cool. I think you’d be a great public defender.” She pulled her ponytail tighter. “You’ve got a very honest way about you.”

“Is that so?” He smirked, sneaking a glance at her. Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes wide with wonder. He’d give anything to know what was on her mind right now.

“Yup.” She nodded. “It’s your turn again.”

“Okay.” He searched his mind for something to say. There were so many things he wanted to know about her, but he was worried if he asked the wrong thing, she’d end the game and shut him out. But there was one thing he had to know before he allowed himself to fall any harder. “You hate that I have a trust fund. If I didn’t have one, you might actually consider going out with me.”

She had her head down, gaze trained intently on her hands in her lap. Ryder’s heart raced faster than the silent seconds ticking by. So, he’d been right. Madison didn’t give a shit. The implications of that revelation weren’t lost on him.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his hands on the wheel. “Why don’t you care?”

“No questions, remember?” she said, lifting her head to glance at him. An almost smile flirted across her face, then disappeared. “My turn.” She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes in concentration. “You only want me because I keep telling you no.”

“Bullshit,” he said in harsher tone that necessary. She really didn’t think that, did she? Time to find out… “You secretly do want me to pretend to be your fiancé, but you’re afraid if I do, you might realize you actually do want me as a hell of a lot more than just a friend.”

His heart hammered in his chest, and his ears rang as he waited for her to say the one word he didn’t want to hear. But the seconds ticked by into a full minute, and there was nothing but silence between them. Holy. Shit. He jerked his head in her direction.

Their gazes locked.

“Bullshit,” she said.

He narrowed his eyes. She was lying. He knew it clear to his soul and back, but calling her on it wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he kept his mouth shut and simply nodded.

“Please don’t be upset.” Her tone was softer, almost pleading. “You’re a great guy and so nice.”

Nice. That was the kiss of death. Nice guys never got the girl. He was living proof of that.

“But I’m not in a place to have a relationship right now. There’s too much going on,” she said.

“You don’t owe me any explanations. I knew the score when you got into this car with me.” From this point forward, he’d keep his statements neutral and focused solely on her. And if she brought up the fiancé thing again, he’d accept, and then she wouldn’t be able to hide the truth about her feelings for him, because he was certain she had feelings.

She nodded, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. “You’re very determined and know exactly what you want in life.”

He answered her with a smile. His brothers were constantly teasing him about that very thing. So what if he knew what he wanted in life? What was wrong with that? Knowing made it easier to get the things he wanted—except Madison. He wanted her more than he was willing to admit.

“You’re not close with your family,” he said.

Madison shifted in the seat, angling her body away from him and toward the passenger door. “The topic of my family isn’t allowed in this game.” Her tone had gone from playful to pissed, and he was pretty sure the temperature in the car dropped significantly, too.

“Sorry.” He frowned.

“Do you want me to drive so you can try to catch a nap?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks.” He couldn’t sleep now even if he wanted to—and he didn’t. Not anymore.

She reclined the seat and laid back, draping her arm over her face. And just like that, the game was over, and the figurative door had been slammed in his face. All because he’d mentioned her family. He tried to shake the unease from his mind, but it was useless.

He flexed his fingers and then gripped the steering wheel tighter. For someone who wanted to be his friend, she wasn’t very willing to confide in him. He could help her, if she’d let him. But that was a big damn if. Part of him wanted to be angry with her, but the growing feelings of frustration outweighed everything else.

“I’m sorry I upset you,” he said.

With a heavy sigh, she removed her arm from her face and brought the seat upright. “I’m sorry I snapped. It’s just…well, my family isn’t something I like to talk about.”

“Fair enough. I won’t bring it up again.” He knew what it was like to have certain things that he didn’t want to talk about.

“Thank you.”

“So…are we going to finish the game or what?” He grinned. “Unless you don’t want to. I mean, I was winning.”

She laughed and playfully shoved his shoulder. “In your dreams, playa.”

He shook his head, an unwavering smile perched on his lips. “Playa?” He was the furthest thing from a player, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the nickname. Or rather, he liked how it sounded when she said it. Even though things had taken a turn for the worse, at least he’d learned one important thing about her—she was stubborn as hell. And pushing her didn’t get him anywhere.

“I believe it’s your turn,” he said.

She nodded. “You’re an annoying optimist.”

A short laugh escaped him before he could stop it. “Annoying? That’s a little harsh. But the optimist part is right. There’s nothing wrong with having a positive outlook on life, though, just for the record.”

“Mm-hmm.” Then she groaned at the sound of her ringing cell phone. She dug it out of her bag, quickly rejected the call, then turned off her phone, dropping it back into her bag as if it were going to come alive and bite her.

“I suggest we stop for the day,” he said.

“What? Where?” She made a show of looking around. “We’re on the highway.”

“The next exit, wherever it is, we’ll get off the highway, find a place to stay, and then see what we can find to do. But I need to get out of this car, and I’m guessing you do, too.”

Her shoulders relaxed a little. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.”

“I do have them from time to time.”

She rolled her eyes.