At noon, the doorbell rang.
Tyler was on our porch.
“Is Maddie here?”
“Yes.”
“Can I talk to her?”
Every instinct told me to say no.
Instead, I called her.
Maddie stopped halfway down the stairs when she saw him.
“Can we talk?” Tyler asked.
She came down.
Mark appeared in the living room but stayed back.
Tyler glanced between us.
“It was just a stupid fight,” he said. “I said something I shouldn’t have.”
Maddie’s face remained still.
“You told Eli to deal with me.”
Tyler froze.
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“You wrote it.”
“I was mad.”
“You went back inside.”
“I knew Eli would get you home.”
“I wasn’t asking for a ride.”
“Maddie, I was giving you space.”
“You told everybody I freaked out.”
“I didn’t tell everybody.”
“Eli knew.”
“Because he asked.”
“Why would he ask?”
Tyler sighed.
“Maddie, come on. You were crying outside because I talked to another girl.”
“No.”
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“That’s what happened.”
“No, Tyler. I was crying because you told me your parents basically picked me for you.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You said they kept telling you to ask me because you knew I’d say yes.”
“I was angry.”
