Read Masquerade for Free Online Page B

that in Maddox too.
    “You’re staring at me.” His voice is calm, even, like it doesn’t really matter to him one way or the other.
    “So?”
    My reply seems to unbalance him, but he recovers quickly. “You’re looking at me like you want a replay of our first night. If you don’t stop, I’ll be watching you the same way and that’s something neither of us wants.”
    A shiver runs the length of me, but I don’t try to hold it back. I might not get with him again, but I’m not usually one who holds back on what I feel physically. What’s the point? It’s who I am regardless of if I’m Bee, Leila, or Coral. I’ve fought hard to make sure I know that.
    “Unfortunately, you’re right.” Leaning back in the chair, I cross my arms as Maddox looks at me. “What?”
    “I didn’t think you’d admit it.”
    “Why not? It’s true.”
    “Just because something’s true doesn’t mean people are honest about it.”
    I nod. He’s right about that. “There’s a lot of stuff we can’t change. A lot people keep in. I just…” I shrug. “There’s certain traits about me that are the way they are. Most of them I feel shitty about, so the ones I don’t… it seems ridiculous to hide those.”
It’s too much to
hide
all the time
.
    Maddox’s eyes concentrate on me hard. There’s a tick in his jaw, but he doesn’t look angry. More curious and I don’t want him or anyone else trying to figure me out. Who knows if he’ll ask me anything or not. Mostly I don’t think so because it doesn’t fit with the quiet guy he is, but I’m also not risking it.
    “That’s enough about that.” I push to my feet. “I’m getting antsy.”
    Maddox gets up right behind me and walks out the door.
What the fuck?
Did I miss something here? It’s only a few seconds later that he comes back inside and I feel my body relax. Why I was so tense over him walking out, I don’t know and honestly I don’t like it.
    Without a word, Maddox hands me a piece of paper. When I turn it over, I see it’s a flyer with the same picture on it as my sign outside the door.
    “You made this?” I don’t know why it shocks me. Actually I do. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do something like this.
    “If I want to learn, we need business. It only makes sense.”
    Ah, so there’s the why. “You did this freehand from memory?”
    “It’s important.”
    “I gave some out before I opened.” I don’t admit that his looks better.
    “I’ll give some out at Lunar. My little sister is a waitress. She can maybe sneak and put them on cars at work or something. Laney and a couple of her friends go to the college. I’m sure they can hook us up with some people too.”
    It’s on the tip of my tongue to mention something about his little sister not really being “little.” They can’t be far apart in age, but then I remember I’m not supposed to know about her. And really, her age doesn’t matter. I’m only trying to distract myself from the fact that he put a lot of thought into this. Yeah it helps him, too, but it still means something to me.
    “That’d be cool.”
    “I’ll grab the rest of the flyers, then. We can each take some. I also thought it would help to have some specials. Did you do anything when you opened? I have a few ideas that—”
    “Whoa.” He’s throwing so many ideas at me I’m getting dizzy. All I can think is he’s trying to take over. He doesn’t think I can do it. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. What’s all this ‘we’ stuff? Masquerade is mine, Scratch. I don’t need you telling me how to run it.”
    Maddox steps back, emotions flashing through his eyes that I don’t understand. I cringe, guilt layering my annoyance.
    “Keep the flyer,” he grits out before heading toward the door. It would be the smartest thing in the world for me to let him leave, but the paper in my hand makes the guilt burn brighter.
    A voice in my head keeps telling me to apologize, but what comes out is,