You Could've Gotten Us Killed!

Calla's POV

I got cleaned up but I just couldn't stop screaming internally over the pee incident. Madden had gone out to make a call and I sighed out. A lot of Isadora's memories were overwhelming and terrible. It's even hard to adjust to her body.

Thanks to her, I know a lot of shits. It's like my mind has been tainted with evil. And every nurse looks at me with dread. Damn.

The door creaked open again and I tensed, half-expecting another nurse with judgmental eyes and a mop bucket.

Instead, a woman with tear-bright eyes and arms flailing like she’d just seen a ghost, literally ran in.

“Oh my God, Isa! You're awake?” The woman gasped, half-sobbing already. “You actually woke up! I told them you would! I told them! You stubborn little devil! You've been in a coma for five days!!”

Five days??

I blinked. Who...?

Then the name burst out of my mouth in memory before I could stop it: “Nyla?” i Know her – or should I say, Isadora knew her.

The woman lit up like a chandelier, rushing over, nearly tripping on her own heels. “You remember me?! Oh my God, girl—I was so scared. You have no idea what it was like watching you lie there like some wax statue! I brought candles, rose quartz, I even prayed! Me. Prayed! I was ready to call a witch!”

I tried to smile, overwhelmed. Nyla was... a lot. Warm, chaotic, weepy and sweet. How shocking. I expected all Isadora's friends to be mean bitches. And to be frank, this woman looked too serene– not exotic to be with someone like Isadora.

“I—I’m still a bit out of it,” I murmured, “but I know you.”

Nyla sniffled, pressing her hand gently over mine. “Of course you do. I’m your emotional support flamingo. Who else would cry for you and look good doing it?”

I laughed heartily. And as I did , came flashes—dim and flickering—of Isadora’s life. Laughter around wine glasses with her three besties. A beach house with Davina’s loud voice calling for cocktails. Kassandra painting Isadora’s nails dark green while sucking a cigarette and talking about weird kinks.

Nyla. Davina. Kassandra. Her three besties.

Three women who had seen Isadora at her worst—and sometimes were the worst with her.

“You’re really here,” Nyla whispered, tears returning as she brushed her fingers under my eye. “We all thought—well, Madden acted like he didn’t care, but we know how he is. You shook him up, Isa. He stayed. Every day and it's hilarious. He keeps dreaming.”

That shouldn’t have made my stomach twist. But it did.

Before I could respond, the door swung open again. This time with a quiet authority that made the air shift.

Madden walked in and goodness, he was broad-shouldered and dangerously composed. He stepped in like he owned the ground he walked on, eyes flicking briefly to me, then settling on Nyla with a soft grin.

“Hey. You made it,” he said, softly.

Nyla stood, smoothing her skirt, cheeks instantly blooming pink. “Yeah... I couldn't stay away.”

“Good.” He reached out and gently touched her arm. “Thanks for being here.”

I blinked.

What?

Nyla practically melted under his touch. Her lashes fluttered like a teenager’s. She giggled? What's going on between these two??

My mouth went dry. I watched the exchange with a slow, growing sense of confusion—and something hotter, darker—twisting beneath my ribs.

Do they have a thing?

Madden looked relaxed and almost warm with her. It was subtle, but the way he stood a little closer, the way Nyla leaned in, biting her bottom lip, twisting her fingers—

Oh. Hell. No.

I stared, baffled. Nyla was supposed to be the emotional one. The soft, loyal best friend. The one who held your hair back after wine and heartbreak. Not the one who blushed like a schoolgirl around your husband, right?

Husband.. he's not even mine in the first place, so why should I care? Isadora didn't care and my job is just to fix their marriage at least until I get my revenge on that asshole, Lucas and his dumb ass wife.

Madden turned to me, finally– and I don't know why it made my heart flutter.“Come on. Time to get you discharged. You’ll be staying at the penthouse for now. Doctor’s orders. And you're not supposed to work or involve yourself in business matters, your manager will do that for the meantime.”

Nyla blinked. “Oh! You’re taking her home?”

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “She’s still my wife.”

My heart stopped and so did Nyla’s smile.

And in that moment, something cold and sharp began forming in my gut.

**

The silence in the car was stifling.

Madden hadn’t said a word since we left the hospital. He drove with one hand on the wheel and the other resting near the gear, fingers flexing, like something was bothering him. Or maybe I was bothering him.

Fine. Whatever.

But my stomach didn’t care about his mood. It growled—loudly. Embarrassingly. Twice and everytime my face burned.

I pressed a hand to it. “Okay, I know you heard that.”

Madden glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I did.”

“You’re not going to ask if I’m hungry?”

“No,” he said flatly. “You’ll survive till we get home.”

I stared at him. “Wow. Chivalry really is dead.”

He didn’t respond, he just kept driving gluing the cold look on.

I looked out the window as city lights blurred past. My eyes caught on a glowing red sign across the street.

Gino’s Smokehouse.

Barbecue. Burgers. Wings. Smothered things!!!

Jesus!

My stomach rumbled again.

I used to hate that stuff. In my old body, I wouldn’t touch anything that's not vegetarian.

But now?

I didn’t just want it. I needed it. Oh goodness, I'm craving some spicy chicken meat! Shit!

“Hey,” I said, pointing. “That place. Pull over.”

Madden didn’t even slow down. “No.”

“No?”

“No. We’re going home. You need rest.”

“I need food. That’s food, Madden. Human food. Not IV drips and apple slices. Madden, please. I'm so fucking hungry.” I groaned, gluing my eyes to the building.

He shot me a look. “We have food at home.”

“Oh my God, are you really pulling the we have food at home line right now? What am I, your toddler?”

“I don’t care what you are, Isadora,” he snapped. “I’m not stopping.”

Something inside me snapped too. Without thinking, I reached for the wheel. “Fine! If you won’t stop, I will.”

“Isa—!” Madden grunted as I struggled with the wheel with him. Unfortunately, I don't know what I'm doing and the car swerved hard as I pulled. Horns blared and tires screeched as the car nearly collided with another.

And then we slammed into a parked car with a loud, metallic crunch. The world jolted crazily and my shoulder slammed into the door. The airbags didn’t go off, but Madden cursed violently beside me.

But my eyes were already wide, locked on the sign we had crashed beneath:

Gino’s Smokehouse!

“Thank God,” I breathed, smiling with relief.

“You're smiling? Are you out of your fucking mind?" Madden shouted beside me but I didn't care.

I shoved the door open and leapt out, heart racing triumphantly. I was barefooted but that's certainly the least of my problems.

“Isadora!!” Madden yelled, slamming his door. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?!”

I didn’t even turn around. “To eat! You’re welcome to join me, or you can keep sulking in the wreckage of your stubborn pride!”

I pushed into the restaurant, immediately hit by the smell of grilled meat and melted cheese and spice.

My mouth watered.

The host blinked at me. “Uh—table for one?”

I grinned. “Make it two. One of them very angry and very sexy.”

Behind me, the bell above the door jingled again and Madden stormed in, dark and furious, eyes locked on me like he wanted to strangle me.

He looked like a demon in a suit—hair mussed from the crash, lips parted, chest rising with every irritated breath.

And still, somehow, the hottest man I’d ever seen. Gosh, am I crazy? I shielded my heart fell men all my life as Calla and now as isadora I'm already tripping over him? But wait…why did isadora cheat? Madden is literally what you'd want in every man!!!

He stalked up to me, his jaw clenched. “You could’ve gotten us killed.”

“But I didn’t.” I raised my brows. “And now we’re here. Alive. Hungry. Together. Isn’t that romantic?”

“You’re insane,” he hissed.

“And you’re hungry. Let’s sit.”

The host cleared his throat awkwardly. “This way?”

I smiled sweetly and followed him, turning back to wink at Madden.

Madden’s face darkened like thunder.