Maddie's POV

Finally, the ride with Steve ended when he parked in front of the bowling alley next to the arcade. The arcade where we always went whenever we had to keep an eye on Maxine, Dustin, and the others. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to look at Steve, somewhat annoyed.

"Don't tell me your idea of taking me to eat something involves babysitting Dustin and the others again," I grimaced, a bit frustrated.

"What's wrong with keeping an eye on them for a bit?" he shrugged, smiling. "Besides, you have to admit, you like those kids as much as I do," he laughed.

"Steve..." I sighed. "I've had a long day, and I'm not in the mood to deal with teenagers."

"I know," he chuckled. "Of course we're not babysitting those kids, but you have to admit, they have the best nachos in town at the bowling alley. And there's nothing better than good nachos and a round of bowling to cheer up!" he added, nearly glowing with excitement.

"Sometimes I doubt we're the same age, Harrington," I shook my head, though I couldn't hide a smile. "But I won't deny that I'm starving, so I'll happily accept those nachos."

"Great!" Steve quickly jumped out of the car and rushed to open my door. "Then, let's go, my lady," he extended his hand and took mine to help me out.

"I see you're quite the gentleman," I smiled as I got out of the car, holding onto his hand. "Although you know that kind of guy isn't really my type," I joked. Though, part of me was serious—I never really went for the good guys.

"For once, I'm not trying to flirt with you, Maddie," he let go of my hand, and we started walking toward the building. "I just figured you've had enough of dealing with Billy at home and at school, and now Tina giving you this," he pointed to my cast, "I thought this would be a good way for you to forget about them for a couple of hours."

"For once, I agree with you. Getting out of the house with you will do me good. And I'm glad you finally gave up trying to hit on me," I gave him a playful nudge with my side as we both smiled.

"Thanks," I laughed.

We both stepped inside, and the bowling alley was almost empty. We got our shoes and had our pick of the lanes—except for two that were already taken. It was strange for a Friday night, though not entirely unexpected in this dull little town.

The words "dull town" barely formed in my mind before I had to swallow them. A chill ran down my spine as memories of that night surfaced. Only a few of us knew how far from boring Hawkins really was. Who could've guessed that in this dead-end place, supernatural horrors could unfold? I tried not to dwell on it, but let's be real—something like that isn't easy to forget, especially when we'd all come so close to losing our lives. Literally.

It took us about twenty minutes to finish the game—a close one, too. One of the most intense matches of my life, I'll admit.

It was my turn, the final roll. If I hit a strike, I'd win. I silently thanked the universe that my broken wrist was on my left hand and not my right, or I would've lost from the start.

I took a deep breath, lined up my shot, and threw the ball. It rolled down the lane in perfect form and...

"STRIKE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, jumping onto Steve with uncontained excitement. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he instinctively held me up by the thighs. "I won! You owe me nachos!" My voice was almost giddy.

"By a hair. Don't get cocky," Steve replied, trying to sound annoyed, but I could see the faint amusement in his expression.

"Such a sore loser, Harrington," I teased, planting a quick kiss on his forehead. "Next time, I'll let you win." I laughed, staring into his warm brown eyes.

"You won't need to, because I'm going to destroy you next time, sweetheart," he smirked, but his gaze lingered, softening.

For a moment, our eyes locked, and the energy between us shifted. We both seemed to realize just how close we were, and the position we were in. Steve gently set me back down on the ground, his cheeks noticeably flushed.

"Uh... I—" He cleared his throat, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "I think I'm just gonna... go grab those nachos. You... you grab us a table. I'll be right back."

"Thanks," I murmured, still feeling a slight warmth in my own cheeks as he hurried off.

I'm almost certain he didn't even hear me, given how quickly he took off to get those nachos. I had definitely never met anyone like Steve before; he seemed so tough on the outside, but inside, he was all softness. It's also worth noting that I'd never met anyone like him because I'd never been interested in someone like that. Until now.

Just as he told me, I sat down at one of the tables near the bowling lanes to wait for him to return with the food. Hopefully, he'd also bring two sodas or beers—I was parched.

To pass the time, I pulled out the book I was currently reading: The Name of the Rose. It was a mystery novel full of crime, and I was absolutely hooked.

"Are you reading The Name of the Rose, too?" A familiar voice made me look up.

"Hey, Sandra," I greeted the blonde with a smile. After all, I liked her—none of this was her fault, even if Billy was a jerk. Billy had an arm draped around her shoulders, but I decided to simply ignore him, just as he ignored me. They were joined by two other guys and another girl. "Yeah, I love books about crime, mystery, and murder. I've been meaning to read this one for a while."

"Wow, I didn't know the school's bad girl was into reading. Doesn't really suit you. Seems like you'd be more into, you know, hooking up with anything that moves," Jack, one of the guys with them, said mockingly.

"Just because I might want to hook up with anything that moves doesn't mean I have to be as brainless as some people," I shot back, giving him a pointed wink.

Jack's smirk vanished as his jaw tightened and his brow furrowed. Billy caught my gaze and tried to suppress a laugh at the way I'd put his friend in his place. Damn it, there it was again—that look, the one that seemed to say everything without words, that unspoken understanding between us that neither of us wanted to admit existed.

"Ignore him," Sandra said, elbowing Jack before turning back to me with a friendly smile. "If you want, we could hang out sometime and trade books. I really love that genre too. I'd say Agatha Christie is my favorite author."

"Sure, that sounds great," I replied, exchanging a genuinely kind smile with her.

Billy, however, was now looking at me with a scowl, clearly unhappy with the idea of me befriending his girlfriend. I couldn't help but wonder, Since when have I been this nice to anyone? Maybe there really was something toxic in the air, changing me...

Or maybe Max, Steve, and Nancy were right all along. Maybe I've always been this way, but to protect myself, I built this facade—this armor of being an insufferable, untouchable, self-centered girl.

"By the way," Sandra's voice pulled me out of my thoughts again, "I'm glad it wasn't too bad. Your brother told me everything went well and that, luckily, it's just a minor fracture. We're both happy you're okay."

"You both?" I raised an eyebrow at Billy, skeptical.

"If it had been worse, I'd have to listen to you whining at home. No thanks," he huffed indifferently, looking away.

"Idiot," I muttered under my breath.

"Hey, I'm back," Steve's voice broke the tension. He placed a tray on the table with nachos, fries, and a couple of beers. "Didn't expect this place to have so many people." His eyes locked with Billy's, the air instantly thick with animosity.

"Harrington," Billy growled, stepping away from Sandra and closing the distance between them. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Spending time with your sister after someone broke her wrist—your fault, by the way. Got a problem with that?"  Steve stepped up to Billy, meeting him head-on.

"You know damn well there are," Billy growled, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Steve. "I told you to keep your hands off her, Harrington."

"And I told you, that's her decision to make, Hargrove," Steve shot back without flinching. The tension between them was almost suffocating, thick enough to cut through.

"Enough, Billy." I pushed between them, forcing them apart. "I'm here to clear my head with a friend. Looks like you're doing the same," I said, motioning to the group around him. "So why don't you back off and let me enjoy my night? I've dealt with enough today without you playing the overbearing, overprotective brother." I jabbed a finger at his chest, shoving him back slightly.

"You know what happens when you defy me, Madeleine," he said, stepping in too close. Way too close. But I didn't waver.

"Your threats mean nothing to me, William," I shot back, leaning in until we were almost nose to nose. My anger matched his in full force. "You can shove them where the sun doesn't shine. I have just as much right to enjoy myself as you do." A tense silence fell over the crowd like a heavy weight.

"Let it go, Billy. She's right," Sandra finally broke the silence, linking her arm with his and pulling him away. "She's had a rough day, and blowing off some steam won't hurt her. We've already barged in on her night enough." She gave me a small, encouraging smile, unaware that her use of the word date was about to pour gasoline on the fire.

"Yeah, let her be. She's already made her choice to hang out with a loser. Guess she dug her own grave," Jack muttered bitterly, still smarting from my earlier comment.

"I'd rather be with a loser than, as I already said, a blockhead like you. Have fun, and next time you talk to me, try not to stare at my chest." I smirked. "After all, I'm just a loser, right? So I'm not sure why you're always undressing me with your eyes the second you get the chance." I winked at him for good measure.

Then, with a flourish, I took a seat at our table, Steve settling in next to me. Jack, clearly fuming, walked off with his group to another table. I caught glimpses of Billy and his friends laughing at how I'd shut Jack down, though Jack himself couldn't resist throwing me one last defiant glare. In response, I flashed him my brightest smile and topped it off with a middle finger.

"I probably shouldn't say this," Steve said, pulling me back into the moment, "but damn, Maddie, with that fire of yours, you could drive anyone wild." He raised an eyebrow suggestively, his tone teasing.

"We could sneak off to the bathrooms for a bit. Don't think anyone would notice." He shot me a wink.

"Shut up, idiot," I laughed, chucking a fry at him.

"Had to try," he shrugged, laughing along.

The conversation flowed as easily as the beer—three rounds in, and we were still talking and laughing like old friends. For those hours, I forgot all about Billy and the chaos he usually brought into my life. Steve had that effect on me.

He kept cracking jokes, like sticking fries in his mouth to mimic vampire fangs while making ridiculous faces. It was silly, sure, but I couldn't help laughing like a ten-year-old.

We talked about everything and nothing—his family, my family. We both admitted, behind closed doors, our households were a mess. For him, it was distant, neglectful parents; for me, a mother who turned a blind eye to the abuse my stepfather inflicted, whether it was verbal or physical.

Somehow, between the laughter and the confessions, the weight I carried didn't feel so heavy.

And the worst part was that I couldn't figure out the right moment to tell him that, because I tried to defend my idiot stepbrother, I had dragged him into trouble. Asking him to come over for dinner and pretend to be my boyfriend wasn't the best idea, especially given his track record of trying to be more than just a friend. But hey, that was a problem for future Maddie to deal with.

"In the end, I guess we're not so different after all," I said, a slightly bitter smile tugging at my lips.

"Seems that way," he replied. "Though, hey, I'll drink to that." He raised his beer with a smirk.

"It's nice to have something in common, even if it's something terrible," I teased, raising my own bottle.

"True, it's good to share something in common." I grinned. "Though, don't forget, we've got another terrifying thing we share: saving Hawkins from those demodogs or whatever they were. Cheers to that too."

We laughed, clinked our bottles together, and took a long drink before finishing off the last of the nachos.

"Damn, Maddie, I didn't know you could eat like that," Steve said, cracking up.

"Mmm, but they're so good! And don't get me started on the cheese," I replied with exaggerated delight, taking another bite loaded with melted cheese. The alcohol was definitely starting to mess with my senses.

"Well, the cheese seems to like you too. You've got it all over yourself," he teased, shaking his head with a laugh.

"Don't complain. You're lucky. Normally, I don't eat like this in front of guys. I only do it around people I feel comfortable with," I said, grabbing a napkin to clean up. "Better now?"

"Not quite, you've still got a little..." He leaned in, one hand gently cupping my cheek, and used his thumb to slowly trace the corner of my lips. I inhaled sharply, feeling my breath hitch as his touch lingered. A warm flush crept into my cheeks.

"There, now you're good," he murmured with a smile before licking his thumb, his other hand still resting against my cheek.

What?! Did he really just do that?
Shit, it's hot in here, right? Maddie, focus. Don't think about... that. Not now.

I quickly turned back around and realized Steve was even closer than before.

"So, am I one of the lucky few you feel comfortable with?"

"Maybe. Or maybe the alcohol is talking for me," I grinned, trying to keep my composure.

"Maybe. But you know what they say," he leaned even closer, his face hovering just a few millimeters from mine.

"What do they say?" I exhaled, almost breathless, feeling the warmth of his breath against my lips.

"That children and drunk people speak the truth," he slid his hand from my cheek to my chin, tilting my head up just slightly. "So I'll take it as a given that you're okay with me."

"Steve..." I sighed, feeling my heart race.

There was something about him that made me freeze. I'm not sure if it was his smile, his tenderness, or the sweet way he treated me.

His gaze drifted to my lips, and mine followed to his. I could feel my heart racing. I parted my lips slightly and licked them. He traced the outline of my lips with his thumb, gently, leaning in closer, his finger resting on the center of my lips.

My tongue brushed against the tip of his finger, and I could almost hear the growl he tried to suppress deep in his throat. His mouth parted.

We were so close, so very close. He pulled his finger away, giving way to his lips, almost brushing mine. God, just kiss me already, damn it!

"OH, SHIT!" I exclaimed, suddenly jumping to my feet as I felt something cold splashing on my skirt. I looked up and saw Billy hurrying toward the restrooms. "How can someone be such an idiot?!"

"Calm down. Here, dry off," Steve stood up too, handing me two napkins.

"Thanks," I muttered, taking the napkins and trying to dry myself off. "What an idiot."

"Yeah, really..." Steve murmured, clearly annoyed by the interruption. "It almost feels like he's not just being protective but jealous."

"What?" My eyes went wide. "No, no. Of course not. I've told you about Neil, right? Well, he's taking it out on me."

"Still doesn't make sense. Neil shouldn't find out about any of this,"

I shrugged. "True... But don't try to overthink it. Billy's just like that. The only thing he enjoys is making my life miserable. And right now, that means ruining my date with you." I threw the dirty napkins on the table.

"So it's a date, then?" He raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

"I think I'm going to splash some water on my face so I don't smell like alcohol. Also, so you stop talking nonsense," I shook my head, laughing, completely ignoring the tension from earlier.

"Whatever you say," he laughed, though there was a hint of nervousness in it. "While you do that, I'll grab a couple of beers and we'll get out of here. Sound good?"

"That sounds like the best idea right now," I sighed in relief.

"I'll wait for you in the car," he added before turning to walk away.

Steve disappeared to get the beers while I stormed off to the women's restroom.

I splashed some water on my face to get rid of the beer smell, then shoved the bottom of my skirt under the hand dryer. That would probably work better than those pathetic paper napkins.

"Are you going to stop being an idiot or what?" Billy's voice echoed behind me. I hadn't heard him enter over the sound of the hand dryer.

"What the hell are you doing here? Can't you see this is the girls' bathroom? Get out." I responded, annoyed, trying to walk past him to leave, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"You better let go of me right now,
blondie," I spun around to face him, defiantly.

"Or what? You gonna hit me with your useless hand?" He mocked.

"And there it is—proof that you haven't cared about me for a single second," I laughed bitterly. "Let me go, Billy, I don't have time for this."

I tried to break free from his grip, but of course, he was much stronger than me. He yanked me toward him, and despite resisting with everything I had, he dragged me into one of the stalls, slamming the door behind us once we were inside.

"What the hell are you doing, William? Let me out now!" I demanded, pulling at his grip.

"Are you gonna stop trying to make me jealous with that idiot Harrington, or do I have to go break his face?" He growled, getting in my face.

"And who told you it's to make you jealous? I already told you at home," I moved closer to him, standing on my tiptoes to get closer to his face. "Maybe I'll give him a chance. And you, dear little brother, are going to have to deal with it," I whispered right against his lips.

"You know he's just using you to forget Wheeler, right?" He sneered.

"Just like you're using Sandra to forget about me?" I raised an eyebrow, intentionally provoking him.

"In your dreams, redhead," he huffed.

"Not at all. You just admitted a second ago that you're jealous of Steve. So I'm totally right," I laughed, feeling a rush of satisfaction.

"Just like you are with Sandra. Since the first day you saw her leave my room, you've been dying to be with her," he chuckled arrogantly, trying to provoke me.

"In your dreams, blondie," I frowned, pushing against him. "Now, let me pass."

Without warning, Billy pressed his body against mine, pinning me to the bathroom wall.

"When you admit you're jealous of Sandra," he said, his voice low and intense.

"When you admit you're jealous of Steve," I shot back, standing taller to try to match his height.

"Never. I couldn't be jealous. I'd only feel jealousy if I cared about you even the slightest bit. And I don't care about you. I hate you," he murmured, his breath hot against my lips.

"Same here. Though I hate you more..." I whispered, feeling the tension building between us.

Once again, silence. Only interrupted by our heavy breathing. In that moment, he cupped my face in his hands and leaned in to kiss me with longing and impatience. Once again, all my senses disconnected the moment his lips met mine. It was like a damn drug I wanted to quit, but couldn't since the moment I tried it.

My right hand sank between his golden curls to get tangled in them and squeeze my lips to his more strongly. Heat, I felt very hot. Our kisses were beginning to be desperate, losing some sighing inside our mouths.

I slipped my hand down the length of his back and put it inside his shirt as a reflex to those desperate kisses. I wanted to caress his back and feel every pore of his skin on the tip of my fingers. It felt like he lit up, just like I did. We both parted our lips, allowing our tongues to engage in a rhythmic dance, locked in a heated, sensual exchange.

Billy lowered his hands into my sweater as my hand was still tangled in his mane and the air was starting to dry out from the kisses. He brushed my breast with his rough fingers, causing the hair to stand up. He slowly raised his hand, stroking my skin until he found one of my bare breasts, since I was wearing no bra.

He could see the obvious excitement that started to provoke in me due to the erection that my nipples had. He started playing with one of them, pinching and pulling, until he got a hardened beak. I could not contain it and a groan came out of my mouth to get lost in his. I felt as he laughed on my lips, even without stopping to kiss me in a careless way.

He left my lips to sink into my neck, kissing and nibbling. My head fell back and I bit my lower lip to contain another groan.

His hand left my chest to go through my abdomen until it reached the edge of my skirt. He returned to my lips to again pass his tongue through the whole of my mouth. Felt its taste invading me. A taste that was completely addictive and I felt that I was starting to be hooked.

He slightly pushed the edge of my skirt to make his way inside and meet my warmth. His fingers began to slowly circle through my clitoris, still covered by the fine fabric of my underwear. He continued on his way until two of his fingers stroked my covered folds to massage them while leaving a bite on my lower lip.

I tried to suppress the sighs with all my might, but it was in vain. Gasps began to flood my lips and his mouth as he kept moving his fingers over my throbbing moisture in slow, and painfully pleasurable. I let his lips down and put my head back, abandoning myself to the pleasure of his finger rubbing.

He laid his lips on my collarbone to leave a gentle kiss before his teeth sank into the skin of my neck. I groaned. And then I reacted.

"Stop, shit." I brusquely pushed him away, making him take his hand out of the inside of my skirt. "I can't...." I pulled the latch and pushed the force with a brusque to get out of there.

"It's about Harrington, isn't it?" He grabbed my wrist.

"No, it's for everything. You're my brother Billy, for fuck sake !"

"Stepbrother!" he replied with anger.

"I don't care!" I snapped, before lowering my voice, realizing how out of control this was getting. "I don't care, Billy," I continued more calmly. "It's still wrong. Besides, this doesn't lead anywhere. You can't stand me, and I can't stand you. None of this makes sense. None of it does."

"Look at me, Maddie," he said, his tone calmer now, locking his gaze onto mine. "Look me in the eyes and tell me it's not about Harrington."

"It's about Sandra," I shot back, anger rising in my voice. "She doesn't deserve this. She's a good girl, and if you had any decency, you'd leave her before continuing to string her along like this with me."

"That's bullshit, Madeleine," he growled. "Do you really think I'm blind? That I haven't noticed the way you laugh like a fool every time he does something stupid? That I didn't see you nearly kiss him when I was just a few meters away? Don't try to tell me it's not about him, because that's bullshit!"

"Well, maybe it is about him, William! Damn it!" I yelled, my voice trembling. "He makes me laugh. He doesn't judge me. He cares about me and only wants me to be okay. And you know what? I am okay when I'm with him! Is it so terrible that I want to feel happy with someone for once in my goddamn life?" Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I spoke.

He let go of my wrist, his expression darkening.

"Go," he murmured, turning his back to me.

"Billy..." I stepped closer to him, carefully placing my hand on his shoulder. "You know as well as I do that everything that's happened between us has been a mistake. You know that—"

"I'm not going to repeat myself," he cut me off, his voice thick and rough, though he still didn't look at me. "Just go already."

"Fine," I said, pulling my hand away from his shoulder with a sigh. "See you at home."

Those were my last words before I walked out of the bathroom.