Billy's POV

November 30, 1984.

Maddie had just left the bathroom at the bowling alley, and I went back to the men's restroom to splash some cold water on my face again, this time hoping it would cool me down a bit. I finished and stood in front of the mirror, staring at myself. Repeating her words over and over in my mind.

Was this really the first time she felt happy? That question kept circling in my head, as if the air was thick with her voice. And, as the seconds ticked by, I realized something I hadn't noticed before. This was also the first time I truly understood something much darker: that, in some way, without even realizing it, I had been doing with Maddie what my father had done with me—taking out my frustration on someone who didn't deserve it.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy to change, that it was probably something deep inside me that I couldn't just fix overnight. No matter how hard I tried, I'd likely continue behaving that way with her, even unconsciously. Some things are so deeply ingrained that no matter how hard you try to bury them, they're still there, silently hurting. And in that moment, a truth hit me hard: maybe I needed to walk away from her, let her stay with Harrington, and finally have the chance to be happy.

But how could I do that? How could I let her go after everything we'd shared? I felt trapped between the love I had for her and the reality that, maybe, the best thing for both of us was to separate, to let her have what she deserved without me in her life.

But who was I trying to fool? I wouldn't be able to bear it. Maddie was starting to mean more to me than I was willing to admit, and on top of that, my attempts to bury those feelings by being with Sandra weren't working. I was lost, completely lost in a dead-end street.

I had a good girl who was crazy about me, fun, smart, a cheerleader. Everything a popular guy wants and needs by his side. And I don't know, maybe I should try harder to make my relationship with Sandra work.

But deep down, I was fully aware that it was going to be hard, especially considering that I thought I was...

I was starting to fall for my stepsister.

Fuck, was that really what I was feeling? How could this be? How could I fall for someone I had hated my whole life? No, no. Even worse, how could I—me—fall in love?

I shook my head vigorously and stifled a low growl in the back of my throat to stop myself from letting out a scream of frustration.

I took a deep breath and left the bathroom in search of Sandra and the friends I had come with.

"Is everything okay?" Sandra asked, raising an eyebrow as soon as I sat down next to her.

"Yeah, babe," I said, brushing my hand over her shoulders and giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know. You've been in the bathroom for a while. And Maddie..."

"Maddie just came out, arm in arm with Steve. Looks like things are getting serious," Louis interrupted, his tone mocking. I unconsciously cleared my throat, irritated by the image of Maddie and Harrington together.

"That lucky idiot Harrington."
"With how much of a loser he is, he got the hottest girl in school," Jack muttered.

"Uh, hello? You know I'm here, right?" Jenny shot Jack a look, clearly annoyed.

"And I think you're beautiful," Jack said, wrapping his arm around her. "You're looking hot, babe. But, Maddie... Bfff."

"Maddie is pure fire. It's obvious she loves the excitement. Plus, she's ridiculously hot," Jack added. I clenched my jaw, trying to hold back my anger.

"Let's go," I growled, pulling my arm away from Sandra.

"Already? But..."

"I've had a long day, Sandra," I said, standing up and pulling a cigarette from my shirt pocket. "Either you come with me now, or one of these two assholes can take you home."

"Hey! I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm right here," Jack stood up, trying to confront me, getting way too close.

"I see you, and I hear you perfectly," I lit the cigarette and took a long drag, then blew the smoke directly at him. "Be thankful I haven't punched your face in yet. So you'd better sit down before I change my mind." I took a step forward, my face inches from his, glaring fiercely into his eyes. "Am I clear?!"

"Y... Yeah..." Jack stammered, stumbling back into his chair.

"That's what I thought. See you later," I turned and walked away.

"Good night, guys," Sandra said, her voice as sweet as always, bidding everyone farewell.

She walked with me in silence to my car. I couldn't stop thinking that one thing was wanting to finally forget about Maddie and trying to make things work with Sandra, at least until I leave this damn town. And I had already had enough of watching her kiss and joke around with that idiot Harrington. On top of that, I wasn't about to deal with those complete idiots either. Either I left, or someone was going to end up with their face split open, and I really didn't feel like going back to the hospital.

"What's wrong?" Sandra asked, finally breaking the silence once we were inside the car.

"Nothing's wrong," I muttered, starting the engine and heading toward her house. "I just got tired of putting up with those idiots tonight."

"Billy..." she placed her hand on my leg, gently stroking it. "We've talked about this many times. They're your friends, you can't treat them like that," she added with concern in her voice.

"They're not my friends, Sandra," I looked at her, my brow furrowed. "Not even close. The only friends I've had are back in California."

"That's not true," she moved her hand to my hair, playing with it as I turned my attention back to the road. "They're your friends, you're just being stubborn and don't want to admit it."

"They're not," I gripped the steering wheel tightly. "They just want to take advantage of my popularity and, most of all, get close to me to get close to Maddie."

"Your sister is old enough to take care of herself, that's pretty clear. She's tough," she laughed with a kind of affection as she spoke of her. "Plus, now she has Steve. You can forget about anyone getting close to her."

At that, I just exhaled sharply again. "Stop being like this. You're not like this with me," she said softly.

"Because you're my girlfriend, Sandra," I inhaled and relaxed my muscles before glancing at her quickly. "Of course, I'm not going to treat you like I treat those idiots."

"Well, I'm convinced that one day you'll stop being so rough with people," she placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "Time will tell," she smiled.

I didn't say anything else, and we continued the rest of the ride in silence. It was clear she didn't know me at all. Though, I couldn't blame her; I had barely told her anything about my life. She had no idea about my father. Knowing her, she'd probably make me go to the police and report him. She cared so much about me that it even felt strange.

To be honest, Sandra wasn't the type of girl I usually went for. I mean, sure, she was attractive and a cheerleader. But typically, girls like her were airheads. Yet, she was smart, kind, and attentive. What the hell was she doing with someone like me? And worst of all, I think I was starting to feel bad for having lied to her about Maddie.

Maddie again. Forget about her. Focus on Sandra. Sandra is the one who's right for you.

"Do you want to stay a while at my place? My parents aren't home, they've gone out for dinner," Sandra's voice pulled me out of my trance. Without realizing it, we had already arrived at her house.

"Not tonight. I want to make sure Maddie got home safely," I lied.

Well, I lied partially. I was worried about her, but it pissed me off so much that she was with Harrington that I was probably going to take it out on poor Sandra. If I wanted this to work, I couldn't treat her like that and needed to make an effort to know when it's best to step back and not ruin things between us.

"You already ruined it the moment you slept with Maddie, idiot."

"You see?" Sandra crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Deep down, you're a softie. You care about your sister more than you want to admit." She smiled slightly.

"I assure you, it's not that," I squinted.

"Whatever you say," she laughed. She placed a hand on my cheek and gave me a long kiss on the lips. "Good night, handsome."

"Good night, beautiful," I smiled. Her kisses were warm and full of tenderness. She was the embodiment of sweetness.

Sandra got out of the car, and as soon as I saw she had entered her house, I started the car again and headed toward mine. Just as I was about to arrive, I saw from a distance that Harrington and Maddie were leaning on his car in front of the house. I turned off the headlights and parked far enough away so they couldn't see me, but I could see them.

They were talking close. VERY close, and it pissed me off so much. Then, out of nowhere, the idiot grabbed Maddie's face, kissed her on the lips. But the worst part was watching her kiss him back, with all of her senses. I tried to keep calm by lighting another cigarette.

I tried to convince myself that it was better for her to be with him so I could forget about her. But who was I trying to fool? I could only tolerate it for a few moments. I couldn't take it anymore, and the rage took over me; I needed them to separate.

I got out of the car and slammed the door loudly, causing them to jump and the "happy couple" to look in my direction.

"You have five minutes to go inside," I walked past them and threw the cigarette to the ground. I looked at Maddie and completely ignored Harrington's presence. "If you don't go inside in five minutes, I'll come look for you. And you know damn well I won't be pleasant."

"I'm going," she replied reluctantly.

"Idiot," I replied, trying to fake indifference.

I turned my back on them and headed into the house. When I opened the door, I was met with Susan's worried face and the same unpleasant expression she always wore.

I entered, closing the door behind me, trying to remain unmoved because that expression only meant that something was wrong.

"Where the hell were you?" My father growled.

"With Sandra. After the hosp..."

"And your sister? Wasn't she with you? Didn't we agree that you had to keep an eye on her?" He interrupted me.

"Maddie was also with..."

"Don't lie, William!" He interrupted me again. "I just saw her making out with that guy in front of our door. Is this how you watch over her?!"

"She's old enough to do whatever she wants! I'm damn tired of being her babysitter. Madeleine has been doing whatever she wants for years. You have no idea what that woman is like."

It was probably one of the few times I had ever answered my father like that. But something snapped inside me, and it just came out. Neil was about to come straight for me, probably to hit me like he always did.  And Susan, as usual, was paralyzed, doing nothing.

Luckily for me, the sound of the front door opening made him stop in his tracks.

"That guy you were with, is he Harrington?" my father asked, noticing Maddie at the door.

"Hello to you too, Neil," she replied with complete disdain. "Were you spying on me?" she frowned.

Definitely, Maddie had a lot of guts.
Although I was completely shocked by her daring to respond like that to my brute of a father, I think it made her even more attractive. That fiery temper of hers made me hate her and want her at the same time.

Want her? What do you mean by want her?

"No. But if you're going to start making out with him like some cheap girl in the street, don't expect me not to notice," my father growled.

"A cheap girl? At least I don't..."

"Sweetheart, have you told him about dinner?" Susan interjected between Neil and her. It was probably the first time that woman reacted to the possibility of my father laying a hand on Maddie.

"Yes," Maddie replied curtly.

"Great. We also told Billy to bring that girl, Sandra. That way we can meet both of your partners at the same time."

"Let's see if he finally stops dating trash and you two start acting like adults," my father grumbled.

I clenched my fists before crossing my arms over my chest. My features hardened.
For some reason, the fact that he could have insinuated that Sandra was a slut really pissed me off.

"W... What?" Maddie looked at me, and I shot her a deadly glare to make her understand she should shut up.

"You're all classmates, right?" Susan intervened again, and Maddie simply nodded. "Then it will be great to meet your friends, and even better if they're your partners."

"Mom. I don't think..."

"You better not argue, young lady. If I find out this Harrington isn't trustworthy like you say, William will pay the price, and you won't get away this time," Neil pointed his finger at Maddie threateningly. I was getting angrier, but I knew it was better to stay quiet. "Let's go, Susan. I'm tired of all these stupid kids."

"Really? Really, are you going to let him talk to me like that?" Maddie looked at Susan desperately.

Susan didn't say anything. She lowered her head and turned to follow Neil into the living room.That woman was the perfect example of cowardice.

Well, I couldn't blame her. At least by behaving like that, she avoided getting hit by my father. The truth was, I didn't understand why Susan hadn't left my father yet; it was completely incomprehensible. That man brought her nothing. And Maddie... Maddie should just shut the hell up. We were all at each other's throats again because of her.

"It's all your fault for not keeping your mouth shut," I scolded her as soon as we were alone.

"Go to hell, William. You're an ungrateful piece of shit," she narrowed her eyes.

"No one asked for your help. I never asked for it, and I never will," I frowned.

I had nothing to thank her for.

Actually, you do have something to thank her for, William. Thanks to her stepping in, you avoided a brutal beating from your father. You're just too proud to admit it.

"You don't need to ask me for help, idiot. You live with me, and I don't want you getting beaten up in front of me." she said, annoyed.

"As if you cared much about what happens to me,"  I responded with irony. In reality, the fact that she had stepped in once didn't mean anything.

"Look, Billy..." she sighed and rubbed her temples. "It's been an incredibly long day, and I just want to go to rest. I'm done having this damn argument AGAIN." she looked at me with eyes full of rage. "If you want to believe I did it because I care about you, even a little bit, fine. And if not, that's fine too. I'm SO FUCKING DONE." she walked past me, clearly hitting my shoulder with force on purpose.

My only reaction was to grunt in frustration as she headed to her room, slamming the door behind her. That woman drove me crazy; she always had to be right about everything. What pissed me off even more was that now she acted all holier-than-thou, when she had nothing of the sort.

On top of that, now we had to deal with that stupid dinner because of her. Not that I was actually going to marry Sandra. And knowing Maddie, it was obvious she'd get tired of Steve in two days.

The anger from everything that had happened consumed me, and I stormed straight to Maddie's room, throwing the door open in a fury.

"Couldn't you have just kept your little boyfriend to yourself? Now, thanks to you, we have to sit through the most stupid and awkward dinner ever." I snapped, barging into her room like a hurricane.

"Get the hell out of my room, William." she shot back without even looking at me.

"Not a chance. I'm not leaving until you stop being an idiot,"

She raised her eyes, and our gazes met through the mirror on her vanity.

"You've put us in a completely awkward situation for no reason. And then you go and kiss your fucking boyfriend right in front of the house! What part of 'I don't want to see you with him' don't you understand?!" I shouted.

I shouted like a jealous idiot.

"And what part of 'he's not my boyfriend' do you not understand?!" She stood up from the chair and turned to face me. "I only said it to protect you from your father, YOU UNGRATEFUL IDIOT!
The only fool here who actually has a girlfriend and cheats on her is YOU! So stop spouting nonsense and leave me the hell alone already!"

Now she was the one yelling in rage.

Sure, maybe I did have a girlfriend and had been a complete asshole by cheating on her with Maddie. But I hadn't lied to Maddie about any of that, whereas she had clearly lied to me. And I had the proof to back it up.

"And what's this, then?" I grabbed her casted arm and pointed directly at Harrington's dedication, as if I hadn't noticed it the second I walked into the house. Are you still going to deny he's your boyfriend?"

"Think whatever the hell you want, William. Steve is not my boyfriend." she said, jerking her arm away in a sharp motion. ""And he's not because I don't want to hurt him! Just like I don't want you to get hurt, you idiot! Stop meddling in my life, all of you, and trying to decide for me!"

I was so angry that I didn't want to argue with her anymore. I just wanted to make it clear how much I couldn't stand her. Without another word, I turned toward her desk, looking for a marker. The only one I found was light blue, but it would do.

I went back to her, grabbed her hand with a mix of fury and care—making sure not to hurt her—and began writing on her cast:

"I hate you, and you drive me crazy, redhead."

I snapped the cap back onto the marker and tossed it aside carelessly. I think it landed on the bed, but I couldn't have cared less. Gripping her uninjured wrist tightly, I pulled her toward me, forcing our bodies to collide. I held her firmly, making sure she couldn't pull away. I stared down at her. I stared at her with anger, with conflicted emotions. I stared at her without saying a single word.

My chest was pressed against hers. I could feel her breathing grow unsteady, even though her expression remained unmoved. I could feel the strong, rapid beat of her heart against mine, matching the rhythm of my own.

She stared back at me, her eyes filled with fury but also unspoken defiance. Her gaze challenged me, daring me to make the first move. I didn't want to back down, and neither did she.

The light blue of her eyes drowned in the deep navy of mine. She straightened slightly, leaning closer to me, letting her scent envelop me. I let my guard down against that perfume.

Unconsciously, I began leaning down toward her until the tip of my nose brushed hers.

I parted my lips just as she parted hers. Our breaths began to mingle. Her lips grazed mine, soft, barely a touch.

But before they could meet, I managed to snap out of it. I couldn't let it happen again. I couldn't fall back into the endless pit where sleeping together always led us.

I let go of her hand abruptly, anger pulsing through me. Turning on my heel, I stormed out of her room, slamming the door behind me with a loud thud.

I made my way to my room, exhaling all the air I'd been holding since I'd almost kissed her. Again.

Once inside, I slammed my fist against the door, the frustration overwhelming me, before collapsing onto the edge of my bed. I buried my face in my hands, unable to shake the chaos she had stirred within me.

Even though I was fully aware that the anger I felt was directed at myself. Anger because I was completely incapable of controlling my feelings. I wanted to love Sandra—I really did like that girl.

But my damned mind wouldn't stop thinking about Maddie. And who was I kidding? That message on her cast was my way of telling her I cared without actually saying it.

Because, yes, it had been a while since calling her "redhead" had taken on a whole new meaning for me.

Even though I'd never admit it, calling her "redhead" was my way of addressing her with affection, even if she thought I only used it because I hated her. I liked the idea that she was the only woman I'd ever given a nickname with that kind of meaning. I liked the thought that she was my redhead.

I wanted her—and only her—to be my redhead.