Текст книги "Fall For Me"

Автор книги: Alexis Noelle

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

Chapter Twenty Eight

Madison

The next week goes by really fast. Carter had taken me to Myrtle Beach that day, just like he said he would. He got us a hotel room that night, because he said he couldn’t wait to get me in a bed that wasn’t in his dad’s house.

We went to the beach, but it was chilly so Carter didn’t get me in a bikini like he wanted to. We also went mini-golfing, had dinner, and did some shopping. It was a really great day and to thank Carter, I wore a bikini in the hotel room for him.

After that, we went back home and fell into our normal routine. Carter loved giving me “firsts” on a daily basis, whether it was a movie, food, or anything else he could think of.

Today is New Year’s Eve and I have to work at the coffee shop in the afternoon. Carter was already at the club helping with prep for tonight. I wish we could have been together, but it is one of their busiest nights and there was no way he could get off.

Jason is hanging out at the coffee shop with me while I work. I really liked Jason. He puts up this façade of being an asshole, but he isn’t. The fact that he is willing to sit here with me is definitely an example of that. “Here is some more coffee for you, J. I really don’t understand how you can drink it black, though.” I scrunch up my face and he laughs at me.

“Thanks, Mads. How are you?” I know Jason was worried about how I’ll handle seeing Chris again. School is starting in a week and I have a class with him this semester. Luckily, Carter is in that same class with me, but I am still anxious about it.

It is an amazing feeling that Jason and Shawn have accepted me into their group. Shawn has renamed us the Fantastic Four and everyone, begrudgingly, accepted it. He is on vacation with his family until next week so I haven’t seen him in a while. Most times when Carter can’t be with me, Jason is here. I heard him before Christmas telling Carter he thought he could protect me better than Shawn.

“I’m doing okay. Not looking forward to it but I’ll deal. I have to get back behind the counter, though. Enjoy!”

I am cleaning up behind the counter when I hear the bell “ding,” letting me know someone has come in. I look up and my world comes to a stop. He looks so different, almost normal.

“Madison?”

No. This can’t be happening. “Why are you here?” I barely get that sentence out. I am having a hard time breathing at this point.

“Your boyfriend found me. He said you missed me and really wanted to see me.”

Carter called him? Why would he do that? The walls feel like they are closing in. I feel Jason run up beside me.

“Mads, are you okay?” I can’t answer him. I can feel myself slipping away at this point. “Who are you? What did you do to her?”

“I’m um…I’m her father.”

“Shit! Why are you here?” I can feel Jason’s arms around me.

“Her boyfriend called me and said she wanted to see me.”

No, Carter wouldn’t do that without talking to me first. Would he?

I can feel the memories flooding back as much as I want to stop them. I feel myself sinking down to the floor.

“Daddy, I don’t want to leave!” The school called this lady and now she wants to take me away. “Tell them you want me, Daddy! I love you!” I lost Mommy already. I don’t want to lose my daddy too.

“That’s just it, Madison. I don’t want you. Why would I want a child who killed her own mother?”

Daddy always says that, but I didn’t kill Mommy. I loved my mommy; I still do. I wish she was here instead of Daddy.

“I told her to take you when she called me. You can be someone else’s problem now. I can’t even stand the sight of you.”

I don’t want to go away. I am scared of going to a stranger’s house.

“You are not a good girl, Madison. No one will ever love you.”

“But, Daddy, I love you.” He turns his back on me, and someone comes down the stairs with a bag full of my stuff.

I don’t want to leave.

I don’t want to be alone.

I just wanted to be loved.

Everything seems so blurry, and it is like I am watching what is happening instead of living it. I feel Jason lift me in his arms and take me to the car. I can hear him talking to someone, but everything sounds so muffled.

Carter

I hate that I am working tonight. I want to spend it with Maddy.

“Hey, Carter!” John is calling my name from across the club. I look up at him as if to ask him what he wants. “Someone is on the phone for you. Says it’s an emergency.”

An emergency? As I am walking over, I pull out my phone. I have five missed calls from Jason. I start running to the phone, imagining the worst. “Jason, what’s going on?”

“Carter, what the fuck were you thinking man? You called her dad?” He is yelling at me, and I am pretty sure I hear Maddy crying in the background.

“What are you talking about? What happened?”

“Madison’s dad showed up at the coffee house today. He said her boyfriend called him and told him she really wanted to see him. I think she’s having an anxiety attack. I’m taking her back to the house now.”

“I don’t know what the hell is going on but I didn’t call anyone.”

“Yea, well I told him to go away and not come back. He asked if she’d be okay and I told him if she wanted to see him, she’d get in touch with him.”

“I’m on my way.” It is a miracle that I get home in one piece and without any tickets. I run through the door and Jason is standing in the living room. “Where is she?”

“I brought her into your room. She’s lying down now. So you didn’t call him?”

“No, I didn’t, but I have a good idea who did.”

“Carter, why haven’t we gone after that motherfucker yet?”

“I don’t even think he’s back in town yet, J.” My cell phone rings and it is work, probably wondering why I ran out of there like a crazy person. “Hello? Yeah, I had an emergency…I can’t right now…you don’t understand-”

Jason taps me on the shoulder. “Carter I’ll stay here if you need to go.” Jason cares about Maddy more than he’d admit. He had a sister, Sara, who died when he was twelve. Maddy is his new adopted sister. He’ll protect her just as well as I would.

“All right, count this as my break then…yeah, I’ll see you in less than an hour.” I hang up, hating that I need to keep this job. “Listen, Jason, I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything.”

“It’s no problem, Carter. I feel like she’s a part of my family.” I knew he meant that, and it is the only reason that I feel even a little okay with going back to work.

“Alright, well, I need to be back soon. I’m gonna go see her.” I walk into the bedroom and Maddy is curled into a ball, crying. I crawl onto the bed and wrap her in my arms, but she stiffens.

Then I remembered that Jason told me her dad said her boyfriend had called. She still thinks it was me. I don’t let her back away from me, but just hold her to my chest. I kiss her head. “I didn’t call him, baby. It wasn’t me. Please don’t pull away from me.”

Madison

He didn’t call him? Who did then? No one even knew my background except for Carter and…Chris. He was doing all of this to mess with me.

I snuggle closer to Carter. If I could crawl inside  of him I would. Seeing my dad today seemed unreal. He looked so normal, nothing like the miserable drunk that I remember.

“Are you okay, babe?”

That is a complex question and I don’t have a concrete answer. “I’m better, now that you’re here.” I look up and kiss him.

“Listen, I ran out of work when Jason called me. If I want to keep my job, I need to leave in like a half-hour. All you have to do is say the word, though, and I’ll stay.”

I know he is serious, but I wouldn’t make him do that. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. It’s about time I put my big girl panties on and start dealing with my problems.”

He smiles. “I prefer your panties off.” He kisses me. He always knows the right thing to say to me. No matter how upset I am, he always knows what I need to hear to make me feel better. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

I nod my head. “I’m going to have to be.”

“Are you still going to come tonight?”

I completely forgot that Nicole and I had made plans to go to Rebellion tonight. I figured if Carter needed to work, at least I could be there too. “Yeah, I guess so. Nicole would kill me if I canceled on her.”

“Nicole wouldn’t be the only one heartbroken.” I kiss him. I love him so much. “I hate this, babe, but I have to go.” He gives me one last hug. “I’ll see you tonight. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I will be. I’m going to go shower. Tell Jason I’ll be out in a few. I love you.”

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to leave for work when all I can picture is you in the shower.” He positions himself on top of me. I can feel his erection rubbing against me. I wish he could just stay here. I lean up and kiss him, but it isn’t sweet like before. It is full of need and passion. Carter has this ability to make me get lost in him and when we are together, everything else fades away. “I could always find another job, you know.”

No, I’m not going to let him do that. “As much as I want you here, Carter, you have to go.”

He jumps up off the bed. “Well, I need to go now then, or I won’t be able to. I love you. I’ll see you tonight.”

After I shower, I go and hang out with Jason. I plop down next to him on the couch. “So, do you have a hot date tonight?”

He shakes his head and laughs. “No, Mads, I don’t date.”

This confuses me. Jason is definitely a catch. He is hot by any girl’s standards and he is a great person.

“Why not, J?”

“Truth?”

“Truth.”

He seems uncomfortable and apprehensive about whatever he is about to tell me. “My sister died when I was twelve. It crushed our whole family. My mom left us right before I started high school. She didn’t even say anything to us about it. Dad and I had been visiting my uncle and, when we came back, she was gone. No note or anything, just gone. I don’t let anyone in because I don’t want to have to deal with it when they walk away. Carter and Shawn are the only people I’ve let in for a really long time, and now you. I don’t bother with dating. I’d rather just have fun and keep my inner circle small.”

That is horrible. If anyone knows how it feels to be abandoned, it is me. I can relate to how Jason is. It is hard feeling like you aren’t wanted. “I understand, J. Trust me, I do, but let me tell you something that I realized recently. You can’t let your past dictate how you live your present and your future.”

“Thanks, Mads, I just don’t want to open myself up to that right now.”

I hoped he could get past this one day. Jason is great and he has such a big heart. “Okay, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

“I’m fine, Mads. You don’t need to worry about me. How are you, though?”

“Um…I’m dealing with it. He looked so different. I can’t get it out of my head. He looked like my dad, not the monster I was taken away from. He seemed like he was doing well, but I hate that he had that effect on me. I hate that Chris found another way to get to me. I just want this to be over.”

“So you think it’s him too?”

I know it is Chris. I just don’t understand why he can’t let me go. I feel like he’s been more interested in me since we broke up, than he was when we were actually together. I’m sure it’s because he lost his control over me. I’m no longer his possession and he can’t stand it. “Yeah, I do. Well, I really need to get ready.”

“Okay. I told Carter I’d pick up Nicole and we’ll all go together. If that’s okay with you.”

I walk over and give him a hug. “Thanks for everything today, Jason. You know, I always wanted a big brother and now I feel like I have one. Think about what I said, J. Don’t be afraid to let people in. Not everyone will hurt you. Carter helped me see that.”

I walk into the room and start to get dressed. I need to follow my own advice and let the past stay in the past.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Carter

I can’t wait for Maddy to get here. I just need to see her and make sure she is okay. I am working the floor tonight; I specifically asked my manager to do it. I figure if I can’t be with Maddy tonight, at least I can be closer to her than I would be if I was working the front door.

I glance toward the door and that is when I see her. She went shopping with Nicole yesterday for an outfit that I’ll have to thank her later for.

Maddy has on a black dress that ties around her neck. It dips into a low V at her breasts and comes to a stop just above her knees. She looks beautiful. I make my way over to her and pull her into me. She has heels on that make her almost my height so she doesn’t have to stand on her tiptoes to kiss me.

I am working so I really can’t do what I want to. “You look beautiful, baby.” I turn to look at Nicole, who also has on a short dress. Jason is standing behind her and I noticed he was staring at Nicole. Was Jason checking her out?

I need to talk to him later about this. “You did well with this dress, Nic.” She smiles at me. I am really glad Maddy has a friend like her. “You don’t look too bad yourself, either. Don’t you think so, J?”

He looks at me like he wants to kill me. “Yeah, she looks great.”

“I need to get back to work, babe, but I’ll see you at midnight, okay?”

She smiles at me. “I can’t wait, and this will be my first New Year’s kiss.”

“Well, Miss Stevens, you know how much I like giving you firsts, and kissing you. So, it will be my pleasure. I’ll see you later.” She gives me a quick kiss, then they walks off to the bar. I hate not being able to be by her side, and I am worried because there are already so many people here tonight.

Madison

I am having so much fun. Nicole and I are dancing, and I’ve had a couple of drinks already. I don’t want to drink too much, though, because of what happened last time. It is a quarter to twelve and I can’t wait to kiss Carter at midnight. I am feeling a little unsteady on my feet and I need to go to the bathroom. I tap Nicole on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back!”

“Want me to come with?”

“No, I’m fine, girl.”

I start to walk to the bathroom and begin to feel lightheaded. All of a sudden, I am no longer walking to the bathroom, but being pulled toward the exit. I hear a lot of yelling, but everything seems to be moving in slow motion.

“Time to start the countdown, everyone!”

The countdown? I need to go find Carter. I try to walk back to the dance floor to find him, but whoever is with me keeps pulling me.

“5!”

I need to get away.

“4!”

Who has my arm?

“3!”

The door just opened.

“2!”

Carter, where are you?

“1!”

I am taken through the alley door and look up at whoever has my arm. Who is he? I’ve never seen this guy before. A car pulls up at the end of the alley and the mystery man starts to drag me toward it. My head is so fuzzy but I know this is bad. I try to get away but it feels like my limbs are made of lead and I call out for help but there is no one else around. What the hell is going on? I need to get away. He pulls me up to the car and the back door opens. I looked inside…Chris.

“Happy New Year, Madison. I told you I’d be back for you.”

I start screaming or, at least, I am trying to. My body isn’t cooperating with me. I start hitting and kicking whatever I can get my hands on. The stranger punches me in the stomach and I double over. I fall to the ground, face first, and hit my head. I think I hear someone yell my name, but it is like I am in a tunnel.

Carter

I am patrolling the floor when, out of nowhere, some drunken assholes get into a fight. I go to help break it up but, with everyone drinking, what started as a pushing match was turning into an all-out brawl.

They start the countdown to the New Year and I know Maddy will be coming to find me. I look around for her and just barely see her leaving through the back door.

I figure maybe she and Nicole saw the fight then decided to go outside to get some air and stay away from it. My eyes scan the club, looking for more people to help with this fight when I see Nicole over by the bar talking to Jason and I start to panic. I have to go find Maddy, but I am in the middle of this fight and am simultaneously trying to hold two guys. My eyes find Jason’s. “Maddy just went out the back!”

He starts running toward the door. Meanwhile, the other bouncers and I escort all the troublemakers outside. I run back into the club, but Jason and Maddy aren’t back yet. I head for the back door, hoping they are just outside talking and everything is fine.

I get outside, look down the alley, and my heart stops. Maddy is lying on the ground and Jason is crouched over her, yelling into his phone. I run as fast as I can to them. “What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know. I came out and saw some dude punch her and she fell. I screamed her name and started running. The guy hopped in the backseat of a car and took off. I can’t get her to wake up. I just called 911 and they said they’ll be right over.”

I hear sirens in the distance. “I’m staying with her. Let the club know what happened and make sure Nicole gets home.”

Just then the ambulance pulls up. “I will, dude. Let me know when you find out anything.”

I am pacing the waiting room and no one will tell me anything. I am ready to put my fist through a wall. Nicole and Jason are in the waiting room too and everyone is on edge waiting for news on Maddy. A doctor walks in and I jump up.

“Madison Stevens?”

“Yes! I’m here for her. What’s going on?”

The doctor looks me up and down. “Sir, how do you know Miss Stevens?”

Shit! If I don’t say I’m family, they aren’t going to tell me anything. “I’m her husband.” I hear Nicole choke on the water she is drinking.

“Okay, sir, please come with me.” He walks me back and takes me into Maddy’s room. She has an IV in her arm and is still unconscious. “Mr.…?”

“James. What happened to her?”

“We tested Miss Steven’s blood and found traces of Zolpidem in her system.” He sees my confused expression, so he elaborates. “It’s a date rape drug.” Oh my god. “We ran a rape kit on her and are waiting for the results.” Rape kit? Please God, no. my stomach lurches as a multitude of scenarios run through my head. She’s been through so much already. “She seems to have a bruised rib and a contusion on her head from when she fell. Other than that, she’s perfectly healthy.”

“Okay, thank you. Can I stay with her?”

“Yes, that’s fine. She may be out for a while, though. Right now, we’re just waiting for the drugs to work their way out of her system.”

He leaves me alone and I walk over to her bed and kiss her head. “You’re gonna be okay, baby. We’ll find who did this.” Although, I already have a pretty good idea. I walk into the waiting room to let Jason and Nicole know what happened. I ask Jason if he’d recognized the guy in the alley.

He seems to have known what I was asking. “It wasn’t Chris, Carter. I’ve never seen the guy before in my life.” I tell them I’ll let them know when she wakes up and they go home. When I get back to her room, the doctor comes in to let me know that the rape kit had come back negative. Thank God. I fall asleep holding Maddy’s hand and my head resting on her bed.

I feel a hand run through my hair and I snap my head up. Her hands falls weakly to the bed. “Maddy?” I jump up and yell to the nurse that she is awake. I walk back to her and give her a kiss. She seems surprised.

“Carter, what’s going on?” Her voice sounds strained.

“You don’t remember?” We have no idea who the guy that led her out is. I immediately thought it was Chris, but the cops say he has an alibi. If Maddy can’t remember, he’ll get away with it.

Chapter Thirty

Madison

Why am I in the hospital? My body hurts all over. It kind of feels like the morning after I’d gotten really drunk. However, that doesn’t make sense because I only had two drinks. Everything after the drinks and dancing with Nicole is a blur. My ribs and my head hurt really badly too. “Carter, why am I here?”

He tells me everything he knows. I am in shock. I was drugged? Who is the guy I left with? I start to cry. I hate that I can’t remember any of this. The fact that there is an entire block of time missing from my memory absolutely terrifies me. The nurse says they are going to discharge me today and I can’t wait to go home.

“Mr. James, these are your wife’s discharge instructions.” I look at him in confusion out of the corner of my eye. The nurse left and Carter turned to me.

“I had to say I was your husband, or they would have never let me stay with you.”

I was a little freaked out. We’d only known each other for four months. Although, a little part of me couldn’t wait to be Mrs. James.

*  *  *

It is the first day of the spring semester and I am more excited than I was last semester. Carter and I are happier than we’ve ever been. For a little while, it was hard after what happened on New Year’s, especially since the police have no idea who I was with that night.

I have been having nightmares about that night, and what would have happened if Jason hadn’t come to get me. It is so scary having a piece of your memory missing and not being able to do anything to get it back. At this point, though, I am going to do what I did best, suck it up and move on.

I have five classes this semester and Carter is in two of them. Chris is in one. I am dreading that class more than anything else.

My first three classes of the day are easy and when I walked out of the third one, Carter is there waiting for me. “Ready to go to lunch, Mrs. James?”

I laugh. Carter has been calling me that every once in a while since the hospital. I told him how, eventually, I wouldn’t mind becoming Mrs. James and, ever since, he’s gotten a kick out of calling me it. “Yes I am, Mr. James.”

We meet Shawn and Jason for lunch. Nicole is supposed to come, but she isn’t feeling that great. When I mention it, Jason has a relieved look. Apparently, he and Nicole hooked up on New Year’s. He said they were both upset about what happened with me. I know that it meant more to Nicole, though, and I have a feeling it meant more to Jason too.

I’ve never had a family before, but I feel like this is what it would be like. I’d do anything for these three boys and I know they feel the same. Carter is rubbing my back up and down the way he does when he wants to calm me down. I look over at him, confused because I am perfectly fine right now.

He leans down to whisper in my ear. “I know you’re worried about our next class.”

I smile because he is always so attentive. “Right now, I’m not worried about anything. You make everything else disappear. I love hanging out with you and the guys.”

He leans in and kisses me. I hear a loud groan as I pull back. Jason is laughing at us. “Do you guys really need to do that? I just ate.”

Carter throws a napkin at him. “Don’t worry. Your lunch is safe. We need to get to class anyway.” He throws out our trash and puts the trays away, while I give out hugs and say goodbye to the guys. As we walk to class, I start to get more anxious. Carter seems to sense it, too, because he gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

When we get to class, it is pretty empty. Carter and I sit next to each other in the middle of the room. We are talking about how happy we are that we can just share the book because of how damn expensive it was.

I look up and my stomach drops. Chris is standing there, just looking at me. Carter tenses but, thankfully, doesn’t make a move...although I know he wants to. All I can think is please don’t sit next to me. Thank God, Chris decides to sit a couple of rows over, but I can feel his eyes on me all throughout class.

I breathe a sigh of relief as we are walking to the next class. Doing that three times a week is going to kill me. When I walk into my last class of the day, I stop dead in my tracks. Are you fucking kidding me?!

The bitch whore, Alyssa, is sitting there with a fake smile on her face. I look up at Carter, and he looks just as shocked as I do. We go to sit down and he makes sure we aren’t near her. That doesn’t stop her from talking over people just to get to him, though.

I think the universe hates me, and I now hate both of my afternoon classes.