by Tee Smith
Maddie shrugged. “Nope, nothing special.”
And just like that, he had been invited to her family barbecue.
Pulling into the driveway, he saw Patrick's beat-up old car parked in its usual park and a black Harley parked in the front of the house. He walked to the front door and knocked. No answer, so he walked around the side of the house. As he approached he could hear chatter. Maddie's laugh rang out over the top of the general noise. He loved that laugh, it was loud, with maybe even a slight snort. But it was uninhibited. His mind turned again to what he had read about her, how she had spent so many years locked away. How her parents had died in a murder suicide and her brother’s girlfriend had been hailed a hero for saving her life.
Rounding the corner into the backyard, Maddie came into view. Looking gorgeous in a tight pair of jeans and flowing floral top. She was talking to another woman, he guessed to be around her age, with long dark hair, she had her arm in a sling. A blonde haired man stood at the barbecue a beer in one hand and barbecue tongs in the other.
“Hello,” he called out, feeling a little uneasy and not wanting to intrude.
Maddie turned when she heard his voice, leapt out of her deck chair and skipped toward him with a huge smile on her pretty face. He instantly felt at ease in her presence. Any misgivings he had about turning up at her house, fell away as she reached out and grabbed his hand pulling him further into the yard.
“I'm so glad you came, I want you meet my brother,” she rambled out excitedly.
The man who had been tending the barbecue turned to face him, extending his hand to shake.
“Hi, I'm Xavier.”
“Dex.”
The woman with her arm in the sling, came up beside Xavier, slipping her free arm around his waist. Flashing him a friendly smile, she said, “Hi Dex, I'm Asha. Xave's girlfriend.”
He nodded at her, “Hi Asha.”
“Can I get you a beer mate?” Xavier asked turning back toward the house.
“Ah no thanks, but I'll have a glass of water please.”
Xavier raised his eyebrows, but Dex had become accustomed to this kind of reaction. He was an Aussie man, didn't all Aussie men drink? He did not know Xavier and did not feel the need to explain himself to him.
He turned back to Maddie, who was standing close by his side.
“Where's Trick today?” he had kind of hoped he was not here.
“He's inside making salads and stuff, he fancies himself as a bit of a master chef,” she laughed, waving her hands toward the house, where Patrick obviously was. “Tells me he's going to fatten me up.”
He let his eyes run lazily over her body. She had a gorgeous body, yes she was on the thin side, but he could see no reason why anyone want to change anything about her. When his eyes met hers she smiled.
“What?” she smirked.
“I was just thinking you are perfect just the way you are.”
He saw a slight colour touch her cheeks and couldn't help but think that was adorable too.
“Yeah that's what I keep telling him too.” Came Asha's voice, breaking him out of his reverie. He had forgotten they were not alone.
“Here's your water, pull up a chair.” Followed Xavier's voice, coming from the back of the house.
The group moved toward where the deck chairs were set out on the lawn. It was a glorious spring day, the temperature was in the low twenties. Patrick arrived not long later, bringing with him a plate full of finger foods. He was pleasant enough.
He learnt that Patrick was Asha's brother. Between them the two women gave him a brief run-down of how Patrick had come to live with Maddie. Including how Xavier had organised it without running it by Maddie first. What they didn't tell him were the details of what he had read on the internet.
After a barbecue lunch, he wandered off to the garage to check a part he was not sure of on Maddie's car. He always found it difficult to switch off from his work. As he tinkered around under the bonnet he heard footsteps come in behind him. Looking up he saw Xavier.
“Hey buddy, how's it going?”
“Yeah I'm getting there, there as few small things that need changing. I have changed out almost every removable part. Should have her back on the road in a few days.”
Xavier nodded and placed his beer down on the nearby workbench. A very serious look on his face. Dex knew what that meant, the big brother talk was coming up. Awesome.
“So you know about Maddie yeah? About how she has only not long come back to us?” Xavier said quietly, looking around as if he were worried she might catch him out.
“Only what I've read on the internet,” Dex shrugged. “She has not really said much.”
Xavier puffed his chest out and looked like he was about to start in on a lecture. Dex was sure he was just doing his big brother duties, but he did not feel he needed it. He raised his hands in front of himself in a pose of surrender.
“You don't need to warn me off her if that's what this is all about.” He got in before Xavier started.
Xavier's shoulders dropped and he let out a long exhale. “It's just she has been through a lot you know, she is fragile and I don't want to see her get hurt.”
“I'm not out to her hurt her man,” Dex shook his head. “In fact there is really nothing going on for you to be concerned about okay?”
“Yeah that's what she said as well.”
“Well maybe you should listen to her then.” He brought his arms to his chest and folded them in a protective stance.
“I just don't want you riding on her skirt tail trying to cash in her media attention. She really does not need someone like that in her life.”
Dex raised an eye-brow, honestly?
“Is that what you think of me? Really?” He waved his hands in the air and pointed to himself. “Do I look like the kind of guy who is chasing media attention?”
Xavier shrugged, “I don't know you, I only know my sister and I know that she is not in a very good place right now. She spent six years locked up out the back there.” He pointed toward the back of the garage, his voice was getting louder and he had clearly forgotten he did not want Maddie to hear. “I don't want some asshole coming in here and making her life any harder than has to be.”
“You don't get to choose who I spend time with Xavier.” Came Maddie's sweet voice from the door of the garage.
Both sets of eyes turned directly to her.
She had a fierce look on her face as she stalked toward her brother. One hand on her hip and her index finger waving in the air. Dex knew it was wrong, but could not help but think she looked even sexier when she was angry. He thought momentarily of jumping to Xavier's defence, after all he was just looking out for her and he admired that. But he was also curious to see how this little beauty handled the situation.
Xavier looked surprised at being caught out. “Madd's...”
“No Xavier,” she poked her extended finger into the centre of his chest. “I had Dad control my life for the last six years and now it's my turn. If I want to spend time with Dex then I damned well will.”
Her eyes flicked to his and he brought his hand up to his face to hide the smirk that was creeping across his lips.
“I didn't say you couldn't Madd....I just.”
“Yeah I know Patrick was 'just looking out for me too'” She made air-quotes with her fingers. “Well you know what, big brother, I rather like Dex and if you can't handle that, then maybe you should just go back the city and stay there.”
“Madd's,” Xavier tried to placate her.
“Ah maybe I should go?” Dex offered.
Maddie and Xavier both turned their glares to him. Perhaps they had both forgotten he was there. He knew he should not have come today. He thought maybe things would be different. He had no place being here in the first place. Maddie's big green eyes stared back at him in a silent plea. Xavier's were a mixture of guilt and pity.
No one spoke.
“Ah thanks for inviting me Maddie,” he ventured as he
moved toward her.
She moved slighting allowing him to move past her, still not saying a word.
“I'll be back within a few days, with the last of the parts for your car, see if we can get it going yeah?”
Maddie nodded. Xavier looked to his feet. It was an awkward moment, he wished someone would say something. He moved past them both, out into the daylight, giving his head a shake, trying to clear out the confusion. At least he didn't have to see Patrick on the way out. He let himself out of the side gate and slipped into his truck. Just as he was about to turn the key in the ignition, he saw someone moving out the corner of his eye. Looking up he saw Xavier peering at him through the closed window. He rolled the window down, wondering what else he might have to say. Maybe he was going to tell him not to bother coming back.
“Sorry,” Xavier said, not making eye-contact, instead appearing to look past him into the passenger side of the vehicle.
“Yeah, don't worry about me, go talk to your sister,” he nodded to where he could see Maddie standing by the gate, watching. What was the point? He rolled his window back up, slipped his truck into reverse and backed out of the drive.
***
The truth was, he probably wasn't any good for Maddie. Not coming from where had been the past few years. She might have been locked away, but he had been through hell himself. Maybe two broken pieces couldn't fit together to make a whole. Maybe he would be doing her a favour if he just stayed away.
Chapter 12
Maddie
“I can't believe you did that! You are such an asshole,” she scorned, shaking her head in disbelief at her brother, when they were back in the yard.
“Oh I can,” Asha rolled her eyes.
Maddie glared at her, then shook her head, “I don't know what you see in him Asha, I really don't.”
“What? I apologised.” Xavier shrugged.
“Oh yeah, only because I am mad at you, not because your sorry. It's hardly an apology when you don't even mean it.”
She was fuming, how dare he! First Patrick, now Xavier. At this rate she would never find a boyfriend, as the men in her life thought it was okay to be scaring the ones she liked off.
“Look I didn't say he couldn't see you, I was just trying to point out the fact that you're a bit fragile at the moment.”
“Fragile!!” she yelled interrupting him. “You think I am fragile? I spent six fuckin' years locked up out the back there eating crap. Sometimes I went days without eating anything! I lived in my own crap. Did you know I actually didn't have running water for the first two years I was out there? One time I was sick for weeks, I vomited all over myself, all over my clothes, and he wouldn't let me have clean ones. I had to live in my own filth. If I pissed Dad off, he would beat me. You think I am fragile? Really Xavier?” Xavier's face turned ashen and he cringed with every new revelation. She knew she was hurting him but she carried on anyway.
“Did you know I cried myself to sleep every night for the longest time? Do you know who I had to love me all that time? All I had was me, Xavier. I thought my fiancé was dead. For all I knew you were dead. Mum? You never came looking for meand I was right there,” she spun on her heel pointing toward the back of the yard where the shed still stood that had held her prisoner for so long.
“I had a life once, a happy full life. I was about to get married, or have you forgotten?” She ran her fingers through her hair, wrapping them in the strands and tugging on it. “Do you know he hacked my hair off once? I dared ask for some shampoo to wash my hair and he held me down while he hacked it too my scalp....to my scalp Xavier.” She screamed at him, the pain of the past all flooding back in a torrent of emotion that she had kept locked away for so long.
“Do you know by the time Asha found me, I was waiting to go? I was ready to die, to be done with the life I had, I did not want to be a part of it any more. I wished for death Xavier. I prayed the darkness would take over and I wouldn't have to feel anything anymore.”
He moved to her, bringing his arms out to hug her, but she pushed him away. She was too worked up to accept his comfort. She felt she could rip his face off.
“It hurt all of us Madd's we missed you so much, we all went through so much when we lost you,” he whispered as tears welled in his eyes.
She knew she was hurting him, that is why she had held back before now, always afraid of hurting someone else's feelings. Hearing a noise she looked up and noticed Patrick coming down the back steps into the yard. He knew more than most people did, they were becoming quite close, spending long nights talking about what she had been through the past years. In some ways it was easier to open up to someone she was not attached too. Just knowing he was there, helped calm her a little. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it before making eye-contact with Xavier.
“This is not about you Xave'. I love you and you know I do, but I need someone to love me.” She ran her hand down the side of her body. “Someone to touch me, to make me feel like a woman again.”
“I'm sorry bub,” Xavier whispered. His eyes saying everything he couldn't seem to find the words for.
“You just have to let me live Xave'. It's been too long that I haven't been allowed to live.”
Chapter 13
Dex
Pulling into the drive he had hoped Maddie wouldn't be home, he had not told her when he was coming. He had spent a long time mulling over the situation. He had even popped the lid on a bottle of whiskey last night. He had never smelt anything so damned good. Twirling it in hands he could almost taste it, the feelings, the relief he knew it would bring him was almost too much.
His saving grace had been the small photo of Shyla, he had kept in the kitchen cabinet all this time. That was his reason. She was why he couldn't drink. He had all but lost her to his alcohol abuse. Although he couldn't help but laugh at the term abuse, he was the one who felt abused by alcohol not the other way around. No he had to stay on the straight and narrow. For Shyla.
Now sitting in his truck at the front on Maddie's house, thinking of his near miss, he shook his head. How had this little blonde woman managed to twist his mind so much that he was even considering going back to the drink? No one since Issy had ever made him feel much of anything. In fact he couldn't think of one girl he had even wanted to see again, past the first encounter. This one it seemed, had started to crawl under his skin.
Striking a match and bringing it to the tip of his cigarette, he inhaled deeply. Feeling the nicotine drawing into his lungs. This was his only vice these days, he opened the door and jumped out of the truck, pressing the door closed, so as not to make any unnecessary noise. He reached into the open tray back and retrieved the seals. This was the last of the parts he had been waiting on. All going well, once he had these little suckers in, the engine would fire-up no problems. Then she would just need to get the tyres replaced and she would be back on the road. He knew how keen she was to get her wheels under her again.
There he went again...caring.
He managed to slip through the side gate and into the garage without being noticed and set to work, humming quietly to himself. The song that had been playing on the radio on the drive over, still running on repeat in his head. Stupid song, he didn't even like it, but it was catchy. He was broken out of his thoughts by his phone ringing. Reaching into his pocket, he saw Melody's name come up. He groaned. What could she possibly want now?
Bringing the phone to his ear he answered, “Yeah?”
“Hi Daddy it's me Shyla,” came the sweetest voice he had ever heard.
“Well hello beautiful.”
“Mummy said I could ring you and tell you I went to play today.”
“Did you now?”
“Yep and I have a new friend, his name is...his name is...what is my new friend's name Mummy?” he heard a shuffling on the other end, then she came back. “Regan, Mummy said his name is Regan.”
“That's awesome sweetheart,” his heart warmed, he so loved hearing his precious daug
hter so happy, she had not had an easy time of things in her short life.
“When are you coming to visit Daddy?”
“You know I am very busy sweetie pie. But I will come soon I promise.” Shyla giggled on the other end of the line. “What's so funny?”
“You can't eat me Daddy,” she laughed
“Bet you'd be yummy if I did,” he laughed at her innocence. “Especially with whipped cream on top.”
“You're funny Daddy.”
“Okay, I promise to come and see you okay sweetheart?”
“Yep, I love you Daddy.”
“Love you too, baby. Bye.”
He hung up the phone and tucked it back into his pocket, she really did make his heart sing, his precious little girl. He was just about to poke his head back under the bonnet of the car when he heard footsteps. Looking up and over the car, he saw Maddie walking toward him. A tiny little red sun dress on. She looked stunning, as she walked toward him with the light from the opening of the garage behind him, her blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders, she reminded him of an angel. For a brief moment he had to question his own sanity at what he was about to do. He knew he could have her, he knew she wanted him. That wasn't the problem though. He could have his way with any girl. If he had his way with this girl, he was not sure he would be able to walk away when it was all over.
“Hey,” she called out, giving him a sad smile. He had to wonder why, he had not even said anything to her yet.
“Hey Maddie, how are you?”
“I heard you....I wasn't listening in, but I heard you,” she waved her hands around, gesturing toward his head. She tended to use her hands a lot when she spoke.
“Yeah I have been here a little while,” he replied, confused.
“No I mean, just now,” she brought her hand to her ear, holding out her thumb and little finger, indicating a phone symbol.
“Oh you heard me talking to my daughter?”
The colour suddenly drained from her already pale face and she brought her open palm to her chest, holding it over her heart. His eyes followed it there. Her dress was low cut. Her chest heaved slightly as she huffed out a laugh.
