Beautiful Disaster (The Bet)

by Francette Phal

  “This again,” Gabe said, in ways of greeting appearing from seemingly nowhere. He made an attempt to take Sophie away, but managed to further aggravate the situation as Sophie’s arms tightened around Ellie’s neck, the grip nearly choking. "Stay home and take care of her. I'll call the restaurant and tell them to work around your shift." He walked away before Ellie could protest.

  Seemingly aware that the adults had capitulated and she'd won her battle, Sophie instantly put a stop to her tears and from where she rested her head on Ellie's shoulder she peered up and innocently smiled through her tears. Acknowledging that she'd been bested by her two year old, Ellie laughed.

  "You sneaky little monster, I oughtta eat your chubby little foot for that." She said affectionately, taking her appendage between her lips. Sophie's giggling protests put a smile on her face.

  An hour later found Ellie and Gabe on the dark brown suede couch with a perfectly contented Sophie nestled between them, as they watched a Disney movie on the flat screen. Ellie handed Sophie off to Gabe and stood up with the empty bowl of popcorn, heading to the kitchen

  Listlessly staring at the microwave she entertained the idea of taking Sophie to the park tomorrow. She gave a slight jump at the shrill sound of the home phone and called to Gabe that she would get it before she answered the phone.

  "Hello?" Silence greeted her. "Hello?" she said a bit more forcefully. Heavy breathing was her response. With a silent curse she hung up the phone and retrieved the bag of popcorn once the microwave dinged. She poured the contents of the bag inside the glass and returned to the living room.

  "Who was it?"

  Passing him the bowl, Ellie took possession of Sophie and gathered her in an unyielding embrace. "Some idiot with a breathing problem," she said quietly, slightly unnerved at the directions in which her thoughts were going.

  There was no way, Ellie silently convinced herself. Tony hadn't the slightest idea of where they lived and even if he did, he wouldn't be stupid enough to come near them without their lawyers present. But then again, Tony had never played by the rules.

  She’d always wanted to fly and there was nothing that brought Ellie closer than when she was running. The wind swept across her face, her lungs burned thirsting for air while her heart thundered in her chest and it all felt amazing. Her form was fluid, her strides, long and even. Her pumping arms matched the even fall of her legs. Ellie felt utterly weightless each and every time her spikes fleeted across the rubberized track. She was swift and agile, and though she wasn't built like a typical sprinter, she had just as much speed and just as much heart. As she bolted to a finish at the 400 mark, coach Creesley's whoop of joy told her that she'd made the relay team. She stooped down, hands on her knees and breathed heavily, relishing for a moment how good it felt.

  "Shake it off, Holbrook." Coach Creesley was an Amazon of a woman, towering a few good inches above Ellie. She was all blonde, amazingly pale and had a set of large cornflower blue eyes that made her look far younger than she was. "You did very well." she came over and clapped a hand on Ellie’s shoulder, her beaming smile almost blinding. "You're going to be our anchor in Friday's meet against Brinkley."

  "Thanks, coach." She said, once she'd recuperated enough.

  "Grab a drink and we'll get you started on hurdles." Ellie headed towards the field, grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and downed it in a few gulps.

  "Ellie!" Pulling the bottle of water from her mouth, Ellie turned and returned Maddie's smile as she approached.

  "And how's our best javelin thrower doing?"

  Maddie's face bloomed pink. "I'm not that great. I really sucked today. But you---you were so awesome! I can't believe how fast you are."

  Ellie shrugged. "I love running. And you are that great Maddie, otherwise I wouldn't have said it. If we're going to be friends, I would appreciate it if you didn't put yourself down. I can't stand people who constantly pity themselves." She said candidly and gently touched Maddie's arm to allay the bite in her tone. "You're really cool, Maddie, you need to believe that."

  From the veil of her dark lashes, Maddie glanced up, hesitantly she asked. "You still wanna be friends, right?"

  "Only if you acknowledge how good you are and don't constantly berate yourself."

  Maddie grinned. "Okay, then. I am the best Javelin thrower on this damn team and look pretty damn fierce too."

  Ellie laughed. She slung an arm around Maddie's waist and they walked across the field making their way to the equipment house. "The fiercest."

  "And I'm really good at Calc."

  "That's the spirit!"

  "And in Physics."

  "Umm---"

  "Oh! And in Home EC!"

  Ellie rolled her eyes heavenward. "I've created a monster." But she smiled nevertheless as Maddie laughed and continued her list.

  "Thank you so much for the ride, Ellie. I'll see you tomorrow." Maddie reached for her sport's bag in the backseat of the Ridgeline, while waving goodbye to Ellie as she pulled away from the curb.

  Practice had run much later than anticipated and Maddie would've been forced to take a cab had it not been for Ellie's offer to take her home, even though they didn’t live close to each other. Ellie lived on the North side of town near downtown, while Maddie lived at the opposite end in Fleetwood with her grandmother.

  Maddie smiled softly at the thought of her new friend while walking up the illuminated pathway to her two-story home. Ellie was different. Unlike everyone else at John Edgar, who was only happy to follow the herd of mindless sheep, Ellie was content being a no one. She didn't care what people said about her. She didn't care how people treated her. She was confident, but not overly so. She was honest, sweet and kind. She was smart and spunky and had a knack for making Maddie feel like a million bucks. She had all the qualities Maddie admired....qualities she herself lacked and sorely envied.

  While everyone at John Edgar High either chose to ignore, use or abuse her, Ellie had befriended her with no other motive in mind than friendship. In the two short weeks that Maddie had come to know her, she knew that the friendship she had with Ellie was genuine. Recalling an incident last week during lunch Maddie walked into her house.

  Maddie waved Ellie over to her solitary table in the vast courtyard and waited while the other girl drew near with a brown paper bag in her hand.

  "It should be a crime to serve kids this crap." Ellie scrunched her nose at Maddie's school lunch. She took the seat across from Maddie and dropped her messenger bag between her legs, while the strap fell haphazardly to the cobbled floor.

  Maddie smiled, taking a mouthful of applesauce. "It's not all bad."

  "That's because they killed your taste buds. Here, try my lunch."

  Maddie shook her head. "I can't, I'm on a diet."

  Ellie eyed her, "Maddie."

  "Don't worry. It's not the ‘starve yourself until you pass out diet'."

  "Good," drawing the sandwich from the bag, Ellie grabbed a white plastic knife from Maddie's tray and sawed the sandwich in half. "Then you won't mind sharing this with me. Gabe always makes me a big lunch and I never finish it. He'll be happy when I tell him it's all gone today." She settled Maddie's half in front of the salivating girl and wittingly smiled as she sank her teeth into her own sandwich.

  "Who's Gabe?" Maddie asked, taking a bite of the sandwich. Her eyes widened. "Holy shit, this is really good!"

  "Glad you like it. Gabe's my godfather. He owns a restaurant downtown. You should stop by sometime. You can tell him yourself how much you like the sandwich."

  "I'd love to---" Maddie trailed off, her teeth clicking shut at the sight of the person approaching their table. He swaggered their way, arrogance in every stride. He came to a halt behind Ellie.

  Ellie, unbeknownst to the man standing behind her, frowned at Maddie's ashen complexion.

  "Maddie---"

  "Ellie." He made her name sound like sin and Ellie couldn't decipher whether that was a good thing or not, only that it drove tr
emors down her spine. She turned in her chair and glanced up at that painfully sexy face praying that her words didn’t trip over her tongue. Ellie gave him a smile.

  "Hi, Nicholas," she greeted in turn and sighting the self-assured smirk on his full lips she tried not to roll her eyes. Sure he was sexy as hell, but someone needed to tell, tall, dark and handsome that he was no god's gift to women and the fact that he acted as such was a major turn-off. "Uh---this is my friend, Maddie." He tossed a perfunctory look Maddie's way and dismissed her just as quickly as though she were nothing more than a vexing gnat.

  "We've met." His tone gave little indication that they had. "I came to ask if you wanted to have lunch with me and my friends. I figured we'd show you around and make you feel welcomed."

  "That's sweet of you, Nicholas, but I think I'm good here. Maddie's been a great help so far, so I'm going to stick with her. But thanks for asking." She said sweetly enough and as though he no longer bore any relevance, she turned her back to him and engaged Maddie back in conversation.

  Shell-shocked couldn't even begin to describe how Maddie felt as she stared at Nicholas retreating back, fist clenched at his sides. Slack-jawed, she stared at Ellie unable to believe what she'd just seen. It was a rare occurrence---no, strike that, it never happened. No one, not even the teachers, ever refused Nicholas Grayson anything. It just didn't happen.

  "I can't believe you just did that." She shook her head in disbelief.

  Ellie rolled her eyes, "Please, guys like that are a dime a dozen. Nicholas Grayson is all ego and not enough brains. He's a waste of time."

  "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

  "I know a few tricks." She shoved a spoonful of strawberry yogurt in her mouth and smiled pleasantly at Maddie. "Stick around and I might teach you some."

  Maddie did not doubt that she would. Ellie certainly wasn't like anyone she'd ever met.

  "Gran, I'm home!" she called, closing the door behind her. She dropped her sport's bag on the floor by the entrance and lugged her school bag over her shoulder.

  "In the kitchen, dear." Charlotte "Lottie" Tate was elbow deep in flour in the process of whipping one of her famous pies. Maddie hoped it was blueberry. She'd learn how to bake from Gran.

  When her parents had passed away ten years ago, she'd retreated into herself for a time. It was Gran's infinite book of recipes that finally drew her out of her shell. All those delicious confectionery delights she'd learn to make over the years were partially to blame for her added weight gain. Oh, but one couldn't really stop at one when it came to sweets. It was just impossible. Anything chocolate was Maddie's ultimate downfall.

  "I'll be right down to help you, I just need to wash up." Maddie said hastily dropping a kiss on her Gran's weathered cheek.

  "No need, dear, keep your handsome friend company. He's upstairs in your bedroom, waiting to do homework." Maddie's confusion must have shown on her face because Gran elaborated a second later. "You know... the one with the nice manners and that wonderful smile..." Here her cheeks flamed and Maddie knew it wasn't because of the preheated oven.

  Nicky.

  Not that she didn't adore the hell out of her grandmother but her lack of caution and her trusting nature especially to jerks like Nicholas Grayson and his devious charms was bound to get them in trouble one day. Honestly, what parent in their right mind allowed an eighteen year old boy in their daughter's bedroom?

  Not many, that's for damn sure Maddie's mind shot back and she wearily sighed.

  "Thanks, Gran." On her way up the stairs, she stopped and turned. "Don't set a plate for him, he won't be staying long." Maddie disappeared before Gran could protest, sure, that the old lady would.

  As she climbed the stairs leading to her bedroom, Maddie wondered what it was that the silver-eyed devil wanted. Outwardly, she appeared calm and reserved and desperately hoped she remained so when she saw him. Her heart raced almost painfully in her chest, a hummingbird stuck in its ribcage.

  She stopped for a moment, resting a hand over her abdomen she wished she could stop the fluttering there. Hope, as desperately as she tried to beat it down, punched through logic and flourished inside the pit of her belly. She hated herself for wanting him still, even after the horrific episode with the cookies and the callous way he'd handled her and her feelings, she still, foolishly yearned for him.

  Maddie had attended elementary, middle school and now high school with the majority of students at John Edgar high. She had watched from her shadowed haven as they’d formed their cliques. The few she'd been friends with had readily abandoned her when popularity called. They'd never looked back and she'd been far too timid and insecure to follow them.

  As the years passed, she fell into the role of outcast. She became the walking punch line. She'd learned immunity, but the fat jokes never ceased to hurt. She'd become accustomed to her life of obscurity, and resigned herself to the fact that college would be much better than the supposed, "Best years of her life" that high school had turned out to be. She'd accepted her role, until Nicholas Grayson came into her life.

  Oh, but sin had never been as tempting as when she'd been in his arms. Nicholas, who was both so devilishly handsome and so wickedly cruel had come into her life and flipped her entire world on its axis. Raging through like a typhoon he'd thrown everything asunder. Her heart. Her body. Her soul. Now he was in her bedroom. Waiting for her. Her seed of hope became a garden.

  She made haste, taking the last steps two at a time. She was at her door in seconds. She palmed the brass knob and entered.

  Nicholas lounged on her baby pink coverlet, shirt off, the top button of his dark blue jeans opened and he wore a smile that instantly drew air from Maddie's lungs. His hair hung in that haphazard way she loved, that made her fingers itch to brush it back from his face and look into those pale set of eyes. He sat up and Maddie's knees almost buckled.

  Nicholas fully clothed was mouthwatering. Nicholas half naked, was a sight to behold.

  Memories of passionate nights writhing beneath that sinewy body, gripping onto those biceps adorned with the twisting tattoo of a dragon looking fiercely had Maddie weakening at the knees. Afraid that she would crumple, she leaned against the door frame and attempted not to gawk, which she miserably failed to do.

  Aside from the tattoo decorating his forearm, the head of the dragon ending at the base of his left ear, Nicholas's skin was flawless. Whipcord muscles and evocative beauty combined to make the eyes gape. When he walked, Maddie was aware of him. She could feel warmth sluice over her skin, making her achingly hot. Fevered. She loved how his broad torso gave way to the rise and dips of his abdomen.

  She loved how muscles formed and cut creases down his groin. She loved the treasure of peach fuzz dark hair trailing a path down his jeans. She remembered kissing her way down that chest. She remembered how it felt to be on her knees in front of him. She remembered how his shuttered eyes had looked at her, how his strong fingers had twisted in her hair, tenderly caressing her face as he deflowered first her mouth and then---

  "Wh---what are you doing here?" she came away from the door, entering her bedroom. She wisely kept the door ajar. She dropped her book bag on her desk, her back to him. She prayed for immunity from him, prayed for strength, but found her prayers unanswered, when Nicholas approached her and her insides boiled. His warmth and his scent, smacked her into paralysis. She couldn't move. She didn't want to move. She could feel him, flush against her backside. "Nicky." She whispered. Breathy. Wanting.

  "I missed you." He sounded so genuine that Maddie wanted to weep. Instead, she leaned back against him, allowed him his ministrations. Deft hands pushed her mass of cinnamon tresses aside and whispered a kiss along the side of her neck. His fingers caressed her fevered skin, the gentle pads trailing down her arms.

  "I miss kissing you here," warm lips whispered a kiss behind her ear. "And here." On her cheek now. Caught in his haze, she didn't realize his other hand had unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, until she fel
t him outside of her panties. "Most definitely here."

  "Nicky," she shuddered, the delicious shivers dappling the canvas of her skin.

  "Did you miss me kissing you here, Maddie?" His voice seduced her even as his fingers did unspeakable things to her.

  "Nicky."

  "Say it; tell me how much you’ve missed my kisses.”

  "I--" She was melting. "P-please."

  "I will, baby, but I want to play a game first. Will you play with me?" She'd jump off a bridge for him at this point. Maddie allowed him to lead her to her bed. He gently pushed her down and pulled away from her. He closed and locked the door, returning to her side before she could blink.

  He was on her in seconds, his body straddling her hips. She went down willingly. "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer for me, OK?" She could only nod. He brushed a kiss at the corner of her mouth and grinned. "Good girl." He caressed her skin almost lovingly and stared down at her, his mercurial gaze revealing nothing. "You've become quite close to the new girl," he began, absentmindedly toying with straps of her bra. "Almost like best friends." his lips raised in semblance of a smile, only it lacked humor. "Tell me what you know about her."

  "I don’t ---"

  He stooped down, his lips inches away from her parted ones, anticipation making her ache as he hovered. "Work with me, baby." he whispered, breath tantalizingly sweet. "What's her favorite color?"

  "Nicky..." she panted, whined almost. "Nicky...please..."

  "Green...Blue...Red...Pink..."

  "Silver." One fine dark brow shot up, but otherwise his face remained infuriatingly blank.

  "Favorite flower?"

  Maddie craved his mouth, wanted the kiss he so easily denied her. "Christ, Nicholas, I don't know!" Diamond gray eyes pinioned her further to the mattress.

  "Fine." he said casually and swiftly removed himself from her bed. He turned to leave, but the sudden cry of "No!" stopped him mid stride. Nicholas took a moment to bask in his victory before he turned back and curiously peered at her.