He chuckled as he opened his eyes and came back to earth. “Then Frosty Cone it is.”
They headed down towards Ming Avenue and spotted Jayden’s truck in the parking lot. They turned to each other and smiled as they got out and walked inside. They ordered their meals and went to find their new friend. They spotted him and Callie in a booth, sharing some ear buds and bobbing to whatever they were listening to.
“Can we join you?” Andrew asked and they both looked up, smiling.
“Of course,” Callie said jumping up, forcing the ear buds out of both of their ears.
“Geez, baby. No wonder you break so many of these things,” Jayden said, rubbing his ear.
“Sorry, Jay,” she said, glancing at him before she hugged Madison tightly.
“What were you guys listening to?” Madison asked as she slid in the booth.
“Miles Rayford,” Callie replied, sitting next to Jayden.
“No shit! Really?”
“You know him?”
“I saw him perform in New York about six months ago. I love him. He’s really good, even better in person,” Madison said excitedly. “And he’s got that hot British thing going for him as well, which is a nice perk,” Madison finished with a wag of her brows.
“I know,” Callie giggled as Jayden rolled his eyes.
Callie and Jayden then looked at each other and nodded before turning back to them.
“We have tickets to a show he’s doing in a few weeks. My dads were supposed to go but they can’t. You guys should come with us. It’s going to be pretty cool. It’s at a resort in Lake Arrowhead. We already have two rooms reserved.”
Jayden hoped they would say yes. He and Callie had been trying to decide who to go with for a while now. Neither of them liked anyone around town enough to invite but they also didn’t want the tickets to go to waste.
“OH MY GOD! Are you freaking kidding me?” Madison screamed causing everyone in the Frosty Cone to turn to them. Madison didn’t care. She immediately turned to Andrew. “Can we go?”
He smiled at her and nodded, watching as her face lit up the room. He knew there was no way he would say no, especially seeing how happy she was. He had no idea who this person was but he didn’t really care. He just loved the idea that they would be able to do something, like a normal couple would.
“Sounds cool to me,” Andrew said and then heard them call their number. “Be right back.”
“We will have so much fun!” Callie said to Madison. “The resort is really nice. The concert is on a Saturday so we have the rooms for Friday and Saturday night.”
“Oh wow. I just can’t believe it,” Madison said excitedly. She loved live music and Miles was one of her favorites. “How much do we owe you for the tickets?” she asked Jayden.
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? Jay, we’re not gonna let you pay for them. Seriously, how much were they?”
Jayden shook his head. “Everything is already paid for so don’t worry about it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely! Callie and I were just talking about who we wanted to go with, so you guys walking in is like divine intervention or something.”
“I still can’t believe you know who he is,” Callie interjected amazed.
“Well, he does live in New York,” Madison said as explanation, causing both Jayden and Callie to laugh.
“So what are you guys doing today?” Jayden asked.
“We just came from your dad’s and then...” Her voice trailed off as she saw Jimmy and his friends walk inside and head straight for Andrew.
Andrew turned around, holding the tray of food and he was suddenly face to face with Jimmy Bowers. There was no hiding the anger he clearly felt at seeing him. He breathed in, trying to settle himself down, not wanting there to be any trouble.
“How’d you get out, Harrison?” Jimmy sneered.
Madison quickly got up and darted over there. She glared at Jimmy while gently touching Andrew’s lower back. She grinned when she looked at Jimmy. He looked horrible. His eye was still swollen and bruised, his lip was busted up and his chin had stitches from where he hit the ground. Jimmy noticed her smile and turned his fiery glare to her. Andrew set the tray back on the counter, unsure where this was going to go but knew he would not let Jimmy hurt her.
“What’s so funny, bitch?”
“So asks the man who looks like he just got his ass kicked,” Madison replied arching her brow at him. “Oh wait, you DID get your ass kicked, didn’t you, Jimmy?” Madison stated smugly.
Jimmy stepped towards her and Andrew quickly pushed her behind him, protectively. “Don’t come any closer, Jimmy.”
“How do you plan on stopping me, Harrison? You’re the one with the record, not me. They’ll arrest you before they even think about doing anything to me.”
Andrew was suddenly completely uncertain. Mr. Bennett had been very explicit about the fact that he was to avoid Jimmy at all costs but how was he supposed to defend himself and Madison when Jimmy clearly wanted to start trouble for them?
“Is there a problem?” An officer asked as he approached.
“No, sir, but he shouldn’t be in here,” Jimmy said, motioning to Andrew.
Andrew breathed in deeply, trying to steady himself. The officer looked between them and when Jimmy started to say something else the officer put his hand up to silence him. He glanced at Madison who had stepped out from behind Andrew. She appeared frightened.
“Are you alright, ma’am?”
“Yes, Officer. Jimmy was trying to cause problems. Andrew didn’t do anything.”
“This is such bullshit,” Jimmy said turning to his friends. “Let’s go somewhere else. I can’t believe the kind of people they serve here.” His friends nodded at him before he turned back to Andrew. “Catch you later, Harrison.”
“Do you have problem with that guy?” The officer asked Andrew.
“We got into a fight on Saturday. My girl and I were just here to eat. We don’t want any trouble,” Andrew said, not looking at him.
“Go about your business but I better not be called about any problems with you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Andrew replied, watching the officer walk out as well.
Madison stepped in front of Andrew. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest feeling the rapid thumping of his heart. He kissed her lightly on the top of her head and took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. He hated this, hated that his hands were, in essence, tied.
“I’m hungry, Helios. Let’s eat, okay,” Madison said running her fingers up and down his back.
He nodded and grabbed their tray before making their way back to their seats. He quickly dispersed their food and dropped the tray on the empty table behind them. He sat down, looking at his food, not feeling very hungry anymore.
“He was in the wrong, Andrew. You did the right thing,” Jayden said, still watching the door. “I can’t believe the cops got here so quick.”
“You called them?” Andrew asked, looking up at him.
“Yes, I didn’t want Jimmy to do anything that would get you in trouble. I wouldn’t put it past him to do something just to be spiteful.”
“I don’t know how I can avoid him when he keeps starting trouble with me wherever I go.”
“We definitely need to steer clear of him because I am seriously tempted to kick his ass myself,” Madison said as she popped a chili covered fry into her mouth.
Andrew’s lips rose into a smile as he ran his thumb along the chili on her lips. She grinned and kissed the pad of his thumb. He needed to not let Jimmy ruin things for him.
‘Well, I wouldn’t want that to happen,” he said with a grin.
They spent the next several hours visiting with one another and making plans for the concert. Since Andrew had to meet with his probation officer in Los Angeles on the Friday they were supposed to leave they decided they would all go together and th
en head to Lake Arrowhead after he was done. That would still allow them to arrive at the resort fairly early on Friday so they could have some fun and then they had all day Saturday before the show.
~*~
Both Andrew and Madison were in better spirits by the time they pulled up to the clinic. Andrew glanced around the parking lot and saw his aunt’s car. Olivia had worked as a nurse for many years while Aaron taught at the local high school. When he first got out of prison, Andrew had asked them why they didn’t move out of the trailer park since they both had good jobs. They had laughed and said they owned their home and even though they both had decent paying jobs it wouldn’t be enough to buy anywhere else and they had no desire to be in debt. He supposed that made sense as he knew nothing about the economics in California or what it was like to be responsible for a home.
“That’s my aunt’s car,” Andrew said, motioning towards the vehicle in question. “She said that she would get me in.”
Madison bit down on her lip and nodded as she found a parking space nearby. In truth, she was a little nervous. She was always cautious and used condoms but one never really knew. She had to admit that she was a little more worried about Andrew than she wanted to acknowledge. She had seen a lot of girls in New York who prostituted themselves for drugs and hoped that Andrew had never been with anyone like that but, in all reality, she knew that he must have or he wouldn’t be so concerned about getting tested. Once she parked, they made their way inside and saw his aunt immediately.
“Andrew, Madison, come on back,” Olivia said, noting something for the nurse at the desk. “Don’t be nervous. It’s a simple blood draw,” she said to Andrew who was wearing a concerned expression on his face.
Andrew smiled at her but he wasn’t nervous about her drawing blood. He had been a heroin user, he was sure that he probably could draw his own blood with little fanfare. No, he was nervous about what the results might be. He was pretty confident that he was clean but there was a little inkling of doubt. He had been with many less than savory women and had often slept with them to get a place to stay and later some money to feed his habit. Although he never considered himself a prostitute, he was well aware that he skirted the line with that. Olivia walked them to a bed and drew the curtain back.
“Andrew, this is Nurse West, she’ll be drawing your blood. I can’t because I’m family,” she answered his unspoken question. She then turned to Madison. “Madison, will you be tested as well?”
“I would like to be, if that’s okay.”
She nodded and escorted her to another bed where she began asking her all kinds of questions to input her into the system. She then drew Madison’s blood and watched her flinch as the needle pierced her skin. When Olivia was done, she looked up to see Andrew waiting patiently. Madison immediately went to him, taking his hand in hers. Olivia smiled at the two of them and thought what a beautiful couple they made.
“We’ll have the results in a little bit. It’s not too crowded today so the lab shouldn’t be backed up. Do you want to wait for the results or do you want me to call you with them?"
Andrew looked at Madison who shrugged.
“Madison needs to go to the store for her grandmother so maybe we could do that and then come back to check,” Andrew suggested.
Olivia nodded. “That sounds like a plan. Come ask for me when you get back.”
Andrew and Madison took off to the local grocery store. They took their time perusing through the store, laughing and joking about various things. In the process, she learned that he liked blue corn tortilla chips with medium hot salsa, apples versus oranges, Coke versus Pepsi, and plain old bologna. He liked his coffee black with just a little bit of sugar and that he generally didn’t eat breakfast. As he pushed the cart and she threw things in from her list, she felt really happy, wondering if this was what it would be like to be married to him. She quickly shook her head and chastised herself for even going there. She needed to take this one day at time as she didn’t know what would happen in a few months. Then she heard her grandmother’s voice in her head. Love will find a way.
Once they were done at the store, they headed back to the clinic and found out that both of their test results were fine. Andrew had been unable to mask his relief at the news and had hugged Madison tightly in front of everyone. He didn’t realize what a burden it had been for him to carry this worry around. He was lost in thought as they drove back to her grandmother’s trailer and was surprised they had gotten there so quickly and then, as that thought passed through his mind, he smiled remembering that Madison was driving and that she drove like a maniac.
“Will you come see me tonight?” she asked softly.
“I’d like that.”
15 WHISPERED CONFESSIONS
“Madison...” Andrew’s voice trailed off as his eyelids closed tightly.
Madison was enthralled with the look on his face, admiring the expression he had when he was close to his release. His brows would scrunch together and the vein on his forehead seemed to pulse. That, combined with the lip bite and the slight flare of his nostrils, was a sight to behold. He shifted his hips just slightly. He whimpered and grunted before his mouth latched onto her shoulder in a vain attempt to remain quiet. He moved his hand between them as he continued to thrust within her. Madison could feel how close she was and strained her body, pushing against him until she went rigid, crying at the intensity of her orgasm. He pulled her slick body very close to him as their hearts slowly started to reach normal levels.
“Mmm, Helios, baby, I am seriously never going to get enough of you,” she purred, running her fingers into his now wet hair.
“I spend all day waiting for when I can be right here,” he replied, nuzzling against her neck as his hips swiveled and he thrust within her, emphasizing exactly where ‘here’ was.
She let out a breathy sigh and ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the scars that were there. She had wanted to ask him about them for the past several days, but then again she didn’t, as she had no desire to upset him by reliving something he wasn’t prepared to relive. In her post orgasmic haze she forgot about this and found herself tracing along several of them.
Andrew could feel her fingers gently following the outline of his scars and he was torn on what he should do. He knew he needed to tell her about his past but he just wasn’t sure how to go about doing that. He had never really talked to anyone about the things he went through yet he felt compelled to tell her everything about himself. He didn’t want any secrets between them. He took a deep breath and nuzzled further into her neck.
“It happened a long time ago.”
“What happened, baby?” Madison asked, confused.
“My back,” he said, looking at her. “I was kid.”
She nodded as a sad expression enveloped her face.
He closed his eyes, as his heart raced. He was shaking his head slightly, his brows furrowed, and he had the look of a man in pain, not physical pain, but the kind of pain that eats at your soul. Madison immediately brought her hands to his face and then ran them through his hair, massaging his scalp with her fingers. Whatever had happened to him, she knew it had been bad based on the look of horror on his face.
“Helios, sweetheart,” she said, kissing him softly on the lips. “You don’t need to say anything.” She kissed him again. “It’s alright,” she whispered against his lips.
Madison repeated her words over and over again until he finally let out a loud breath and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He nestled his face against her neck as he felt a few traitorous tears escape his eyes. He didn’t want to move, he didn't want to remember, he only wanted to hold her. After several agonizing minutes, his breathing started to become shallow while his racing heart started to slow down until sleep finally took him. Madison held him tightly against her and allowed her fingers to slowly move along his shoulders and lower back.
“What the hell happened to you, Helios?”
Andrew woke before the
alarm and shut it off before Madison heard it. He kissed her softly on the forehead and maneuvered out of her arms and legs. She moaned softly and her brows creased, causing him to grin. He slid out of the bed and got dressed before lying back down next to her. He watched the peaceful and content look on her face and started gently running his fingers through her hair. Madison instinctually reached for him, pulling him to her.
“Baby, I am heading out. I need to shower and then I’ll be back by 11:00 a.m., okay?”
“I love you,” she mumbled and Andrew froze.
He glanced at her in both shock and euphoria. He could see that her eyes were still closed and, from what he could tell, she was still fast asleep. She was obviously dreaming about him. It was a thought that filled his heart with a happiness he couldn’t describe. He finally leaned in to her and kissed her softly on the lips.
“I love you too, Madison,” he whispered before sliding off the bed again.
When he got to her door, he stopped and looked back. She had this beautifully sweet smile on her face as she slept. He grinned and took a deep breath before opening the door and exiting quietly down the hall and out the front door. His walk home was unusually quick as his mind kept replaying what Madison had just said to him. He realized she had said it in her sleep but he didn’t care, she had still said she loved him.
“Good morning, Andrew,” Olivia remarked as he walked in the door.
Andrew jumped, startled that she was up so early. They were usually still asleep or just getting up when he got home in the morning.
“Good morning,” Andrew said, looking around for Aaron.
“He’s in the shower. Can I help you with something?” she asked, setting her coffee down.
Andrew watched her for a moment and then sat down. She was always telling him that he could talk to her about anything and she had been very supportive of his relationship so far. He was going to talk to Aaron about what Madison had said but was now wondering if he should talk to her instead.
“If a woman says something in her sleep, is that normally true?”
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 14
