Madison laughed and kissed her grandmother on the cheek again before hugging Andrew tightly.
“I better go,” he whispered in her ear.
“Can you come by later?”
“I promised Aaron I would help him today in Tehachapi but we should be back in town later this evening. Can I come by then?” Andrew asked, hopeful.
She smiled. “You better.”
He turned to her grandmother and smiled. “Thank you.”
After Andrew left, Madison pranced into the kitchen to start breakfast. She was feeling enraptured with love for Andrew. She felt a tremendous relief flood through her at the realization that she and Andrew did not need to hide any longer. That he could come over earlier and that they could hold each other at night.
~*~
Andrew pulled out his pack of smokes and lit one up quickly, exhaling into the crisp morning air. His free hand worked its way up the back of his neck as he inhaled once again. He suddenly felt exhausted, yet his heart was still racing. Had it really only been a week since he met Madison? That seemed impossible to him. He lit another cigarette as he continued towards his aunt and uncle’s home, wondering how, in such a short time, he could feel this deeply about someone. When her grandmother had been upset he was almost certain that she was going to tell him he could no longer come over. He would have survived it, but not very well. Andrew smoked another couple of cigarettes, contemplating the last 24 hours. So much had happened that he felt unsettled and on edge. As he stepped into the house, he found a frazzled Olivia who was unsuccessfully being consoled by Aaron.
“What’s going on? Is everything alright?” Andrew asked, assessing the situation.
They both turned to him and Olivia leapt from her seated position and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Andrew glanced at Aaron for some guidance but he just shrugged his shoulders, a small smile on his face.
“Ummm, Auntie, are you alright?” Andrew asked, confused.
She stepped back and wiped her eyes. She had been insanely worried about Andrew going into Los Angeles yesterday. She remembered all the things that were in the report that Roger had collected. She had been plagued with nightmares all evening, ranging from a lost little boy crying out for help, to a lost young man crying out for help. When she awoke and he wasn’t home, she had begun to fret. Aaron had tried to reassure her that he was probably still with Madison which had led to even more worry at what would happen if Grandma Downing found him there. She had decided to give it another hour before calling over there but now that she saw him before her she felt foolish for worrying as she had.
“I...” she took a deep breath, “I had been worried when you weren’t here this morning.”
“Oh,” Andrew replied, running his hand through his hair. “I overslept and then, umm, Madison’s grandmother wanted to talk to me.”
Aaron let out a chuckle until both Andrew and Olivia turned to him with disapproving looks. He mouthed the word ‘sorry’, but his smile said he still thought it was humorous.
“She was kind of angry at first but in the end she said she wouldn’t stop me from spending the night, even though she said she didn’t approve of it.” He gave them both a questioning look. “That means I can still go over there, right?”
“Yes, it does. I will give Grandma Downing a call later today. She’s probably wondering if I knew about this dalliance between the two of you.”
“Do I have time to shower before we have to leave?” Andrew asked Aaron who nodded.
An hour later, Aaron and Andrew were headed to his friend, Carmine’s, house. He had called Aaron earlier in the week and asked if they could help with some repairs that needed to be done on his roof. Andrew didn’t mind hard labor but he did mind who the hard labor was for. Carmine was a retired teacher but if you asked him he would advise you that he had been booted out because of a system that discriminated against the aged. If you allowed him to, he would rant for hours about his trials and tribulations both in and out of the school system. Andrew did his best to block him out as Aaron was the only person he seemed to like but on occasions he would be forced to listen to Carmine’s bizarre views of the world.
“Yesterday, I saw Tyler when we were leaving Hollywood,” Andrew said out of the blue.
Aaron glanced at him for a moment and then turned eyes back to the road. “Is he the young man you were with the night of the incident?” Aaron asked.
Andrew smiled. Aaron always called the rape the incident and he always referred to the low lives that littered Andrew’s past as young men. Andrew believed in calling a spade a spade and for the first year he corrected him but now he accepted that it was just Aaron’s way. Everything about Aaron seemed to flow as if he belonged in some long ago time in Europe where they talked and acted differently than they do in modern times. He was kind and non-judgmental, a rarity in today’s society.
“Yes,” Andrew finally replied. “He was a mess. Dirty, skinny, and sickly. He wanted money and all I could think was that I needed to get him the hell away from Madison. I didn’t want him tainting her in any way but...” Andrew paused and glanced at Aaron. “He said something to Madison about...”
Andrew stopped for a moment. He had never really talked to Aaron about how he got his money but he thought Aaron must have figured it out by now. He assumed that Aaron knew that there were only so many ways homeless drug addicts had to supply their habit.
“He told her how I used to get money.” Aaron nodded and Andrew sighed. “How I used to have sex with women and then steal from them.”
Aaron nodded once again, except this time he glanced at Andrew and offered him a small smile, hoping to reassure him. He had suspected that Andrew had done something illegal to obtain money. The report Roger had collected did not list any jobs for him so he thought maybe theft or prostitution. He never really considered both of them at the same time.
“Seeing him made me think about a lot of things. The way I was back then and the kind of life that I led.” Andrew turned to face the window. “He made me think about... heroin,” Andrew said softly as he ran his hand up and down his forearm and rested his head against the window.
“Did it make you crave it?” Aaron asked, trying to mask the concern he suddenly felt.
“Not really. I don't know, maybe a little,” he said turning to Aaron. “It scared me.”
Aaron quickly swerved the car and pulled over to the side of the road, putting the car in park. Andrew was a little concerned as he wasn’t sure what was happening. Aaron was clearly upset about something. Andrew began to panic as he watched Aaron turn in his seat to face him, a determined look on his face.
“Andrew, if you ever feel that way again I need you to call me, call someone. I need a commitment from you that you will do that,” he said, looking at Andrew with a fierceness that startled Andrew.
“Okaaay,” Andrew said, clearly confused why this statement required him to pull the car over.
Aaron closed his eyes and shook his head. He was mumbling to himself and looked as if he was debating something with someone. Andrew stared at him; unsure what was going on or what would happen next. Without warning, Aaron’s eyes shot open and his face held a look that was both forceful and kind.
“I lost my brother to a cocaine overdose. He was younger than me and always in trouble but he was finally getting his life together. He was in treatment and he was doing so well. We were all really proud of him and then things started going bad for him until eventually he couldn’t take it anymore.” Aaron looked down and took a long and soothing breath. “He never called me or talked to anyone. He made the decision one day that he no longer cared. Not about himself, not about his family, not about anything. So one night he purposely took a fatal dose.”
Andrew stared at him. Aaron had tears in his eyes and it was obvious that he still cared deeply about his brother.
“I’m sorry about your brother, Aaron, but why are you telling me this? Do you think I am going to use again?” Andrew was
hurt at this thought.
“No one can ever be sure but I care about you and would hate for you to feel that you had no one to talk to or that you were alone. My brother often felt ashamed of who he was and had a hard time asking for help. I need you to promise me that you will ask for help,” Aaron said, touching his shoulder.
Andrew nodded. He had never had anyone in his life that cared about what happened to him, and the look of concern on Aaron’s face moved him and made him want to do right by him. Aaron turned around and pulled out onto the road again.
“I don’t think I ever told you how Olivia and I met.” He glanced at Andrew who shook his head no. “Well, obviously you know her sister was an addict,” he said watching as Andrew gave him a strange look.
“Both my parents were addicts, Aaron. What does that have to do with how you two met?”
Aaron continued to watch the road, glancing at Andrew out of the corner of his eye. “I met your aunt at a support group for family members of addicts. I fell in love with her that first day we talked and never looked back. She was very conflicted about your mother. She felt like she gave up on her and, in doing so, that she abandoned you. The two of you haunted her dreams, her life, not knowing what became of either of you.” He let out a deep sigh as he remembered the many long nights hearing her cry herself to sleep. “After your grandmother passed away, we hired a private investigator to find you, which is what led to her coming to see you in prison.”
Andrew nodded and looked towards the window again. Aaron glanced at him and could tell by his posture that he was deep in thought.
“Just knowing the things you went through at the hands of your parents has tortured her, tortured us. We...”
Andrew whipped his head around to face him again. “Wait, you know what happened to me?” Andrew asked, panicked and angry.
“Yes, I do. I’m sorry, Andrew. I never wanted to say anything unless you wanted to talk about it but I have seen the report. I know what your parents did.”
Andrew closed his eyes, trying to sort through everything. All this time he assumed they didn’t know because they never asked him.
“You know... everything?” Andrew asked in a whisper as tears started to form in his eyes.
Aaron sighed and nodded. Andrew was breathing heavily as he looked out the window again. He heard Aaron tell him that if he ever wanted to talk about it that he was there for him. Andrew instinctually knew that, but that didn’t mean he was ready to take him up on the offer. They drove the rest of the way to Carmine’s house in silence as Andrew contemplated his next course of action. At this point, his greatest concern was Madison. He knew that he needed to tell her about the things that happened to him as he couldn’t hold it inside any longer.
18 CONFESSIONS
Madison kept herself busy for the rest of the day, counting down the hours until Andrew would be back. She had several long talks with her grandmother about the situation. Her grandmother wanted to make sure she understood what she was getting into and that it was imperative that she talk to him about the night terror he experienced the night before. By the time the knock came at 7:30 Madison sprung to her feet and rushed to the door to let him in.
“Hey, handsome,” Madison said with a gentle kiss.
“Hello, beautiful,” Andrew replied, kissing her forehead softly.
“Did you eat? I saved you some food,” Madison said, running her hands down his chest.
“Yeah, I had something but...” He blushed slightly because he really hadn’t eaten much. Once they had gotten home he rushed to shower and grabbed one of the pork chops his aunt had made and slapped it between some bread before rushing out the door.
“Go sit down, baby. I'll heat it up,” Madison said as she practically skipped into the kitchen to warm up his plate.
“Ma’am,” Andrew said as he sat down on the couch.
“Andrew, I believe I asked you to call me Grandma before, didn’t I?” Grandma Downing said with a brow arch that made Andrew smile. He was starting to wonder if that was a hereditary trait.
“You did, ma’am. I mean, Grandma,” he said with a smile.
She nodded and returned his smile. “So I hear you all went to help Carmine?”
“Yes, we did. You know him?” Andrew asked as he took the plate from Madison.
“Oh, Carmine taught at the school in town before he moved out there to Tehachapi. He’s a crazy old coot,” Grandma Downing said laughing.
Andrew nodded. “He’s different alright,” Andrew said between mouthfuls of pasta.
“Do you like it?” Madison asked, motioning her head towards his plate.
He turned to her and kissed her softly. “I love it.”
“Andrew, you’re lucky Maddie knows how to cook because my daughter is horrible in the kitchen. Maddie must have gotten her cooking gene from John’s side of the family,” Madison’s grandmother said with a chuckle.
Andrew noticed that Madison’s demeanor changed somewhat at the mention of John, which he presumed was her father. Suddenly Madison’s grandmother shushed them and both Andrew and Madison turned to the television as her favorite game show came back on.
“What city is often referred to as the Pearl of the Mediterranean?”
“What is Alexandria?” Madison said softly just as some man named Sal hit his buzzer and said the same thing.
Andrew glanced at her and smirked while Madison shrugged, a small smile creeping on her face again. Andrew turned back to his food, shaking his head often as Grandma Downing grumbled at the television while Madison answered most of the questions correctly. When she got a question wrong her grandmother would turn to her and tease her while Madison just rolled her eyes. At first, Andrew was a little confused but Madison reassured him that it was how they always watched the show.
They spent the next several hours watching television with her grandmother and snuggling together on the couch. When her grandmother finally said she was getting tired, Madison left for a few moments to help her grandmother get changed into her sleepwear. As Madison headed back to the door she heard her grandmother speak.
“He really is a pleasant young man, Maddie.”
Madison turned to her. “He is,” she said with a smile. “Goodnight, Grans. I love you.”
“I love you too, Maddie.”
Madison made her way to the couch and immediately straddled Andrew's lap. “Alone at last,” she whispered seductively before grinding against him and nibbling on his bottom lip.
He ran his hands up her back. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, baby,” she said, kissing along his lightly stubbled jaw line.
“You looked upset when your grandmother mentioned John and then earlier today your grandmother said you had been through a lot. I also remember on Monday night when I came over you said you knew what heroin could do.” He took a deep breath. “Was your father an addict?”
Madison froze. She didn’t want to talk about this particular topic right now, but apparently he did. She felt his hands move to her face so that he could see her. She saw the hurt and concern in his eyes so she moved off his lap and sat down, turning in her seat so she could face him. He mimicked her movement and then ran his fingers across her cheek.
“Yes, my father was an addict.”
She brought her fingers to her temple, tapping three of them there as if she were playing an instrument. Andrew just watched her. He wanted desperately to say something or do something but he was trying to wait it out, give her some time to sort through her thoughts.
“When I was eight, my mom and I were making dinner for my dad’s birthday. It was almost done so she asked me to let him know that we were ready for him.”
Madison closed her eyes as she recalled walking down the hall and opening the door. She remembered how confused she had been when her dad wasn’t moving on the bed and then seeing that he didn’t look right. She squeezed her eyes tighter as she tried to block the images from her brain.
Maddie smi
led as she trotted down the hall to her parents’ bedroom. Her daddy had said he was tired and was just going to lie down while her mama was cooking. Mama had said okay because she knew her daddy liked to eat the raviolis before they were even in the sauce. When Maddie swung the bedroom door open the room was really dark, the blinds were down and only the small lamp on the table by the bed was on.
“Daddy, Mama said dinner is almost done.”
Maddie thought it strange that he wasn’t moving. She also noticed that there was dried spit or something on the corner of his mouth. She tapped his shoulder, nudging him a little but he still didn't move.
“Daddy?”
Maddie looked around the room, noting a needle lying on the bed. This confused her even more. Was her father sick and no one told her about it? She picked it up and walked back into the kitchen to show her mama.
“Mama? Daddy won’t wake up and this was on the bed. Is Daddy sick?”
Jacqueline glanced at her daughter as she moved the salad to the table and saw the needle in her hand. She gasped and dropped the bowl on the floor. She quickly grabbed the needle away from her daughter, dropping it on the counter like it was hot or something. She looked scared and was breathing hard as she turned abruptly and ran to their bedroom with Maddie following close behind her, trying to keep up. When she entered the room, she immediately started to scream at the top of her lungs, causing her daughter to cover her ears. Maddie didn’t know what was happening but figured it had to be something really bad. Maddie watched as her mama ran to the bed and started shaking John. She then tried desperately to open his eyes.
“No, no, no! Baby, wake up.” She cried, shaking her head. “Wake up, baby, don't do this to me.” She sobbed as she continued to shake him. “Oh God! Please, baby, don't leave me. No, no, no!”
Maddie slowly walked to the bed, crying. Her mama dropped her head down on top of him, crying onto his chest. Maddie didn’t know what to do but she carefully walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled on top of it, snuggling up next to her daddy. This act caused her mama to cry even harder. Maddie turned her head saw that there were marks on his arm. Marks she had never noticed before. She instinctually reached out and barely started to touch them when her mama pulled her off the bed.
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 17
