“Is he still married?” Jacqueline asked, interrupting Madison’s reverie.
“Happily!” Madison replied quickly. “He’s happily married, Mom.”
Jacqueline laughed. “Oh Madison, calm down. I was just curious.”
“Mom, how come you never told me about what happened to you?”
“What was I supposed to say, Madison? Should I have told you that when I was 14 I was enchanted with a handsome senior who had a killer smile and a nice ass? Should I have said that I let him feel me up at the lake and then started crying when he tried to take it to the next level?” she asked angrily. “Madison, the reality is I asked for what happened. I shouldn’t have let him touch me. I basically told him it was okay and then put on the brakes. I led him on. He had a right to be angry,” she finished with a huff.
“That’s not true, Mom. Who the hell gave him the right to just leave you there because you didn’t want to put out? No one, that’s who, you had every right to say no.”
Jacqueline started laughing. “Yeah, sure, Madison. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to get a rape conviction. It didn’t matter though. I met your father a few years later and he was...” She was quiet for a while before continuing, “Well, he was a good man but he had his demons too.” She sighed dramatically. “The fairytales don’t exist, Madison. They’re just lies to make women willingly give up whatever they might have for the sake of a man, to become dependent on them.”
“You’re so jaded,” Madison said quietly.
“I suppose I am, Madison, but honestly, you see, don’t you?”
“See what?” Madison asked confused.
“There’s always a catch, some fine print that your love clouded eyes doesn’t allow you to see. Please tell me you are not naïve enough to believe that 'all you need is love'?”
“I should go, Mom. I think I hear Grans calling,” Madison lied.
“Alright, well, are you sure you don’t want to come home early? Like I said, I could hire a nurse.”
“I’m fine, Mom, and no, I don’t want to go back...” Madison hesitated and then added, “...early.”
“Madison?”
“Yeah.”
“Have your summer fling with this man...”
“Andrew, his name is Andrew and it’s...” Madison started to say before her mom continued.
“Fine, Andrew, have your summer fling with him and then come back home. You have an excellent job with lots of potential for advancement. Madison, you have a good life out here. You’ve worked hard for everything you have. Don’t let this man take that from you.”
“Andrew’s not trying to take anything from me,” Madison replied indignantly.
“Maybe not intentionally but...”
“No, Mom, there’s no 'but',” Madison said heatedly and closed her eyes. “Look, I need to go. I just wanted to let you know what happened. I’ll talk to you later,” Madison said quickly before hanging up, frustrated.
Madison had tried desperately to reign in her anger but her mother always seemed to bring out the worst in her. Madison sighed and looked at the time on her phone. In another thirty minutes Andrew would be sitting in Jamal’s office where he would talk to him about the possibility to leave California. Their fate lied in another’s hand. Madison closed her eyes and said a quick prayer that things would work out and that her mom was not right. She had to believe that with love they could find a way.
~*~
Andrew arrived early for his appointment with Jamal. Why, he wasn’t sure, since Jamal never took anyone earlier than when they were scheduled. But Andrew was antsy. He wanted to get this over with so he would know what the next steps were for him and Madison. The idea of New York scared him. Not the people, as he had already lived in Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles, but he was concerned about how he would be perceived, he wouldn’t know anyone but Madison, would he be able to find work out there. He couldn’t and wouldn’t expect Madison to take care of him. That, he was sure of. But the other issue in his mind was that the cities were dangerous and... He paused and laughed at that thought before shaking his head. He couldn’t protect Madison here, how would he manage to do that in New York. He heard footsteps approach and looked up to see Jamal eyeing him with his arms across his chest and the same menacing look he always had.
“Harrison,” Jamal simply stated.
Andrew rose and followed him back. As Andrew sat in his usual spot he noticed Jamal giving him a curious look as he sat down.
“What’s going on, Harrison?” Jamal asked authoritatively.
“I...” Andrew looked down for a moment and then with a deep breath he sat up straight. “I wanted to find out what the procedure was if, say, I wanted to move out of state,” Andrew asked firmly.
Jamal leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to the side, giving him a questioning look before smirking slightly. “You want to move out of state?”
Andrew nodded. “If possible.”
“Where, pray tell, would you like to move?” Jamal asked, trying to contain the smile that was threatening to spread.
“New York,” Andrew said softly.
Jamal laughed. “New York? Why in the world would you want to move there?”
“Madison’s from New York. She has a really good job and a nice place. She’s here taking care of her grandmother but she will need to go back in a few months. She’s willing to stay but...” Andrew took another deep breath. “I can’t let her give up everything for me. That’s not... right.”
He looked over at Jamal who was currently rubbing his hand over his bald head. He had a contemplative look on his face, which was something Andrew generally didn’t see. Jamal was at a loss right now. He would prefer for Andrew to stay in California as he couldn’t imagine that going to New York would benefit him in the long run. Jamal couldn’t shake the worry that once Madison got back into the swing of her old life that she would have no place for Andrew. He could feel Andrew’s eyes on him and finally let out an exacerbated sigh.
“Well, it is possible. I would certainly approve a transfer, but New York would have to accept the request.” Jamal hesitated and then leaned forward with his hands on the desk, his thumb gently tapping the other. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? New York is...” He closed his eyes and scrunched his eyebrows together before sitting back up and staring at Andrew intently. “New York is one of those places you can really get lost in. There are drugs easily available and, well, you know the kinds of things that happen in big cities. It could be... difficult for someone like you, with your... history.” He eyed Andrew, hoping he understood how precarious this decision could be for him.
“I know it won’t be easy, but I should at least try, right? I mean, don’t you think it’s worth a shot?” Andrew asked, hopeful.
Jamal once again began rubbing his dome. He knew that Andrew was hard, that he had lived through a lot, but there was softness within him as well. There was something about him that drew people to him and made them care about what happened to him. Jamal let out a loud chortle and shook his head.
“Ah, Harrison, I don’t know shit about that kind of stuff. I’m not a shrink.” Again, he eyed him seriously. “Is it worth it? Hell, I don’t know. My job is to encourage rehabilitation and your reinstatement in society. Relationships, shit, that’s someone else’s department.”
Andrew looked down again and frowned. “She’s already been hurt because of me.” He let out a soft breath. “If she wasn’t with me, Jimmy would never have attacked her.” Andrew looked up with steely determination on his face. “I have nothing to offer her, the least I can do is not have her sacrifice everything for me. I owe her that."
Jamal didn’t say anything. He ran his hand over his bald head yet again and finally nodded. “Alright, well, I can start the paperwork for you. I can’t make any guarantees because it’s up to New York. I will need to know specifically where Madison lives so I can contact the right division.” He paused and tapped his fingers on the desk as he
considered things. He finally quirked his eyebrow up and watched Andrew as he spoke. “I am only going to request a six month transfer and if after six months’ things are going well with you then I will release you completely. But, if for some reason, things are not okay then you will need to come back.”
Andrew frowned. He didn’t want to be tied unnecessarily to California. Besides, what did he mean if things are not going well? What did he expect was going to happen? Did he think he was going to mess up or something? Andrew started to protest but Jamal raised his gigantic hand to stop him from saying anything.
“It’s the only way I will sign off on this.” He paused and decided to try another tactic with him. “I have a greater chance of getting New York to accept a six-month temporary transfer than a permanent one and, after the six months, if there have been no problems I am confident they will accept the remainder of your parole.”
Andrew nodded with a sigh. “Alright, thank you.” Andrew watched Jamal who was in turn watching him with that same contemplative look he had on his face earlier. “What?” Andrew finally asked.
“I wanted to tell you that I was really proud of you for not going after that Bowers character. When I read what happened...” He shook his head. “I worried about what you would do to him. I’m glad you showed restraint, Andrew,” he said affectionately.
It was the first time Jamal had ever called him Andrew and he couldn’t help but smile. It was as if he was a friend or something. Not that Andrew would say anything about it, but it did feel good to feel as if they were equal in some way.
“Yeah, well, I won’t lie. I did think about going after him but I talked to my friend and he helped me settle down. Are you still proud of me?” Andrew asked with a chuckle.
Jamal laughed again and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, I’m still proud of you.”
“Hey, I wanted to thank you for coming to my hearing last week. I thought you didn’t do that kind of thing.” Andrew grinned at Jamal’s obvious uneasiness.
“Yeah, well, I was curious,” he said, opening a file on his desk. He then raised his hand and in a dismissive manner motioned for Andrew to leave. “Get the hell out of here, Harrison. You have just given me a shit load of paperwork to fill out,” he said, trying to sound hard but Andrew could see the inklings of a smirk.
“I’ll call back with Madison’s information in an hour or so.”
Andrew stood and headed for the door. When he got there, he stopped and turned. Jamal was now writing diligently on a form in front of him. Andrew turned back to the door and as his fingers touched the knob he glanced back at Jamal again.
“Thank you, Jamal.”
Jamal looked up and gave him a small smile before looking back to the file on his desk and scribbling something down. Andrew smiled and stepped outside, feeling a bit more hopeful. The idea of moving to New York with Madison was starting to settle in. He hopped on his motorcycle and with a turn of the key the engine roared to life.
~*~
Madison heard the rumble of Andrew’s Harley and jumped off the couch, slightly embarrassed by her enthusiasm. Her grans just grinned and shook her head. As Madison started walking to the door, her grans cleared her throat.
“Maddie,” Grandmother Downing said and watched as her granddaughter turned to her. “You know that I only want you happy. If that means you go back to New York with Andrew by your side then I am okay with that.”
Madison felt the tears before she registered the emotion associated with it and ran over to her, sitting on the arm of the chair and hugging her tightly. She hadn’t talked to her grandmother about the possibility of leaving because she hadn’t been sure she would. She still wasn’t, but hearing her grandmother tell her it was okay if she did, filled her with tremendous relief.
“Thank you so much, Grans,” she said kissing her cheek. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. But either way, I’m not leaving you until I know you are better.”
“I know you won’t.” They both turned when the knock came on the door. “Why don’t you two go for a drive or something so you can talk in private?”
“Really, because we can stay here, it’s not a problem at all.”
“Go, I’m alright,” Grans said as she playfully nudged her granddaughter off the arm of the chair.
Madison laughed. “I can’t believe you just did that,” she said, kissing the top of her head and then heading to the door.
“Hey, baby,” Andrew said in that smoldering voice that drove Madison insane.
“Grans suggested we go for a ride, so we can talk.” Madison wagged her brows suggestively. “Should we take a spin on your Harley?”
Andrew didn’t even attempt to contain the cheeky grin that enveloped his face. He picked up the double meaning of what she was suggesting and was not going to turn her down. He took her hand in his and led her to his bike. She eagerly hopped on after him and wrapped her arms around his waist, scooting as close to him as she possibly could. They drove to their spot, the same place they had made love the first time.
“What did Jamal say?” Madison asked as Andrew turned around on the seat.
“He said he would approve a transfer, but New York would have to accept me,” he said, watching as his fingertips caressed along the scoop of her tank top.
Madison bit her lip excitedly. “So, it’s a possibility.”
Andrew nodded, just now looking up at her happy face. This was what she wanted. She would stay for him, but going back was what she really wanted to do. He would not deny her that. He kissed her lips and started working his way down her long neck, nipping and sucking as he went. His hands palmed her breasts, wanting more of her.
“Helios, baby, hold on,” Madison moaned breathlessly.
Andrew pulled away from her, not sure why she wanted him to stop. Madison had her own idea of what she wanted and she was about to get it. Madison pulled her tank top off, dropping it on the ground and giving him a flirtatious smile as she unsnapped her bra and flung it on top of her shirt. When she stepped off the bike, he audibly whimpered.
“I have something I want to try. Are you up for it, Helios?” she asked saucily as she brought her hands to his jeans. “Oh, yes, you are definitely up for it.”
He tried desperately to will his breathing to calm but she was too much for him. She strolled to the front of the bike, slipping in behind him. Bringing her arms around his waist, she unsnapped his jeans, releasing him. He moaned as she ran her hands over him.
“Turn around, baby,” she said in a husky voice, raw with desire.
He did as he was told and when he did he found Madison laying with her arms draped over the handlebars and her head dangling off the edge of the dash, her back was on his gas tank, while her feet were positioned on the foot pegs. Andrew was unable to stop the gasp that escaped his throat at the mere sight of her.
“Take care of me, baby,” she whispered.
He brought his mouth to hers, breathing her in but not allowing their lips to touch. “I will.”
And he did. Her body coursed with desire as he satisfied her in ways she could only dream about. They made love under the summer sun, their screams traveling with the light breeze. Andrew was the only one for her, the only one capable of releasing this primal side within her. When their bodies finally stopped trembling, he untangled her arms from the handlebars and brought her flush to his body as he wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She laid her head into the crook of his neck, breathing rapidly and trying to get her bearings. Her head was literally spinning and for a moment she thought she might pass out. He gently laid several kisses atop her head.
“Are you okay, baby?” he whispered, a little worried that she had not said anything yet.
“Unnhuh,” Madison hummed, unable to form any words.
He held her tightly, gently running his hands up and down her back. She was practically purring against him. He snuggled his nose into her hair, enjoying the closeness they were sharing. After several minutes, thei
r breathing settled and their hearts beat softly.
“I don’t think we will be able to have sex on my Harley in New York,” he said with a chuckle.
Madison giggled. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way, Helios,” she mumbled into his neck and then added, “You gonna draw this one too, baby?” Madison snickered before kissing his neck.
He laughed. “You bet that perfect ass of yours I am.”
She let out a contented sigh and looked at his beautifully flushed face. He smiled and moved his hand to cup her face lovingly, longingly, before kissing her affectionately. Madison knew that in spite of any obstacles they might endure in New York, she loved Andrew and she would make it work. When he drew his lips away from hers, he sighed.
“We should head back. I want to go to my aunt’s house. I need to tell them about the possibility of me moving to New York.”
“Of course, but... maybe we can talk to Callie and Jayden together.”
Madison looked away, feeling a sense of loneliness in her heart already. There was a place in her heart that Jayden and Callie fit; that she knew could not be replaced. She felt Andrew’s hand on her cheek, moving her face back to him.
“What’s the matter?” he asked with concern.
“I’m really going to miss them,” Madison said as tears fell down her cheeks.
Andrew held her close. “I’m gonna miss them too, and Jayden’s parent’s and my aunt and uncle and even your grandma,” he said with a small chuckle, remembering her yelling at him when she found him sneaking out of her house. “But we’ll have each other.”
Madison nodded and looked up at him. “There’s only together, no apart.”
He smiled. “Together.”
Madison smiled and got off the Harley and started gathering her clothes.
“Oh shit!” Andrew exclaimed loudly and jumped off the bike.
She turned quickly. “What? What’s the matter?”
He looked at her, panicked. “Your back is bruised, and so is your beautiful ass. I think it was from the gas cap. Baby, I’m sorry.”
She tried to look around herself to see what he was talking about but wasn’t able to see anything. She would need to wait until she could use the mirror at home. Funny thing was it didn’t hurt at all. She pulled her jeans up and shrugged her shoulders, then gave Andrew a sexy over the shoulder smirk.
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 35
