Becoming Maddie (The Casterhouse series Book 1)

by Hannah Gittins

  “Maddie I would never touch you in anger.” Aiden sated his voice sounding raw and husky.

  Maddie quickly put both her hands on his cheeks and kissed him softly.

  “Baby I know that.” She said moving back so that Aiden could see her face, see that she meant every word. “I never thought you would hit me.”

  Pausing so that she could think about her words, Maddie checked that Aiden was really listening to her, really understanding that she knew he would never make her suffer like Charles had.

  “You said that we would tackle my past when things came up. Well when you sat next to me in the cinema and then took me here it brought up my past. It took me straight to when Charles would do very similar things and they never ended like this.” Maddie closed her eyes trying to stop the images anew. “I never thought that you would beat me but it took me straight back to the times he would.”

  When she stopped talking there was silence for a moment or two as both them were lost in their own thoughts.

  “I can get angry.” Aiden said breaking the silence. “In the future I will try to be better at sheltering you from that. I can’t promise it will never happen again because I am not perfect but I do promise I will do my best.”

  Maddie could feel the tears gathering again. How did she get so lucky to find this amazing man?

  “As long as you still share and give me you then I don’t care if you don’t think you’re perfect.” Maddie replied gently. “Because to me you always will be.”

  Aiden gave her a full blown sweet smile. Closing the gap between them he kissed Maddie, took her breath away and put her in an Aiden fog.

  “Now, I really want to sit here and make out with you for a while before we go home. Then I will show you just how much that dress is driving me crazy and has been all day. After, we can finish what we started on the breakfast bar this morning.”

  The blood rushed to Maddie’s face at the reminder of this morning but that didn’t stop her panties from being instantly wet. Aiden had a power over her and she loved it.

  Aiden stood up from his crouch and sat down on the bench next to her. He lifted her so that she straddled him. Aiden put one hand on her ass and the other went to the back of her head and pulled the bobble out of her hair. Maddie let her hands run up his neck before tangling in his hair.

  “I have you now.” Aiden whispered as he used his hand to pull her head slowly closer.

  “You have me.” Maddie replied. “I have you.”

  Aiden smiled at her and she could feel it against her lips, she was that close now.

  “I will never let you go.” Aiden said before he kissed her.

  Just before Maddie lost herself in the most erotic make out session she had ever had she told herself that she would never do what she did today again. Aiden and Maddie were a ‘we’ now. Aiden called her flat ‘home’ several times and she found that she liked that too. She would not do anything to muck this up again. That’s not to say it would all be plain sailing because these things always have stormy moments, but her and Aiden would weather it all.

  Closing her eyes and moving her hands through Aiden’s lush, thick hair she groaned into his mouth. This man really could do wicked things with his mouth. Going by his returning groan he seemed to think the same for her.

  The sooner they got home the better Maddie thought as she ground herself into Aiden’s hard on.

  This was the best bench in the world, ever.

  * * * * * * * *

  He watched the man and woman kissing in a way that was totally inappropriate. They were in the middle of Casterfield on a bench anybody could see them. Okay it was late at night and he had yet to see another person but somebody could see them.

  Wait, he could see them. It was disgusting.

  Although maybe a lot of what he was feeling was because he wished that he was the man on the bench that had Maddison straddling him. He had always wanted to go there with Maddison but he never dared. The punishment would be so bad. That and it wasn’t often that she wasn’t covered in bruises back in the old days. Charles really liked that but Craig preferred the skin fresh and bruise free, he did the beating after not before.

  Plus Maddison had put on a bit of weight since she had stopped her wandering and set up in Casterfield. He liked it, her chest was bigger, not to mention her stunning, peach ass. Oh yeah, Craig loved her ass.

  Watching the man put his hands on it had made Craig want to shout or do something, anything, to stop it but he didn’t. Maddison wasn’t his, she also wasn’t the man’s whose lap she was sat on right now.

  No, she was Charles’s. There was no way on God’s green earth that he would do anything that went against what Charles wanted. He was already in trouble for running after her the other night or rather he was in trouble for not telling him that had happened straight away. What Charles didn’t know, or rather Craig hadn’t told him, was that the man had taken Maddie back to his place where she had then spent the night. Yep, he had made the right choice keeping that bit to himself.

  Stepping away from the corner so that he couldn’t see them and they definitely couldn’t see him, Craig pulled out his phone and debated whether or not he should phone Charles.

  Was there really much point? Charles was already on his way here as fast as he could. When he got here he would see what was going on so did he really need Craig ringing him up just now to give him the juicy details.

  But it would be so much worse if he didn’t ring him up and found out that this had happened. There was no one else around to see but somehow he would find out. Charles always did. So maybe it was worth ringing him up now, putting up with his anger down the phone and not have to tell him in person days later.

  Not a choice is it, really.

  Dialling the number of the disposable phone that he had gotten Charles, he listened to it ringing.

  “This better be good Craig I am in the fucking middle of something.” His friend’s voice growled down the phone.

  In the back ground he could hear a woman crying and whimpering. It sound like Charles had found somebody else to take his anger out on tonight. Craig had a fleeting feeling of pity for the faceless woman because after he told Charles his news she would pay the price. Craig knew this because that’s what used to happen to Maddison back in the good days.

  It was just fleeting though because she was probably asking for it, like Maddison always did.

  “I thought you would want to know what Maddison is up to straight away Charles.” He said into the phone as he peered back round the corner.

  There was a slapping noise and muted crying as Charles told the woman to ‘shut the fuck up’.

  “Tell me.” Charles demanded.

  Chapter 20

  Aiden walked out the door of the flat into the communal corridor. Turning back round he faced Maddie who was stood in the doorway wearing one of his T-shirts. It stopped mid-thigh on her and was even more tempting because he knew she had nothing on underneath. Maddie’s hair was all ruffled from bed and her face was all sleep and adorable.

  If he didn’t have to get to the garage first thing this morning Aiden would have taken he back to bed and give her a good morning that they both would have enjoyed.

  “You have seen me to the door and now out of it, go back to bed and try and get some more sleep.” Aiden said pulling her warm tempting body into his arms. “You will need all the energy you can get for tonight.”

  With that Aiden tilted Maddie’s head up so that he could kiss her. He needed one more delicious taste of his woman to get him through the day. That and he loved how quickly she gave him her body weight as she got into the kiss.

  Aiden slowed the kiss and pulled away before he pushed her back into the flat and said ‘screw work’.

  Maddie held onto him tight before she stepped back. Marvin sat at her feet. Bending down Aiden gave the dog a rub down.

  “Look after your mum while I am at work Marv.” He ordered the husky and got an affirmative lick back
in response.

  “You want anything special for tea?” Maddie asked him.

  Aiden straightened and looked down at his woman. Maddie seemed to be trying to make up for last night. Something she didn’t have to do at all. He would talk to her about that tonight because he really had to go now.

  “You cooking Ruby?” Aiden asked, Maddie nodded shyly in response. “Well then I don’t care cause I am sure it will be awesome no matter what.”

  The smile that he got for that comment was so huge and so worry free that he had to lock his knees to stop himself from taken her back to bed. It was so beautiful to see her being so free and happy over simple things.

  “I’ll see you tonight.” Aiden whispered as he bent to give her a peck on the lips.

  “See you tonight.” Maddie whispered in reply.

  Pulling away from her Aiden took in the view that was Maddie before walking to the stairs. He jogged down one level and stopped till he heard the flat door close. When it did he carried on down the stairs and out the building. Making his way over to his truck he took his keys out of his pocket. Just before he pressed the button that would unlock the doors he head his name being shouted.

  “Aiden.” A familiar female voice shouted. “Aiden please wait.”

  Aiden stopped and took a calming breath before turning to face Maddie’s neighbour Sarah. He had hoped that he would have a couple more days before he saw her and had to have this conversation.

  “Sarah.” Aiden greeted in a level tone that gave nothing away.

  The woman jogged towards him with her hair flaying around her face. Sarah looked tired and stressed.

  “I was getting Ethan ready for school when I heard you going down the stairs.” Sarah said stopping in front of him with a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. “I wasn’t listening in. I just wanted to have a word with you.”

  Aiden really didn’t have time for this but it was clear to see she had not slept well last night and she was Maddie’s best friend.

  “Catch your breath and then talk.” Aiden said. “Bear in mind that your gossip nearly broke me and Maddie up last night so you are not my favourite person right now.”

  Sarah had the good grace to look ashamed. He cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment too. Aiden hadn’t meant to make her feel that but he did have a point to be made.

  “I didn’t mean it to be gossip.” Sarah started, lifting her eyes to look at his face. “To be fair I thought she already knew you had…well…”Coughing for a second Sarah started again. “What I was really trying to do was check my friend was okay with the speed you two are going at. Maddie hasn’t had a great life and you are her first partner since…uh…a really bad guy. I didn’t want this to blow up in her face. If it did I was scared that she would never try and find love again. Everybody deserves love, especially her. When I went to talk to her yesterday I thought we would hash it all out and then she would understand where I was coming from. Maybe she would think about slowing things down between the two of you. I never in my life thought she would get caught up on your past or do what she did. I am sorry because I should have gone about it another way.”

  Sarah stopped talking to run her hand through her messy hair. It wasn’t a bad look for her. Aiden knew Sarah was an attractive woman but she didn’t have a thing on Maddie in his eyes. This did not mean that he couldn’t see her husband was a very lucky man.

  “I’m not saying this right.” Sarah declared exasperatedly.

  Aiden loosely crossed his arms and lent against the truck. He was hoping that this relaxed stance would help Sarah calm down a little bit.

  “I just wanted to protect her from anymore hurt.” Sarah sighed, her shoulders slumping.

  It wasn’t that Aiden didn’t understand the woman’s reasoning it was more that she wasn’t helping her friend. Instead she was making things worse and stopping Maddie from being able to move on to better things.

  “The kids and I have walked past her hundreds of times in the hall and she had never once said more than ‘hello’ to us. Even that was normally directed at her feet.” Sarah shared looking at him again. “Then you come into her life and she starts to blossom in front of my eyes. I thought pushing you two together would be a good thing but only if it was a light thing. That day in the hospital I knew it wasn’t that for either of you but instead it was something heavy and huge. That’s why I was annoyed that day or at least one of the reasons. I don’t want it to go wrong because I can’t stand the thought of not having Maddie in my life anymore.”

  Aiden nodded. If he was honest with himself he had wondered already why Sarah had been so angry at him that day in the hospital. At the time though he had just added it to his guilt over not being there for Maddie when she needed him. Aiden had just thought that Sarah thought that same thing.

  The time had come to end this conversation. Aiden was not the kind of man to hold a grudge when it need not be held, like now. Sarah was doing what she had believed to be the right thing. She had no expected Maddie to react the way she had but instead to talk it about things with her friend.

  At the end of the day, Sarah’s heart was in the right place, Aiden thought.

  Stepping away from the truck, Aiden held his hand up to stop her talking so that he could say his piece.

  “I get it.” He remarked. “You meant well Sarah and don’t worry Maddie gets that too. From now on though, please stop trying to sort out Maddie’s life for her, or protecting her from things you think are bad. Together, you and I can be there for her if she needs us but she has to find out where her own path leads. I had planned to tell Maddie about that but I wanted to be able to do it. I needed her to have no doubt that that part of my life is in the past. I don’t want to sound harsh because I count you as my friend, not just Maddie’s, but it’s our relationship. We needed to find our way. We might stumble sometimes but we are solid at the core. Aiden ran his hand through his hair. “Do you see where I am coming from?”

  Sarah’s mouth had broken into a big smile that she was trying to control. Her eyes were twinkling with something he didn’t want to think about. Gone was her tired stressed look. Really she just look pleased by what he had said. She nodded her head enthusiastically in reply to Aiden.

  Sarah was in his corner after all. Good to know.

  “Now that we have this all sorted I need to get before I am later for work.” Aiden said as he beeped open his truck and opened the driver’s door.

  Sarah moved out of his way and she did this with the big smile still firmly in place. Aiden decided he would never understand most women. Thank God his Maddie wasn’t most women.

  “Thank you.” Sarah said softly as she walked backwards to the main door of Casterhouse. “For bringing her out of herself and giving her to me and the kids.”

  Yep, Maddie had clearly spread her sweet all over Sarah and her family too. Eddie was doing much better. Maddie had also told him she was going to phone Fiona today to see if she wanted to grab a girly lunch. Just the two of them.

  For as long as he lived Aiden would never understand how you could hurt such beauty.

  Mind you, he was ready to spend the rest of Maddie’s life making sure she knew how amazing she was. Aiden was determined to give her the life full of light that she should always have had.

  “Thank you for caring enough to try and help.” Aiden said look back at the retreating woman. “Thank you for being the best friend she deserves.”

  Okay that was enough girl talk for him for one morning. Getting into his truck, Aiden started the engine and began pulling out onto the road. Before going down the street he looked back at Casterhouse to make sure that Sarah was in safe. The blonde woman waved, still with the big smile, before trotting back in the building and out of sight.

  As he drove to work Aiden was smiling too. Last night things had nearly gone seriously wrong. Today everything was good, amazing even, and how it was meant to be.

  Aiden ended up being 10 minutes late for work but fou
nd that he didn’t care.

  Plus he fully intended on finishing early too.

  Chapter 21

  Maddie smiled as she put the last plate on the table. She looked around it to make sure everything was in place. It wasn’t a fancy night tonight or anything like that but she wanted to make sure her friends, her new hand-picked family, had a good time.

  Sarah was coming over with her husband John. He was back for 2 weeks before he shipped out again. Maddie had offered to change the dinner party to another night so that the family could have more time together but Sarah told her not to.

  “Yeah, John is only here for two weeks but we have to live as normal a life as we can while he is here.” Sarah said. “It wouldn’t do to mix up the kid’s routines every time he came home. So we will be there on Saturday night and we will love it!”

  Maddie’s friend had then lent in to whisper in her ear.

  “Plus I really want him to meet a friend of mine. She’s my sister really.”

  Sarah had pulled back from Maddie’s ear, her and Maddie had then just started at each other for a while blinking as they tried not cry.

  “I can’t wait to meet my sister’s husband.” Maddie mumbled back then hugged her friend close for a long time.

  So Sarah and John were coming. Maddie had also invited Fiona and Eddie, who said they would be there gladly.

  Then Maddie stuck her neck out a little bit by inviting Richard from work. She had been back at work for a week now. Her ribs no longer hurt and the bruises on her face had gone. It was almost like it never happened. If you don’t take into account that Maddie was only beginning to feel comfortable in her flat by herself again, and ignore the occasional bad dream.

  Richard had been surprised that she had invited him and Maddie understood why so didn’t take offence. What surprised her though was how quickly he accepted and asked if he could bring his wife along.

  First of Maddie didn’t even know that Richard was married. She instantly felt bad that she had never tried to find out about the man she worked alongside but there was nothing she could do about it now. Aiden was slowly teaching her that you can’t do anything about the past, all you can do is make different choices in the present to make the future better. That was the main reason for the dinner party. To make different choices.