Three Days

by Ariadne Wayne

  She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, shaking her head. “No.”

  “So why do you think I would do that? I’m happy with what we have. That doesn’t have to change if I’m not in the same house as you.”

  I cupped her face, pulling her lips to mine. “When I said I want more, I’m talking about you and me too. Finding a job and having the money to find a place of my own is one thing. It wouldn’t be complete without you. If you’re up for it, I want you to come with me.”

  Her arms were around my neck, hugging me tight. “I’m up for it. I’m so proud of you.”

  I buried my face in her hair, planting little kisses under her ear. “I’m so excited, and I’m glad you’re here to share this with me.”

  She jumped up, hooking herself around my waist and I laughed, lowering her gently onto her back on the couch. As usual, she had no underwear on beneath her skirt, and I plunged my tongue into her, teasing her while she squealed with delight.

  I unbuttoned my pants, pulling them down towards my ankles, almost tripping over as I knelt back on the couch. She was so beautiful, her long, blonde hair falling everywhere and those painted nails scratching at her thighs as she played with the hem of her skirt, teasing me. But I needed no teasing.

  I pulled a condom from my back pocket, rolling it on, and with one hard thrust I was inside her. She wrapped those long legs around my back, pulling me into her. Maddy’s eyes twinkled with delight as we moved together.

  “See this? This is what I don’t want to give up,” I whispered.

  “Just this?”

  “All of this.”

  I rolled off the couch and onto my back. She laughed as she straddled me, moving her hips, making me growl as I stroked her thighs.

  She bent over, kissing me, and I pulled her in tight. These past few weeks had meant so much; I couldn’t give her up.

  Don’t say it, you’ll sound like a crazy person.

  “I like this too,” she said, thrusting one last time as I groaned my release.

  She collapsed, laughing, and I rolled to my side as we both caught our breath.

  “You can do that any time,” I said.

  “I fully intend to. If you get a new place we’ll have to christen the bed and the floor and the couch, and maybe the kitchen table.”

  I laughed. “That’s an awful lot of christening.”

  “Just as well you’re fit. Although you are older than me. Are you sure you can keep up?”

  I rolled over, stroking her arm and kissing her. “I’m sure I can try.”

  She grinned. “That’ll do.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  I stood outside the building and took a deep breath. With any luck, this was the start of a new career for me. The next step to rebuilding my life.

  Opening the door, I stepped inside. Damon waited just inside and greeted me with a big smile, shaking my hand.

  “Nervous?” he asked.

  “More than I care to admit.”

  “Come on, I’ll show you round.”

  He led me on a tour of the building, and as we passed the kitchen, I spotted Kim. I hadn’t thought about how awkward things might be between us, and my heart pounded as we approached.

  “And of course, you know Kim,” Damon said.

  I attempted a smile, and Kim turned, smiling sweetly at us.

  “Hey, Andrew,” she said, as if our night out had never happened.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Glad to see you got the job. I sung your praises.”

  The unease I’d felt began to disappear, grinned. “Thanks.”

  Damon took me to my new desk, and I spent the morning acquainting myself with my computer, getting things set up the way I wanted. He was easing me into the job, and I had a thick wad of paperwork to take a look through, see how things were done.

  At lunchtime, I opened my lunchbox and burst out laughing. Maddy had packed it when she’d made her lunch in the morning, and she’d cut my sandwiches into quarters and included some kids fruit jellies. “The cheek,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Looks like you’ve got your school lunch there.” Kim’s voice came from behind and I laughed again, nodding.

  “My girlfriend has a real sense of humour.”

  Kim perched herself on the corner of the desk, sandwich in hand, looking over my food.

  “Girlfriend, huh? You sorted things out, or is this a new one?”

  I shook my head. “Same one. We managed to get our shit together.”

  She looked pensive, and waggled her eyebrows. “I’m happy for you. I mean it. After everything, it’s good that you’re happy.”

  “I was worried things might be uncomfortable between us.”

  Kim shrugged. “You were still a great candidate for the job. Life’s too short for holding grudges. Besides, with you being here, I can keep an eye on you in case things don’t work out with you and your girlfriend.”

  I laughed. At least things were okay between us.

  What made me happier than anything these days was the thought of Maddy waiting for me to get home. She was well under my skin now, and things were serious.

  Maddy was so refreshing, never holding anything back. She spoke her mind, and what an amazing mind that was. So down to earth, and smart, hellishly smart, and she had no real idea just how phenomenal she was.

  All the family drama she’d had to deal with had really screwed her up. This was a young woman who could really go places, but had no one to tell her that, no one to give her that push to succeed. Her mother had done her best, but battling family issues had taken its toll on both Carly and Maddy. Maybe I could help Maddy find her way.

  I got to the foot of the stairs; still no sign of Maddy. I could only assume she’d be skulking around upstairs, waiting for me to come home. I had to admit, I kinda liked that. It was like domestic bliss, but without the final commitment of living together.

  A woman’s scream pierced the air, and I turned in the direction of the sound. Bob stumbled past, looking towards the noise too. He grabbed my arm as I began to move.

  “Old man Jones is back; he’s taking care of some business. I’d steer clear if I were you.”

  “What the hell does that mean, taking care of some business?”

  He sighed. “He’s come back looking for money, from what I understand. That’s what he was yelling about earlier. I’ve called the police.”

  I yanked my arm away. “Has there been more screaming?”

  He nodded. “I think they’re all arguing. I’m not getting into it; I won’t go back inside for anything. You’d be best to get up to your room. Last thing you want is the cops sniffing around.”

  Another scream shattered the otherwise quiet house, and I dropped the grocery bags where I stood, running towards Maddy and her mother’s rooms.

  The door was locked, and I rattled the handle franticly, trying to get in. Whatever happened to me didn’t matter. Only Maddy mattered.

  Raised voices were muffled by the door, both a male voice and Maddy’s, increasing in volume. Backing up, I shoulder-charged the door. In the state of disrepair the building was in, the door gave way to me, the frame cracking loudly as I broke the lock.

  Carly cowered in the corner as the man I assumed was her husband stood in the centre of the room. He didn’t even look up at me as he stood over Maddy, screaming at her to give him whatever money she had.

  “You stupid slut. There must be something.”

  “There’s nothing.” She gasped through her tears and all I saw was Charlie, taking her last breath in my arms, struggling to breathe through her sadness, then the fear of dying.

  Before I could get to him, he raised his arm, backhanding her across the face and sending her backwards into the kitchen counter. She hit it with a thud, falling to the floor.

  “Maddy,” I yelled.

  He turned, and I greeted him with a fist to the jaw. It hit with a resounding crack as he went down. I didn’t know if it was teeth or jaw I had broken, and
I didn’t care. They could send me back to jail for the rest of my life—saving Maddy would be worth it.

  I ran to Maddy. She lay still, lifeless, and my heart leapt to my throat as I felt for a pulse.

  “She’s not breathing,” I said.

  “What do I do?” Carly shrieked. She stood behind me now, her hands fisted.

  “Call an ambulance. Get them here as fast as you can.”

  “Please help her.” She was crying now, but my focus had to be on Maddy. I couldn’t lose her too.

  I tilted her head back, looking for any sign of breathing.

  “Maddy, don’t you dare do this to me,” I whispered.

  With no signs of life, I started chest compressions, closing my eyes and praying for the first time in longer than I could remember. She had to be okay. She just had to.

  One—two—three.

  Carly made the call. She’d sorted herself out enough to get through it, and I just hoped they could get here fast.

  One—two—three.

  Don’t you dare.

  I was running on adrenalin, conjuring up some deeply hidden memory from high school. We’d spent a day doing CPR training, and I hoped more than anything I was getting it right.

  One—two—three.

  Maddy.

  Finishing compressions, I went back to check for breathing, acting quickly to tilt her head and pinch her nose, just the way I’d learned. Each breath I hoped would be the one to bring her back to me, that she would open her eyes and I’d be able to hold her, love her the way she needed to be loved.

  An eternity passed until she finally took that breath by herself and I let go, listening to her inhale and exhale, watching her chest rise and fall. Her eyes flickered open, and I was overjoyed to see her awake, even if she did look confused.

  “Maddy,” I whispered. She pushed herself up to sit, and just stared at me.

  “What happened?”

  “You got hit and smacked into the bench. You weren’t breathing, baby. I was so scared.”

  She looked over at the man on the floor, and a look crossed her face that told me she remembered. “Dad came back looking for money. We told him we didn’t have any, but he kept yelling, and yelling.” Her breathing accelerated now, the upset evident on her face.

  “Maddy,” I said again.

  Maddy looked back at me, meeting my gaze and let out a big sob. She flung her arms around my neck and I just held her, breathing into her hair as she cried.

  “Ambulance and police are on the way.” Carly’s voice was faint behind us.

  I pried Maddy’s arms off my neck, holding her at a close distance. Tears ran down her face as she took in my every feature, my eyes focused on the spot her father had hit. Her skin was red and blotchy, she’d have a big bruise.

  Her lips crashed onto mine as I held her tight, and she kissed me as if it were our last time. I ran my fingers through her hair, feeling its softness, stroking her face as she kept kissing me, not wanting to let go.

  My chest tightened as I thought about losing her. She was safe, but now we’d come this far, how cruel it would be to be torn apart.

  “I’ll just go outside,” Carly said.

  Maddy’s tongue pushed into my mouth and I pushed back; clearly she didn’t want to waste any more time, and if it weren’t for the fact that I was vaguely aware of the police being on their way, I would have stripped her and taken her there and then.

  I pulled away gently, Maddy’s eyes following me intently as I released my grip on her.

  “Maddy, if I end up back inside …”

  “You won’t. They’ll understand. They have to.”

  I sighed. “If I do, I want you to know how much you mean to me. When I got out, I wanted a new start, and I wasn’t looking for anything, but what we have? I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

  “I want more. I always wanted more.”

  I shook my head, laughing. “I know, and I want to say I am so glad I met you. You’ve been so good for me, and I adore you. I hope you know that.”

  She lifted her hand to her face, wincing as she tentatively touched the reddened skin. “Ugh, this bruise is going to make me so ugly. Will you still like me then?”

  I laughed, stroking the other side of her face. “Only you could come up with something like that. I’m crazy about you. There you go, happy now?”

  “I think you’re pretty nice too.” She leaned over, brushing her lips against mine. “Actually, really nice.”

  “It’s kind of you to say that.”

  “I’m a kind girl.”

  I grinned. She really was. And if this was to be our last moment for a while, at least I knew she felt the same way.

  Footsteps behind me didn’t register until I was pulled to my feet. Moment of truth. It was time to face the police.

  ~

  After what felt like hours, I made it back to the boarding house. Carly stood with a handyman, who was fixing the damage I’d done when I’d pushed through the door.

  “I’ll pay for whatever you need doing,” I said to her.

  She jumped, not having heard me come in, and turned, flinging her arms around my neck. I laughed. “What’s all this for?”

  “You saved us. Maddy could have been killed if you weren’t there.”

  “You’re okay now. I just really want to get some sleep.”

  She let go of me, cocking her head as she took me in. “Are you in trouble? I told them everything I could, told them you were defending us.”

  I shook my head. “They had to get to the bottom of it. When they heard the whole story, it was clear I was looking after you two and stopped him from hurting you more. The police said there were also several arrest warrants out for your ex, more than enough to keep him busy.”

  “Good. It’ll keep him away from here. At least, for a while.”

  “I’m just glad Maddy is safe. I couldn’t lose her.”

  “She loves you; I hope you know that. She’s good at hiding her feelings, that one, but I can see it clear as day.”

  “I love her too. Where is she?”

  She sighed. “The paramedic wanted her to go to hospital for observation, but she insisted on staying and waiting for you. She didn’t want to be down here, not with everything that’s happened. She’s up in your room. ”

  “Thanks, Carly.”

  Carly nodded, smiling.

  I turned towards the stairs, climbing them two at a time. My future was at the top—at least, I hoped that was the way Maddy saw things too. I hadn’t planned on falling in love and settling down so soon, but if she would have me, I’d be hers. No looking back.

  She was lying in bed, her eyes closed, and her breathing steady. I’d never heard anything so beautiful in all my life after seeing her so still, lifeless.

  I stripped, sliding in to bed beside her, and pulling her into my arms. It didn’t matter whether we made love or not: she was with me, and safe.

  Maddy stirred, pressing her body against mine “I thought you were never coming home,” she mumbled.

  “It’s not that late. I hear you were told to go to the hospital,” I said sternly.

  She looked up at me with sleepy eyes, and pouty lips.

  “I was more worried about you. I didn’t want them to take you away from me.”

  I sighed. “Maddy, I wouldn’t have had any control over that. Can you imagine what it would have been like for me to end up back in there and find you’d died in your sleep because your injuries needed attention?”

  She buried her nose in my shoulder, as if trying to burrow into the bed. “I wanted to be here when you came home.”

  “What if I hadn’t come home?”

  Maddy pushed herself up. Her brow furrowed, and she frowned as she looked at me. “I don’t know what I’d do.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do either. You’re what keeps me going right now, Maddy Jones. If I lost you, there would be no point to me.”

  “Do you want me to go to the hospital, then?” She p
outed.

  “Just cuddle up with me and get some sleep. We’ll go and get you looked at again in the morning. If I have to, I’ll watch you like a damn hawk.”

  She snuggled down beside me again, smiling before a yawn took her over. “I like the idea of you watching me.”

  “I love you, Maddy.”

  At that she sat back up again, licking her lips, the smile turning into a grin. “Say again?”

  “I love you, Maddy.”

  “I must be dreaming. I thought you said you loved me.” She flopped back down again. Half asleep, she still had far more energy than I did.

  “I do. Very much. Now, come here and let’s get some sleep. I think we both need it.”

  She sighed contentedly, tangling herself up in me. I stroked her hair as I closed my eyes.

  “I love you too,” she whispered.

  I could stay up all night listening to her breathe, it sounded so good.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Three months.

  The moment had arrived, and my nervousness over this job progressing past the trial had grown and grown. Maddy kept reassuring me that everything would be fine, that I was doing a great job. She’d seen just how much I’d buried myself in my work, determined to make a good impression. I always made time for her.

  I’d been distracted by the work, and while she had practically moved in with me, Maddy still kept her room downstairs so she could let me concentrate. She’d seemed distracted herself at times, but had insisted nothing was wrong. I just thought she was trying to let me get on with it.

  Damon called me into his office. Butterflies tormented my stomach, my head aching from the stress. I didn’t think I had anything to fear, but mine was a kind of unique situation. I doubted anyone else I worked with had ever been convicted for kidnapping.

  “Andrew, I wanted to talk to you about your work,” he said, not giving away a thing.

  “Sure. I’m really enjoying it. It’s been good to get back into the swing of things.”

  He smiled. “It shows; you’ve done a great job. So …”

  Reaching across the desk, he placed a small pile of papers in front of me.