"Oh, I'm going," I ground my teeth together. "I wanna talk to her, and this might be my only chance."
“Well, all right then,” Wes grinned at me before slapping me on the back. “I’ll see you later,” he turned and strolled away leaving me standing there still coming down from my workout.
ooooooooo
Maddie
Cole: I'm so sorry
Cole: Please talk to me
Cole: Can we get past this?
Cole: I need to see you
Cole: Please?
I stared at my phone as the tears dripped down my face. What was I supposed to do? Cole had been calling me multiple times a day for the past two days. His voice messages had gone from anger to sad, to helpless, and now were bordering on pathetic. When I hadn't called him back, the texts had started up. Now, I was getting a text about every two hours or so as he begged me to talk to him. I knew I should hear him out. My heart kept telling me that what happened was an accident that he didn't mean it, that he really did care about me, but my brain kept replaying him shoving me as he forced his way into my apartment. All I could picture when I thought back to that night was Richard and how he used to do the same thing. He would bully his way in whenever I tried to keep him away, and I had the scars to prove it.
Now, here I was crying in my bathroom as I tried to get ready to go out for the night. Jo had insisted that I come with them. She’d said that she was tired of watching me mope, and demanded that I come with them tonight. I don’t know what she thought she was going accomplish, but here I was trying to put a smile on my face.
Just as I reached for my face powder, my phone buzzed alerting me of a new text.
Erin: Wes said yes. Are you ok with that?
Its fine
I placed my phone back down by the bathroom sink as I began trying to cover the circles that had been under my eyes for the past several days. Between the unexpected flower delivery and what happened with Cole, I hadn’t been sleeping much. I wasn’t planning on trying to impress anyone tonight, but I did want to look like I should be among the living.
As I finished applying my lip gloss, I took one last glance at myself before retreating into my bedroom. I still needed to pick something to wear, and Jo was picking me up tonight. I had wanted to drive, but she'd insisted and now I was sure it was because I'd been trying to back out all day.
After standing in front of my closet for who knows how long, I finally decided on a pair of skinny jeans and a loose light blue top. The color made my eyes pop, and as I tugged the jeans up I couldn't help but remember the last time I wore them. It took me a minute to get past the memory as I stood in front of my mirror picking at a piece of invisible lint. I'd worn these same pants the night Cole, and I made love for the first time, and as I ran my hands down my thighs, I couldn't help the feeling that settled in my stomach.
"Get a grip Maddie. He shoved you," I scolded myself. "You can't be with someone like that. He's just like Richard. You were fooling yourself to think otherwise." I'd been muttering to myself for so long it was as if I was having a conversation with an imaginary friend.
Before I could sink any further into my thoughts, there was a knock on my door. I jumped slightly before I heard a muffled shout come through it, "Come on Maddie. You're not getting out of this. Open the damn door."
I sighed. It was Jo, and by the sound of it she and Ian had already started drinking. “I’m coming,” I called as I grabbed my keys, ID, and a wad of cash, and stuffed them into my pocket. I took one last look at myself before releasing a deep breath, and turning to walk into the lion's den.
ooooooooo
“So you have to promise me one thing tonight," Jo grabbed me by the shoulders, and spun me to face her.
"What's that?" I rolled my eyes as I glanced at where Ian was standing behind her.
“You have to dance. I don’t care if it’s by yourself, or with a guy, but you have to dance," she swayed a little to the side showing the effects the alcohol was already having on her.
"Jo," I sighed as I squeezed my eyes shut. "You're lucky I came."
"You promised you would," she shrugged. "You're loyal if anything. I knew you'd come," she hiccupped before she started giggling. "Maybe you need to come more," she whisper-shouted to me before glancing back at where Ian was chuckling behind her. "I know I am," she winked at him before sidling up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Oh god,” I groaned as I looked up at the sky. “How much has she had?” I narrowed my gaze on Ian before shaking my head.
"Enough," he shrugged before turning them to face the direction of the door.
"I'm not driving, so back off Mom," she tossed her hand in the air.
As we made our way to the front door, I couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that settled over me. It was like sixth sense that I’d developed after being with Richard. Whenever something bad was coming, I seemed to be able to feel it.
When I reached the front of the line, I gave the bouncer my ID and cover fee. Jo smiled drunkenly at me as she looped one of her arms through mine and began pulling me after her. I assumed that we were heading for a table in the back just like last time, but what I was met with when I rounded the corner was something I was not prepared for.
Right as I stepped into the darkness of the club I crashed face first into a wall of muscle. I sucked in a breath, ready to apologize until I looked up and saw whose chest I'd just stumbled into. The dark eyes that peered down at me held a sadness, and the crinkle that usually appeared around his mouth was missing.
"Hi," he murmured as he leaned down next to my ear so I could hear him.
I recoiled immediately remembering what had happened in my apartment as I pushed off his chest and tried to flee. "I've gotta go," I called to Jo as she stood there staring at the exchange.
"No," Cole reached out and wrapped his hand around my bicep. He didn't squeeze hard enough to hurt me, but it was enough to stop my escape. "I just wanna talk. Please?" he begged. "Please…just listen. You don't have to say anything."
I stood there in shock as I let the words sink in. My heart was telling me to give him a chance. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days. His usual scruff was longer, and his hair was messier, and the normal sparkle that his eyes held was absent. He seemed to be as wrecked as I was. My brain, it was another story altogether, it was screaming at me to run. Run as fast as I could in the other direction.
"Please Maddie?" he tried again.
I nodded slowly as I glanced back at Ian, "I'll meet you guys at the table in a minute." After Ian had nodded his agreement, he turned and left, Jo only looked back at me once. I sucked in a breath before turning back to Cole, “Let’s go somewhere in the back where it’s quieter."
He nodded and reached for my hand to lead me through the crowd. As soon as his fingers made contact with mine, I recoiled as if he'd burnt me. I was willing to talk, but I was still upset over what had happened, and I wasn't ready to forgive him yet. He glanced back at me, shock written across his face at my actions. I slowly shook my head as I watched him accept my fear. He knew what he'd done, and as I watched his shoulder slump, I knew we'd just gone back to the beginning. I think he knew it too, and that made my heart break just a little more.
Chapter 23
Cole
I don't know what I thought was going to happen, but Maddie was pulling away from me like I was a stranger was not it. On one hand I understood why she did it, but on the other I thought we'd gotten past this. The realization that I was going to have to work that much harder to get her to forgive me was slowly sinking in when I led her down a dark hallway near the restrooms, and I turned to see her curling in on herself.
"I'm so sorry," I murmured as I shook my head. I really didn't know what to say. I'd planned out this conversation the entire ride here, but now that I had her in front of me my brain had stopped functioning.
“I know,” she sighed as she backed further away from me.
"But?" I reached
for her, but it only caused her to wrap her arms around her middle and glance away from me.
"I can't do this again…" she trailed off as she began to shake.
“Maddie,” I stepped closer to her and reached out to cup her cheek. “I can’t tell you how much I want to take the other night back, but…” I glanced around before stepping closer, "I'm not him." I felt her tremble harder, and I shook my head. "I love you," I felt my eyes well up, and I cursed myself for letting my emotions show.
“What?” she gasped and stepped back. Her back hit the wall, and she began shaking her head furiously from side-to-side, “You can’t…you can’t say that!”
“But it’s true,” I tilted my head to the side and bent my knees so I could stare directly into her eyes. "I've been fooling myself to think otherwise. I've never met anyone like you. I love you, Maddie."
"How am I supposed to believe that?" she swallowed as she let tears spill from her eyes. "He used to tell me the same thing."
“Oh Baby,” I wrapped my arms around her, and when she didn’t resist, I pulled her into my chest. “I’m not him. I swear I’m not him. I’ll do anything to prove that to you. Please?” I murmured into her hair, “Just give me another chance."
She sniffed and wiped at her eyes before tilting her chin up so she could look at me, "I want to, but I don't know if I can."
“I don’t know how anyone could hurt you,” I trailed a finger down her jaw, and stopped when I met her lips. “You’re so sweet and perfect,” I watched her eyes flutter and decided to take my chances. I leaned forward and let my breath blow across her face as I whispered, “If you don’t want me to kiss you, then tell me to stop.” When she didn’t make a move to resist me, I leaned in further and brushed my lips lightly across hers.
At that moment, that brief second, I felt her body tremble once again before going lax against mine. Her hands came up, and fisted my shirt as she pulled me impossibly closer. When I pressed my hips into hers, she gasped and opened to me. It was as if she'd struck a match. The sweet kiss soon deepened and turned into one laced with passion…a passion we'd been ignoring for the past two days. She'd been fighting to resist me, and I'd finally gotten past the walls she'd tried erecting. "Tell me you forgive me?" I begged as I slid a hand down her body, and clutched her rear through those sexy as hell jeans. "Tell me you want me like I want you."
“I do,” she whimpered. “I think I love you too,” she whispered against my mouth.
I froze when those words left her sweet lips. I'd been waiting to hear them, and now that I had I wanted to savor the moment. I broke the kiss, but didn't back up as I looked down into her sparkling eyes. "Did you mean that? That you love me?"
She nodded slowly as her lips pulled into a crooked smile, "I've been fighting it for a while. I was scared to admit it to myself, but yeah…I love you."
I chuckled as I leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, "You wanna get out of here?" I stepped back and smiled at her. "There are about a million other things that I'd like to be doing than standing in the bathroom hallway at a night club, and I'd like some privacy to do them in."
Maddie’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of red as she sucked her lip into her mouth and began biting it. She nodded quickly and glanced around. "I have to tell Jo I'm leaving, but yeah…I'd like that too."
"All right," I reached for her hand, and this time she took it willingly and threaded our fingers together.
After saying our goodbyes to her friends, I began leading us toward the front door of the club. She was trailing behind me, and if the club weren't so busy I probably would have noticed more that she'd stopped moving when we began to pass the bar. I turned around to see what had happened, and was met with a pair of angry green eyes.
"What the fuck are you doing with my girlfriend?" the man stabbed his index finger into my chest.
I furrowed my brow as I searched for Maddie. I didn’t know who this guy was, and figured that he was just drunk. “What are you talking about?”
"I mean I've seen you…with her," he pointed beside me, and when I followed his hand, I saw Maddie turning a scary shade of white. "She's mine!" he growled as he moved closer to me, but instead he grabbed her.
“Listen buddy I don’t know who you think you are, but this is my girlfriend,” I rolled my eyes at him as I reached for her. Maddie began cowering and shaking her head as she broke his hold on her and backed away from both of us. I couldn’t figure out what was happening, but then I heard it. It was a whispered confession, and with the loud music of the club I don’t know how I heard it, but I did.
“Richard,” Maddie gasped as she slowly backed up further.
I watched her shrink back as she moved to the side trying to get behind me. She was terrified, and there was so much going on around us that nobody was really paying attention to this guy.
"Listen," I growled. This guy was annoying me, and all I could think of was getting Maddie away from him. "You not supposed to be anywhere near her."
“Says who, asshole?” he sneered at me as he reached in his pocket.
I could feel Maddie behind me, and then I heard her, “Please Richard? Just leave me alone. I don’t want to be with you anymore. We’ve been through this. I left a long time ago,” she babbled on and then I felt her hand fist the back of my shirt. I was just about to turn around and leave this loser when I saw a flash of light out of the corner of my eye. Maddie gasped and then screamed, "No!" just as Richard began wielding a knife. Instinctively I threw my arms out to protect her, and began backing us away from him and in the direction of the door. I glanced towards the bar hoping to catch a bartender's attention, but they were swamped with customers the moment.
"Richard, please?" Maddie begged as I reached back and pushed her further away from the situation. Watching all of this unfold right before me put me right back in the kitchen of my childhood home. There I was, thirteen years old again and deciding to fight back. As Richard lunged at me, I leaned back out of the way before taking a swing at him.
By this point, we'd garnered some attention, and several bouncers were shoving their way through the crowd to get to us. Richard had stumbled back after my first blow but lunged forward. I didn't realize what had happened until I heard Maddie's blood curdling scream, "No!!!!"
I darted my eyes around as I watched everything in slow motion. The bouncers had reached us and were wrestling Richard to the floor. The music became muffled, and the lights seemed to fade in and out. When I looked around to find Maddie, she was on her knees some ten feet away from me crying with her head in her hands. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but soon realized I was on my side on the ground. I lifted my hand to wipe my brow, and that’s when I saw it…blood. It was all over my hand, and when I glanced down to where it had been resting, I notice a small pool forming under my side. As if the fast forward button had been pushed on the evening, I soon began fighting to stay in the present. Memories of my past flitted through my brain before a calm settled over me and realization set in. I’d saved her. Maddie was safe…and now I could let go…
The End
Cole and Maddie's story will continue in Saving Us- Coming Winter 2015
Other Works by H. D’Agostino
The Second Chances series-
Unbreak Me- book one
The Boy Next Door- book two
The One That Got Away- book three
Inside Out- A Second Chances Novella 3.5
Fallen From Grace- book four
The Family Next Door- book five
The Shattered Trilogy-
Shattered (Shattered #1)
Restored (Shattered #2)
Renewed (Shattered #3)
Destined (Shattered 0.5) Coming Fall 2014
Untitled (Shattered #4) Cam & Avery- coming winter 2015
Standalones- Privileged
The Witness series-
Being Nobody- coming fall 2014
Acknowledgements
I’m always worried that I’
m going to leave someone out one of these times so if I miss anyone, I’m truly sorry.
There are so many people to thank, and as I continue on in this journey of becoming a writer, the list keeps growing. I’ve met so many wonderful readers, authors, and bloggers over the course of the past year that I can’t even begin to name you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Meeting you at signings and hearing from you on the various social media out there is just the boost my heart needs. I appreciate all of you, and I don’t have the words to truly express that.
Thank you to my wonderful, supportive, awesome beta Shellie for all your hard work on this book. I know I make you want to throw your kindle sometimes, but you’re always honest with me, and have just the right words to keep me going. You chime in at just the right moment and seem to know exactly when I just need to vent.
Thank you to all the bloggers who have supported me and pimped this book out. Posting teasers, joining blog tours, and spreading the word about Cole and Maddie. Twinisie Talk Book Reviews, Sweet and Naughty Book Blog, M&D’s Have You Read Book Blog, Eye Candy Bookstore, Book Boyfriend Hangover, Author Groupies, United Indie Book Blog, and so many others just to name a few.
Thank you to MJ Fields for hooking me up with an awesome new cover designer. It looks amazing. Thank you for all your help in making several new connections in the book world. I can’t put into words how happy I am.
Thank you to Kathy Coopmans of Panty Dropping book blog for hooking me up with an awesome photographer and introducing me to Tessi, who is featured on my cover. Kelsey is an amazing photographer and thanks to you I now have a one of kind cover for this book.
Thank you to Everything Marie for hosting a kick ass blog tour to launch this book into the published world. It was everything I hoped for and more.
And finally…
Thank you to all the readers out there for loving my books and wanting to meet Maddie and Cole. I hope you loved them as much as I do, and I can’t wait to share Saving Us with you.
Irreparably Broken (The Broken Series Book 1) Page 15
