I looked up at Joey, shocked. He never missed a practice. In the couple months that I had known him, not once had he even taken a sick day.
"Joey I can't let you do that. You'll get in a shit load of trouble if you do."
"Don't worry about it. My friend needs me more."
A small smile began to form across my lips. I did need him, more than he knew. I needed a good day with a good friend to help me forget and move on from one, Madison Raine.
"As long as you're sure."
"I am, now let's get outta here." Joey held out his hand for me to take it, and I did, without a second thought.
Joey's parents were now letting him drive their older Toyota Tundra, so I didn't need to drive to school everyday. Joey walked me over to the passenger side and gave me a boost up. As he closed the door, he gave me simple smile, making me smile in return. This time it was a genuine smile that reached all the way to my eyes. Joey was becoming the closest thing I had to a best friend out here, besides Cami of course, but she was only available through phone and I needed some actual face time with a friend lately.
We pulled up to the coffee shop in town, about ten minutes later. He must've read my mind because whenever I was upset or stressed, coffee and ice cream were my go to things of comfort. He held the door open for me and I walked in, letting the sweet aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, assault my every sense. I knew exactly what today called for and I wasn't holding back. When I approached the counter to order, the girl behind it couldn't stop staring in Joey's direction. No girl ever could. He was a walking poster for sex. Every girl wanted him and every guy wanted to be him.
"Excuse me?"
She quickly turned in my direction, knowing I had caught her staring. "Oh sorry, what can I get for you?"
"A vente, iced, caramel macchiato with extra whip cream and caramel."
"Will that be it for you?" She was still gawking at Joey out of the corner of her eye, so I decided to have a little fun with her.
"I'm not sure, hold on. Joey, do you want anything?" Just as I knew he would, he came running over to me faster than a dog to their owner.
"Yeah, I would like an iced coffee with some cream and a dash of sugar." I watched him wink at the girl behind the counter, and she practically fell over where she stood.
"Coming right up. That'll be $9.72."
I reached into my book bag to pull out my portion of the tab, but Joey pushed it away and handed the girl his Visa.
"This ones on me."
"Thanks Jo."
"Anytime, Darlin'."
I watched her face fall in disappointment, as Joey used the term of endearment that he used on every other girl, but she didn't know that. I smiled at her and made my way down to the other side of the counter to wait for my drink. Joey was right behind me.
"She wanted you, Joey Green."
"Don't they all. Don't they all."
I nudged him in the ribs and we both broke out in laughter. I was starting to feel a little bit better about Madison standing me up, but part of me was still extremely hurt and wondered what had come up, that was so important that he would forget all about me. I checked my phone one last time, and then placed it back in my book bag when it didn't say I had a missed call or text.
"Don't worry about him. We are going to have a fabulous afternoon and by the time I drop you off, you'll have forgotten all about him not showing up."
"Thanks Joey." I whispered, as I pulled him into a hug.
After getting our drinks, we made our way out onto the side patio of the coffee shop. The weather was still warm enough to hang out outside during the day, and I wasn't about to let it go to waste. I sat across from Joey, watching all the people walking past. Eventually we started in on our game of "who is that and what do they do". It was exactly what I needed to take my mind off of Madison and today.
Chapter 19
Madison
Fuck! Kayla was goin' to be super fuckin' pissed off at me. I had already cancelled on her the week before and now, well now she would have my balls. I was still at the doctor's office with my grandfather and they had needed to do some extra tests, so we were runnin' late. I had tried to call and text Kayla, but the nurse practically yelled at me, sayin' that if I tried to use it again, she was going to kick me out of the office.
So here I sat, bouncing my legs about a million miles a minute, waiting for my grandfather to be done. Shortly after the night I had my break down with Kayla, my grandparents had filled me in on my grandfather's condition. He had stage four, lung cancer and it was quickly spreading to other parts of his body. It was too late to start any chemo, and the doctor said that any other type of aggressive therapy would only make the last bit of time he had left, miserable. No one wanted that, especially not my grandfather, so we just did weekly check ups and blood work and prayed for more time, as every day passed.
Another long twenty minutes later, my grandfather emerged from behind the door that led to all the rooms. He was looking extremely fatigued and just, worn down. I ran over to his side to help him walk. When we reached the elevator doors, my grandfather turned to me with a look on his face that I had never seen before. It was the look of pure, undeniable love for his grandson.
"Madison, I always knew you would grow up and become the man I hoped you would be. Thank you for takin' care of your old sickly grandfather."
This was a first. My grandfather rarely spoke his feelings, and now he was layin' it all out there. I'm sure it was the fact that he knew he didn't have much time left, but I would take it regardless. It meant more to me than anything to hear him say it.
"You don't have to thank me old man, but you're welcome either way."
The doors slid open and I helped my grandfather inside and pressed the button to go down to the parking garage.
Over the last few weeks, I had been spending most of my spare time helpin' out around the farm and just hangin' out with my grandfather. It was the least I could do for someone who had done so much for me. He was the closest thing I had to a father and I couldn't have asked for a better one. I owed everything I had become to him. He had taught me to be a man, and I could only wish that one day I would be half of the man he was.
I had been tryin' to spend as much time as I could with Kayla as well, but with my grandfather's sickness moving much quicker than we thought, it left little time lately. I still hadn't told her what was goin' on, but I'm sure she was startin' to get an idea. She was always coming over to chat with my gran during the day and even though I tried to make myself scarce every time she was over, I still found myself hanging around without her knowing.
Now that time was getting shorter, I knew I needed to tell her. If anything, I needed someone to lean on for support, because the worst was yet to come. I missed her like crazy every day, and the only time I usually got a chance to see her was when we both ended up beneath that old willow tree. My heart hurt and I was in physical pain not being able to be with her, or hold her. Every time I did see her, a little piece of my heart broke not being able to have her the way I wanted her.
When we got home, I helped my grandfather into the house and upstairs to his bed. It was still early afternoon, but he had been sleeping more frequently and he looked exhausted.
"I'll come check on you in a bit, Granddad. Just rest. Do you need anything?"
"No son. I'm good for now."
I quickly made my way downstairs and dug my phone out of my front pocket. I knew it was useless to even bother tryin' to call her, but I had to at least try. Of course given the fact that I had stood her up two weeks in a row, there was a slim chance that she would actually want to speak to me.
Just as I suspected, her phone rang once and then went straight to voicemail. When her voice came on to tell me that she was away from her phone and to leave a message, my heart skipped a beat. It had been far too long since I had heard her sweet voice and it was killin' me.
"Kayla it's me. I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I just nee
d you to let me explain. Please meet me out at our spot around six tonight. If you don't show, I completely understand, but I'm ready to talk. I-I need you."
I hung up my phone and checked the clock on the far wall. It was now five. Fuck, I wasn't just late calling or getting a hold of her, now I was just plain standin' her up. At least I'm sure that's what she thought. I threw my ball cap onto the couch and pushed my fingers through my hair, as I sat forward leaning on my knees. How had my life gotten to this point? Why did everything have to be so damn complicated these days? All I wanted to do was be a normal teenager in college. But, it would seem college would have to wait as well. With all the time I had to take off to help out my gran and my granddad, I ended up havin' to defer a semester. I hated doin' it, but my family needed me and my family always took precedence over anything else. I could only hope that Kayla would understand this, if I ever got the chance to tell her.
I sat back against the couch and let out an audible sigh. I thought I was alone, but apparently my gran had been watchin' me from the doorway.
"Oh hey Gran, how are ya doin'?"
She came over and sat right next to me, planting her hand on my thigh. "You know I'm okay Madison, but how are you, is what I need to know?"
I didn't want to tell her everything I was feeling, but lately it seemed that my gran was the only person I could really talk to about all of this.
"Honestly, I'm not so good, and to top it all off, I think I may have just lost Kayla for good." I ran my hands down my face forcing myself not to cry. The last thing my gran needed was me cryin' on her shoulder. If anything, it should be my shoulder that she got to cry on.
"Madison, honey you need to tell her. I know you don't want to let anyone in, but she deserves to decide for herself if she wants to be there for you. I see that girl almost everyday, and everyday she searches this house for you. Not literally of course, but I can tell that one day she's just hopin' you'll show your face. I've gotten to know that young lady better than even her grandparents know her, and that wonderful girl would do anythin' for ya. Trust in her and trust in yourself to be there for each other. That, and I'm pretty sure your granddaddy would like to say his last goodbyes to his future daughter-in-law." Her trademark smile appeared and warmed my heart to its very core.
"I plan on tellin' her tonight. If she shows up."
"She will dear. I can guarantee you that much."
"Thanks Gran. I love you."
"Me too, son."
I hugged my grandmother tight and then excused myself to head out towards mine and Kayla's spot. I knew I would be a bit early, but maybe that would show her somethin', anything. When I came up over the small hill, I spotted long, brown hair blowin' in the cool evening air. The scent of strawberries whipped through the air and directly into my nostrils and I couldn't help but smile. I had missed her terribly and that smell of hers just made me miss her all that much more.
I hadn't meant to do it, but I snuck up on her quietly enough to make her jump when I wrapped my arms around her waist. I spun her around a few times, and then placed her unsteady feet back on the ground. When she turned to face me I was prepared for a slap to the face or some sort of retaliation, but she just simply smiled at me with those beautifully plump lips.
"Kayla, I am so sorry about today. I know that doesn't mean much at this moment, but I swear I have a valid reason for not calling or showin' up."
I couldn't bring myself to look into her eyes, knowing the doubt that they carried.
"And I am curious as to what that valid reason could be." She wasn't being nice, but she wasn't being as nasty as I had expected either.
"Will you sit with me?" I reached out for her hand and surprisingly she took it. I led us over to the tree and pulled her down next to me. An overwhelming need to touch her came over me and for once, I would make no apologies for doing so. I wrapped her hands in mine and refused to let her pull them free.
"There's somethin' I need to tell you." I fidgeted where I sat and suddenly became extremely nervous. "My grandfather is sick. I don't mean he just has a cold kind of sick, he's really sick. He has stage four lung cancer and it's quickly spreadin' to the rest of his organs." I could feel her tense under my touch and I instantly felt awful for layin' all this on her. "I've been taking care of him and helpin' out my gran. I know it's still an excuse, but that's all I have. My family means the world to me and I have to be there for them. I just hope you can understand why I have been the way I've been lately. I never in a million years wanted to push you away. Hell, it was the last thing I ever wanted to do, but with everything that you've been through, you didn't need my problems along with yours. So there ya go. Did I say I'm sorry?"
I still couldn't bring myself to look over at her, but I felt her warm touch against my cheek seconds later. I couldn't help but look at her now. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and her face expressed the sorrow I knew she was feelin'. Her other hand slid up my other cheek and then she was pulling her leg over the other side of me. I had never seen her look more beautiful than in this moment with me. She was straddling me, holdin' my face in her hands and lookin' at me with all the love in the world.
"I'm so sorry Madison. I'm sorry you felt as though you needed to keep this from me and I'm sorry I've been so selfish."
Before I could say anything her lips were falling onto mine. It was a slow gentle kiss, but it was enough to bring me back to life. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and pulled her closer to me, deepening our kiss at the same time. If this was understandin' on her part, I wish I would've looked for it a long time ago.
Chapter 20
Kayla
My mind was having a hard time processing what Madison had just told me, and the only way I could think to respond was to show him I was here, emotionally and physically. I hadn't intended on kissing him, but man I was glad that I did. I wish I could have taken all of his pain away, but unfortunately not I or anyone else had that power. The only thing I could do for him now, was to be here for him.
I could feel his excitement from our kiss growing harder beneath me. I knew it seemed wrong. I mean he had just told me that he was basically losing the only father he had ever known and here I was wanting more than anything to have him inside of me. I wanted him to forget it all, for just a little while. He must've felt the same way because seconds later, he had me flipped onto my back as he hovered above me.
The sun was startin' to set and it set off a gorgeous orange pink across the night sky. It brightened every feature of his face and I couldn't help but pull him down to my waiting lips. I instantly slid my tongue across his and he graciously accepted me inside. He tasted sweet and salty and like Madison. Oh how I had missed this man. I missed his touch, the way he felt above me and the sweet way he tasted. Our kiss turned fervent and he acted as though he just couldn't get enough of me, so I let him take it all. His mouth moved from my mine, leaving a heated trail down the side of my neck that led down to my breasts. He slid the thin camisole down to expose my bare chest. I sucked in a deep heated breath, urging him on. He pulled my nipple into his mouth and I arched my back to meet his touch. He then made his way over to the other and by the time he had, I could feel the wetness growing in my panties. I needed him, I wanted him in every way I could have him.
Without a second thought, he was pushing my shorts off of me, taking my panties with them. I eagerly wrapped my legs around his waist urging him to do the same. He finally freed himself of his pants and within seconds I could feel the tip of him at my entrance. His eyes made their way up to mine and without another word, I pushed him inside with my heels. I gasped in pleasure and the small amount of pain of not having had him inside me in so long.
He stopped for a second to gauge my reaction to what we were doing and when I simply smiled up at him, he slid all the way inside of me. He was gentle and slow with every push, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the last time I would ever get to experience him. I pushed those thoughts aside for now, becau
se for all I knew it was. He tenderly began to pick up speed and I could tell he was still holding back. I reached my hands around his back to his shoulder blades and with every push, I dug my nails deeper into the taut muscles across his back. This must've been the encouragement he needed because within seconds he was thrusting into me harder and harder, just the way I liked it. I arched my back in pleasure as tiny moans escaped between my lips. We both gave ourselves over to the pleasure completely and let it consume us. Minutes later, we found our release together, before he collapsed on top of me out of breath and dripping in sweat.
My eyes fluttered open and caught emerald staring right back at me. He looked beautiful in the glow of the setting sun and in that very moment, I knew I would never be able to let this man go, no matter how hard he or I pushed the other away. He blinked once and then his stare became intense and raw, before I could ask him what was wrong he opened his mouth to speak.
"I love you Kayla. I'm completely and utterly in love with you."
My eyes went wide and stayed unblinking as I let his words settle over me. And just as a single stray tear fell from the corner of my eye, I whispered, "I love you too, Madison. There was never a question about it. You're all I want in this life."
We both lay there for what felt like a blissful eternity, just staring into one another's eyes. I knew this day would come, but I never expected to feel the way I did in this very moment. The earth could have fallen out from beneath us and I honestly wouldn't know until we were in the depths of hell. A little while later, Madison must've felt the shiver that ran down me, because he was pulling my clothes back on for me. Once I was fully clothed, I sat back against that tree and watched as he pulled his pants back on. Every muscle on his delicious body was taut and willing me to touch him again, so I did. I stood and wrapped my arms around his neck before placing an open mouth kiss against is bare neck.
"Are you okay?" He whispered.
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