Rebound
By Nicole Dykes
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
Letter from the Author
Preview
Chapter 1
Your first love is someone you never forget. It is really rare that your first love is also your last, but when I met Madison Wright I truly thought I was one of the lucky ones.
It all started when my cousin, Josh, called and asked me to go to a party with him. Josh went to high school at my town's rival school, so I was a little hesitant. He assured me it would be fine because it was their homecoming and as long as they won everyone would be in a great mood.
I reluctantly agreed and met Josh at his house after the game. They won by a landslide so we headed out to the party. I was standing outside talking to my cousin and a couple of his friends when I saw her.
She was sitting with two other girls and was gorgeous. She had long light brown hair and had a sweet innocence to her. She caught me looking at her and I gave her my best smile.
She smiled back at me and then got up and went inside. I just had to talk to her so I followed her inside to the kitchen.
She was getting a refill and I walked up to her, "Hi, I'm Ryan."
She smiled sweetly at me and said, "I'm Madison."
I filled my cup and told her it was nice to meet her. Seeing her up close and in the light of the kitchen, she was even prettier than I had thought. She had big beautiful blue eyes that sparkled when she smiled.
She took a drink out of her newly full cup and pointed at my letterman jacket. "That's kinda gutsy. Don't you know we're enemies?"
I chuckled. The truth is I didn't even think about it when I left my house. I always had my letterman jacket on. It was my prized possession at the time. Pathetic, I know. "My cousin goes to your school. He said I'd be welcome. I'm not worried."
She laughed and said, "Well these parties can get pretty rowdy, but I'll protect you."
I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to her. We had never met before, but it seemed like we had known each other for years. We headed into the living room and started talking some more.
I learned that she was in the class below me and that her favorite color was purple. I told her I played football and basketball at my high school and that my favorite season was summer, which turned out to be hers also.
We didn't get into anything too deep, but before I knew it, it was midnight. When I saw the time I told her I had to get going. Before I got up to leave and looked at her, "I had a lot of fun talking tonight. Maybe we could go out on a date sometime?"
Something held her back at first, but then she finally said, "Yes, I'd like that."
I stood up, relieved that she said yes. "Awesome. How about Friday at seven? I'll pick ya up."
She agreed and we got each other's numbers and I went to find Josh. He wasn't happy about leaving, but I finally got him to the car. I drove his car to his parent’s house, with him drunkenly telling me I was driving too slow the entire way. When we got there I hopped in my car and drove thirty minutes to my house.
I was so late. My curfew was midnight and it was already past one. I lived with my mom and grandma in a fairly small four bedroom house.
I never met my dad. I was conceived at a house party when my mom was in college and apparently he wanted nothing to do with her or me. I had been told the only thing I got from him were his green eyes.
When my mom had me, she moved back in with my grandma, who helped to raise me, while my mom worked and finished college. My mom graduated and started work as a social worker. Since she was still a single mom and wasn't making very much money, we just stayed at my grandma's. My mom's father died in an accident when she was really young, so my grandma knew how tough it was to raise a child alone.
They were both the hardest working women I had ever met and both raised me to respect women at all costs.
I stood outside my front door and then took a deep breath. I walked in and my mom and grandma who were sitting on the couch jumped up and walked over to me.
My mom folded her arms across her chest, "Ryan, where were you? You had us worried sick!"
Before I could open my mouth to answer, my grandma started in, "You have a cell phone for a reason! We thought you were dead in a ditch."
I tried to talk in a calm voice, "I'm so sorry. I completely lost track of time and I had to find Josh..."
My mom interrupted, "You lost him?"
I shook my head. She looked exhausted, and I felt really bad for making her and my grandma worry. "I met a girl at the party and we talked for a long time. When I finally realized what time it was I went and found Josh outside and we left. I'm sorry you guys were worried. It won't happen again."
They both still looked angry. My mom sighed, "I'm glad you are okay." She took my face in her hands, "Next time call."
I nodded and she gave me a kiss on the cheek. She told me to go to bed and I headed to my bedroom. I heard my grandma lecturing my mom about taking it too easy on me before I walked into my room and closed the door.
My mom probably took mercy on me this time because I rarely broke the rules. I was usually on time for my curfew, and if I was going to be late I always called her. I played sports and got really good grades in school. I tried to make it as easy as I could for my mom. She had a tough life; she didn't need an asshole for a son.
I went to bed and all I could think about was my upcoming date with Madison. Or Maddy. That's what she said she preferred to be called.
Chapter 2
Of course that week at school went by really slowly. Finally, it was Friday and I picked up Maddy at her house.
She introduced me to her parents, and after brief small talk we were off to dinner. We talked the entire time and it was a lot of fun getting to know each other.
When we were finished with dinner we went to see a movie. When we were standing in the line to buy popcorn, Maddy looked really upset all of the sudden. "Oh no."
I was worried, "You okay?"
She shook her head and I saw two guys walking toward us. I knew they went to Maddy's school because I'd seen them at the games, but I had never talked to them.
The taller of the two sized me up and then looked at Maddy, "What's the matter Maddy? No guys at school will date you so you have to date losers from Hutch?"
The part about me being a loser didn't faze me in the slightest, but the jab at Maddy really irritated me. I had no idea how anyone could talk to her like that. I tried to keep my cool and as calmly as I could said, "Why don't you guys go to your movie and we'll go to ours."
The other one spoke, "Well trust me man you are wasting your time with this one. If you're smart you'll run now."
What the hell was going on? Maddy was the sweetest girl I had ever met and these two guys acted like they hated her.
They were both fairly large guys, but I wasn’t small by most standards, and I could definitely hold my own if I had to. I looked at the second guy and angrily said, "I don't know what your fucking problem is, but no time with her is a waste." Then I looked at asshole number one, "And I'm sure there are plenty of guys at your school that would kill to date her. Luckily for me she chose to go out with me and you two assholes are ruining it."
Maddy smiled over at me and t
hen the first guy said smugly, "Well you two have fun. I hope you love being teased, because that's all you're getting."
I was about to respond when Maddy fled from the crowded theater, I glared at them and went after Maddy. I found her sitting on a bench outside.
I walked over and sat next to her, "Madison, are you okay?"
She looked defeated, "I'm so sorry."
I couldn't believe she was apologizing to me. She was the one who had been attacked, "Sorry for what? For them being assholes? I really doubt that was your fault."
She let out a soft sigh and was messing with the zipper on her fleece jacket. "Well Jake, the one with the blonde hair, he used to be my best friend until we got into a horrible fight and now he hates me. And Andy, well he's my ex who apparently hates me now too."
I was surprised that she used to date one of them, and the other had been her friend at one time. I couldn't imagine her doing anything to justify their behavior. "I don't know how anyone could hate you, but you have nothing to apologize for."
She shook her head, "Our date is ruined and I'm so embarrassed.”
I grinned at her, "Why are you embarrassed?”
She looked hesitant and said, "The things they were saying. That is not first date talk."
I just wanted to make her feel better. "I was barely listening to them. So they called you a tease. Who cares what they think."
She nibbled on her lower lip, "Well, I kinda am. I mean not on purpose. It's just..." I could tell she was really nervous and I patiently waited to see what she meant. She continued, “I'm a virgin. And I plan on staying that way until I'm ready which may not be for a while. It's not like I am waiting for marriage or anything, I'm just waiting for it to feel right. And I don't know, maybe dating was a bad idea."
I let all of that sink in and then looked at her, "And did Andy know all of this before you started dating?"
She nodded and told me he was patient at first and then he cheated on her. The prick actually cheated on her.
I laughed and said firmly, praying that she would believe me. "You are not a tease. He's just an immature little boy. People in an exclusive relationship should be faithful no matter what." I studied her face for a second. She was listening intently, so I went on, "And if I'm lucky enough for you to date me, I know what I would be getting into. I would be dating you for you and not your body. We would move as slow as you need."
I wasn't a virgin. I had only been with one girl, a couple of times the previous summer. We never dated officially, we were friends. She started dating another guy in our class and we went back to being strictly just friends.
I smiled at Maddy, "And if you give up on dating, how will you ever get to the right moment?”
She still looked unsure. "That's how Andy sounded at the beginning. I'm sorry it's just so hard to trust anyone. "
I gently tilted her chin up so that she was looking at me. It seemed like she blamed herself for Andy cheating on her. Like she drove him to it. "Not all guys are just after sex, but I get it: you've been burned. But I'm mature enough that if I want to date someone else or find someone just for sex I would talk to you and not sneak around behind your back. "
I looked into her eyes. She had been hurt and tormented. I wanted her to give me a chance to show her that not all guys were horny assholes. I gave her a soft kiss and then looked into her beautiful eyes, "You want to go watch the movie or would you rather we call it a night."
To my relief she said she wanted to watch the movie. We went back inside and after the movie I drove her home. I walked her to her door and before she went in I asked her if she would go out with me again. She happily agreed and we made plans for the next week.
A week later I picked her up at her house and drove her to my hometown. I was fairly certain we wouldn't run into anyone she knew.
I took her to dinner at one of my favorite pizza places and then we drove around for a while. We ended up parked somewhere out in the country, looking out at a wheat field. It was a clear night and the stars and moon were bright. Nothing beat the country sky for me.
Maddy was staring out at the front window, admiring the sky. "It’s so pretty out here."
I grinned and agreed with her. "So, what are your friends like?"
She took her eyes off of the sky and looked over at me. "Well, I have two really good friends now. Jackie, who is a cheerleader and really nice. And Michelle, who will kill you if you hurt me."
I laugh. "Noted."
She smiled, "what about you? You’re a jock so I imagine all of your friends are too."
I casually took her small hand in mine as I answered. "Well I do hang out with some guys on the team. Mostly Eric and Shane. My best friend though is without a doubt Cory. I met him in kindergarten and he is no jock."
She turned her body a little more toward me, "Oh really? So what does Cory do?"
Cory was scrawny and one of the smartest kids in our school. He loved comic books and was on the school's scholar bowl team. Which was basically a trivia game. My other friends gave me shit all of the time for hanging out with a "nerd", but I didn't see him that way.
Cory was the best guy I knew and I couldn't care less that he couldn't throw a ball very far or he would rather stay home and watch Star Wars on a Friday night than go to a party. Most people knew not to mess with him, but unfortunately he had seen his fair share of bullying.
When I finished telling Maddy all about Corey she said, "Well I can't wait to meet him. He seems really nice."
I pulled her a little closer to me so her head was laying on my shoulder. "He is. I can't wait for you to meet either." It was only our second date, but I felt an instant connection with her and I wanted to make it official.
Staring up at the stars with Maddy's head on my shoulder, I quietly said, "Maddy will you be my girlfriend?”
She lifted her head and looked at me. She was definitely a little unsure. No doubt because of what her asshole ex-boyfriend did to her.
I looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes, "Maddy I will not hurt you. I swear."
She gave me a weak smile, "I know. It's just terrifying. I mean believe it or not, Andy started off really sweet too."
I nodded, "I'm not Andy. I will never cheat on you and I will not hurt you." I leaned in and kissed her softly, begging her to trust me.
She kissed me back and then pulled back a little. Still looking a little bit unsure, but also determined to move on she said, "I would love to be your girlfriend.”
I was extremely happy that she agreed. We left shortly after that so we were both home on time. When we got to her house I walked her up to her door and kissed her goodnight. We promised to talk in some form every day and I left to go home.
I just barely made it home on time, and when I walked into the living room of my house my mom was sleeping on the couch.
I walked over and gently woke her. "Mom I'm home."
She looked a little groggy when she opened her eyes and looked up at me, "Well how did your second date go?"
She sat up and patted the couch next to her. I sat down, "It was fun. We are officially dating now.”
She grinned, "Aw. Well tell me more about this girl."
I laid back a little more on the couch, "She's great. You'll really like her. She smart and funny and polite."
She grilled me for a while longer and after about half an hour she stood up and kissed the top of my head, "Well she seems really nice. I want to meet her soon."
I nodded in agreement, and she went off to bed. I stayed up and watched TV for a while. I was on too much of a high from my date with Maddy to go to sleep.
Chapter 3
I strolled into school on Monday and saw Shane and Eric standing at my locker. Eric slapped me on the back, "Where the hell were you on Friday?"
I laughed and worked on the combination on my locker. "I told you guys I had a date. The party was fun I take it."
Shane nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah. It was a fucking blast. And you blew i
t off to go out with Great Bend trash."
I rolled my eyes. The rivalry between my town and Maddy's was old and unbreakable for most. "Her name is Maddy and she's not trash. She's also my girlfriend now so watch it."
Shane shook his head like he couldn't believe it. Eric looking just as stunned said, "You're kidding right? You can't date the enemy. "
They were my friends, but they took sports and high school social life way too seriously. I shut my locker, "She's not the enemy. I gotta go to class. See ya guys later."
We all went to class and when I walked into my first class I saw Cory. He was always early. I walked over and sat in the seat next to him, "Hey man."
He looked over at me, "Hey. How was your date?"
I took out my notebook to get ready for class. "Great. She wants to meet you soon."
He looked a little nervous. He was really shy around the opposite sex. He was definitely interested in girls, but had no clue how to talk to them. Last year, I asked Jenny Miller (a cheerleader who I thought was friendly) if she would go out with Cory. She acted like it would be a huge favor for me and said that I would owe her big, which irritated the shit out of me. As if going out with a sweet guy was a huge imposition. I told her to forget it and decided Cory’s time would probably be in college. I would never want him to think I pitied him.
I smiled at him, "She's really nice. You'll like her."
He nodded, "Well if you like her I'm sure I will."
At lunch I sent a text to Maddy telling her that I missed her and couldn't wait to see her. I hated that she lived thirty miles away. We both worked part time and I had a lot of practices during the week, but I was determined to make it work.
Eric took my phone and read my text, "Damn. She already has you whipped man."
I grabbed my phone from his hands and put it back in my pocket. My lunch table consisted of Eric, Shane, Shane's girlfriend, Sara, two other guys from the team and two cheerleaders.
Cory had stopped sitting with us because he said he was usually bored to tears. He sat at a table with some kids in our class that he had more in common with. I sat with them sometimes even though I rarely knew what the hell they were talking about.
Rebound (Soulmates Book 3) Page 1
