Page 50 of Hot Route
“Baby, are you here?” I yell, my throat beginning to tighten with anxiety. I check all the downstairs rooms first, but they’re all desolate. I hit the stairs at lightning speed and stop dead in my tracks when I hear a soft sob coming from our bedroom. On one hand, I’m relieved to see her safe. But the fact that she’sbeen here alone, crying, has me rushing to her side, ready to kill whoever hurt her.
“Baby Doll,” I say, the lump in my throat catching my words as they try to make their way out. “What happened?” She continues sobbing into the pillow while I sit on the bed beside her. Whatever it is, I’ll fix it. I have to. “Mads. Talk to me.” I lean over, clicking on the lamp that sits on her nightstand.
Nothing prepares me for what I see when she turns to me. Her eyes are almost swollen shut from crying. Her mascara has run down her cheeks and stains the pillow where her face was pressed into it. I feel helpless, watching her body shake as she attempts to breathe.
“Shhh. It’s okay,” I say, even though I have no idea why she’s so upset. I move onto the bed, putting my back against the headboard before pulling her into my lap. I kiss her head and gently rub my fingers along her back to soothe her. Eventually, she calms slightly, but the tears continue flowing from her beautiful green eyes.
“Can you tell me what happened?” I try again. This time, she takes a few deep breaths before speaking.
“I got to work this morning and the other interns had pulled up some photos of us from the fundraiser,” she says quietly. “They said some really mean things, just like I expected.” She sniffs, using the sleeve of her sweatshirt to wipe her running nose. “But I knew I didn’t do anything wrong. So, when I got called up to Jacob’s office, I was confused.”
“Baby,” I interrupt, “if he’s mad at you for working for me, or being with me, I’ll talk to him.”
She shakes her head as more tears roll down her cheeks. “I walked into the room and Brady was there.” I stiffen. “That night? When we went to Donatello’s and I rejected him?”
“Yeah,” I say, scared for her to continue, but knowing I need the whole story or I’m going to lose my fucking shit.
Her face twists in sadness. “He lied. He said I propositioned him to tie me up and have sex with me. He told Jacob that I made him uncomfortable, and when he told me no, I made a scene.” She buries her face into my shirt, tears soaking through the fabric.
“Jacob didn’t believe him, right?” He couldn’t have. Mads has been a great asset to Tailgate Media. She’s the first intern there every morning and the last to leave. Her assignments have been light years ahead of the others. She’s gone above and beyond for that company. He can’t possibly think she would sexually harass a client.
“It doesn’t matter,” she says, defeat evident in her voice. “They just went through a big scandal where a reporter actually did get herself into a similar situation. They won’t want to go through it again, even if they don’t believe Brady.” She looks up at me and my heart cracks. “They let me go.”
I say nothing as I hold her trembling body and try my best to soothe her. What can I say to fix this? Nothing. Because she’s right. Unless we can prove Brady is lying, Tailgate won’t want to risk word getting out about the whole situation. Especially when she isn’t an actual employee. It’ll look like they’re condoning the behavior, and the court of public opinion will be calling for Jacob’s head.
After what seems like hours, Mads has finally stopped crying. I push her tear-soaked hair from her beautiful face and place a soft kiss to her lips.
“I have to go home. To Chicago.”
Her words are a shock to my system. My body goes rigid below her, panic settling back in as I try to figure out exactly what she means. “Baby, no. We’ll figure this out.”
She shakes her head as a look of sadness settles over her face. “I can’t be here, Blaze. I came to Boston for this job. I was so confident that if I worked hard and showed them that I belongedthere, they’d pick me. And I did all that. But it didn’t matter. They tossed me aside and chose Brady’s sponsorship over me.”
“Mads,” I plead, “let’s let the dust settle. Then we can figure out a new plan. If Tailgate is dumb enough to let you go, somebody else would be lucky to have you.”
“Who?” she replies. “What other media company in this city would give me a job once Brady tells everyone that story? He lives here and he’ll make sure I don’t get hired anywhere in Boston. I have to go back to Chicago and figure out if I can save my career.”
“Okay,” I relent. What choice do I have? I can’t keep her here when being a journalist is all she’s ever wanted. I could beg her to stay, but that would only be holding her back from achieving her dreams. I can’t do that to her. I love her too much. “Just, please, stay with me one more night.” Tears threaten to fill my eyes, but I do everything I can to keep them at bay. She’s falling apart right now, and I need to be strong for her.
“Alright.”
I carefully pull her off my lap, laying her down on the bed. This may be the last time I ever have her here, and I need to show her how much I love her. I gently run my lips down her neck, removing her shirt so I can feel her skin against mine. She trembles as I move lower, pulling down her shorts and panties. I kiss my way back up her body, stopping to pull off my clothes in the process.
I lower my naked body onto hers and she opens her legs for me. I settle between them, moving my hips gently, back and forth. She whimpers under me, waiting for me to push into her, but I can’t. I know once it’s over, I’ll have to let her go. Maybe she’ll come back to me. But what if she doesn’t? What if she finds a job on the other side of the country and we can’t make this work? What if she meets someone who sees her the way I doand she moves on, leaving me here knowing that I’ll never love anyone this way again?
A tear slides down my cheek as I bury my face into her neck and slowly slide home. I keep a torturous pace as I move in and out of her, hoping that I can draw this out forever. I whisper over and over how I love her and how I’ll never stop. That she’s my whole world. That no matter where she goes, my heart will always belong to her.
We come together, our tears mixing where our faces press against each other. “I love you, Madison,” I say softly as I kiss her one last time before rolling to the side and pulling her tightly into me.
“I love you too, Blaze,” she whispers, her soft snores filling the room moments later. But sleep never finds me as I cling to her for what could be the last time.
MADS
“That’s all of it,” I say to Blaze with a shaky exhale. I woke up early this morning and packed my suitcases to head back to Chicago. I don’t know if this is the right move, but I need to do it in order to clear my head. With everything that happened yesterday and getting let go from my internship, the future feels hopeless. I need to get out of Boston and make a new plan for my life. The only problem is that leaving this city means leaving Blaze behind. At least for now.
He picks up the last bag, carefully putting it into the back of my car. I tried to tell him I didn’t feel comfortable takingthe Mercedes since he bought it, but he insisted that I keep it. If it makes him feel better knowing I’m driving a safe, reliable vehicle, that’s the least I can do when I’m the one leaving him here while I sort my life out.
He walks over to where I’m standing and pulls me into his arms. I’ve been doing my best not to cry today. But knowing this will be the last time I feel his embrace, at least for a little while, makes my chest ache. He loosens his hold just enough to pull back and look me in the eyes. “My Black Amex card is in the center console. Use it for whatever you need.” I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off. “Please. Just let me do this. I’m barely holding myself together right now, knowing that when I get in bed tonight, you won’t be there. Let me take care of you while you’re gone.”
