Page 34 of Slow Burn
Those tears that'd threatened earlier finally fell when my parents' house disappeared from the rearview mirror. Thick and hot, they rolled down my cheeks, showing no sign of stopping. Not even when I pulled into the safety of my own driveway.
Angrily, I swiped at them as I got out—slamming the door for good measure—and shuffled around the side of my house to get to the backyard. If anything could bring peace to my jumbled-up insides, it was the ocean.
That was until I saw Adam standing at the edge of his property. There was no way I wanted to face him in the state I was. Stopping in my tracks, I quickly spun around and attempted to retrace my steps.
I didn't get very far before his gravelly voice sounded. "Maddie."
Why did he have to say my name like that? Why did my entire being yell at me to turn around and go to him?
It was because of those questions and the intensity of what I was feeling that I muttered, "I can't deal with you right now."
17
ADAM
My eyes followed Maddie as she rushed around to the front of her house. Digging my heels in, I forced myself to stay put when every fiber of my being wanted to go after her. This sudden marrow-deep need to find out why she looked so sad was as abrupt as it was unwelcome.
I'd barely had time to fully process the despondence in her sweet voice before this desperate need to comfort her had taken over. There was a part of me that knew fighting the urge to go to her would be futile. But I had to resist; I was in no shape to offer her any form of comfort.
Maddie disappeared around the corner, and I released a slow breath through my nose. Whatever was the matter with her wasn't my business. I kept repeating those words like a whispered prayer as I strolled back into my house.
The thing was, I didn't wanna listen to myself. I'd gone out there intending to make small talk. I wanted to attempt to be her friend or at the very least just be in her presence for a little bit. Because whenever Maddie was around, there was a certain calmness inside of my soul I couldn't get anywhere else.
I used to think it was her dancing that had that effect on me, but I quickly realized it was the woman herself.Whatever energy radiated from her wrapped around me like a blanket and settled in the deep, dark corners of my being.
However, my plan had gone to shit the moment I was faced with her tear-stained face and slumped shoulders. Whatever words I'd wanted to say had dissolved on my tongue, never to be voiced.
With my mind still firmly fixed on the woman next door, I headed upstairs to continue working on the guest bedroom. The plastic that covered the floor I'd finished a few days ago crinkled under my boots as I walked to where I'd dropped the scraper earlier when I heard Maddie arrive home.
Hands perched on my hips, I glared at the tool as if it had offended me. How the hell was I going to be able to work when all I saw was her…looking so damn disheartened. Tilting my head back, my gaze shifted to the ceiling.
Nice people checked on their neighbors all the time, right? Look at Maddie, she was the epitome of nice and she brought me baked goods to say thank you. So it wouldn't be all that weird if I knocked on her door just to make sure she was all right.
With a new plan taking root, I bolted back down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of my glass door. Would it be rude if I showed up empty-handed? I had never done anything like this, I seriously had no clue what the right etiquette was.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath.
Scratching the side of my face, I mentally scanned the kitchen cupboards. They weren't stocked with the kind of things you gave to someone to make them feel better. And I was fairly certain, giving her half a bottle of Jack would be frowned upon.
I was about to say screw it and just go over there when I remembered the gift basket Zoe'd had delivered to my place when I'd just moved in. Although I'd eaten my way through most of it, a bottle of red wine and a small box of dark chocolates remained.
I shuddered when I thought about it because I couldn't stand the taste of either, but women liked wine and chocolates, right? When Zoe and I were younger and she'd been upset, chocolate had always been her go-to. Albeit in liquid form. She always said chocolate was the cure for anything.
Finding the items was as quick as opening a few cupboards. After I tucked the sweets under my arm and grabbed the wine, I hurried next door before I had the good sense to change my mind.
My steps slowed somewhat the closer I got to her door. If I hadn't been so busy pacing myself, I would have laughed at how nervous I suddenly felt. My palms were clammy, and my heart was slamming against my ribs in very much the same way as a teenager going out on his first date.
It was ridiculous.
I sucked in a breath but before I could hold it for a few seconds, the air went whooshing out of my lungs.That damn sliding door was open again. Why the hell was she so damn determined to be unsafe?
Gritting my teeth, I brought my hand up and tapped it against the glass with a lot more force than was needed. From somewhere inside, I heard the little rat let out a string of barks. They grew louder and louder until the curtain moved and he came trotting out. It was kind of laughable how he immediately stopped yapping the instant he saw me. Tail wagging, he parked his butt in front of me, those big eyes completely focused on me.
"Where's your human?"
Jumping on his hind legs, Sheldon let out a shrill sound that had me thinking this dog actually understood me.
Stranger things had happened.
