Page 84 of Slow Burn
Maddie's mouth might say one thing, but those whiskey eyes that could see into the very bottom of my soul? They could never lie. Buried deep inside her and loving on her body, I'd not only felt her love, I'd seen it too.
Dropping my arm, I pushed to my feet and grabbed the towel dangling over the barbell. With jerky movements, I dragged it over my face and damp hair. My arm screamed in protest at the simple task, an indication that I'd spent way too long brooding, throwing around weights when I should've dragged my ass next door.
Not even two minutes later, I hopped over the fence and all but ran up to Maddie's glass door. When I noticed that the curtains were drawn and the door pulled shut, I threw my head back and barked out a laugh.
How damn ironic. The one day I needed to see her, she made sure no one was getting in. I knocked and knocked some more, my heart sinking to my feet with every agonizing minute that passed.
After what felt like an eternity, I stepped back and swiped my hand over my mouth. Reaching behind me, I pulled my phone from my pocket and swiped the screen tolife. My heart's nervous rhythm almost deafening while I scrolled to her number and pressed the device against my ear. Instead of Maddie's sweet voice filtering through the line, a generic one informed me she was unavailable and to leave a message.
If my fingers hadn't been curled so tightly around the device, I might've given in to the need to toss it across her yard. I didn't want to leave a damn message. I wanted to talk to Maddie.
Rubbing my thumb and index finger over my eyebrows, I dropped my chin to my chest and let out a heavy breath. Knots twisted and turned in my stomach, hopelessness crashing over me like a big angry wave.
Where was she?
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement by the curtains. My head snapped up, heart furiously trying to hammer its way out of my chest. The curtain moved again, I held my breath and waited to see her beautiful face appear at the other side of the glass.
Unfortunately, when the curtain shifted once more, it wasn't Maddie standing there but rather Sheldon. On his hind legs, he was pawing at the glass with super speed. His normal yapping replaced with a melancholic howl I'd never heard before.
Even the damn dog knew how I'd screwed up.
Crouching down, I pressed my hand against the glass and felt my heart make a funny dip when Sheldon's wet nose immediately squished against it on his side. Apparently, I loved the little shit almost as much as I loved his owner.
"I'll make it right, buddy, I promise."
There was a plan forming in my head as I slowly straightened. The mere thought of what I was contemplating doing had my stomach rolling with nausea and my heart beating ten times too fast.
I'd push past all of it for the opportunity to tell the woman I loved how much she meant to me.
37
MADDIE
"Oh! You look gorgeous."
I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath when Jennah's arms wrapped around me. I'd promised myself I would be one-hundred percent present today. I owed my mom that much. Even though my heart was constantly yelling at me to go home so I could talk to Adam.
Like the hot mess I'd been the previous day, I'd left my phone at home when I'd hurried over to Sugar Booger. Then after Frankie and I had talked, she'd insisted I spend the night at her place, using the time to really think about what I wanted and what it would mean for my future.
And I had.
I'd thought long and hard about everything and every time I came to one simple conclusion: I loved Adam.
Of course, I felt like an even bigger fool over the way I'd reacted. Instead of my woe is me act, I should've understood and respected his decision. And I was going to tell him that as soon as this party was over.
"So do you," I said to my sister when we finally pulled apart. The flowy white dress she was wearing hit her just above her knees. It was soft and feminine with ascalloped hem and lace detail to the collar completing her look.
Jennah touched the curls tumbling over her shoulder, cheeks turning rosy. "I can't even remember the last time I wore a dress, let alone something as pretty as this one." She scrunched up her nose, a soft laugh blowing over her lips. "Kinda pathetic, right?"
Cupping her shoulders, I gave them a gentle squeeze. "Well, you've been busy being a badass mom to an amazing little boy." Another squeeze. "Once you get your party planning business up and running, you can wear pretty dresses every day."
Probably thinking it was a joke, Jennah waved me off with a giggle. Only, I wasn't joking. The moment I stepped foot inside the community center, I knew this was my sister's calling.
She'd taken the boring space and transformed it into a white and lilac paradise. Beautiful balls of flowers suspended from the ceiling at different heights with delicate fairy lights draped in between. The tables were adorned with a small arrangement of three flowers with a candle sitting in the middle. A space that could've easily been overpowering looked soft and inviting.
Yeah, I was pretty damn impressed with what Jennah had pulled off. This was without a doubt something she needed to pursue, but today wasn't the day to talk to her about it. So instead, I gave her another hug and told her I was proud of her.
With a smile, she headed off in the direction of the kitchen. Turning the opposite way, I went in search ofFrankie and walked straight into my mom's friends, Mrs. Peterson and Mrs. Hendrickson.
