Page 62 of Something to Believe In
Chapter Thirty-Six
Maddyn woke with words sliding through her mind. She tried going back to sleep, but her song wanted to be written.
Silently rolling over to see the clock, she sighed. Three in the morning. It was still dark and peaceful. There wasn't a better time for her to write her song.
She slipped out of the bed she shared with Axel and padded across the floor to the door. Stepping silently into the hallway, she moved through the house and started the coffee. Then she pulled Axel's sweatshirt off the hook near the back door and slipped her arms inside. His scent wrapped her in love and warmth.
She pulled two coffee cups from the cupboard and filled one with coffee. Adding sugar and cream, she enjoyed the aroma mixed with Axel's as she moved like a ghost to the office. Closing the door as softly as she could, she flicked on the light and snuggled up in her chair. A soft smile appeared on her lips as she thought about it in her chair.
Sipping her hot coffee, she closed her eyes for a moment, letting the words arrange themselves. Then she set her coffee on the small round table next to her, picked up her notebook and pen, and began writing the words that wouldn't be silenced.
She read back the words she wrote, often crossing one or two off, and wrote a new word or words above it. It was her process. Once she felt she had them all down in the order she thought they needed to be, she ripped that page from the spiral notebook, then re-wrote the words neatly on a new page. At the very top, she wrote, “Something to Believe In” Lyrics by Madden Nolen. The music, perhaps Axel could help with that; he was honing his craft beautifully. Or maybe her bandmates. Sean and Jami were phenomenal at writing the music. Either way, she was proud of the words she wrote.
She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. It had cooled while she wrote.
Standing, she stretched, happy she no longer felt the twinge from her bruising, though the bruise on her skin was now an ugly yellow.
Opening the office door quietly, she floated down the hallway to the kitchen, feeling lighter than she'd felt for a long time and incredibly proud of herself for finishing a song. She'd tried over the years, but then told herself she wasn't a songwriter. She'd been wrong.
She poured another cup of coffee. Glancing at the clock on the stove, it read four-fifteen. She'd written her song in an hour and fifteen minutes. But of course, it had taken months of a word or two here and there for it to come to her in full. It also took the events, as ugly as they'd been, to force them from her mind. And it had been Axel who finally made her see that she needed to grab what she wanted and hold on to it. She wanted him. And she believed in them.
As she strode toward the office, the bedroom door opened, and her sleepy lover stared at her with a sexy grin on his face.
"Morning."
He ran his hands down his face. "Morning. Were you writing?"
"Yes."
"Did you finish?"
She smiled and stared at him. His broad shoulders and powerful arms were what she craved often. His sexy grin and his heart were what she loved most about him. Being here in their home together and doing what she loved was her dream come true.
"I did."
She turned to the kitchen and poured him a cup of coffee. She carried both steaming cups toward Axel, who stepped toward her and lifted his from her hand. "Thank you."
She smiled. Lifting on her toes, she kissed his lips, then stared into his beautiful brown eyes.
"You're welcome."
He chuckled. "Can I hear your song?"
Turning to the office, she stepped inside and picked up her notebook. She turned and handed it to him, but he shook his head. I'd like to hear it. Sing it to me. I love your voice more than anything else in the world."
"I don't have the music, only the words."
"Read them to me, then."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she inhaled deeply and set her cup on the little table. Axel sat in his chair and stretched his long legs in front of him. He sipped his coffee, the swirl of steam rising in front of his handsome face.
Clearing her throat, she nervously said, "I haven't warmed up properly."
"It's fine. It's only for me."
"You're who I want to hear it perfectly for the first time."
His full, sexy lips turned up in the most beautiful smile. "Mads, stop delaying."
