The Perfect Storm

Chapter 68

"Where did you get this truck?" I ask as he stares ahead of the road.

"From some hillbilly." He says and I laugh.

"I traded my Lambo for it." He says and I stare at his lips.

"You what?"

"Yeah, these fucking roads are made for hillbilly's," he says and I bite at my lip and roll my eyes.

"Thank you," I say in an almost whisper.

"Anything for you." He breathes and I look down at his seat before spotting a magazine under him with a woman's leg peeking through one of the pages. My eyes go wide when I realize what it is.

"What are you look—" I stop him by covering his eyes and throwing the magazine into the back of the truck.

"And that was the hillbilly's po—"

"No." I put my finger over his mouth. He rolls his eyes with that cute smile of his.

"I'll wait here." He says and I nod before closing the heavy door behind me. Miles raises his brows at me and I walk towards my mom's house. 

I'm greeted with Jace and my mother sitting at the kitchen table.

"I'll go." Jace smiles at my mother.

"No, please, stay." I look at him in desperation.

"It's best if I go."

"No, Jace, I'm leaving tonight, I—"

"I'll see you next time, Madison." He tries to muster a smile which only breaks my heart.

"Jace. We're best friends, this is me—"

"No it isn't, this girl . . . she's not the Madison I know." He says before walking past me without a hug—without anything.

"He'll be okay, Madison." My mother tries to comfort me, but this time I'm not sure if she's right.

"Who is that boy?" she asks, standing up.

"I . . . I—"

"Your boyfriend?"

"Yes," I admit to my surprise.

"Come here, Madison." She says, walking slowly through my bedroom and into the large living room. I sit down on the small couch but to my surprise, my mom walks over to the large cabinet behind the couch in front of me. 

She opens it and takes out something that I can barely see before walking back towards me and sitting on the couch across from me. She puts a small heart-shaped box on the small glass table in front of us.

"Mom what—"

"This is a picture of your father." She says, stopping me. 

My heart skips a beat as I look at my mother who's eyes are glossy as she looks at the photo. I watch the white background of the picture, hoping she'll finally show me what my father looks like. My mother looks at me, her eyes unsure but her fingers, at last, hand me the photo. 

My eyes shift from my mother to the photo. The photo is black and white and the edges are slightly bent.

"Is this him?" I ask, staring at the young man who looks so similar to Miles. his hair is dark short and slightly curly, his arms are stronger than Milles's and his eyebrows are thinner. 

He's staring at something on the side with a small smirk playing at his lips.

"Yes, it is." My mother breathes out. My eyes scan the photo again, looking at his black shirt and light pants. His features are soft and his smile is unforgettable.

"Madison, I made a big mistake when I fell for him. The only good thing that came out of it was you." She says, her eyes like glass as she stares at me.

"He was just like your friend Miles. I got a job at the old farmhouse down the street and we instantly fell in love. I had never been treated so nicely but then one night when I walked home, I hear him talking to some of the other girls the same way he talked to me. My heart was broken but I still believed he was good inside and that his heart was pure like mine." She says, looking down at her fingers.

"My parents told me I was crazy and I remember specifically that my dad was so disappointed but it was too late and I was in love with him, I couldn't let him go, but, oh, Madison, that was the biggest mistake."

"Mom—" I start but her finger in the air silences me.

"There was another boy, who was the purest soul I had met. He asked me to marry him . . . but I said 'no'. And instead, I want with your father, Peter. But he had too many secrets and after I was pregnant with you, I realized just how bad things had gotten and I couldn't lie to myself anymore. The man I loved wasn't true to himself or me, he couldn't quit his old ways, he didn't want to become a father. He wanted to go to bars and meet new women while I wanted to cook and provide the best life I could for my family." My mother still looks down at her fingers while I try not to burst into tears.

"Madison . . . something about Miles doesn't sit right with me and I had the same feeling about your father but I ignored it and I ended up with a broken marriage."

"But dad was different—"

"I thought so too, Madison, please at least consider this. You're a young woman now, and you need to explore your own world but if you stay with him, things will end badly." She said in an almost whisper.

"Madison?" I head Miles's voice creep in through the door. My mother and I stand up and to my surprise, she gives him a small smile.

"I'm sorry ma'am," Miles says with a smile of his own.

"He's even as polite as your father." My mother whispers as she stands behind me, her hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, it's no problem." My mother smiles walking towards him with a smile.

"You two, it's time to go, I don't want you to be late for school in the morning." My mother says, leading us to the door but my mind is too clouded to think.

"take care of my girl." My mother tells Miles who nods with a smile.

"Of course."