Hearts Of Rock

Chapter Twenty-Two - Cam

Three hours after our final concert in Tucson was when Madi was due to fly back to Texas. Her two weeks with us had flown by and she was going to be gone before I knew it.

She'd still be in the country, but not near me. We had two shows in Albuquerque and then two in Dallas, before one in San Antonio, after which we were having a three week break to spend Christmas with our families.

By then though, she and Lee-Lee would be back in Australia. I'd tried numerous times over the last ten days, to convince her to stay for Christmas, but she kept saying that she had to get back to her regular life and to some sort of normalcy. Who wants normalcy these days!

We were standing to the side of the stage watching Mitch performing. I was standing behind Madi with my arms around her while she took a few pictures of Mitch and then some of the boys lounging around waiting for his set to finish.

"I can't take pictures of you if you won't let me go." She said and leaned her head back against my shoulder, looking up at me with a smile.

"Sorry. No can do." I replied and tightened my grip. "In just over five hours, you'll be on a plane back to Texas and away from me. I'm holding onto you for as long as I can."

"Naw, you're such a big softie!" She teased.

"Only when you're around. You bring out the best in me Madison. I'm worried that once you leave, the worst will come back out again." I said sadly. She turned around in my embrace and linked her arms around my neck.

"I'm going to miss you too Cam. These last few weeks have been one hell of a rollercoaster ride, but they've been the best of my life and I'll never forget them." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. I opened my mouth to greet hers and her tongue slid stealthily inside. I groaned and melted into the kiss.

I'd never met anyone that had made me feel like I was melting. She was always telling me that my eyes were like the colour of melted chocolate, but they weren't the only parts of me that melted when she was around.

She ended our kiss and smiled up at me sweetly. I so badly wanted to tell everyone to screw the concert, so I could take off with her. Knowing that she was leaving was making me sick to my stomach. So much so that I wanted to hurl.

Knowing that I wasn't going to see Lee-Lee again before they went back home, made the feeling worse. My daily phone calls with that little princess brightened even the darkest of days. My Mum had called just before Mitch went on stage, so that we could talk to her. She'd told me all about the puppies that our neighbours husky had given birth to yesterday. They'd let her name all of them.

"The one and two boy ones is Giggle and Hoot. Thems my favourite on the tee-vee. The girl ones is Peppa and Florrie and Olibia. I like dem too. Ma-mar says I watched too much telly at home, but I didn't here. I like the outside here. It's fun." She had said it all with such seriousness. I swaer her vocabulary was growing and strengthening by the day and I loved hearing her stories. Her voice made me forget for a few minutes that her mother was going to be leaving me soon and taking her with. "I want to keep Olibia. She really pridy. Just like my Mummy." Suddenly I knew exactly what I wanted to give Lee-Lee for Christmas. If only I could get her mother to agree to stay.

The announcer screaming out our names brought me out of my reverie. I hadn't even realised that Mitch was finished and not even on stage any more.

"Show em how it's done rock star." Madi said up at me with a bright smile. I lifted her up and kissed her deeply. I had five hours left with this woman and for two of them I was going to be on stage. Life was extremely unfair sometimes.

"I don't want to go out there. You're leaving me in five hours. I want to run away with you and prove to you that you'd be happier staying here with me than back in Australia." Madi smiled and stroked my cheek softly.