There Will Be Freedom (not mine)

2. Mirage

Maddie had me by the balls after that first year-she still did. I would be forever in her debt, not only for giving me a second chance, but also for keeping our secrets. I joked that she was made to be a mafia wife because even in her darkest hour, she never revealed a thing.

Maddie and I fought everything out in those few months after she got here. We screamed and yelled until our lungs throbbed. She never once mentioned leaving the island, though, so I knew she was serious about us. If she wanted to leave then I would let her, but she told me it wasn't even an option.

"We're going to make it until one of us is dead! We've worked too hard to just let everything crumble. I'm not giving up."

Those were her exact words.

Maddie told me that after a point, she had to let go of her anger or it would eat her up inside. She lived by the "forgive, but not forget" mentality. She was so mature to be so young and I was fortunate for that.

Our relationship now, two years later, was stronger than I remembered it ever being. I realized that there were few things in this world that could kill me. Living without Maddie was one of them. I had to take anything that came with that.

She was feistier than ever and still gave me shit every time I made her mad. I think she was over keeping her emotions in. The time for that had passed. I guessed I rubbed off on her more than I knew. We were both extremely opinionated and that, mixed with our stubbornness, was a recipe for disaster.

Some might ask how the hell we could stand each other or even be in a relationship, let alone a successful one. I didn't question it. I just rolled with everything that came my way because above all else, we loved each other.

We fought like cats, but always made up quickly. I knew that at the end of the day, arguments didn't matter. Who really cared if the toothpaste cap wasn't screwed on or the dishes weren't done? We just argued because it was our strange way of having sex... in addition to the physical.

Now, our lives were almost perfect. We didn't have anyone to answer to. That was probably the best part. No ties to the real world so this sense of freedom settled over my life, which was slightly disconcerting at first, but I quickly got used to it.

We lived our lives on and around this island, making trips to Rio whenever we wanted. No one knew the old us, and we had completely new identities. It felt so liberating to be dead.

"Hey, old man!" I heard a deep voice yell from down the beach and even over the music in my ears, it was clear as a bell.

"Urg," I groaned, "leave me alone."

I turned my head to see Jaxon racing towards me, hands flailing and that damned permanent smile on his face. I spoke too soon with the whole 'no one to answer to' thing. My child-for lack of a better word-was always around.

He was eighteen now and thought he owned the world. He might have grown in size and age, but he was still a kid. He had come with Maddie to the island. Before that, I was here by myself.

I made a very dangerous call to him, and only him to get her before Jeremy did. At first, he didn't believe that it was me on the other side of the phone. After all, I was supposed to be dead. I sent a plane for him and he spent about a week down here just looking at me. A couple days after that, he said he wanted to stay. He called Jeremy and told him what was really happening, still keeping the fact that he was going to get Maddie, a secret. He came back with her and never looked back. He loved it here just as much as we did. Jeremy told everyone he was away in school in France, I think. He went back to Chicago maybe once a year, usually for Christmas. Only four people on this earth knew what he was really doing.