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Chapter Thirty Eight

DYLAN

I swear I could die of boredom while I wait for Madison to get ready. The watch on my wrist marks 9:15. Even the dog which was my only company on the floor has already fallen asleep on the couch. Would it be rude if I took a nap? There's no one looking.

"She's almost ready," repeats Sarah when I stand for the fifth time when I hear her coming down the stairs.

"You said that half an hour ago," I reply sitting down again while she enters the kitchen.

I wait for what seems to be an eternity till I finally hear high heels coming downstairs. I stand and when I reach the first step I notice it is not her but Georgina who is practically jumping of happiness.

"You look very handsome Dylan," she says. I smile politely when she takes her place next to me and then I hear heels coming again. "You are going to love her," she says excited rubbing my arm.

"I already do."

When I finally see her my biggest fear is not being able to pick my chin up from the floor and cleaning my mouth for the way I literally end up drooling for her.

She's wearing a dress exactly the same color of her eyes, green and at the same time kind of blue, exactly the same color of the emeralds. The dress highlights each part of her body. She looks sensational. Her face is even more perfect, it is now the exact description of a work of art. Her features are perfectly defined, her eyes are deep and shining, and her lips... God. Her thick lips are highlighted with an intense red lipstick.

I offer her a hand to help her walk down the last steps making her smile and still under all that makeup I catch her blushing and that's all I need. "You look incredible," I whisper in her ear. I gently hold her from the waist right when she gets to me.

"Thank you," she says, flustered, and that makes her even more gorgeous. The fact that she really finds hard to accept how incredibly beautiful she is.

The Mini is already waiting for us at the door. I am about to open the co-driver's door for her when Teo rushes to do it. "Thanks Teo," Madison says before entering. He nods. I limit myself to let him do it.

"When did you get the car?" asks Madison once I start driving.

"Apparently they didn't want to leave any track of us in L.A." I say. "How are you?" I ask when she doesn't says anything else.

"I am fine," she replies shortly looking outside.

"What's-"

"I think we're lost," she interrupts me now looking at her hands. I park outside school. The seniors parade one after the other into the gym.

"What did your mother say?" I ask after staring at her for a long stretch of silence.

"Nothing, she just wanted me to come here," she replies. "How am I supposed to do this? How can I enjoy the night knowing that maybe they are going to kill Alison while we're not there? How am I going to continue with my life in nine months knowing there would be another kid taking Alison's place because we couldn't do anything?" Her voice breaks.

"Do you know what was the last thing I told her?" She looks at me and gulps with tears in her eyes. "I threatened her with giving her a bath so she would stop crying because I wouldn't give her more chocolate. Chocolate. That was all she asked for."

"You didn't know about that test Madison," I say, trying to comfort her. She closes her eyes.

"I know," she gulps, "but I could have done things different. I shouldn't have left that day. I shouldn't have left her alone. She needed me."