What They Don't Know

Chapter Eleven - Our Version Of The Truth

"Mads." He called out as he ran. "What the hell."

He caught me, as I went to fall again. "What happened?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Tears filled up the space and spilled out the sides and down my cheeks.

"How are you even here?" I sniffled looking up at him as he set me back down on the ground and sat next to me.

"Kane said you went for a run." He mused softly, brushing my wet hair behind my ears. "I saw how exhausted you were when you ran off after telling Lacey and Henry to go bone. I figured if you were running then there was something else going on."

"I hurt my ankle." I whispered, ignoring his on the money statement.

"How bad?"

"I think it's sprained." I said softly. "I couldn't walk, fell into the river." Tears spilled out my eyes and a sob escaped my lips. "You must think I'm a mess."

Lachlan leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. "I don't think you're a mess."

He stood up and scooped me up in his arms, taking me completely by surprise. I looked at him and shook my head.

"You can't carry me home like this." I stuttered.

"You can't walk and we need to get that ankle seen to. I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks about me carrying you Madeline, and when they find out you're injured I don't think they'll care either."

I couldn't argue, he was right. They already saw him like another set of eyes to watch out for me.

We'd been walking for a few minutes when Lachlan asked again why I'd gone for a run. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"Everything." I whispered. "All the secrets... all the lies. The fact Kane thinks I want to be stuck here forever doing the books at his work. I just can't balance it all anymore."

Lachlan sighed "Maybe we should wait. You're 18 soon and you finish school in a few months. Maybe they'd understand more if we..."

I lifted my head up and looked at him, causing him to stop. I moved my hand from around his neck to his face and shook my head.

"You are the one thing keeping me sane." I whispered. Besides, I wasn't sure they'd ever understand.

"So you were running off spraining your ankle before all this happened before we kissed... before I knew everything."

"No, I wasn't. But if you think I was happy you're wrong. Lachlan I can finally see and feel how I should be. Because you know, because we have this connection I've been able to breathe."

I kissed him, there on the pier. We could have been right outside the house at that point and I wouldn't have cared.

"Okay." he replied, pulling back from the kiss. "We need to keep moving so I can get that ankle looked at."

I nodded and rested my head on his chest once more.

A few minutes later Lachlan turned, he picked up his pace and walked into the house through the back door.

"What the hell?" Kane exclaimed loudly.

"I tripped and hurt my ankle." I explained as Lachlan set me down on a chair. "I'm fine."

He lifted the sore leg up and rested it on a chair, the ankle was visibly swollen. I bit my lip and looked at my also visibly annoyed brother.

"I'm meant to be going out with Stacy in an hour and the others are all out. Give me five, I'll go cancel."