Maddox's POV:
As soon as Emmi hung up on me, I shot up and left my room. I grabbed my keys and my family looked at me puzzled as I had a panicked and worried expression on my face. "Honey, what's wrong?" My mom asked.
"...I may have caused Emmi to have a panic attack and she hung up on me..." I answered.
"What'd you say to her to cause that?" Red asked.
Penny bounced, "Oooooo!!! Maybe he told her his feelings about her!"
I stayed quiet and fiddled with my keys. I needed to get back to the hospital to make sure she was okay. I didn't mean to give her a panic attack. Damn it, you should have lied and kept it in until she was healed! I screamed in my head at myself.
"It was that! I knew it!" Penny squealed.
"Forget it, I just need to make sure she's okay. I'll be back later. Red, pick Secret Santa for me, will ya?" He gave a sharp nod and I left for my Jeep.
I sighed as I drove toward the hospital, hoping they were still accepting visitors, since it was close to eight at night. How could I be so stupid? It wasn't the right time to admit my feelings to her. I knew that, but something came over me that made me unable to lie to her anymore. Really, I didn't want to lie to myself anymore.
I was half-way to the hospital when I got a call. I saw it was Emmi and I pulled over to answer her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause you to have a panic attack." I apologized before she was able to say something.
I could tell she wanted to tell me something, but was nervous to. I waited patiently for her to gain the courage to tell me what was on her mind. "I...like you too...a lot..." she admitted. "And not just as friends..."
I choked on my spit, "Seriously?" She nodded and looked at the bed sheets. It was quiet for a minute and I cleared my throat, "So...now what?"
"I don't know...I really don't want to rush into anything..."
"I'm okay with that. We can keep up what we have going, if you'd like. Keeping it all a secret from everyone until you're ready to be exclusive." I suggested.
She nodded, "Sure. But can we add something to this agreement?"
"Of course. What did you have in mind?"
I watched as she picked the sheets nervously, "Can we keep it clean? And um...innocent?"
"What do you think I am? A monster who takes advantage of women?" She didn't say anything, and that answered my question. "Emmi, I'm not Zach. I don't hurt women. I may have been someone who got around, but they always knew what they were getting into with me. They may have wanted more than what I gave them, but I never gave in. I'm not some player who fools around with everything that moves." I laughed at my last comment, but Emmi's expression never changed. "Em, I promise you have the lead on this thing, okay? I'm not going to do anything you aren't comfortable with. I've waited this long for some action, I can wait longer until the girl of my dreams is ready. If that's two years from now, that is okay with me."
"Thank you..." she mumbled. "So, we are secretly dating instead of being friends that kiss. You sure you want this? I'm not that special."
"Yes, this is what I wanted since I saw you last year. I just didn't know it until now. And sweetie..." I paused. Using that nickname for her made my lips tingle and a smile formed on my face. "You are so special. I'm not just saying that either. You light up a room whenever you walk in it. That's one thing I love about you." I confessed.
I saw her eyes tear up and I just wanted to hug her, but I knew I wasn't getting to see her until Saturday, because it was now past eight and her friends were going to stop by tomorrow. "Maddox...that is the kindest thing anyone has said to me. Ever." She choked.
"I only speak the truth to you, my dear." I spoke in an English accent and that made her giggle. "Now, would you like to stay on the call with me as I drive home?"
"Where are you?"
"I was coming to make sure you were okay...after you hung up on me so abruptly, it scared me, since I caused your panic attack." I admitted sheepishly.
"Maddy," she snickered, "You didn't have to do that. And to tell you the truth, you didn't cause that whole panic attack. Yeah, you submitting to your feelings may have started it, but it kind of snowballed from there. I'm scared to be in something new so quickly...at least it feels that way." She paused, and I watched as the gears in her mind turned. "...can I be honest with you?"
Good thing I hadn't started driving back home, cuz she really needed my full attention. "Of course. What's up?"
"You remind me of my dad in some ways..."
I raised my brows, "So a drunken ass?" I asked.
She shook her head, "No. He and I had a conversation earlier today. There's a lot I'd like to tell you, but I'd rather do that in person and when I'm mostly healed. But, my dad was always the one to cheer me up and make me laugh, even when I didn't want to. He's the type man I knew I'd want to marry some day and I knew my brothers aspired to be him."
"Emmi, what are you talking about?" I was so confused. The only man I saw when I had gone over there on Wednesdays was a drunken one.
She sighed, "The times you've seen my dad, besides at state, he's had some alcohol in his system. Yes, he seems like a total drunk, but there is a reason for that...a reason that I can't tell you over the phone. A reason that is hard for me to talk about, because that's what caused my dad to act the way he does. It's guilt ridden drinking. I found out that he's going to therapy weekly and it's been helping him a lot. His drinking has gone down a lot too."
"Sure seems like it on Wednesdays," I commented under my breath.
"Maddox, please..."
"Okay, I'm sorry...that comment was uncalled for." I apologized.
I heard her parents come back in the room and I guess her dad heard some of our conversation, because he took her phone. "Maddox, I'm sorry you have been noticing my weakness when you read to Brooks. Emmi has told you correctly though, I am getting the help I need in order to fix this problem. It's going to take a while, but I hope you forgive my ugly behavior."
He looked really...sad. Like Emmi had said, I could tell he felt guilty about something from their families past. "Sir, I forgive you. I was just shocked about something Emmi had told me is all. I didn't see it until recently that what she told me is in fact true in some ways."
"Thank you." He smiled softly and handed me back to Emmi. She had tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Em?" I asked.
"Nothing...just happy is all." She gave me a smile, but her eyes didn't show all of her happiness. I saw some sadness too. A darkness I'd never seen in her eyes before. Damn it... I thought. My heart ached to take all the bad from her life and get rid of it for good. She hid it all so well, until she couldn't anymore. And I was pretty sure she exploded alone in her room, just by the way she acts sometimes. She likes to make everyone think she's strong.
"Hey, can I add something to what we were talking about before?" I asked, not wanting her parents to know what was going on between us.
She nodded, wiping her tears away with her hands. "Go ahead."
"Can you promise me that if you ever feel like you can't hold anything in anymore, call me. Okay?"
I small smile formed on her lips, "I will. Thank you. You almost home?"
I chuckled sheepishly, "I haven't actually started. You needed my full attention, so I gave it to you." I put the Jeep in gear and began to head home. "Now I'm heading home."
"Drive safe!" She beamed.
"I still wanna talk to you," I said before she could hang up.
"Really?" I glanced at her and saw a sparkle in her eyes.
I chuckled, "Yes, really. But I know you need your rest, so if you don't want to..." I looked up for a second, making sure to pay attention to the road.
"No! I do!" She shouted. I heard her parents chuckle in the background and I smiled. "So um...what did you have for Thanksgiving dinner?"
"The usual, turkey, ham, rolls, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes. Nothing too exciting. But...I did miss dessert, since I left so fast." I frowned.
"What were you having?"
"My mom made a giant chocolate chip cookie cake and then some other random treats. Peanut Butter rice crispy treat things with chocolate on top is a favorite of mine." I felt my mouth water as I talked. "I just hope my mom saved me some."
"That cookie sounds amazing...and so does that other thing you talked about. Maybe when I'm better we can make some treats together." She daydreamed.
"I would enjoy that." I focused on the road and as I was turning the bend on one of the back roads I take to get home, a buck jumped out. I slammed on my breaks and spun out, trying not to hit it. I heard Emmi scream my name, as my car fell into a ditch and flipped.
Thankfully, there was no one behind me, so I didn't hit anyone. I groaned, taking in my surroundings. I was flipped in a ditch by Old Man Harvey's farm. I didn't feel injured, but I saw blood on my hands. I looked in my rearview mirror, checking to see where the blood was coming from. It didn't look like it was coming from my head, thankfully. I checked every part of my body and realized the blood was coming from glass shards that landed in my skin. My hands, arms, torso...I felt my adrenaline rise and sirens close by.