After deleting the messages from the police station off the voicemail I'd gotten into bed and fallen right to sleep. I'd been exhausted, but this morning I felt refreshed and ready to conquer the day.
"Mom," I called, stifling a yawn as I headed into the kitchen.
I stopped when I found a note sitting on the kitchen table explaining that she was gone for the day, restocking her supplies.
I grabbed an apple and sat down to eat.
Since I was currently phoneless and had no plans it looked like I'd spend the day doing what I typically did—playing piano and reading. I wasn't complaining, though. I enjoyed spending time by myself.
I finished the apple and tossed the core in the trashcan.
I got dressed for the day and sat down at the piano. I picked a random song, placed the sheets of music in front of me, and let my mind empty.
I'd started playing piano at an early age. My talent had been a source of conflict for my parents. Many said I was a prodigy and early on my dad had wanted to push me to make a name for myself. I'd been so young, though, and my mom had been firmly against it. She felt that talent was meant to be enjoyed, not forced, and she didn't want to see me learn to hate something I loved so much. I was thankful that I had a mom like her. While my dad had ended up a drunk asshole that abandoned us, at least I had one parent that was amazing when a lot of people had none.
I was so lost in the music and the way the keys felt against my fingertips that when the doorbell rang I squeaked and fell off the bench.
Gathering myself I straightened my clothes and pushed my hair out of my eyes.
I was sure it was Maddox at the door, but I was surprised to find that no one was there. Instead a plain brown box sat on the Welcome mat. I picked it up and gave it a little shake. The rustle of sound didn't give any indication of what might be inside.
I kicked the front door closed and headed to the kitchen for a knife.
I cut the tape around the corners and burst into laughter when I found what was inside.
"Really, Maddox?" I laughed out loud. Inside was a white box containing a shiny new iPhone. What made me laugh though, was the cartoonish drawing of, what I assumed was Maddox himself, asking for forgiveness. I peeled the drawing off, careful not to tear it. I carried it and the small box back to my room. I don't know what possessed me, but I stuck the drawing to the mirror above my dresser. I didn't want to get rid of it.
Once the piece of paper was stuck to my mirror I sat down on my bed and removed the lid off the small box.
Inside the phone lay nestled. I'd never owned anything so...so shiny. Or new.
I picked the phone up out of the box and pressed the round button to light up the screen. Since Sadie owned one I already knew how to work it.
I snorted when I saw the wallpaper. It was a photo of Maddox pouting with a little comic bubble added, asking, "Am I forgiven yet?"
I jumped when the phone started ringing in my hand. Maddox's face popped up again, but this time it was a different photo—a normal one where he wore an easy smile and seemed to be laughing at something in the distance.
"Hello?" I answered.
"How about now?"
I laughed, ducking my head. "You are relentless."
"So...?"
"You're forgiven," I sighed. I decided then that it was impossible to stay mad at Maddox.
"Excellent," he said, and I knew he was grinning. "Don't forget, adventure number one starts today."
"When?" I asked.
"Right about...now."
He hung up and a moment later a text popped up on the screen.
Go out your front door. Walk down to the stop sign and take a right. I'll be waiting.
I shook my head and muttered, "Maddox."
I hoped my shorts and t-shirt were appropriate since I didn't seem to have time to change.
Stuffing the phone in my back pocket I followed his directions.
When I rounded the street corner and saw him I laughed.
"You were mighty confident I'd show up, weren't you?" I pointed to where he stood leaning against a shiny red motorcycle. It shimmered like a candied apple in the sunlight.
He shrugged sheepishly. "I hoped."
"So," I waved a hand at the motorcycle, "is this our first adventure?"
"It is," he grinned. "Have you ever been on one?"
"No," I admitted.
His smile widened. "Does it scare you? You can hold on tight, my abs won't mind." He rubbed a hand over his smooth stomach concealed behind a tight gray t-shirt.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not scared."
"Maybe you should be, because when Mathias finds this thing gone he's going to try to kill us," he frowned, rubbing his chin.
"Or we might end up arrested again, this time for stealing a motorcycle," I pointed out.
"Well, at least we'll be mixing things up," he shrugged.
"Why would you take Mathias' motorcycle?" I asked.
He held out a leather jacket for me. It was the perfect size and I noticed a price tag still dangled from the sleeve so I ripped it off. Maddox seemed to have a lot of money and I wondered momentarily where it came from.
As I shrugged into the jacket he began to explain. "Well, I had one..."
"You had one?" I repeated. "What happened to it?"
"Uh..." He ducked his head, scrubbing his hand against the back of it. "It's kind of a long story."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "I have time."
He peered at me with hesitant gray eyes. "It's really not worth telling."
"Mhmm," I harrumphed. "I'm waiting."
He let out a sigh and looked up towards the sky like he was trying to gather his strength. "I...uh...I...crashed it."
"You crashed your motorcycle and now you want me to get on your brother's with you? That sounds like a sure way to land myself in the ER."
"I only broke my arm!" He defended. "Besides, I'd protect you!"
"You'd protect me while crashing the motorcycle? That makes a whole lot of sense," I snorted.
He mumbled unintelligibly. "You know what I meant."
"So, despite the fact that you crashed your own motorcycle, and we might get arrested for stealing your brother's, you still think this is a great idea?" I raised a brow, waiting for his reply.
His face crinkled. "It's an excellent idea," he corrected.
Of course he thought it was.
I was a smart girl. I never did anything I wasn't supposed to do.
I was normal, and some may say boring.
I was plain.
Ordinary.
Nothing special.
Unmemorable.
And that's why, even though I knew going home and pretending this encounter never happened would be the best thing to do, I said, "Okay, let's do this."
Maddox's grin split his whole face.
"I thought you were going to tell me to take a hike there for a second," he chuckled.
"I considered it," I admitted. "But only for like a second," I confessed, when his head fell. He grinned at that. "You're right Maddox. This is a summer for adventures."
His smile was blinding. "I'm glad you agree." He reached behind him and held out a helmet. I tried to take it from him, but he refused. He set it on top of my head and secured it. "Look at you," he chuckled, rapping his knuckles against the hard surface. It felt heavy and uncomfortable on my head—like my small frame might topple over from the weight. "You make for a very sexy biker babe."
"Thanks...I guess," I laughed.
He put his own helmet on and straddled the motorcycle.
"Come on, Em." He reached out a hand, waving me over.
My whole body shook. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. Despite my previous confidence I was terrified. Motorcycles had two wheels and an engine that was fast—that was enough to send me running the other way.
But I refused to be the girl that shied away from everything—so I squared my shoulders, pretending my fear didn't exist.
I grasped Maddox's shoulder and swung my leg over the side. I wiggled my body against his until I was seated and didn't feel like I was going to fall off.
"Comfortable?" He chuckled warmly, reaching back so his hand grasped my thigh.
I bucked against him and made a choking sound.
"You okay?"
"Mhmm, yeah. I'm good." I tried to gather my breath. He hadn't meant anything by touching me and I was making a big deal out of nothing. "Where exactly are we going?"
"I have no idea," he answered truthfully, "and that's where the fun lies."
Before I could respond we were speeding down the road. I let out a small scream and wrapped my arms tightly around his chest. I felt him chuckle rather than heard it. I squished my eyes closed and laid my head against his back. He was going so fast that I was scared to look around.
When we were stopped by a red-light he said, "Emma, you're holding me so tight that I'm going to have bruises from your fingers."
"Then don't go so fast!" I defended.
"Fine," he chuckled. "I'll slow it down...a little bit."
I gulped.
The light turned green and he kicked off again.
"Maddox!" I shrieked. If this was his idea of fun, then I wanted off of this ride.
"Open your eyes, Emma!" How the hell did he know I'd closed my eyes? "The world is passing you by!"
I wrapped my arms tighter around his body and slowly peeled my eyes open.
Everything was a blur around us—like we were going so fast that time had come to a halt.
It wasn't as scary as I thought it might be.
Our small town soon disappeared as he headed towards the city.
An hour later he pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant. My arms shook and I couldn't move if I wanted to.
He reached up and removed his helmet, musing his hair with his fingers. "Em? Emma?" He probed, when I didn't move.
I was frozen.
"I can't move." I mumbled against his back.
He chuckled huskily. "Of course you can."
I tried to wiggle my fingers. "Nope."
"Aw, I didn't scare you that bad, did I?" He asked, grasping my arms and removing them from the stranglehold around his torso.
"I'll be okay," I assured him. "Just give me a minute...or five."
He kept still, waiting for me to muster the energy to get off the motorcycle. When I finally got brave enough I nearly fell thanks to how bad my legs were shaking.
"Whoa." Maddox's hand shot out to grab me before I could fall.
"Thanks," I replied, steadying myself. When he was sure that I was okay he let me go and climbed off as well.
He reached up and removed the helmet from my head and stowed it away.
I smoothed my fingers through my hair, hoping he couldn't see how bad my hands were shaking. The ride hadn't been terrible after he slowed down, but I'd still been scared that if I didn't hold on tight enough I might fall off.
"M-maybe it won't be so bad on the way back?" I reasoned.
Maddox laughed, slinging his arm around my shoulders as he towed me towards the restaurant. "Maybe."
"You sound like you don't think so?"
He pulled me closer. "Well, you seemed pretty scared. I have the scratches on my stomach to prove it. Would you like to see?" He winked, reaching for his shirt with his free hand.
"Nope. No. I'm good," I stuttered.
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"What?" I prompted.
He shrugged as we started up the steps to the restaurant. "I think it's cute how embarrassed you get about certain things I say."
"That's because you have no filter," I countered.
"True," he agreed with a laugh. Opening the door to the restaurant, he added, "I hope you like pizza."
"Pizza is my life," I stated. "It's more important than showering and breathing."
He laughed, his lips twisting into a smile. "You really love pizza, then."
The inside of the restaurant was fancy for a pizza place. I looked around at the shiny wood floors and rich wood accents. I could see the kitchen where a wood fire burned.
"That's how they cook the pizza. Wood-fired. They're delicious." Maddox commented when he saw me staring at the fireplace.
"Two?" A hostess spoke up.
The pizza place had a freaking hostess?
"Yes," Maddox answered, "and could we be seated outside?"
"Certainly," she smiled, grabbing the menus. "Follow me."
Once we were seated and she had disappeared I hissed at Maddox, "I thought you said this was a pizza place?"
He arched a brow as he looked at me over the top of the menu. "It is."
"I was picturing like...Pizza Hut with red and white checkered tablecloths and paper plates," I mumbled. "This place is too fancy."
Maddox chuckled and set aside his menu. "Well, the way I see it, I kind of owe you after last night. So I thought a nice lunch would suffice."
"After you nearly killed me on the motorcycle?"
He rolled his eyes. "I did not nearly kill you. Don't be dramatic."
"I'm pretty sure I was holding on for dear life."
A playful smirk lifted his lips. "Maybe on the way back I can do some tricks."
"Don't even think about it," I narrowed my eyes.
He chuckled and picked up the menu once more. "I'd never really do that to you."
"I would hope not," I mumbled just as the waiter appeared at our table.
"I'm Tyler, I'll be your waiter. Can I start you off with something to drink?"
"Water, please," I smiled at the waiter.
"Diet Pepsi."
The waiter winced. "I'm sorry, we only have Coke products from the vending machine right now. Our machine is down."
"Fucking Coke," Maddox grumbled, "it's a conspiracy, I tell you."
I snorted and then tried to cover it with a cough.
"Water for me too, then," Maddox mumbled.
"I'll be right back." The waiter turned and disappeared inside the building.
I looked at the menu once more.
"Order whatever you want," Maddox stood up. "And if he comes back before I do, order me a large pepperoni pizza...and no, I'm not sharing. I'm eating that sucker all by myself."
"Where are you going?" I asked, puzzled.
"To get a Diet Pepsi, of course." He looked at me like I was the crazy one.
"Well, okay then," I laughed.
I watched him walk away and shook my head
"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked, sitting the glasses down.
"Oh, uh...yeah. A large pepperoni pizza for him and cheese for me. Ooh, and some of these pepperoni rolls." I pointed at the picture on the menu. "Those sound good."
"Sure thing." He took the menus. "I'll put that right in."
While I waited for Maddox to return I studied the nearby buildings. Most seemed to be occupied by lawyers and other professionals, but I did see a pet store and ice cream shop.
"Found one!" Maddox chimed, breaking me out of my thoughts. He flopped into the seat and held the bottle of Diet Pepsi up proudly.
"I take it you really like Diet Pepsi," I laughed, sipping my water.
"I love Diet Pepsi the way you love pizza, with all my heart." He slapped a hand dramatically against his chest before unscrewing the lid.
"That's a lot then," I commented.
Maddox opened his mouth to say something, but the waiter appeared at the table with the pepperoni rolls. "Here's your starter," he smiled at me. His gaze flicked towards Maddox and he startled. I thought maybe he was about to scold Maddox for the Diet Pepsi, but that didn't happen. Instead, the guy stared at Maddox with a puzzled expression. Finally, he said, "You look really familiar."
Maddox squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He covered his mouth with his hand and mumbled, "Nope, don't think so. You must be confusing me with someone else."
The waiter lingered for a moment longer, before shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess so, my bad." He smiled awkwardly at me and backed away from our table.
"That was weird," I wrinkled my nose, and looked across the table at Maddox.
He stared off into the distance. "Mhmm, weird...I'll be right back."
He stood up once more to leave and was gone before I could say anything else.
What the hell?
I watched him leave with a mystified look on my face.
He wasn't gone long, but returned with a black baseball cap perched on top of his head. He kept the brim low so that his eyes were bathed in shadows.
When he sat down I glared at him. "You're really bad at this whole date thing."
He grinned. "What? Are you kidding? I excel at everything." He reached once more for a Diet Pepsi.
"What's up with the hat?" I asked, reaching for one of the pepperoni rolls and dipping it in marinara sauce.
He reached up and touched the brim. "The sun was in my eyes."
I stared at him for a moment. "Maddox?"
"Emma?" He grinned.
"If the sun was in your eyes why didn't you put on your sunglasses?" I pointed the fancy pair dangling from the collar of his shirt.
He looked down and smiled sheepishly. "I forgot about them."
For some reason I didn't believe him. I had a gut feeling that his sudden desire to wear a hat came from what the waiter said.
"Do you really know that guy and not want him to remember you?" I asked.
"What? No. I don't know him." He scoffed. "Like I told you, the hat was for the sun."
I sighed heavily and decided to let it drop. "These are really good," I said instead, pointing to the appetizer.
Maddox reached for one. "Yeah, I love this place. Good food and good atmosphere."
"But no Diet Pepsi," I jested.
He chuckled and I noticed that some marinara sauce sat adorably in the corner of his mouth. "And that's a shame."
Maddox polished off the rest of the pepperoni rolls just as the waiter brought out our pizzas. My stomach rumbled as I eyed the delicious cheesy goodness. I hadn't been lying when I told Maddox I loved pizza.
After the exhausting drive here I was starving.
I grabbed a piece and took a bite. "Oh my God." I had to suppress a moan. "This is the best pizza I've ever had."
Maddox stared at me for a moment and cleared his throat.
"What?" I asked.
"You...uh...might not want to make noises like that in public." He nodded his head in the direction of a table occupied by three men old enough to be my grandpa. They all stared at me with an open mouthed expression.
"Oh." I blushed, and set my pizza down, suddenly embarrassed.
"Now behind closed doors with me on top...yeah, I could go for that," he winked.
"Maddox," I hissed, my cheeks flaming red.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." He chuckled.
I'd like to say that I lost my appetite, but that would be a lie. This was pizza and nothing, not even my embarrassment, would stop me from enjoying it.
We finished eating and Maddox paid for our meal. Normally I would've protested, but after getting arrested last night and the scary motorcycle ride this morning I figured he owed me.
As we walked through the parking lot my stomach twisted.
I had to get back on the motorcycle.
Oh, God.
I stood frozen and Maddox turned back to look at me when he noticed I was no longer beside him. "Emma?" He prompted. "Are you okay?"
"Uh..."
"Aw, Em," he strode up to me and reached for my hand. "It'll be okay. I won't go fast this time, I swear."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was only a motorcycle. I could do this. This was all about having an adventure and pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
"Slow?" I asked.
"So slow a baby turtle could pass us," he chuckled. Sobering, he added, "I'm sorry I scared you earlier."
"You're forgiven," I mumbled. "But seriously, if you scare the crap out of me again on this thing you better sleep with one eye open."
His lips quirked into a smile. "I'm intrigued by the idea of you sneaking into my room at night. This has possibilities."
I rolled my eyes. "You are..." There were no words for what Maddox was.
"Amazing?" He supplied with a grin.
"More like unbelievable," I countered. "But you can go with amazing if that makes you feel better."
He chuckled, rubbing his fingers through his hair. We reached the motorcycle and he grabbed the helmet I'd worn on the way here. Before placing it on my head he said, "I think I've met my match with you."
He cut off my retort by shoving the helmet onto my head. I wobbled with the extra weight and he grasped my hips in his hands, drawing me against his body. Our bodies lined up perfectly. In fact, mine curled against him—like my brain had completely shut down and my body had taken over. I swallowed thickly and was silently glad for the protection the helmet provided.
"I'm not quite ready for our first adventure to end." His hands flexed against my hips.
"You're not?" If this adventure continued on the motorcycle I'd have to put a stop to it. I might have a heart attack if I was stuck on the thing a second longer than necessary.
"No." He shook his head and his unique gray eyes darkened to the color of rain clouds before a storm.
"Oh...what do you have planned? Because this motorcycle and I aren't very good friends."
He chuckled and his hands skimmed higher up my back. I shivered from his touch, despite the fact that it was well over eighty degrees outside.
"I thought you could come to my house." As if he sensed my distress he hastened to add, "My mom will be there, so you have nothing to worry about. I just...you said you liked music and there's something I want to show you."
Behind the safety of the helmet I took a deep breath to steady myself. I knew I would agree, because there was something about Maddox that was impossible to resist, but a part of me was screaming that I was insane. After all, I'd only met him a few days ago. But I didn't want to be that same girl I'd been my whole life—spending the summer locked in my house playing piano and reading all the time...and occasionally getting dragged to the mall by Sadie. I wanted to live and with Maddox I...well...I felt alive.
"That sounds okay," I squeaked.
His hands disappeared from my waist. "Excellent." He rapped his knuckles against the helmet. "Let's get out of here."
My body broke out in a sweat at the thought of the ride back.
He climbed on the motorcycle and put his helmet on. "It'll be okay, Emma." He reached out a hand to me.
I nodded and forced myself to get on behind him. Since I had no experience with guys whatsoever it was a bit awkward being pressed so close to him, but I had little choice.
"Hold on tight—" He warned, revving the bike. Iwrapped my arms around his torso and felt him chuckle. He reached back and puthis hand on my upper thigh. My gasp was so loud I swore he had to have heard itover the roar of the engine. "—And don't let go."