The ride to Maddox's home wasn't nearly as bad as the first time. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it.
Despite that by the time we arrived at his house I was ready to get off the thing.
Removing the helmet I gaped at the massive house. "Holy crap, you live here?"
He chuckled. "Yes. Mathias and I actually live in the guesthouse out back, but we have rooms in the house as well. We just prefer our privacy."
"Guesthouse? You have a freaking guesthouse?" I gasped. Due to the large size of the home I should have suspected as much, but still...
Maddox chuckled and removed the leather jacket he wore. Heading towards the back of the house he nodded for me to follow him. "The guesthouse is actually where we're headed." He pushed open a wrought iron gate and we stepped into a nice backyard. It was flat with bright green grass and a shimmery blue pool. I'd only ever seen homes like this in a magazine. It definitely didn't compare to the shabby ranch-style home I lived in.
"I'd say for foster kids you and Mathias really lucked out with Karen," I commented, still looking around at the palatial house. It really was gorgeous. While it was large it wasn't overly intimidating. In fact, there was something rather homey to it, and I thought that was thanks to the cape cod style. It looked like a home you'd see by a lake somewhere. "This place is beautiful."
"Yeah, we did get lucky." Maddox's smile was small and his eyes darkened. "But after all the shit we went through as kids with our parents, I think we deserve every little bit of happiness that's thrown our way."
I nodded. I knew Maddox didn't know me well enough to spill the secrets of what life was like with his biological parents, and the details behind his foster parents, but I was curious. Normally I didn't care to get to know anyone. I was happy to bury my nose in a book and forget the real world existed, but I felt connected to Maddox. I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to spend time with him. I was drawn to him in a way that even at seventeen years old I knew it was different. He was different.
"Emma?"
I stumbled and realized I'd been completely lost in my thoughts. Maddox stood by the door of the two-story guesthouse. It looked like a small version of the main house.
"Are you coming?" He prompted.
"Oh, uh, yeah." I scurried over to his side.
He smiled down at me before swinging the door open. "Home sweet home."
Inside the downstairs area was decorated sparsely, a small kitchenette lay to my right, and a rug was scattered over the wood floors. The back and sidewalls were painted white and brick. I didn't think I'd ever seen brick used inside a room before.
"This is what I wanted you to see." Maddox swept his arm to the side and his smile was almost shy.
In the living room, the only pieces of furniture were a futon laid flat like a bed covered in random pillows and blankets and a desk covered in scattered papers.
I knew the futon wasn't what he was talking about though.
"Wow," I gasped at the full instrument set up. There was a mic, drum kit, guitar, bass, and a piano.
Maddox ducked his head. "You said you liked music and could play the piano...so I was hoping you might want to do a song with me."
I stood in shock. I couldn't get over how unsure Maddox seemed all of a sudden, since he was always so cocky. This was a side to him that was very much boyish.
I opened my mouth to tell him that I would love to when I heard a scuffling sound behind me. I let out a shrill scream and grabbed his arm. "What the hell was that?" I gasped.
He pressed his lips together, trying to hold in his laughter. He grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me around. Against the wall sat a small cage and I could see some sort of creature scurrying around. I stepped forward, peering inside. I expected to see a hamster, but it wasn't. It lifted its head slightly to look at me and wiggled its little black nose.
"Is that—?"
"A hedgehog," Maddox supplied with a grin. He opened the cage and reached inside to grab the little guy. "Emma, meet Sonic."
"Sonic?" I questioned, remembering last night at the police station. I'd thought he'd been talking about the fast food restaurant. "Why would you name him Sonic?"
Maddox gasped, clutching the hedgehog against his neck. "You don't know who Sonic the Hedgehog is?"
"Uh..." I looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Isn't he right there?" I pointed to his pet.
He shook his head rapidly back and forth. "Sonic the Hedgehog...the videogame? Ringing any bells?"
I thought. "No. Sorry."
He gasped. "This. Is. A. Tragedy." He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and typed something in. He proceeded to shove it in my face. "This is Sonic the Hedgehog."
I stared at the cartoon drawing of a blue hedgehog. "That doesn't really look like a hedgehog, but if you say so."
Maddox sighed and put his phone away. "Well, when you get a hedgehog it's only appropriate to name it Sonic. Although, I did have a weak moment where I considered Aquilla the Hun."
I snorted. "Like a pun on Attila the Hun?"
Maddox gaped at me. "The fact that you know who Attila the Hun is, but not Sonic the Hedgehog, is appalling, Emma. It's downright blasphemy."
"You feel very passionately about this hedgehog," I laughed.
"I'm going to get a Sonic the Hedgehog videogame and make you play it. Just you wait and see," he mumbled. "Here, do you want to hold him?"
The spiky creature was shoved unceremoniously into my face. "Uh..." I eyed the hedgehog. "How do I hold him?"
"Just like I am," he chuckled, "but be mindful of the quills."
I held my hands out and he placed the hedgehog in them. Sonic sniffed at my hands, and I guess he decided he liked me, because he promptly fell asleep in my hands. I giggled. "I think he likes me."
I looked up in time to see something flash in Maddox's eyes. "What's not to like?" He murmured.
I startled at his words and warmth flooded my body.
Clearing his throat, he crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture pulled his shirt taut over the muscles in his chest and stomach. I swallowed thickly at the sight. "Maybe I should get you a hedgehog," he chuckled, "since Sonic likes you so much."
"Sonic and Aquilla the Hun?" I joked with a raised brow.
He laughed and took the hedgehog from my hands, putting him back in the cage. I watched the little guy burrow his way beneath the bedding.
Maddox put a guiding hand on my waist and led me over to the piano. I sat on the bench and he took the spot beside me. Since the bench was so small our bodies were squished together.
"What should I play?" I asked, my voice shaking with nerves. Normally I only played when I was alone. The most audience I had anymore was my mom. I was terrified that I might mess up with Maddox watching me.
"Whatever you want." His voice was soft and close to my ear. I jumped when his fingers touched my neck, pushing my hair over my shoulder. "I wanted to see your face." He whispered the words, looking at me with an intensity that left me breathless.
I gave him a shy look in return, my heart thumping madly behind my ribcage. I was mystified by this boy.
This crazy, cocky, insanely good-looking boy, that I had only just met, but managed to jumble my insides.
Even though I was nervous, I had truly never been so immediately comfortable with someone like I was with Maddox. There was something so infectious about him and impossible not to like.
"Okay," I finally replied.
I closed my eyes and my tongue flicked out to wet my lips.
I didn't think about any particular song. I just let my fingers guide me.
Typically I played with sheet music, even though I didn't have to. I'd always had an ear for music and could pick up on almost any song after hearing it once. It would take me a few tries to get it right, but I'd always been able to master even the most complicated of pieces.
This piano was much nicer than my one at home.
The keys were smooth and soft—almost as if it was brand new and had never been used.
When the song finished I opened my eyes to find a mystified Maddox staring at me.
"You're amazing," he whispered.
I ducked my head. "Hardly."
Shaking his head, he smiled. "Do you think we could do one together?"
"Sure," I agreed.
His smile was blindingly bright, causing my stomach to flip and flop.
"What instruments do you play...besides the drums, of course?" I asked.
"A little of everything. Drums is my favorite. I love the feel of the beat thrumming though my body and vibrating in my bones." He spoke with passion. "I can play the guitar decently, a little piano—nothing like you can, I assure you," he chuckled. "I sing...but not in front of people, only when I'm alone writing songs."
"You're such an overachiever." I joked with a smile, lightly bumping his shoulder with mine.
He smiled down at me. "It's only because I love music so much. It's my life."
I could see the love he spoke of shining in his eyes. I envied him for that. I was going to be a senior in high school and I was clueless about what I wanted to do. That scared me.
"What do you want to do for the rest of your life?" I asked Maddox, the words tumbling out of my mouth.
He grew quiet and his eyes were serious. "Music, of course."
I bowed my head.
"What do you want to do?"
I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at him once more. "That's the thing. I don't know and it scares me. I have to get it figured out, but I don't know if I'm as passionate about anything the way you are with music." I frowned. "I want...I want to have that sparkle in my eye that you have."
He reached up and smoothed the hair away from my forehead. "You do have a sparkle in your eye, Em. One for life."
"Somehow, I'm not feeling better."
He chuckled and bowed his head. His dark hair tumbled forward into his eyes. I itched to push it away from his eyes like he had done with me, but I wasn't nearly as bold as Maddox.
Finally he rested his fingers on the keys of the piano and began to play. "Do you know this one?" He asked when I didn't immediately join him.
"I don't...keep playing."
He did, and I closed my eyes, listening to the sound.
"It's Counting Stars by One Republic," he said.
"Never heard of them," I replied, still listening.
The music cut off and I opened my eyes.
"You don't know who One Republic is?" He gaped at me "That's like...impossible."
"Uh...sorry?" I laughed. "I don't really listen to anything but classical."
He looked like I'd just broken his heart. "Emma, I must introduce you to the amazing awesomeness that is One Republic...and The Fray, because they're fucking amazing too." He slid off the bench and said, "I'll be right back."
I watched as he headed to the upstairs part of the guesthouse.
He wasn't gone long and he returned with a black iPod. "Here," he held it out to me. "You can keep it."
"I don't want to keep it. I'll just borrow it for a little while," I slid it into my pocket.
"No, no. Just keep it. I don't even use it anymore. I've got everything right here." He pulled his phone from his pocket and waved it around. "Which reminds me, you can put music on the phone I got you. We'll do that another time though. Mathias is still sleeping and if I take you upstairs and we wake him up he'll be even more pissed than he would've been if he saw his motorcycle gone."
"Still sleeping? It's like two in the afternoon?"
"He was out all night," he shrugged, sitting down beside me once more. He started to play the song again and glanced at me. "If I play it once, then do you think we can play it together?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He smiled and I closed my eyes again so that I could focus on the music. It didn't take me long to pick up on the song and by the time it finished I was ready to play.
A shy smile graced my lips as we started to play together.
I gasped in surprise when Maddox started to sing along. His voice was soft and husky. He became completely lost in the song and it was a sight to see. I wondered if I looked the same way when I was absorbed in a song. Or even a book. There was a look of such pure satisfaction on his face. If he looked this way singing and playing piano I longed to see him on the drums.
The last note lingered in the air and I dropped my hands into my lap.
Maddox glanced at me. His eyes were a light and happy gray. "Thank you."
I ducked my head, a few strands of hair falling forward to hide my face. Maddox made me feel things I hadn't believed possible.
When I lifted my gaze he still stared at me intensely, with those unique silvery gray eyes.
"Do you want to do something crazy?" He asked, his voice no more than a whisper—like he was afraid if he said the words in a normal voice I might go running.
"What?" I asked, my brows furrowing together.
"Anything we want." His eyes darted to my lips. My heart jolted in my chest at the look of longing in his eyes. "I want more adventures with you like we had today. I don't want it to stop here."
I stared at him, puzzled. I didn't understand his sudden train of thought, but I rolled with it.
"Yes," I grinned. "Let's do it." I heard what he said last night echoing through my head, Prepare for the most epic summer of your life. Nothing will ever top this.
I wanted that epic summer he spoke of. I wanted to do the craziest things I could think of and finally allow myself the chance to live and stop fearing getting hurt by opening myself up.
His smile was blindingly bright and I squealed in surprise when he wrapped his strong arms around me in a hug. Mine hung limply at my side for a moment before I lifted them slowly to wrap around his torso. I could feel his muscles flex at my touch and the warmth of his body heat wrapped around me.
He let me go and I let my arms drop—hoping it hadn't seemed like I was feeling him up.
I swept my hair out of my eyes, hoping he didn't notice the way my hand shook.
"So," he started, and his lips turned up crookedly, "what's the second adventure you'd like to do this summer? –Because the motorcycle was number one. In case you didn't know." He winked, his smile playful.
"Knitting." The word fell out of my mouth before I could stop it. I slapped a hand over my mouth, like I thought the gesture alone could put the word back in there. Yes, I wanted to learn to knit—I was a dork like that—but I felt silly to have admitted that to Maddox.
"Knitting?" A brow quirked. "You want to sit around and knit sweaters and baby blankets like old ladies do?"
"Yes," I winced. "We don't have to do that, though. I don't know why I said it."
"No, no," he rushed to assure me, "it's okay. Knitting could be fun. Maybe I can make a Christmas present for Mathias," he grinned impishly. "I think he needs some new socks. What else?" He asked. "The craziest thing you can think of."
"I've always wanted to jump into a massive pool of those plastic ball things," I admitted with a shrug. "I never got to do that as a kid."
"Done. What do you think about skydiving?"
"Like jumping out of a plane?" I asked and he nodded. "I would do it."'
"I think I love you, Emma," he chuckled.
I hated the way my body warmed at his words. I should not be thinking about the words love and Maddox in the same sentence. I'd just met him—and I'd vowed to never fall in love, anyway. Love made people weak. It made you do stupid things because you cared too much.
"Ooh!" He clapped his hands together. "Let's go to the aquarium in Baltimore."
I shook my head free of its previous thoughts, dismissing them from my mind.
"I've never been to the aquarium so that sounds fun to me," I grinned.
He gaped at me, his eyes bugging out. "You've never been to the aquarium? Even as a child?" I shook my head at his question. "That's just wrong, Em." He tapped a finger against his full bottom lip as he thought. "How about hiking?" He asked. "There's supposed to be an amazing view from the mountain not too far from here."
"I'm in," I agreed. Hiking really wasn't my thing, but this summer was meant for going outside my comfort zone. "I'll do it, but I won't be happy about it." I stuck my tongue out at him. "So when I get blisters on my feet I expect you to carry me the rest of the way up the mountain," I jested.
He chuckled. "I can do that." He proceeded to flex his arm muscles. Sobering, he said, "This sounds like one epic summer to me, Em."
I stared into his silvery eyes, getting lost for a moment. "Yeah, epic." I agreed, and I wasn't being the least bit sarcastic.