Beautifully Broken: If You Leave Part 35

f.u.c.k it. She might not want to talk to me, but I sure as h.e.l.l want to talk to her.

Dear Maddy, I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but I miss you.

Love, Gabe

Chapter Twenty-Three.

Madison

The walls of this house are closing in on me. I stare around at the pictures and furniture and colors... all things that my mother picked out. All things that aren't mine. It's time to change that. I'm not going to lie here feeling sorry for myself anymore.

I curl up on the sofa, pulling the coverlet more tightly around my waist, as I look through furniture catalogues. I need new living room furniture, bedroom furniture, kitchen furniture. Everything.

Shopping is good for keeping my mind off Gabriel. Because thinking about him is pathetic. And I'm not f.u.c.king pathetic.

I flip open my laptop and order it all, not feeling even a little guilty about spending the money. The Hill turned a profit this year. I can afford it. And I might as well use it on something to change my life, rather than more shoes.

When the phone rings, my heart leaps, because for just a second I think it might be Gabriel.

It's stupid, I know. Because even if he calls, I can't answer. There's no way I'm putting myself out there again for him to stomp on. f.u.c.k. That.

Just the same, when I see the Hill's phone number flashing on the screen, disappointment floods through me and I close my eyes.

If I can't talk to Gabe, then I don't want to talk to anyone today. I let the call go to voice mail as I close my laptop and wander out onto the patio.

Apparently I'm pathetic after all.

I sit at the table, staring out at the lake. And even in the midst of the gorgeous views and sounds of the water, all I can do is remember the night Gabe bent me over this table.

I close my eyes and remember it... the way his lips brushed over my arched neck, the way he nipped at my shoulder, his voice in my ear, his fingers inside me. The heat of our bodies pressed together in the cold rain. The feel of him inside me as he filled me up.

I gulp, then close my eyes against the hot tears.

Don't f.u.c.king cry.

He left you.

Don't f.u.c.king cry.

I hold my eyes closed for a minute, pulling myself together... and am proud when I realize that not one tear fell.

I can do this. He didn't break me.

After a few minutes I pick up my phone and listen to the voice mail.

Hey, Maddy. This is Tony. Like I wouldn't recognize his voice. I smile. Have you heard from Jacey? She didn't show up for work and she didn't call.

Unfortunately that's not unusual lately. She's probably sleeping it off from the club last night or something. So I call him back and tell him that, then I click into my e-mail.

I'm breathless when I see one from Gabe.

As I read the words, my heart pounds.

He misses me.

My fingers shake as I type out a reply.

You left me. You made this choice. Now we both have to deal with it.

I stare at the hateful words and they pull at my heart, twisting it round and round. So I delete them.

I wish you hadn't left. But you did.

Tears fill my eyes as I stare at the new words, as they bleed together as my eyes fill up. f.u.c.k it. I press the backs.p.a.ce hard, deleting the words.

I miss you, too.

Out of all the things I feel, this is the thing I feel the most. But I can't tell him that. Because then it would make it seem OK that he left, that he treated me like nothing. And that's not OK.

I delete the message, my fingers heavy as a stone as I close the laptop.

If you don't know what to say, nothing is always a good choice.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Gabriel

Do you feel that you need to be ever-alert, or always on guard?

Is your opinion of the incident based on fact?

Are you easily startled?

Brand wasn't f.u.c.king lying when he told me that this s.h.i.t sucks. It sucks big donkey b.a.l.l.s and every dumba.s.s question that I'm asked p.i.s.ses me the f.u.c.k off.

Day two is no better than day one was. In fact, it might be worse. The questions that they're asking me, both in group and in the dumba.s.s individual therapy session, are ridiculous.

They start out talking about the seemingly innocuous questions from the work sheets, but that evolves into talking in depth about whatever incidents put us here, the things we fear the most.

It's like a sticky therapeutic web of bulls.h.i.t.

I am dejected as I walk back to my room after my individual session. I don't feel like going to the cafeteria for dinner, so I'll grab something from the vending machine later.

The first thing I do after I close my bedroom door behind me is check my e-mail. As I punch my pa.s.sword in, I realize that I'm holding my breath... I want to see Maddy's name. But there's nothing but a note from Brand.

Gabe, Day two really sucks, I remember. Hang in there. It doesn't seem like it's worth it or that it's working, I know. But trust me, it will. Just keep your chin up, bro.

-Brand I appreciate Brand. I do. But all I wanted was to see an answer from Maddy. And the lack of one is an answer in itself.

I f.u.c.ked up and I've lost her. Losing her feels every bit as bad as everything I went through in Afghanistan. Every f.u.c.king bit. And there's nothing I can do about it.

My stomach growls, so I close down my computer and venture out to the commons area where the vending machines are. I choose a sub sandwich and chips before turning around and finding Annie the army nurse behind me, holding a handful of quarters.

"So, today sucked, right?" She glances up at me. "It was day two for you, wasn't it?"

I nod, knowing that she has no f.u.c.king clue exactly how bad it was for me. "Yeah. It seemed pretty pointless. My friend e-mailed me and said that it will get better. Or it'll at least seem like it has a point soon."

Annie nods in agreement. "Yeah, it does. It doesn't get any easier, but it will at least make sense."

"How many sessions do you have a day?"

"Only one," she tells me as she feeds her quarters into the machine. "I'm on light duty here at the hospital during treatment, so I have a shift that I have to work around. You?"

"Two a day," I answer. "And right now it seems pretty pathetic. But here's hoping that tomorrow will be better. 'Night, Annie."

" 'Night," she calls after me.

I can feel her watching me as I walk away. Her attention makes me a little uneasy, since I don't know exactly what she wants from me. I feel like she's almost put me on a pedestal, since I was with the team that rescued her. And I sure as h.e.l.l don't deserve that.

After I eat my sandwich, I open my e-mail one more time, not breathing as I look. But I release my breath on a slow exhale.

There's nothing. My in-box is empty.

Chapter Twenty-Five.

Madison

I finish the call with the contractor I hired to work on my house and Tony stares at me from the chair in front of my desk.

"You using Mathis and Son?" He raises an eyebrow. "Because I know Derrick Mathis. Tell him to give you a discount."

I smile, in spite of the way I don't feel like smiling yet.

"I know him too," I remind Tony. "Trust me, he's giving me a good deal. He's painting every room in my house and laying new floor and tile, and he's doing all of that work in one week's time. Once I decided to do it, I just wanted it done. Like now. So he's sending in several teams to get it taken care of. I'm going to stay with Mila and Pax for a few days while it's being done."

"Good plan." Tony nods, his burly hands flipping through the work schedule. "We've gotta talk about Jacey, Mad. This is the second day in a row she hasn't called in. What the h.e.l.l is up with her?"

I sigh. I texted her last night and didn't get an answer... and that always means that she's doing something she knows I wouldn't approve of.

"Well, let's find out." I sigh again as I pick up the phone. I dial her number and it rings five times. I'm just thinking it's going to voice mail when she finally answers, surprising me.

"Hey, Maddy," she says brightly, as if she hasn't been MIA for two days. "What's up?"

"You tell me," I answer sternly. "You've missed work two days in a row. What the h.e.l.l, Jacey? I need you here. Business is picking up for the season and I need a full staff."

There's a pause and a rustle and a voice in the background.

A man's voice. A familiar man's voice.

"Who is that?" I demand suspiciously. "I know that's not who I think it is."

Another pause, pregnant and long.

I feel the blood boiling, up into my ears, spilling out into my cheeks, flushing them bright red.

"Jacey, what the f.u.c.k is Jared doing at your house?"

Tony snaps to attention in front of me, scowling at the phone. He holds his hands up to question Jacey's motives and I shake my head.

I have no idea, I mouth to him.

"I know," Jacey finally sighs. "I know you're mad and Gabe will be mad, but Jared came to see me the other night and he apologized for everything. He was only being an a.s.s because he missed me so much, Mad. Deep down he's a good guy. He just needs to change some things. He really does love me."