The Perfect Storm 2

Chapter 158

After almost half an hour I hear the door handle rustling, clearly trying to be opened. I sit there in horror, my eyes wide as I try my hardest to brush away any visible pain and tears but as I do, the door opens up.

"Woah." A guy with dirty blonde hair says. All I can do is stare at him.

"Try not to get sneezes and shit on my pillow though, I got that shit from Wallmart and . . . it was on sale." He says, whispering the last part and making me chuckle for the first time in what feels like a lifetime.

"I'm sorry, I'll, um, I'll try not to." I smile, biting my lip.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't even be here." He says and I can't help but burst into laughter but I quickly cover the sound with my mouth.

"So what's a pretty girl doing here all by herself? Is it my birthday or something?" He asks and I chuckle.

"No, I, um I'm waiting for Jace."

"Damnit." He says and I smile at him. His smile grows as he looks at me.

"Well, Jace's bed is right below mine, but I won't mind if you stay right where you are." He says, his smile growing smaller but his eyes gazing into mine more intensely.

"What's your name, pretty girl?" He asks, his small smile appearing again as his eyes won't look away from mine.

"It's, um, I'm Madison." I look down at the bedsheets that are now drowned in tears before I look back at him.

"I'm Cody." He smiles.

"Nice to meet you." He extends a hand and I hold it, his hand is much bigger than mine and warm.

"You too," I tell him and our hands drop to our sides.

"Madison?" We both hear coming from the door and we both look to see Jace carrying two pizza boxes and two large bottles of coke.

"Oh, I see how it is," Cody says and I can't help but giggle and even Jace joins me with a small chuckle.

"You've met Madison?" Jace asks and Cody nods.

"Of course, I wouldn't let a cute girl like her stay in my bed like a stranger, can I?" Cody smiles, his lips stretching and then finally revealing his white teeth.

"I'll see you, Madison . . . and Jace of course, I'll see you brother." Cody smiles at Jace before looking at me one more time and leaving through the door, closing it softly and firmly behind him.

"So, he's um . . . your friend?" I ask with a smile before slowly climbing out of Cody's bed.

"Yeah, we go to the gym together after class." Jace explains before adding, "Yeah, he's great, Cody's great, but um . . . he's a little bit of a womanizer." Jace says and we both laugh.

"Thank you, Jace, for everything, for making me laugh and for understanding . . . everything." I breathe, my mouth speaking straight from the very core of me.

"Of course, Madison, it's us, it's always been us against the world and I need to make sure it stays that way . . . that we protect each other." He smiles and I nod.

"I'm sorry that there aren't any tables or anything yet, we're still setting some things up,"Jace explains and I shake my head.

"It's no problem." I smile. Jace places the pizza boxes on the freshly vacuumed carpet before we sit down on the har yet somehow comfortable floor. Staying on the hard floor is somehow refreshing after staying in the bunk beds for half an hour and being surrounded by the softness of the mattress. 

The room is warm and I feel at ease, my nose feels clear and I feel as though I've cried out everything I can cry out. My eyes feel tired and I know that when I wake up tomorrow I'll have small red spots on my face, indicating to everyone who sees me up close that I've been crying.

"I got cheese pizza and pineapple, just the way you love it," Jace says and I smile at him.

"Thank you, Jace." I look at him with a smile before grabbing one of the two plastic plates he brought with and placing three slices of pizza on the plate. Jace grabs five slices and pours us both plastic cups full of coke.

"I've missed nights like this," Jace says and I nod, remembering the nights Jace snuck pizza and coke to my mother's house when she was asleep. 

We couldn't afford junk food, but Jace got some extra money from his shifts. I used to stay up as late as I could, waiting for him.

"We used to eat and laugh the whole night," I say and he nods as we both remember the times we used to have together.

"Everything is just so changed, and I'm sorry, I wish we could spend every night sneaking in pizza," I say and he nods, placing the slice in his hand on his dish.

"It can be and I . . . I want it to." Jace says, his lips parted and his feelings out in the open.

"I know, Jace . . ." I breathe out but don't know how to continue.

"But I don't know what I want right now, I just know that I need you to be here for me right now," I tell him and he nods.

"And I'm happy to." He says, my head resting on his shoulder.

"Can I stay here . . . the night?" I ask Jace and he nods.

"I'd love for you to be here, Madison." He says softly, looking into my hazel eyes. The blue-gray in his somehow refreshes mine; it brings me something new.

AFTER CLEARING up the floor, Jace makes his bed ready for the both of us to fit into. 

I'm glad that there's barely space for us. I'm glad that the bed is so small, forcing Jace and me to be close since it's the only thing I need right now, I need anything that will get me away from Miles even if it's just so I can fall asleep.

"Here." He says, taking off his shirt slowly, and revealing the small-barely there abs he has, they're strong and muscular but not as apparent as Miles's. Nothing is as good as Miles.

"Can you . . . turn around?" I ask kindly and Jace smiles before nodding and turning around. I gulp down before putting his shirt over my head and his white shorts.

"I'm done." I smile and he turns around. 

The light is turned off and Jace climbs into bed, while I follow. His hand is holding mine and he pulls me slowly to the bed. 

My head rests on his shoulder, my hair scattered all over him as I lay there with him shirtless but still all I can think about is how Jace is not Miles.