Anyone Else But You

Chapter 22 - Three Little Words

                                                       Taylor Swift – Mine

 The time was now, Maddie thought to herself as she climbed the steps up to Ali’s front door. Hesitantly she reached her hand forwards and gently rapped her knuckles on the blue wooden door.  Her heart sped up as she heard movement behind the door, a moment later Ali revealed herself from behind the door. When she saw Maddie on the doorstep her eyes narrowed.

“What do you want?” She sneered unpleasantly. Maddie took a deep breath and looked her former friend in the eye, she didn’t exactly feel confident by the look she got in return but this had to be done. They had to find a way of moving on, a way of getting on with life even if they didn’t get on with each other.

“Look I just wanted to talk to you. I just wanted a chance to explain everything. Jasper and I never set out to hurt you, we didn’t plan on getting together; it just sort of happened. I’d fallen in love with him before I’d realised what had happened, I –“

“I don’t care!” Ali interrupted. “You hurt me, you took the one thing I cared about. Every time I see you you’re with him and it’s like you’re ripping my heart out and stamping on it for fun.” Maddie watched in silence as Ali wiped a tear from her cheek, the last thing she wanted to do was upset her. “I don’t care if you didn’t mean for it to happen because it’s out there and you can’t take it back. I can’t be friends with you while you’re with him. So unless you’re thinking of dumping him I think you should leave.”

“I can’t dump him, I –“ Maddie stammered horrified at the thought of not being with Jasper.

“Well then I suggest you leave.” Ali slammed the door in Maddie’s face leaving her with her mouth gaping open like a goldfish. Her heart was still hammering in her chest as she stared at the closed door, she hadn’t expected Ali to declare her undying love for her but Maddie had expected her to be civil and to at least listen to what she had to say. Well that was a complete waste of time.

Maddie headed home to Teddy for a walk before she headed over to Becky’s house to babysit. The terrier was sat on the doormat waiting for her to arrive back, at least someone wanted her, she thought to herself.

“Come on then Ted, walkies.” He jumped up her legs and wagged his tail excitedly as she grabbed his lead from the coat peg on the wall. “There we go.” She hooked his lead to his collar and opened the front door, Kate was just on her way through the gate as she walked down the steps.

“Hey how’d the talk with Ali go?” Kate stopped to meet her at the bottom of their steps, Maddie sighed to herself; she couldn’t tell the truth, that it had been a complete and utter failure.

“It didn’t, there was no one in when I got there. I’ll see you in a bit.” She rushed the last part of the sentence hoping her sister wouldn’t be able to tell that she wasn’t exactly telling the truth. She smiled and walked out the gate without looking back.

*

“Mads, hi. We’re so grateful for this, aren’t we Mike” Becky closed the door after Maddie had made her way into the hall, Mike her husband appeared from the lounge wearing a full on tuxedo and bow tie.