When He Saved Me

e i g h t

I wake up and look around I am the first one awake. The others were still up watching the movie when I passed out. The beach weekend was getting closer. We leave tomorrow and I am getting more and more nervous. 

I have to figure out how to cover up my bruises before then. I take out my phone and look up and try and find some waterproof body makeup and some better makeup for my face. I find some that I can pickup at Sephora in an hour. 

I breathe sigh of relief that has been bothering me for days now. Would it be easier to just tell my brother and his friends what I have been through? Probably but I can't I don't want their pity and I don't want to be seen as some weak stupid little girl who didn't have the strength to leave. And most of all I didn't want them to see me how Cade and my dad and I saw me.

Now that I have gotten that figured out I stand up and decide to attempt to make breakfast for everyone I felt like I owed them all tremendously so the least I could do was try and have breakfast ready.

- Ashers Pov -

I startle awake to the shrill beeping of the smoke alarm and the acrid smell of smoke filling the air. I run to the kitchen where chaos erupts as everyone springs into action.

Noah grabs the fire extinguisher, aiming it at the flames leaping from a pan on the stove. Jake is darting around, flinging open windows and doors to let the smoke out. Ethan and Madison are frantically waving towels in front of the smoke alarm, trying to silence the relentless screeching.

"What the hell happened?" I shout, rushing over to help Noah. I grab a box of salt and toss it over the flames, adding to Noah's efforts.

"Mads tried cooking breakfast," Noah laughs as the flames finally sputter and die. I glance over at Madison, who's doing her best to avoid making eye contact. Her face is pale, and she looks genuinely terrified, her hands trembling as she clutches the towel.

"I'm so sorry," she mutters, her voice barely audible. The fear in her eyes catches me off guard. It's not just embarrassment; it's something deeper, something that hints at a painful past.

I can't help but laugh, but it's forced and awkward. This girl is a complete chaotic tornado; you can't leave her alone for a second. I roll my eyes, shaking my head, but the sight of her terrified face lingers in my mind. "Guess that's one of the perks of being a rich, spoiled brat," I mutter under my breath, loud enough for only Noah to hear.

As I head towards the bathroom, her haunted expression stays with me. I realize there might be more to Madison than the image I've built up in my head. Maybe she's not just a spoiled brat. Maybe there's a reason behind her clumsiness and the walls she puts up.

"I'm gonna go take a quick shower," I announce, needing a moment to myself. The adrenaline from the scare is still coursing through me, but I can't shake the image of Madison's terrified face from my mind. 

- Madisons pov -

I feel horrible. I've never been good at cooking, and this morning's disaster only reinforced that fact. The first time I cooked for Cade, it ended in a particularly rough beating. 

After that, he hired our cook, Maria, but wouldn't let me have anything she made. Maria was kind, though. I think if she'd known what was happening, she would have tried to save food for me. But I was afraid Cade would get angry at her and do something terrible. So, I acted like everything was fine in front of her. I was really good at doing that.

I look around at the chaotic mess I've caused, my heart pounding. I'm so scared Jake will be mad at me. "I'm so sorry," I mutter, my eyes fixed on the floor. I learned quickly that making eye contact could make Cade even angrier. He said I didn't deserve to look him in the eye.