Trial And Error

Chapter Twenty-Six

Madison's POV

Madison inhaled deeply to steady her nerves as she fidgeted in her seat. She had been waiting at their regular table for 20 agonizing minutes, eyes glued to Kian sitting motionless on her motorcycle outside. At first, the loud rumble of the bike excited Madison, relieved to see Kian hadn't changed her mind about meeting up. But as the minutes ticked by with Kian making no move to come inside, Madison's excitement faded.

She stared worriedly at the back of Kian's helmet, bracing herself for the Marine to reverse and drive away at any moment. The anticipation was agonizing - would Kian stay or leave? She could only watch and wait nervously to see if her best friend would actually join her.

Just when Madison had given up hope, Kian swung her leg over the bike and pulled off her helmet, shaking out her dark hair. The singer let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Finally, after taking a few moments to gather herself, Kian headed into the cafe.

Madison tried to still her racing heart as Kian approached the table. She could tell the Marine was tense, her shoulders tight and movements guarded. But Kian managed a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she sat down across from Madison.

"Hey," Kian said softly, her voice a bit raspy.

"I'm glad you decided to come in," Madison mumbled tearing away at a napkin.

Kian winced, managing a small smile and nod, "Sorry about that."

"It's fine. But if you don't feel comfortable being here we can do this another time"

"No!" A hand reached out covering her small ones "I want to be here. I just don't want to mess this up again."

"I, uh, already ordered for you. I hope that's okay," she managed finally.

Madison met Kian's gaze, seeing the apprehension in the Marine's eyes. The last thing she wanted was for Kian to feel uncomfortable. But her words eased the musician slightly.

The Lieutenant muttered a quiet "thank you" before sliding into the booth across from Madison. She set her helmet on the seat beside her and took a sip of water. Madison studied Kian's features as she did. The bruises and cuts seemed to have mostly healed, just some scabbing left. But no new injuries - a reassuring sign.

"You look like you finally decided to stop using your head as a punching bag."

Kian glanced up from her cup, a smile slowly spreading across her face, "Yeah, I figured my brain could use a break."

Madison smiled back, happy to see a glimpse of Kian's humor again.

"It's nice to see that smile too," Madison teased. "I was worried your new trademark look was going to be that intense, brooding gaze of yours."

Kian chuckled and shook her head. "Yeah, I may have been overdoing it a bit on the brooding lately."

Kian's smile softened, touched by Madison's efforts to lift her spirits. They bantered lightly, the initial awkwardness fading as the conversation flowed smoothly like old times. Caught up in the joy of reconnection, Madison could briefly forget the distance between them these past months. In this moment, it felt as if no time had passed and nothing had changed. The outside world melted away until it was just the two of them, together again. For now, Madison was simply grateful to have her dear friend back in her life, if only for the afternoon. The rest could wait - this was enough.

Their food arrived shortly after, giving them a natural break from conversation. They ate in comfortable silence for a bit, simply enjoying being in each other's presence once more.