One fateful night brings Maddy and Quinn together, a night full of promises and regrets. Will these two find out the true meaning of love? Or will their paths separate, never to see each other again.
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I'm so excited for the next couple chapters 🤭
Maddy's Pov:
My stomach churns at the sight of my phone.
Unknown.
In other words, Tyler. I couldn't confirm it, but I felt it in my bones, the deep chills I got. I'm very familiar with how he makes me feel. Shaking off the groggy feeling, I force myself out of bed. It's 5 a.m., and our flight leaves at 8:15. I refuse to take any chances. This isn't my first time flying, but it's definitely my first time out of the country. I travel with Eve to visit her family in Toronto every Christmas, and I never risk missing our flight. I believe it's bad luck, and you're better off canceling the whole trip at that point. Call me a negative Nancy. I phone Quinn, ensuring that he's actually awake. You'd think a pro NHL athlete would be the one waking up early and prepared...
"Your call has been forwarded to voicemail-"
I end the call and dial again. I fall back onto my pillow, frustrated, as the phone rang.
One, two, three, four...
"Hello?" His voice is deep and rough, indicating he just woken up. I didn't know if I should be more mad or turned on. My eyes flickered to my thighs for a brief second, and I mentally curse my body for reacting.
"Quinntin Jerome Hughes. It's 15 past 5. Why are you just now waking up?" I hear some shuffling on the other end before his voice booms again.
"Christ, Maddy, you sound like my mother."
"Then I guess she and I will get along perfectly. Now, I expect to see you outside my door in 20 minutes," I say firmly. I was all packed and ready, my outfit picked out last night. All I need to do is freshen up.
"Twenty?! Maddy, that's imposs-"
"Great! See you in fifteen!" I end the call before he has a chance to argue. I didn't actually expect him to show up in fifteen minutes, but I figured it would get him here faster than if I said forty minutes. I finally got out of bed and decide to clean up first. At least when I come back, I won't have to deal with a mess. I hum to myself as I rinse my face, enjoying the feeling of the warm water. It sends heatwaves through my whole body. I love it.
I lick my lips as I stare at my boring features. Looking at myself through the mirror, I almost don't recognize the girl in the reflection. She's different; something has changed. Maybe I lost weight or gained some. No, that can't be it. It's my energy, the glow in my eyes, and the tan color under my eyes instead of the usual grey. I do find myself pretty, but that's all it is: an art piece that's only good to look at, not to ask about, not to admire. Just stare and move on. That's how everyone in my life has seen me. Hell, that's how I see myself. I bit my lip, pinching the sides of my waist. I used to be curvier; I had hips that caught the wrong type of attention. I suppose I should thank my mom for that. I'm her spitting image, with big brown eyes, a small nose covered with freckles, and the same mole by my lips. My jawline was short but sharp, thin but filled eyebrows, and long brown locks. I dyed it blonde back when my mom... I couldn't bear to look at myself. A couple of months ago, Eve and her mother convinced me to bring back my natural hair, to stop hiding and embrace my true beauty. Their words, not mine. Never mine. I wish I could see myself the way they see me.
I splash cold water on my face, suddenly feeling the walls close in on me. Not today. Please, not today. I take deep, steady breaths, wobbling out of the washroom. I didn't think twice before grabbing my phone and dialing his number.
"Maddy, I'm on my way. Just give me ten minutes." I blink the tears away, feeling my heart rate slow down as his voice consumed my ears.
"Hello? Maddy, is everything okay?"
"Hi, yes. Just-just hurry up." I breathe out, praying I didn't sound as fragile as I felt.
"Yeah... you sure you're okay?" Every part of me wants to scream no, to tell him to scoop me into his arms and hold me forever. But alas, that would be in my wildest dreams, so I force a smile to cover the tremble in my voice.
"I'm great, but I can't say the same for you if you're not outside my door in five minutes."
"Jesus-what's gotten into you? Are you... is it that time of the month?" My jaw drops, and I contemplate all the different ways I could kill him right now.
"QUINN-" Before I could finish, the line cut. I shake my head, reaching for a glass of water. I lean against my kitchen counter, glaring at the door. He's so dead.
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Quinn's POV
My fist hovers over her door. There is no way I'm actually nervous to knock. She's barely 5'3. How the hell am I afraid of her? I suck in a breath and knock. I hear small footsteps before the door is yanked open. Maddy stands there, arms crossed, with a look on her face that I'm sure would kill me if it could. She has glasses on, and I didn't think I could be any more attracted to her, but I'm proven very wrong. My dick hardens at the sight. She's wearing my shirt with some sweats, the glasses resting low on the curve of her nose. She has no makeup on, meaning I can see every small freckle painted across her beautiful face. Does she know how freaking gorgeous she is?
Her eyes flicker to the bouquet in my arm, and her expression softens. I try my best to hold back a smile. Her voice was barely a whisper when I answered the call. She was fine in the morning, or well, somewhat normal, even though she'd been in a bad mood since her alarm rang. I could tell something was wrong, but I also knew she wouldn't tell me until she chose to. So I took a bit of a detour and stopped to pick up flowers. That's got to make her feel a bit better, right? I clear my throat and take a hesitant step in. She moves, her face more relaxed.
"Um, these are for being late," I say, hoping she wouldn't put up a fight. Suddenly, her eyes water and a single tear falls.
"Thank-thank you."
"Oh, princess, why are you crying? Don't cry, you're too damn pretty to cry." I whisper, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to where the tear fell. Is she this upset because of me?
"I'm sorry. I'm just, I'm a mess today."
"No, don't apologize. I'm sorry I made it worse, but let me make it up to you. Where are your bags? Let's get moving, and I promise the only sound you'll hear all day will be your adorable little giggles."
She slaps my chest playfully, rolling her eyes. I follow her to her bedroom. The walls are kept simple and white, like her innocence. Her bedsheets are a bright pink, in true Maddy fashion, contrasting with the dullness of the rest of the space. There are pictures of her and Eve, and a few with an older couple. Maddy bent down to lift her bag, and I quickly look away. This girl.
I walk closer to her bed and examine a picture on her bedside table. It shows a little girl and her mother. It didn't take me long to realize I was looking at Mrs. Jackson, her mom. Maddy looks just like her mother, with the same delicate features, sharp jawline, and long brown hair. Maddy couldn't have been older than ten in that photo, looking completely carefree, a huge smile etched on her face. She looked happy. My heart twinges a bit. I hadn't seen a smile like that on her face in the short time I've known her. Though I have a feeling I haven't missed much; it doesn't seem like she has felt that spark in years. Maddy calls out from the living room, and I take one last look at the frame before striding out of the room. My heart pounding loudly as I think to myself: I've found a new mission. I'm going to make Madeline Jackson happy again. I'm going to bring that little girl back.
