PATIENT LOVE

Chapter six

When I get back to Matt's, Luke is over on the couch playing on the Xbox and I see the girls in the kitchen seasoning the meat and making jello shots.

"Help me bring everything in," I say and Luke and Zach pause the game.

By the time everything is set it's about 3 p.m. and Matt and Drew are out making burgers and hot dogs while the girls set up the snack table. I go into a spare room and change into my swim trunks.

An hour later, Matt's house is full of people, all of them associating with someone. I sit on the couch squashed next to Luke and some girl. Every person that walks through has me thinking it could be Madelyn but it isn't.

It then dawns on me that I hadn't actually told her what time to get here. Pulling out my phone, I send her a text.

H: I now realize that I didn't actually give you the time the party would start.

M: And I forgot to ask.

H: Well, looks like we both messed up. It actually started about an hour ago.

M: I'm on my way.

H: Great .x

Just as I put my phone away Matt announces that burgers and hot dogs are finally finished and all at once everyone files out the patio doors to the backyard.

I pull a beer out from the cooler and then grab a plate of everything on the tables. The boys have the stereos set and then the blaring music vibrates my entire body. Tony, Matt's roommate, pulls out some water guns and then starts to attack anyone in site.

People from the second level of the home begin to do backflips from off the balcony to land in the pool, even though it's dangerous. It's the adrenaline rush you get from actually doing that causes me to get up from my seat to climb up the stairs. Once I make it up there, without allowing myself to think about it I back up for a running start and then flip off the railing, splashing into the water as everyone cheers.

I rise up from the water with my hair covering my eyes, so I push the strands off my face smiling in triumph from the rush I got. The first pair of eyes I meet are Madelyn's as she's standing by the patio doors, looking as though she's just walked through them. She's wearing a white sundress and I swear every guy here is staring at her just like I am.

I swim over to her. "You made it," I smile.

"Told you I would," she smiles back.

"Where's your friend?"

"She couldn't make it, girlfriend priorities I guess." She shrugs.

"No worries, at least you know someone here."

Matt then comes over to us, totally goggling over her. "And you are?" the bastard says as he takes her hand in his, kissing the back of it.

"Madelyn," she says after getting her hand back.

"I'm Matt," he winks.

"Oh, so this is your party. Nice house," she compliments.

Having enough of this I clear my throat to say, "What's in your hand?" I finally realize that she's holding something.

"Brownies," she smiles. "I made them myself."

"Dude, she brought brownies! I like her, mate," he says to me as he takes the brownies from her, going off to set them on the table.

I shake my head at his retreating back and then turn my attention back to Madelyn. "Coming in, Maddie?" I say and she raises a brow at the use of her nickname.