Rescuing Madison (Book 1)

Chapter One

3 Years Later

Madison's POV

I did not want tomorrow to come. I wanted to just skip tomorrow all together. Maybe I could just sleep through it. I didn't need the reminder of it being another year since I fell into Jackson's arms, bleeding & beat up. Not that I ever forgot in the first place. & Don't get me wrong, I love that I had met Jackson. He'd been my best friend ever since. I just hated remembering the way we had met. My life really hadn't been the same since then.

I had been taken by someone I barely even knew. I didn't even know his name. I just remembered seeing him once in awhile at the gym that I went to. We never spoke to each other. I guessed that he was probably 10 years older than me, & he was a little intimidating. He had a bigger build than most of the guys I had seen at the gym. He had black hair & these piercing green eyes. I had caught him staring at me a few times, but he never approached me or said anything to me.

I had just graduated from high school a few months before it happened. I was having the best summer. My friends & I were about to go to college together. I was the happiest I had ever been. My life felt perfect. Until I came across h​im​ while I was leaving the gym one night.

He had grabbed me before I even made it to my car & I was too startled by what was happening to even think to do anything. By the time I had the thought to scream, I was hit really hard on my head, & had fallen unconscious. He had taken me to some abandoned building, in some part of the city that no one really lived in anymore. It was the creepiest building. Most of the windows were boarded up, & the wooden walls were deteriorating.

He told me repeatedly how sweet I smelled, & how much he'd love to taste me. It made me want to puke. I constantly had to fight back the bile that wanted to rise out of my throat whenever he spoke or got too close to me. The sarcastic attitude I sometimes had, had shut up the instant he took me. I didn't dare say the wrong thing. I didn't want to know what would happen if I did.

I tried to fight back only once. I had lashed out with my foot when he was tying my ankles back together, after he had let me relieve myself. I had barely scraped his arm with my foot. But, that's all it took for him to beat me. He didn't even need to tie me up after that. I could barely move. My body had stopped responding to my command for it to move.

I had been with him for 5 days before I finally got free. It was seriously a miracle that I had escaped. Maybe a little too easy to escape, now that I think about it..

"Madison! Hello? Earth to Madison!"

I jumped slightly, & shook my head to clear it. I looked up at who was clearly trying to get my attention. "Huh?"

"Where'd you go? Your head was in the clouds for a minute there." Jackson said.

I smiled at my best friend & tried to laugh it off. "It's not nice to interrupt someone when they're day dreaming."

"You don't need to daydream when I'm right here." he laughed.

"Ha ha. You're so funny, Jackson. Why are you not doing stand up comedy yet?" I asked, while laughing. "Seriously, though. I was just thinking."

"You weren't thinking of tomorrow, were you?" he asked, frowning.

My smile fell. "I can't help it.."

"I know. Which is why I planned a day full of fun for tomorrow." he said.

"We have fun together all the time. You really don't have to go out of your way for me tomorrow." I put my head down & started to cry. I hated thinking of what I went through. I just wanted to get over it already.

"Madison. Look at me." I looked up at him & he wiped my tears away. "I'm not going out of my way. This is what I WANT to do. I want to take your mind off of it."

"I just wish I wasn't weak anymore. It happened 3 years ago. I shouldn't be thinking about it anymore. I should be over it. I shouldn't have nightmares about it anymore.. I shouldn't-" he cut me off by putting his fingers on my lips.

"Stop. You are not weak. Don't ever say that. You fought through it, & that's not something a weak person does. What you went through was traumatizing. Some things are hard to move on from. I don't expect you to just forget all about it." he said.

Jackson always knew what to say. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out." he said, wrapping his arms around my waist.

That brought a smile to my face. Jackson was my everything. I was so in love with him. Not that I'd ever tell him that. I didn't know how he felt about me. I was too scared to tell him. I didn't want to lose him if he didn't feel the same. Having his arms wrapped around me would have to be enough for now.

"Do you want me to stay here with you tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

I lived by myself in a small apartment. I could have afforded a bigger place, but I wasn't a fan of big places. I found safety in smaller spaces.

Jackson was dead on about being traumatized by what I went through. I couldn't stand being around people. I couldn't even get a normal job. Panic attacks & anxiety set in when I was around too many people. I would probably never leave my apartment if it wasn't for Jackson. When he wasn't busy, he made sure I got out. He never seemed to mind that I depended on him so much. & He never made me feel like a burden. He was the only person I trusted.

Jackson was literally the only person I had. My parents had passed away after I turned 18. & I was an only child. Jackson had been enough for me, though.

After we had dinner, we sat on the couch & put a movie in. I laid on the couch, with my feet in Jackson's lap. I was so tired. My eyes started to close.

"You're going to fall asleep aren't you?"

I opened my eyes & looked up at him. "No way."

"You always fall asleep during movies." he chuckled.

"I do not."

"I don't even remember the last time you made it through a movie."

"I don't either." I said, laughing.

"Go ahead & sleep if you're tired."

"No, I'm fine."

He shook his head & laughed. "Whatever you say."

I tried to stay awake to watch the movie with him. I really did. But, I couldn't fight it anymore. I closed my eyes, praying the nightmares stayed away tonight.