King of Hearts (House of Cards Series 2) [Student/teacher]

Three of Spades

A/N: Thank you guys for being patient while I was feeling sick. You're gonig to see some familiar faces in this chapter, I hope you enjoy the different perspective on this scene

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"I think you should get out of here." Maddison's voice had tears in it as she gently pushed on West's arm, trying to get him out the door. West stared down at her for a moment and hated himself for making her life so miserable. This was why he wasn't supposed to get involved with anyone. It always turned into a f***ing tragedy!

West ran a hand through his hair, which is how he discovered that the skin on the back of his hand had split open. It was nearly identical to the injury that had sent West to the hospital where he met Maddison for the first time. The angry Cubano stormed out to his Hummer and hopped into the driver's side and tore open the glove compartment. A minute later and the wound on his hand stung but stopped bleeding. The wonders of super glue.

He couldn't properly think yet, the anger and murdering rage was still too close to the surface. Instincts drove West forward and he couldn't explain why he turned to Alice and Malcolm, but he found himself outside the Reaper's apartment door, knocking on it and hoping to god he hadn't just ruined everything.

"What the h**?" Alice demanded of him, pulling him inside.

West couldn't even give her a verbal response. His observant mind cataloguing how the shirt Alice wore was on backwards, though she seemed unaware of it, the button down shirt Malcolm must have been wearing discarded onto the floor. West felt a tinge of guilt over the coitus interruptus he just pulled but he needed the two people he could consider family of the heart, if not the blood.

Alice's puppy Monster came over to West's knee and started to snuffle at him. The scarred sog was normally less than social when it came to anyone besides Alice or Salali, but right now the animal seemed to sense that West wasn't a threat, was a pack member, and could use some comforting. So Monster stuck his cold, wet nose under West's hands, not-so-subtly telling the Cuban to 'pet here for instant relaxation'. Malcolm walked quickly from the hallway and West would have smirked if he wasn't so dejected. Reaper had on an undershirt and pants, but West was more htan willing to bet that the button down shirt just over there was still warm from him having worn it.

I think I did something really stupid." West groaned, touching his face gingerly. Alice and Malcolm just stared at him, as if they were expecting a massive bombshell to be dropped. West dropped his hand and looked at their concerned faces. "I pulled a you." The Cuban couldn't resist pointing out. If he were honest with himself, West could admit that there was definitely humour in this. Alice and Malcolm looked at each other, confused and West realized that they weren't figuring it out, "for the love of---- I've been seeing Maddison Avery shortly after she started helping with the Gala." West spat out. "She had a show tonight and I went to see it. Afterwards one of her male co-stars thought they should celebrate with a little alone time, not caring that Maddison already had a boyfriend." his fists clenched at the memory. "And when Maddie slapped him, he hit her right back. I walked in right about then, Maddison went to clean herself up and he and I had a little chat." West's voice was a growl of anger.

He'd left out a lot of information, giving them only the barest bones of the situation. The truth was a lot more, or less, easy to follow. After West had asked Maddison to be his girl, things had gone rather well. He still hadn't told her all about his past, but she knew enough about him to realize that there was a history of violence there. And it didn;t seem to bother her at all. In fact, Maddison had been... affectionate, to say the least. Now that they were covertly boyfriend and girlfriend, the spitfire Irish woman in his life seemed to enjoy catching him off guard by literally throwing herself at him. It doesn't seem like a big deal to have a beautiful, tiny woman hurtle herself at you, but try being on the receiving end of numerous tackle hugs and you start to notice how having a human body hurtle into yours actually hurts. West loved it though, because for once he managed to find a woman who has as much passion for life as he does.