Haunted by the past

Chapter Seven

Pain, she felt actual pain as she stumbled away from the house. Her feet worked mechanically, but she had no idea where she was going. Despite that pain, the heartache, she wasn’t dying, she wasn’t crumbling to nothing. She could survive this; she swore to herself, she could. She wouldn’t think about who that woman was, or why she and Evan were showering, all she was thinking was how glad she was that she hadn’t unloaded her heart on him. She could keep her emotions and her feelings to herself and carry on working without him knowing that he’d affected her. No she had a lot to be grateful for. Now all she needed was a bus to get her as far away from here as she could.

She’d managed to get to a few streets away when she sensed a car slowing. Refusing to look she kept pacing, then she heard the door slam and footsteps racing up the pavement towards her. Without him around she could control her emotions but as he reached for her wrist, pulled her around with a protest, she felt every defence she had crumble away and the tears she’d been fighting started to pour down her cheeks.

"Maddie,” he cupped her cheek, forced her to look up at him, and her tears nearly broke him, “it’s not what you think. Please!" As her eyes finally lifted to his he gasped, the fear and despair he saw terrified him. "I’m sorry! She’s my sister, honestly. We’ve been for a run; I needed a shower.....Oh Maddie!"

She shrugged his hands from her, "It’s ok...I’ve got to go..."

"Wait!" He pulled her back by the hand. "Why did you come and find me? Just tell me that."
She took a deep breath and looked into his fraught face, "it doesn’t matter. It was nothing."

He wasn’t about to take that, not now, not after she’d sought him out. "Maddie please," he didn’t care that he was begging. "Come back with me, meet Adele, she’ll love you, and I think you’ll like her. She’s my sister, I promise."

Maddie was numb, could feel nothing, and was secured in her car before she was aware of anything.

The drive was both brief and silent, and back at his house he opened the car door and helped her out. Somewhere along the way he’d become concerned, really concerned. She looked so frail, so pale, so out of her depth. He’d both acknowledged and appreciated the vulnerability in her, but this was something far more.

"Adele?" he called as he opened the front door.

The blonde girl, who up close was far more beautiful and elegant up close and dressed, appeared from the kitchen, one look at Madeleine and she rushed over. "My god, are you ok?"
Madeleine nodded, "I’m fine." Her voice was a croak, but still Evan breathed a sigh of relief at her breaking her silence.

"I didn’t realise who you were earlier or I would have invited you straight in, my brother’s told me SO much about you." Adele gushed as she encouraged her to sit in the lounge.

Maddie visibly shook her head trying to clear the fog; she needed to snap out of this, "all bad no doubt - one night stands and neuroses?"

Adele laughed out loud, "Wow Evan, she is EXACTLY as feisty as you said."

It was the ice breaker that she needed, and suddenly Maddie saw how ridiculous this situation was, she looked between them then started to laugh too, "I was normal until he started playing with my head!"
Adele’s grin was infectious, “he’s been doing that to me since I was three, I’m an expert if you need any help!"

By now, Evan was looking at them both incredulously, wondering what the hell had just happened, "is anyone going to give me chance to defend myself?"

The two girls looked at him, then Adele smiled, "no, but I am going to leave you two to chat, looks like you both need it." She shook Maddie’s hand, "it was a pleasure to meet you! And hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon."