Twenty-One Night Stand ✓

19 / truth hurts

Town was quiet on Sunday, with just a few people braving the driving rain in order to wander round the shops. Maddie watched the world go by from the comfort of a sofa in Caffe Nero, her eyes landing on strangers and following them as they ducked for cover in the closest shops. Umbrellas were blown about, forced inside out by the gale that howled through the streets while those caught unaware used shopping bags to protect their hair.

Every time someone opened the door, Maddie was hit with an immediate damp chill that made the hairs on her arms stand to attention. The smell of fresh rain mixed with the rich aroma of brewing coffee and she held in both hands a mocha, a rather uncharacteristic but much needed drink. She relished the warm, chocolatey coffee that heated her from the inside out like a blanket over her soul, and she knew she'd be ordering another once Posy arrived.

They had arranged to meet at one o'clock to grab a bite to eat, but Maddie had been there since twelve to give herself a little space to think. She had no intention of hiding the truth of yesterday from her friend, but she dreaded telling Posy what had happened. By now, Posy was firmly lodged with Nick in the anti-Peter party, and Maddie's relapse would not doubt prove to be a disappointment. But, like her father, Maddie believed in second chances and redemption, that everyone deserved the opportunity to prove themselves. Peter still had a lot to prove, but she was willing to give him the chance.

As the rain drove down harder and Maddie's drink came to an end, the door flew open and a drenched Posy tripped into the cafe. Dressed in no more than a t-shirt and a skirt, her skin was streaked with rain that dyed her clothes darker. She swept over to Maddie and dropped herself down on the sofa, shivering already.

"Christ alive, it's cold out there," she said, squeezing out her hair and twisting it into a bun at the back of her head. "It wasn't raining when I left home."

"You look freezing," Maddie said. "Don't you have a jumper?"

Posy shook her head, pulling her soaked top away from her body and grimacing, and Maddie bent down to search through her bag. She came up with a spare jumper that she had grown used to carrying with her, just in case, and held it out.

"God, you're a star, babe," Posy said as she took the jumper with a grin and peeled off her wet t-shirt in exchange for the soft fleece. "Sorry about that." She gave her friend a bright beam. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Maddie said with a nod, and she was starting to believe it. The thought brought a smile to her face and she began to play with a loose thread on her sleeve. Posy eyed her for a second, one eyebrow slowly lifting.

"Really?" Her forehead creased. "I mean, what with everything that's gone down this week ... are you sure you're ok?"

Maddie pressed her lips together and nodded, checking her watch. "I'm going to see Ryan in an hour," she said. She had never thought it possible but now, she wanted to see him. She wanted to clear the air between them; to find from him the answers she needed for peace of mind; to assure him that whatever happened, they were family. He mattered.

"So he's ok, right?" Posy finally leant back in her seat, relaxing her body out of its hunched position. "Or, well, I guess as ok as you can be, all things considered."

"I think so. As far as I've heard, yeah."

Posy nodded to herself. "That's good," she said, the words soft and slow. "And how about this whole Peter thing?"

Maddie's cheeks gave her away, tinting pink at the mention of his name and the fact that she couldn't escape her best friend's questioning. "He came over yesterday."

Posy's eyes widened so much that they almost popped out of her head, and she leant forward unconsciously towards Maddie. "What? Why?"

Warmth flooded Maddie's stomach when her mind fluttered over the past twenty-four hours. When Peter had shown up on her doorstep, she hadn't planned to forgive him so easily, but there were things she just couldn't forget. That he had been her person for seven years of high school: the one person in whom she had confided; the one with whom she had shared everything. That despite three years pushing them apart, coming back together had felt like the most natural thing in the world. That he had taken her virginity so gently that she never felt as though she had lost a thing: she had gained Peter.