The Age of Love (Book #1)

22. I'm Leaving

3.11.19: Some minor extras were added because I wasn't quite satisfied with this chapter, also changed the gif in the text and cover.

Madison is looking for anything that might could help her remember what happened last night, her phone was gone, she was screwed — so epically screwed.

"Your phone's not there and your clothes I sent them down to the laundry service." The sound of his voice echoed in the emptiness of the room.

"Theo." She sighed.

"Last night... I... It's so blurry, I just remember flashes, thank you for sticking your card." She said trying to ease the enormous elephant in the room.

"Never thought you'd use it." He chuckles ironically.

"Theo, I know that you're mad but I really don't know how..."

"How what Madison? This is common amongst young people, you better than anyone know that, I just didn't think you were the type." His stillness was unsettling her.

"What?! No! I mean..."

Madison rubs her forehead confused, she remembered very little of how she got there, she did remember going out with Sapphire and Mei. Of course...

"What did they tell you?"

"Nothing that is not out for everyone to see!" He raises his voice.

Her visible confusion to what he's talking about makes him grab his phone and throw across the bed, she grabs scrolling the Chinese gossip websites, her face and some blonde figure leaving the club, she was clearly intoxicated and he was fine.

"There's really nothing left to say, the pictures speak for itself." He sighs.

"No!" Madison drops the device on the bed. "What the hell did she say?! Tell me Theodore!"

"Sapphire called me looking for you, she told me you left with an expat without any explanation, she was worried sick. I've been worried sick." Theodore raised his voice losing his calm posture. "H-how did you? Tell me the truth Madison, were you taking drinks from strangers? Other... younger indivi —"

"Stop, right, there!" She points at him. "One, stop referring to age and two, I don't know what sort of twisted plot story your sister told you but none of it is true! How stupid do you think I am Theodore? Hooking up with strangers in China?"

He was silent letting her speak.

"Your sister and her demon best friend, they know nothing happened there... Unless they did it..."

Theodore bursts into laughter rubbing his face in disbelief.

"Madison listen to yourself! My sister drugging you and let you be taken by someone else in a strange city? Sapphire isn't a maniac."

"Either you are the blindest human being in the 21st century or you really don't trust me."

He kept quiet.

He wanted to believe her, he really did, even Grayson's words swirled in his mind: "...The Madison you know, wouldn't do that..." But that meant doubting the closest relative to him, someone who loved him and cared for him.

Theodore didn't want to pick sides or believe that Sapphire would actually be capable of such thing, it was too dangerous, she wouldn't.

"You're accusing my sister of all people, Madison... That sounds ridiculous."

It was her turn to laugh out loud to mask how deep those last words cut.

"So the idea of me, walking out of a club, in China, spiked the fuck up with a complete stranger, is absolutely plausible? Do you think I'm insane or just lack basic common sense? Is it because I'm not fully purely chinese, I'm some third-world whore just thirsty for money?" She asked.