Forever Marked (z.m.)AU

He's Back

Madison POV

I woke up when the sun came through the window. I groan not wanting to move from the warmth of my bed. Wait? I open my eyes, sitting straight up in bed... my bed. I take a deep breath, maybe it was all a bad dream? Ugh. I stand walking to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, bed head. Great. Note the sarcasm.

Looking down a bit I see my wrist, I take my hand rubbing it. There was just a small cut. Damn dream, I thought it was real for almost 2.5 seconds. I take off my clothes, hopping in the shower letting the hot water run down my aching muscles felt amazing.

I get out when I notice something on myself in the mirror. I turn my shoulder grabbing it to try and see what I thought I saw. It was a black 'Z' tattooed on my shoulder blade. It wasn't a dream after all, I was kidnapped by some maniac. Some psycho lunatic who almost killed me. Okay, he didn't almost kill me, but it felt like it, trust me. I take a deep breath, what do I do? Where is he? Why did he bring me back if I 'belong' to him?

I throw on a pair of clothes as fast as humanly possible. I run like a crazy woman through my house to see if I can find him, if he really is here. But, he isn't. But, why am I here? I'm so fucking confused. My hands shake and my mind is racing with millions of questions, ones that I can't answer. Only he can.

Z? What in the world does 'Z' stand for? What am I going to tell my mother who said that she'd kill me if I ever got a tattoo? What has he done to me?

One Year Later

"You need to get yourself out there." Austin said from where he stood at the kitchen counter. I fell back onto the couch cushions folding my arms over my face. "I don't even know what love is." I tell him, sounding like a miserable child.

"Girl, love is different for everyone, no one really knows what love is until they find it, trust me. And, would you please stop sounding like that bitch from Frozen?" he says to me acting like he knows it all, and I love Frozen. "Listen, just because you found Derek and he makes your life perfect doesn't mean that I'll find love." I tell him sitting up on the couch looking at him.

"You don't find love. Love finds you." He says with a shrug. "That's how I found Derek. I make one drunken mistake, and boom, he sweeps me off my feet." He says with a smile glued to his face. "More like, you were so hammered he felt bad for you because you couldn't even call a cab. All he did was give you a ride and his number, only so you could call in the morning letting him know you were okay." I say laughing as I get off the couch walking towards him.

"That isn't even right, you know he loves me. You're just a hater." He says to me. I laugh at him because Derek does love him, but Austin gets worked up.

I had seenAustin every day at the coffee shop he works at, and he would talk to me because I was all alone. And, the day that I got back from that hellhole I sat in there for about 2 hours before he came and talked to me. I didn't tell him everything. He knows bits and pieces, and we've been friends ever since.

"I know he loves you, you just worry too much." I say as I grab a banana. "Hey look, you can tell all the guys you go after, that you love bananas, and they will think really dirty, because all men do. Then, you just really like bananas." He smiles like he had a real breakthrough. No, no he didn't. "Thank you, but no." I tell him while shaking my head.

"Just a thought." He said walking back to his room. Yeah, we live together now, because the landlord raised the rent, and Austin was trying to get out of his mothers' house, so I asked him to move in with me. I think that was the happiest day of his life.

I went to my room getting ready to go grocery shopping, I really hate grocery shopping; food only makes me hungry. I put on a red sweater and a pair of skinny jeans, god I hate November, it is the month my life got turned upside down, I mean, total 180. I put my hair into a ponytail, I don't have anyone to impress. I grab my coat putting it on, in hopes of not freezing to death today. "Put more food in Mr. Fredrickson's bowl Austin!" I yell walking out the door I hear a faint 'okay', yeah Mr. Fredrickson is still alive and well. Amber thought I had to work and fed him, no one even knew I was missing. Great life I lived back then, note the sarcasm.

I walk down the street through the many people who think they know where they're going, and they have their lives together. *RING RING* I grab my phone out of my pocket seeing it was Austin. "I just left the house what do you need?" I ask walking the rest of the semi short distance to the store. "You have a letter here for you." He says in a sing song way. "I get mail, so what?" I ask, my confusion at an all-time high.

"It's like mysterious, it has your name and address, but in the corner for like who sent it, it just has a capital fancy as fuck looking Z." as he said that my stomach dropped, my heart raced. It was him. It has been a year, and now, now he decides to come looking for me? "Listen Austin don- Ugh." I look up from bumping into someone. I raise my hand "Sorry." I say to him. "It's okay, names Liam." He says with a smile. "Madison." I tell him back.

"Where are you going?" he asks. "The grocery store." I say, this conversation is going nowhere. "Are you free this Friday?" he asks. I look at the ground then back up at him, his brown eyes sparkling. "I think so, yeah." I say to him. "I'll pick you up at 7 o'clock Friday." He says as I nod. We exchange numbers, and I give him my address, I didn't know pile driving someone got you a date, a handsome one at that. And, when did asking people on dates become 2 minute things? I'll never know.

His voice was deep, and as sweet and thick as honey, it's the kind of voice you want to hear beside you in the morning. The one that holds a special kind of warmth, the kind that wraps around you, and you don't want it to end.

I went to the store my mind everywhere from crazy psychopaths to my date this Friday with a very handsome man. Right now, I'm focusing on the highs rather than the lows. I get through the store quite quickly, checking out and going home.

"Austin! I'm home!" I yell to him as I sit the groceries down on the counter. He runs in the kitchen with a smile on his face, going through the food only getting out what he wants to eat. "So, who was the guy you ran over?" he asked his grin widening. "His name is Liam, and we have a date this Friday at seven." I say as Austin starts to jump up and down, squealing like a little girl. "Told you love finds you." He tells me.

"It's not love, it is just a date. Where is that letter you said I had?" I ask, changing the subject. "Right there. It is like really creepy." He says and I nod taking a deep breath. I grab it off the table ripping it open. It said:

Dear Madison,

It has been quite a while. I told you that you belong to me, and I wasn't lying. I'm sure you have lots of questions, so do I. I've been watching over you for the past year. Love the tattoo by the way, it is quite lovely.

Our time we spent together was short, too short. I need you back, now. Not today. But, soon. I'll let you know. Now, where was I?

Oh yes, we barely exchanged words the last time we were face to face. I miss that. I still watch you, every day of your life, I watch you and Austin go about your day. Don't worry I won't cause any harm to him unless you make me. At least you aren't as lonely as you were last year. That's good.

Now there is something I need you to do.

Saturday morning you will go to that little coffee shop, you know which one I'm talking about, the one Austin works at. You will be there at 10 o'clock sharp. You will sit in the last booth on the left. That's where you and I will have a little chat.

Till then,

Z