Desperate Measures (Marianas Trench)

Chapter 11

Hey guys! I am back! Just wanted to let you know these next few chapters will be a bit shorter than usual, only like a page probably nothing drastic but I wanted to give you a heads up cause I like pretending I have friends :) Next chapter might not be shorter but I'm not sure...we shall see next Friday!

Cover by @SynfulMasterpiece -------------------->

*Mads POV*

I sat up groggily and opened my eyes, blinking a couple times. I looked around at my surroundings. To my left was a chair, with Josh sleeping in it, and the rest of the room was pretty bland. I reached over and repeatedly tapped Josh’s knee till he woke up. He smiled brightly when he saw me.

“Hey, you’re awake!” He said.

“Yeah, how long have you been here?” I asked.

“Since you got here. Everyone’s outside in the waiting room and whatnot”

“Everyone?”

“Yeah your aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents and Matt and yeah everyone…”

“Why’s everyone here?” Josh’s eyes fell to the ground. He wasn’t telling me something. “Josh what’s wrong? What happened?” He couldn’t even look at me.

He gulped and took a deep breath. “Your mom…she’s…dead…” My eyes widened as everything came back to me. Opening the door and seeing my mom hanging from the ceiling like a puppet. I’d screamed and then passed out. I immediately felt sick to my stomach. My hand flew to my mouth as I ran to the bathroom. Josh was right behind me, holding my hair back. Everything in my stomach rose along with the awful stomach acids. My throat burned and tears spilled from my eyes. When I finally finished puking the contents of my stomach up I sat back and leaned against the wall, sobbing. Josh attempted to pull me into his arms but I wouldn’t let him. I didn’t deserve love, it was my fault my parents divorced, my fault she hated her life, my fault she was…dead. Josh continued to try and hold me but I finally lost it.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” I hissed. I stared right into his eyes. He held his hands up in surrender and slowly backed away. He slid down the wall across from me and watched me. He kept his distance as I sobbed, and screamed, and beat the wall. He sat and watched, letting me get it all out. Eventually I just curled up into the fetal position and just cried, whispering things to myself every now and then about how I was a horrible child and whatnot. I don’t know how long we stayed there but Josh didn’t say anything and didn’t try to touch me, just like I’d asked him to. I rolled over and faced Josh.

“I just need someone to hold me,” I whispered. It brought me back to Noah’s party when I’d said those exact words to him in my time of need. I wasn’t sure if Josh heard me or not, a part of me hoped he did and another part of me hoped he didn’t. He did. He got up and walked across the room. He sat down next to me and pulled me into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself as close to him as possible.

“I love you Madeline. Never forget that,” Josh whispered in my ear. I didn’t respond, I knew he didn’t need a response. Josh knew I loved him. I didn’t deserve this amazing man holding me in his arms. I didn’t deserve his love. I didn’t deserve anyone’s love but people still told me they loved me no matter what. I heard a small knock on the door.

“Y-yes?” I croaked.

“Mads?” It was Matt. I got out of Josh’s lap and opened the door. Matt stood there, his eyes red and puffy from crying. I hated seeing Matt cry. I wrapped my arms around him and we just stood there, hugging and crying. Eventually we let go of each other.

“I can’t believe she’s gone…” I murmured.

“Aunt Julie decided to plan the, er, funeral for us…” I nodded. Nobody was quite sure of what to say.