Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
We’ve just made it back to the car. I’m pulling my keys out of my pocket, knowing I’ve decided two things. One: I have to let things go with Madden. Sure, the man can dole out orgasms like no other, but I’m not ready to get into a relationship. I love my freedom, not having to answer to anyone, to come and go as I please. That’s why I declined Madden’s call this morning, going so far as to put his alerts on silent so I wouldn’t receive notifications. The second decision, well, it’s time I do some soul-searching of my own to figure out where I want my life to go. To stay in the past, allowing it to dictate my future, or to let shit go and see what happens in my future. Those thoughts are firmly in place when I unlock the door, open it for Jolene to hop into the back seat, close her door, and do the same to the driver’s side. I start the car and pick up my phone to see what’s been going on and what I need to deal with.
There’s no phone call, only a notification in my iMessage settings alerting me to a text. I open it. It was Madden asking where I was hours ago. I go back to my call log and see he texted right after I sent him to voicemail and silenced his alerts. I think of something to say now that it’s hours later, realizing I should have put a stop to whatever the hell this was way earlier than right now.
Me: About last night. It was fun, and while it was fun, that’s all it can be.
I put my phone down and turn the air conditioning on full blast, click my seat belt into place and, being the idiot that I clearly am, I glance down at my phone that I left the display open to. The bubbles appear that let you know someone is responding.
Madden: Keep your line of bullshit to yourself, Hendrix. You got yours, I got mine. Figure life out or grow up, whichever comes first. Until then, lose my number.
This is what I wanted, right? Then why does it feel like I just made the biggest mistake of my life?
TWENTY-FIVE
Madden
One Week Later
I could only wish that life has resumed back to normal, but that’s not the case, at least not with the Hughes family. It’s been a clusterfuck, to say the least. Krissy was released from jail and attempted to return to Forest’s house while my parents are there with the kids. Another nightmare with the cops involved has me shooting out of the office in the middle of a meeting. Not my finest look when I own the multi-billion-dollar company, but when family calls, you move your ass. Especially when there are kids involved. Forest is on the other side of town giving a proposal for a new job, and there is no way my dad can put a leash on my mother while keeping the girls at bay.
“Uncle Mad!” Cammy calls out the second I’m able to skirt around the two cops talking to Krissy. My dad is standing off to the side with another one, and my mother is currently pacing back and forth with Piper in her arms, who’s crying.
“Hey, sweet pea.” I swing her up until she’s on my hip, my forearm going under her small body so she doesn’t have to do a lot of the work as she loops her arms around my neck.
“Mommy is here. Piper won’t stop crying.” Her lower lip wobbles.
“I know. We’ll let Nanny take care of her for now. Are you okay?” I ask. Where Piper isn’t scared to let her emotions flow, mostly because she’s younger and doesn’t understand the enormity of the situation, Cammy holds it in, not showing anything until it’s built so deep, she’s ready to explode.
“I want Daddy.” I press my hand into her back, giving her a hug that I know she wants from my brother, who is on his way. Traffic is managing to fuck with him when we all know there’s no other place he’d rather be than with his two girls.
“He’s coming, I promise.” My mother looks over at us, worry and pain written all over her face, along with being spitting mad. It’s a good thing I got here when she did, or I know two girls who might have been inside by themselves watching their Nanny pummel their mom to the ground. Then there would no doubt be two women who the girls care about in the back of a cop car. Definitely not an ideal situation.
“Okay, will you color with me?” Cammy asks, coming unglued from where she was hugging me.
“Of course. Think Piper will want to as well?” Piper must have finally realized I was here. Her little head whips around, legs wiggling, letting her Nanny know she wants down.