We were standing outside of my apartment and my hands were shaking like a leaf as I slid the key into the lock.

I still couldn’t believe Maddie was here or that she’d ask me to bring her home with me. I didn't even give a shit that she'd only asked out of desperation. The only thing that mattered was that she was here, where she belonged.

I looked down at her as I unlocked the deadbolt. Then, I repeated the same question I’d asked her at the hospital. “You ready, pretty girl?”

Head tilted to the side, she fingered the locket dangling from her neck. “Ready as I’m going to be.” Her voice was quiet. Soft.

Wanting to get her inside and needing her in my space, I pushed open the door, revealing my small—but thankfully somewhat neat—apartment. Leaning in front of Maddie, I reached inside and flipped the light switch on. The soft light illuminated the open kitchen and living area. “Home sweet home.”

Her breath hitched when I placed my hand on her lower back and guided her inside. I smiled. Still affected by my touch, I see. When she was clear of the door, I quickly shut it and engaged the deadbolt.

She'd taken a few steps into the living room before turning around at the sound of the deadlock sliding into place. A smile tilted her lips heavenward, and a blush coated her unbruised cheek. “Locking me in?” She asked, her tone teasing.

I leaned back against the door and crossed my legs. "You didn't think I'd let you leave once I got you inside, did you?" She may have thought I was joking, but I wasn't.

Maddie wasn't going anywhere.

Sliding her small purse off her shoulder, she set it down on the arm of the loveseat. “Wasn’t really sure.” She paused, but I knew she wasn’t done. Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited for her to continue. “I wasn’t sure what would happen once I got here. Figured it couldn't be worse than going back home with Grandmama though." She shuddered. "Lord knows I love her and Daddy both, but they would have driven me crazy." She looked at me. "You know how they are."

I sure as hell did.

Uncrossing my arms, I ran my hand over my stubble covered jaw. "So, why'd you chose me? I'm sure you could've gone home with Shelby or Hope."

Picking up a dirty grey t-shirt that was draped over the coffee table, she wrapped it around her hands before bringing it to her nose. My heart pounded at the move. I don’t think Maddie realized what she was doing, but I did. “Just because,” she answered before shrugging her right shoulder.

“Just because what?” I continued to prod.

Biting her bottom lip, she ran her scorching gaze over my chest and shoulders. Her face heated and her breath came in short, quick pants. Fisting my hands, I tensed my biceps. Her eyes moved to my arms and her face once again heated. Seconds ticked by and after visibly swallowing, she finally replied, “I like the view here better.” Her eyes met mine, and it took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to close the distance between us and slam my mouth down on hers.

Goddamn. None of this was what I’d been expecting from her.

My upper lip twitched, and I couldn’t resist goading her. “You think I’m pretty, Maddie? Is that it?”

She licked her full bottom lip, followed by the top before dropping her gaze back to my arms. “Pretty? No. Se—”

Boom… Boom… Boom!

Her words were cut off when someone banged on the apartment door.

"I’m going to kill whoever is on the other side of that door," I growled before turning around. Madder than fuck, I disengaged the deadbolt, twisted the knob, and yanked the door open.

“Hendrix!” A warm body barreled into me and slim arms wrapped around my waist. What the fuck! "Oh, my Gosh, I was sooooo worried," Sadie—of all damn people—screamed. "I've been calling you for over a week!" She unwound her arms from my body, took a step back, and looked up at me with coal-rimmed eyes. "Didn't you get any of my messages? I was scared to death that something bad happened. I even went to the station looking for you. Captain Davis said—” Her eyes cut to Maddie, and she stopped speaking mid-sentence. “Well I’ll be,” she snarled, “if it isn’t Maddie Davis.”

She tried to step around me so she could move into my apartment and get to Maddie, but I extended my arm, stopping her psycho ass in her tracks. “What do you want, Sadie?”

Her smile grew bigger, turned more sinister. Bitch was about to cause trouble. “I thought maybe you’d like to grab a bite to eat." Her eyes never left Maddie as she spoke. "Maybe even go see a movie. It’s been so long since we’ve had one of our special dates and I miss you something fierce, baby.”

Yep, surely going to kill her.

I opened my mouth to set her little ass straight but stopped when a familiar southern drawl met my ears. "You gotta be fuckin' shittin' me!"

Ah hell, this just kept getting better.

I looked over Sadie’s head towards the parking lot where Maddie and I had just come from and spotted a very pissed off looking blonde. “Shelby,” I said angrily, “what are you doing here?”

She glared at me and pointed down at a periwinkle colored rolling suitcase and duffle bag. "I was bringing Madelyn some clothes, but now I'm thinkin' I'm ‘bout to beat a bitch or two black and blue!" She smiled. "Hey, that rhymed."

Sadie turned around to face Shelby and placed her hands on her bony hips. She was way too damn skinny. I'm not one to judge, but the girl really needed to eat a cheeseburger—or two. "Who are you?"

Shelby’s smile disappeared and her light blue eyes iced over. “I am not the one you want to start somethin’ with, bitch. Trust me on that.”

Maddie moved to where I was standing and peeked around me. She was careful not to touch me, and that shit pissed me off. “Just bring it inside, Shelby. We should give Hendrix and Sadie,” she spat, “some privacy.” She sounded pissed. Great. Less than two minutes ago she'd been flirting with me, but now she sounded like she wanted to rip my throat out. Just fucking great. 

"Okie dokie." Stepping up to Sadie, Shelby tossed another hate-filled glare her way. "Move, skank." Sadie moved to the right, giving Shelby enough room to get by her, but Shelby wasn't done yet. After looking her over from head to toe, she looked up at me. “Talk about a downgrade, dude.”

“You bitch!” Sadie screamed.

Shelby smiled before planting her small hand in the center of my chest and pushing me out of the way so she could get through the door. I stepped back because let’s face it, she was strong for her size, but she wasn’t that strong. Sneering at me, her short ass stepped through the doorway while pulling the luggage behind her. Once inside the living room, she looked over her shoulder at Sadie, who was still standing right outside of the door. “Get outta here, slut. Don’t nobody want a bag of bones for supper!”

Sadie growled and muttered something under her breath, but I had no idea what she said. I was too busy focusing on Maddie, who was standing less than five feet away from me, in the middle of the living room.

She must have felt my eyes on her because she turned her head my way. When her eyes met mine, I almost crumpled. “Pretty girl…” She looked just like she did in the picture that Keith had shown me over a week ago.

Blank. Empty. Lost.

Hurt.

She shook her head once before tearing her gaze from mine. “Come on, Shelby.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Let’s go in the kitchen, they obviously need some privacy.”

Shelby wrapped her arm around Maddie's waist and guided her toward the back of my apartment.

This situation was going to hell in a handbasket.

I turned to Sadie. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

Her head snapped back in surprise, but she recovered quickly. “What? I thought maybe—”

Hands trembling at my sides, I said, “I'll make this quick, and I'll make it crystal clear since you didn’t understand the first time.” She narrowed her eyes. “I am not, nor will I ever be, interested in having any type of relationship with you.”

“But Hendrix,” she whined, stomping her heels against the concrete ground.

I grabbed the doorknob and squeezed it in preparation for slamming the door in her face. "I don't ever want to lay eyes on you again. Now get the fuck away from my door." She took a step back, and with one look at her face, I knew this probably wasn’t over. Goddamn it! "Leave and don't come back. I see your face anywhere near Maddie or me again, and I'll have your crazy ass locked up. Got it?"

“So, you’re back with Maddie? Is that what’s this about? Because let me tell you, Hendrix, you could so much better.”

Fuck this.

I pointed towards the parking lot. “If I were you, I’d turn my ass around and get moving.”

“And what if I don’t?”

I smiled before turning my head and yelling over my shoulder. “Shelby!”

Shelby walked into the living room a couple of seconds later. “What do you want, dickhead?”

I pointed at Sadie. "She won't leave, and I need to talk to Maddie. Handle this shit. Please.”

She smiled. "Why I'd be happy to." Sadie’s eyes widened, and she stepped back when she saw Shelby heading straight for her. If the situation had been different, I would have laughed my ass off. "You've got to the count of three. One. Two…”

Leaving Shelby to deal with Sadie, I went after my girl.

Stomping down the hall that lead from my living room to the two back bedrooms, I murmured to myself, “This just got ten times harder.” It was the truth. I was already fighting an uphill battle with Maddie. Now though? Damn, I didn’t even want to think about it. Fucking Sadie! I should’ve strangled her. “Maddie, baby, where are you?” Not finding her in the kitchen, bathroom, or spare bedroom, I walked into my bedroom. Found her. Standing at the foot of my bed, she was staring at the large framed picture above my bed. “Maddie.” I crossed the room, closing the space between us.

She turned around, and her tear filled green eyes met mine. "No more waiting, Hendrix. I need to know everything." She looked back at the picture. "If you refuse to tell me, then I'm leaving." Like hell she was. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to cut the bullshit and tell me the truth, or do you want me to walk out the door and never come back?”

One second. Two seconds.

My pulse pounded in my ears as I leaned down and pressed my nose to the top of her forehead. I inhaled, and her scent tickled my nose. “The truth, pretty girl. I'll tell you the truth.”

It was time.