Chapter 24
Zach
It had been three days since everything went down between Madison and Lee, and I hadn’t heard a peep from her. Instantly, my mind began to race, taking me down all kinds of different paths. I had finally let a woman in, and for the first time in a really long time, I didn’t feel like I was alone anymore. She was perfect in every way, and I couldn’t get her off my mind. The sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach every time I picked up my phone to find no new messages was starting to drive me absolutely nuts. Everything I did was interrupted by thoughts of her, and worst of all, I was the reason that it had all gone down like it had. She refused to answer my phone calls, sending them straight to voicemail.
I had heard every word she said about Lee and his rules, but I didn’t realize in the art community, it was such a big deal. I was used to making whatever decision I wanted and having people jump through hoops to make it happen. I didn’t even think about the fact that Madison lived in a different world than me, or that my actions could severely mess things up for her. When I pulled those paintings out, all I could think of was how talented she was and how she deserved to be noticed.
When she got the phone call, everything was amazing, but it had quickly fallen to shit. I hated that she was that scared of Lee. I hated that Lee would stoop so low as to ruin Madison’s career over something like that. I really thought that she would be happy with me for helping her get out there and get noticed. She deserved for the world to see just how talented she really was.
Part of me wanted to go to Lee’s shop and give him a really good ass kicking for putting his hands on Madison and threatening her, but I knew that wouldn’t do any good. I would end up in deeper shit than I already was. I had no idea whether Madison would ever talk to me again. I had thought our growing bond had been tighter and stronger than that, but with the world weighing down on her shoulders, I really didn’t know what she was thinking.
I looked down at my calendar and stared at the circled upcoming auction for charity. I had moved that event specifically so that I could include Madison in it and show her a little something about who I really was. She was supposed to be my beautiful date that I could parade around and show off to everyone. Now, with no calls and no texts, I was pretty sure I would be going solo to the event.
I got up from the desk and walked down the hallway, stopping to fill my mug with coffee. I looked around the office at everyone working hard at their desks. As I went to turn, I caught a reflection of myself in the hall mirror. My hair was slightly off and kind of bushy, my eyes were drooping and tired, there were huge bags under my eyes, and my five o’clock shadow was more like an eleven o’clock shadow. I looked like I hadn’t slept in days, which in reality I hadn’t, and I was resembling more of a homeless man than a multibillion-dollar tech genius. I shook my head, disappointed in how I had let myself go in just a few days’ time. I resolved that I would clean myself up before coming back to work tomorrow. If anybody asked, I would just blame the new product launch and make them think I actually did my job these days. I went back to my office and shut the door, hoping no one had actually seen me.
I sat down in my chair and stared off into the distance, sipping my coffee. I sat there for longer than I could even keep track, and the sound of Hudson laughing loudly in the hallway snapped me back to reality. I sighed and looked up at the clock, realizing that it was finally time to leave the office. The hours had been moving by so slowly, and my attention span was pretty much nothing. I had stared at the same billing statement for five hours today before switching over to something else that I didn’t get done. Hudson had poked his head in once or twice, but he just rolled his eyes and moved on. He didn’t want to deal with my drama, and I completely understood why.
I gathered my things and turned the lights off to my office, telling my secretary goodbye before heading out to the limo. I jumped inside and sat back, not wanting to go home and stare out the window until I fell asleep. I needed to know what was going on with Madison, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I leaned forward and put down the privacy window.
“Can you take me to Madison’s place?” I asked with a tone that wasn’t really asking as much as telling.
“Yes, sir,” my driver said, nodding.
When we pulled up out front, I just sat there, staring up at the warmly lit apartment, wondering if she was up there. Part of me almost hoped she wasn’t, to avoid confrontation while making myself feel better for at least trying. My anxiety was at an all-time high, and the last thing I wanted was to see her upset. I shook my head and told myself to get it together. If I wanted this girl, I needed to go up there and tell her, instead of hiding behind my tinted limo windows and creepily staring up into the apartment. I put the window up and nodded at the driver who was staring awkwardly at me.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, opening the door and stepping out. “Wait here, please.”
“Of course, Sir. Not a problem.” He kept facing forward, but I heard him well enough.
Nerves bubbled up inside of me as I climbed the steps to their apartment. I wasn’t there to fight, and I really wanted to sit down and talk to Madison so she knew I really did have the best intentions at heart. I took in a deep breath and knocked hard on the door. I stood back, listening as footsteps approached. The door opened, and Charlotte stood in front of me, eating a sandwich. I smiled and glanced behind her, but I didn’t see Madison.
“Is she here?” I asked, glancing around in hopes of seeing her appear out of nowhere apparently.
“No,” Charlotte said, viably swallowing hard. “She went over to the gallery to try to collect the rest of her stuff.”
“Would you mind if I waited here for her? I really want to talk to her.” I was almost pleading with her. It was an odd place to be emotionally, but Madison was worth it.
Charlotte lifted her head and thought about it for a moment. She seemed extremely hesitant to let me in, and I’m sure she knew exactly what happened. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders and stepped to the side, welcoming me in. I followed her into the living area and sat down on the couch, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Charlotte sat down in the adjacent chair and crossed her legs, finishing the last of her sandwich.
“Can I get you anything? Water, soda… vodka.” She smirked.
“No.” I chuckled. “But thank you.”
“Look, I know things are weird right now between you two, but I want you to know I think you are really good for her,” Charlotte said with a smile. “I have some work to take care of, so I’ll be in the back. Let me know if you need me.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smile. “I appreciate it. All of it.”
I sat there staring around the room, replaying when I had made love to Madison here, over and over in my head. Her art was hanging on the walls, something I had never noticed before now. I stood up and walked around the living area, looking at the framed pictures hanging on the wall like a collage. Madison and Charlotte were smiling and laughing in every single one of them. She looked happier than I could remember since I met her, with the exception of when she first got the call from the gallery. I wanted so badly to be one of the people that made her that happy, but right now, I seemed to be on the other side of the spectrum.
I took a deep breath in, feeling that nauseating feeling in my stomach again. What if she came back and refused to speak to me? What if she said it was over, done? I would never put myself in another situation with a woman again. I could already see it. Even though this was my fault and I understood what I did wrong, I hoped that Madison could forgive me and see the bright side of all of this. I went and sat back down on the couch, looking up at the clock.
As the hands continued to tick by, I got lost in my thoughts, imagining what it would be like when she walked back through the door. I imagined her adorable ponytail sweeping back and forth as she bounced inside, holding a book or canvas to her chest with a bag on her shoulder. Her eyes would light up as she ran forward, throwing herself into me, our lips pressing together in passion. It was a great theory or fairy tale that my mind had concocted, but the truth was, I had no idea what to expect. I was so engrossed in my own mind I didn’t even hear Charlotte come back out until she started to talk into her cell phone. She left a message and then looked up at me with a slight bit of concern on her face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, scooting forward on the couch.
“She should have been back by now,” Charlotte said, looking down at her phone. “She left before you got here, and you’ve been here an hour.”
I looked down at my watch, surprised by how much time had gone by. I felt like I had just gotten there, and I didn’t even notice the sun going down outside the window. I stood up and walked over, looking down in the street. It was eerily quiet, and I started to get a bad feeling about what was going on. I took a deep breath and looked back at Charlotte, pulling out my phone. I dialed her number and listened to it ring and ring, not ignored like normal. When the voicemail finally picked up, I clicked it off and looked up, shaking my head. Charlotte looked down and pressed the button, listening to the ringing on the other end but Madison never picked up.
“Okay, I’m officially worried,” Charlotte said, wrapping her arms around her waist.
If she was alone with Lee, any number of things could have happened. She was pretty savvy. but she was small, and Lee was a big guy, stronger when he was angry. I shoved the thought from my mind, not even wanting to entertain the idea that something had happened to her. Still, as I turned back toward the window and looked at the flickering street lamp, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something just wasn’t right.