My Bad Boy's Secret: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (220 page)

                        Madison’s dad was a slightly built man and normally filled with a sense of fun but the man Madison saw looking at her now was deadly serious, “Maddie something you learn as you go through life is just how short it is and how precious, you’ve got to grab every moment and opportunity thrown at you with both hands. Adam sounds like an opportunity to me; you’ve a second chance with him Maddie. Things got screwed up before now’s your chance to prove to him that you’re the one he needs.”

                        She’d never heard her dad speaking so forcefully before. He was normally the one taking the passenger’s seat with her mom whilst she did all the driving in their relationship. So to hear him sounding so assertive was shocking. Madison reached across the table and squeezed her dad’s hands, “That’s just what I needed to hear dad. I don’t know how Maggie will react though.”

                       She felt her dad squeezing her hands tightly as he replied, “Does that matter? Maggie and Adam aren’t together anymore so her feelings shouldn’t concern you Maddie. That may sound harsh but it’s true. Maggie never really considered your feelings when she involved you in her little scheme to catch Adam out, now did she?”

                       Madison had told her parents everything about that night at the Garden Hotel, well apart from the sexual details of course. They’d been supportive of her starting a relationship with Maggie; although they’d not understood why she’d suddenly decided she wanted to be with another woman. They were open-minded enough though to let their daughter find her own way in life. Her dad’s words were true however harsh they were. Maggie had only seen the end goal of exposing Adam’s infidelity and, Madison hoped she’d also seen the prospect of being with her as part of her plan.

                       She went back to bed after chatting with her dad feeling confident that she was doing the right thing with Adam. When, and it was a when in the town of Clearbrook not an if, Maggie found out they were together then they’d deal with that when required. Madison found sleep easily and the last words spoken from her soft lips were, “Thank you dad.”

                       The following morning she was up bright and early with her ‘Adam’ plan firmly in her head, “I was wrong the way I tricked you with Maggie but then you were wrong to do what you did.” she mumbled the words looking at her reflection in the mirror. Today she was dressed in skinny black jeans and a tight-fitting yellow t-shirt, with sneakers on her feet and a black hoodie thrown over her t-shirt to keep out the cool breeze of late summer.                        Her long blonde hair was back in a neat plait, and she’d applied some sultry earth-toned eye shadow to her green eyes. With some lash-lengthening mascara on her already naturally long lashes and a coat of pale pink lipstick on her soft lips, Madison looked hot today and she knew it.

                      “I’m off see you later!” she called hoping to avoid the normal parent child interrogation. She sighed when she heard her mom’s voice calling out from the kitchen.

                      “Where are you going in such a hurry? What about breakfast?” her mom didn’t care if she ate breakfast or not she just wanted to know what Madison was up to.

                      “Just going out mom that’s all I won’t be long see you later,” Madison answered and hurried to the front door. She felt her mom’s hand on her arm and knew she’d have to stop in her tracks to speak to her. So turning around she smiled sweetly at her mom.

                      “Seriously mom I’m not a child you don’t have to track my every move,” she whined knowing how much her mom hated it when she whined and moaned at her. Madison’s ploy didn’t work and her mom didn’t give up.

                      “Really Madison just because you’re 22-years-old doesn’t mean I automatically stop worrying about you, I like to know where you’re going. You never answer your cell when you’re out so how else am I meant to know anything about your movements once you leave here?” her mom snapped now.

                      “Ask dad he’ll have an idea where I’m going today!” she retorted. Madison had an idea this would piss her mom off even more because Madison had chosen to confide in him and not her. She knew her dad would stick up for himself against her mom so she quickly fled out the door whilst her mom stood and contemplated her daughter’s words.

                      There was a chilly breeze and Madison hugged her hoodie around her petite frame tightly as she walked along the sidewalk toward Adam’s apartment. He didn’t live far from her parent’s house and actually hadn’t moved far from Maggie at all, which Madison knew would be for Robbie’s sake.

                      Madison was humming happily to herself as she approached his apartment but as she turned the corner her humming stopped instantly, parked outside Adam’s building was Maggie’s car. Madison recognized it immediately due to its bumper sticker claiming that the whole world should make love and not war! Madison froze to the spot and was now in a dilemma, should she continue on to Adam’s place knowing that Maggie was obviously there or turn and go back home.

                      Maggie was probably there simply discussing arrangements for Robbie; Madison knew he stayed with Adam occasionally. Madison couldn’t let Maggie see her though she didn’t want her knowing that she’d even been in touch with Adam. As she watched from her hiding place behind a bush, Madison saw Maggie leaving his apartment and going to her car. She flicked her shoulder length brown hair over her slim shoulders and glanced back at what Madison assumed to be Adam, Maggie put her hand to her lips and blew him a kiss before climbing into her car and driving off.

                      Madison was gob smacked. Did this mean they were back together again, no surely not. Maggie would never forgive him in a million years for all his cheating ways she’d always been adamant about that.
So now what go back home or carry on and visit Adam as though nothing’s happened?
Madison decided her best course of action was to continue as though she’d not seen Maggie. Her mind was racing with questions, but then it really wasn’t any of her business anyway what Maggie and Adam did together. They were parents to Robbie so Madison knew they’d stay in touch for his sake.

                      The security guard let her in winking at her as she went by
probably heard that Adam doesn’t have a sister and now thinks I’m a two-bit hooker just waiting to show Adam a good time the other night.
She made her way to Adam’s apartment with her heart pounding and her palms sweating, Madison raised a hand to knock and the door flew open before her knuckles had chance to hit the door. A very flustered looking Adam stared at her, his normally smart brushed-up black hair was now flat, and his light hazel eyes looked stressed and tired.

                      “Hey Maddie I’m just rushing out can this wait?” he asked abruptly running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to encourage it to stand-up. His efforts failed dismally and he ended up where he began, with flat black hair.

                      “Sure I’ll call you later Adam no sweat,” she answered sweetly hoping that her calm manner convinced him that she really wasn’t bothered that he was on his way out.

                      “Great Maddie speak then,” he replied as he slammed his apartment door shut and walked with her out of the building. They didn’t speak and he didn’t offer her a lift back to her parent’s house, he sped off down the road and that was that. Madison began walking home and had only gone a few steps when a familiar voice shouted to her.

                      “Maddie it’s me Maggie,” Madison tuned and saw Maggie’s car slowly driving alongside the sidewalk, the window was down and she had an elbow casually resting on the door as she spoke to Madison.

                      “Maggie fancy seeing you here, how are you?” Madison replied whilst once again trying to remain calm. Maggie looked terrific perhaps their break-up agreed with her, Madison stopped walking and made her way to the car’s open window. She’d no idea what she was going to say so she took a deep breath and began.

                                                          
Chapter Five
             

                      Madison leant down and peered in at Maggie, even close-up Maggie looked incredibly well. She didn’t look tired or upset she looked radiant.

                      “Hey Maggie, you look great,” Madison smiled realizing that her own looks didn’t match up to Maggie’s. Madison looked tired from hardly any sleep the night before and her skin tone wasn’t as warm as Maggie’s was. She didn’t enjoy sitting in the sun so that probably explained that one.

                      Maggie didn’t bounce the compliment back to Madison so she assumed that was her polite way of admitting she didn’t think the same of Madison’s appearance, “How have you been Maddie?” Maggie switched the engine off and stared at Madison intently with her hazel eyes opened wide. Madison felt as though she were peering into her very soul and would detect if she were lying or not.

                      Madison smiled and answered, “I’ve been good Maggie,” which in most ways was true. To begin with, Madison had been a mess, even though she’d been the one to leave Maggie it still hurt. Their relationship had been good and they’d grown very close, but then Robbie started to be bullied and Maggie and Madison argued more and more. Eventually as time had gone by Madison dealt with what had happened but then turned her sights back to Adam, if Maggie didn’t want him then Madison did. Now seeing Maggie leave his apartment though Madison wasn’t so sure there wasn’t anything between Maggie and Adam anymore.

                      “So how’s Robbie?” she really wanted to ask about Adam but thought she’d keep it on neutral ground for now.

                      “He’s good the bullying stopped but he misses you Maddie,” Maggie replied smiling up at Madison as she spoke and brushing her long brown hair from her eyes. It was painful to see her again. Madison still cared for both her and Robbie but knew it was best for everyone if they stayed separated.

                      “I miss him too Maggie. Have you seen much of Adam?” the question was asked there was no taking it back now. She watched as Maggie’s expression altered from friendly and placid to unfriendly and perturbed in a matter of seconds at the mere mention of his name. Did she know Madison had been to see Adam last night? 

                      “Not much no, but I’ve seen him because of Robbie. He looks well although he had a run-in with an unfriendly snake recently in Africa,” Maggie sniggered.

                      “Yes so I heard,” Madison giggled and remembered how easily they’d laughed together over the tiniest of things.

                      “That’s Clearbrook for you everybody knows your business. Apparently he thought it was poisonous and it turned out not to be, so quite a scare I’d imagine,” Maggie said. Madison only knew that he’d been bitten she knew nothing about it being non-venomous or Adam thinking it was poisonous. She felt a stab of jealousy at the fact that Maggie knew more about it than her. Madison said nothing more about the subject. “Well I better be going Maddie as Robbie’s home from school soon, it was great seeing you again.”

                       “And you take care,” Madison whispered and stood back from the car. The moment had been awkward. She was surprised they’d not met before to be honest, as Clearbrook was one of those towns where you always seemed to bump into the very people you were desperately trying to avoid. Well they’d met and they were both still breathing to tell the tale so things couldn’t have been that bad.

                      
Where were you rushing off to then I wonder Adam
he’d driven the other way down the highway, away from Maggie, and Madison now knew that Maggie was going straight home because of Robbie. She wondered if Maggie had known about her visit the night before and was perhaps waiting for Madison to bring it up. No because knowing Maggie something would’ve been mentioned, she wouldn’t have been able to help herself.

                       For a past that she was trying to forget, Madison hadn’t done very well over the last 24 hours because she’d seen both Maggie and Adam. She walked slowly back to her parent’s house mulling over the conversation with Maggie in her head. Madison envied her. She looked great and still had a close relationship with Adam even after all they’d been through. Maggie had obviously forgiven him enough to allow him back into Robbie’s life.

                       Madison’s cell rang whilst she was entering the house it was Adam calling, “Hey I was going to call you soon everything okay?”

                       “Yeah, sorry for rushing out on you earlier something came up and I needed to dash off quickly,” he answered, even the sound of his voice made Madison’s skin tingle with anticipation.

                        “That’s fine. I bumped into Maggie earlier whilst I was walking back from yours, she was driving along and pulled over,” she mumbled not wanting to make a big thing out of it but still let him know that she’d seen her.

                        “Yeah she popped into my apartment to set up when I could see Robbie again, how were things between you?”