Page 40 of Valley
“Fuck!” I snarled, standing up so quickly Bunny stumbled. I rushed after Madeline. This was the last thing she needed to see, especially with Sean playing the doting suitor.
I saw her slip into the bathroom and quickly entered a nearby vacant room. When the bathroom door opened, I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door shut.
“We need to talk,” I murmured, trapping her against the door with my hands.
She was visibly startled but quickly collected herself, her gaze meeting mine with an unwavering intensity. “There’s nothing left to talk about,” she said, her voice cold and distant.
“Madeline, I—”
“No,” she cut me off, her voice shaky now. She attempted to slip out from between me and the door, but I was quicker. “Let go of me.”
“Not until we talk, Madeline,” I said, desperation seeping through my voice that took me by surprise.
“Look,” I began, my voice rough with frustration and longing. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry...” Her eyes held mine, but they were so full of pain that it took every ounce of my strength not to pull her into my arms right then and there.
“I never wanted to hurt you,” I continued. “But I did.... I did because I was stupid and scared.”
Her gaze dropped to her feet, and she let out a heavy sigh. An awkward silence enveloped between us as she thought.
“Why were you scared?” She finally murmured, without looking up at me.
She didn’t understand; how could she?
And how could I explain it to her?
“Because I was falling in love with you, Madeline,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. Her head jerked up, surprise etching her features, but she didn’t say anything. “I was scared because... because no woman has ever made me feel the way you do.”
There was just no way I could tell her about Kezia, not here, not now, it wasn’t the right time.
“And how do I make you feel?” she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
I moved closer to her until our bodies were touching. “Like every moment with you is something beautiful and terrifying at the same time,” I confessed.
Her breath hitched, and she looked away. I could see the confusion playing in her eyes, and it killed me that I had been the one to put it there.
“Just... just give me a chance to make this right, Madeline,” I pleaded. “Let me show you that I’m not that same coward who hurt you.”
She looked at me then and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hope in her eyes. But then it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“I... I can’t,” she said at last, breaking eye contact. “Too much damage has been done. You let Val... do that to you... and probably others. The hurt is too deep.”
“It was all pretend. Nothing happened, not with Val or anyone else,” I insisted.
She gave me a small smile filled with sadness before replying, “I don’t believe you, Jarrod. If Sean hadn’t come out, would you have stopped Val?” The question took me by surprise, and it took me a second to digest, but that was a second too long. “Move out of my way.”
“I wouldn’t...” I started, but she cut me off with a push.
“Save it Jarrod, my eyes and ears don’t lie. I know what I saw. Now move.”
“Just remember this,” I told her, pulling her close, my lips brushing against her ear. “I’m not giving up on you, Madeline. You’re mine, and I’ll kill any man who gets close to you, starting with that fucker, Sean.”
She shivered in my embrace, her breath hitching as my words sank in. I released her, letting her step back and take a deep breath. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions—confusion, desire, and anger.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” she warned, her voice barely above a whisper. “I have enough to deal with, and I’ll be with whoever I want. It’s none of your business, Jarrod.”
I smirked, my cocky grin making a sudden appearance.“Try me.”
With that, I opened the door and let her slip out, watching as she walked away. I couldn’t help but admire the sway of her hips, the way her body moved. She truly was the total package and mine. I was determined to make her see it.