blonde has on what has to be six inch silver heels. Mitch hugs them both, before his eyes lock on her belly.
“Maddie, look at you.”
“Mhm, it’s somethin’ huh? You’ve missed a lot, you know?” she asks, fanning herself with her pink clutch purse. “I’ve got some things for you at home. I’d have brought them but sometimes we tend to forget who died,” she snaps.
Oh my God. Who is this woman? Pump your brakes, Maddie. You’re slamming right into a train wreck!
“Madison!” the other woman says, slapping her on the arm. “You promised you wouldn’t do this here. Not today.”
“Sorry, Diya, did I say that?” Maddie asks, swatting her away. “We’ll be blamin’ that on pregnancy brain and my upcoming outburst on the hormones.” Her eyes harden as she glares at Mitch. Stepping forward, she jabs him in the chest with her finger. “You’re not the only one who lost Becky. She was my best friend,” Maddie chokes out, her blue eyes filling with tears. “Then we lost you, too. We got a shit deal, buddy. You moved away with no warning. Don’t visit, won’t answer calls… Shep is deployed, did you know that? We all used to mean something to you. When Becky died, it’s like you died right along with her.”
Oh no she didn’t…
Mitch’s jaw ticks, angrily, as he stares her down. “I. Did.” Slipping his sunglasses back over his face, he shakes his head. “I don’t wish it on anyone, Mad. Thanks for coming. Congratulations on the baby. ”
Not waiting for anyone to say anything, Mitch stomps away. My eyes go to Maddie and I shake my head. “Totally classy. Today of all days.”
“You don’t know shit about me or what any of us have been through,” she bites out, a tear slipping down her cheek.
“I don’t need to,” I fire back. Stepping up to her, I jerk my chin in the direction Mitch just took off in. “He’s who I’m here for.”
I glance at a smug looking Luke before turning to go after Mitch. I stumble in my heels, trying to keep up with his much longer legs. “Mitch, if I break my heel, I’m kicking your ass,”
He doesn’t slow down, or even acknowledge me following him. Digging in his pocket, he stops at an old brown truck and yanks open the door. “For fuck’s sake, would you stop?” I shout, grabbing his arm.
Spinning around to face me, he doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t need to. The red-rimmed brown eyes staring down into mine say it all. Releasing his arm, I step around him and slide across the old leather bench seat of the truck. Gripping the top of the door, he looks at me in shock. “Well, at least it’s not your truck you’re tryin’ to steal this time,” I point out, patting the seat. “What are ya waitin’ for? Take me for a ride.”
Blowing out a breath, he climbs into the cab. The engine roars to life, taking me by surprise. Clearly, by the looks of it, the engine has had more tender loving care than the rest of the truck. Shifting into gear, Mitch pulls out of the spot and heads toward the cemetery exit.
Neither of us says a word, but the silence is deafening. I have a million questions I want to ask, so much I want to say to him, but I hesitate. Nothing I can come up with sounds right in my head. His mood doesn’t seem like he is up for chit chatting about anything right now. Wringing my hands in my lap, I stare ahead the road that lies before us, wondering what is going on inside his head right now and where he is taking us. Turning on a road, he heads away from all the shops and stores I saw while driving in with Luke.
After a while, Mitch steers off the main road, onto an old dirt path barely big enough for the truck to drive on without cutting into the ditch line. To the left of us is nothing but mountains for what looks like miles. To the right is the river.
Pulling off onto a patch of flat ground, Mitch parks the truck and shuts off the engine. Flinging open the door, he climbs out, striping off his jacket. Working the knot loose
“Maddie, look at you.”
“Mhm, it’s somethin’ huh? You’ve missed a lot, you know?” she asks, fanning herself with her pink clutch purse. “I’ve got some things for you at home. I’d have brought them but sometimes we tend to forget who died,” she snaps.
Oh my God. Who is this woman? Pump your brakes, Maddie. You’re slamming right into a train wreck!
“Madison!” the other woman says, slapping her on the arm. “You promised you wouldn’t do this here. Not today.”
“Sorry, Diya, did I say that?” Maddie asks, swatting her away. “We’ll be blamin’ that on pregnancy brain and my upcoming outburst on the hormones.” Her eyes harden as she glares at Mitch. Stepping forward, she jabs him in the chest with her finger. “You’re not the only one who lost Becky. She was my best friend,” Maddie chokes out, her blue eyes filling with tears. “Then we lost you, too. We got a shit deal, buddy. You moved away with no warning. Don’t visit, won’t answer calls… Shep is deployed, did you know that? We all used to mean something to you. When Becky died, it’s like you died right along with her.”
Oh no she didn’t…
Mitch’s jaw ticks, angrily, as he stares her down. “I. Did.” Slipping his sunglasses back over his face, he shakes his head. “I don’t wish it on anyone, Mad. Thanks for coming. Congratulations on the baby. ”
Not waiting for anyone to say anything, Mitch stomps away. My eyes go to Maddie and I shake my head. “Totally classy. Today of all days.”
“You don’t know shit about me or what any of us have been through,” she bites out, a tear slipping down her cheek.
“I don’t need to,” I fire back. Stepping up to her, I jerk my chin in the direction Mitch just took off in. “He’s who I’m here for.”
I glance at a smug looking Luke before turning to go after Mitch. I stumble in my heels, trying to keep up with his much longer legs. “Mitch, if I break my heel, I’m kicking your ass,”
He doesn’t slow down, or even acknowledge me following him. Digging in his pocket, he stops at an old brown truck and yanks open the door. “For fuck’s sake, would you stop?” I shout, grabbing his arm.
Spinning around to face me, he doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t need to. The red-rimmed brown eyes staring down into mine say it all. Releasing his arm, I step around him and slide across the old leather bench seat of the truck. Gripping the top of the door, he looks at me in shock. “Well, at least it’s not your truck you’re tryin’ to steal this time,” I point out, patting the seat. “What are ya waitin’ for? Take me for a ride.”
Blowing out a breath, he climbs into the cab. The engine roars to life, taking me by surprise. Clearly, by the looks of it, the engine has had more tender loving care than the rest of the truck. Shifting into gear, Mitch pulls out of the spot and heads toward the cemetery exit.
Neither of us says a word, but the silence is deafening. I have a million questions I want to ask, so much I want to say to him, but I hesitate. Nothing I can come up with sounds right in my head. His mood doesn’t seem like he is up for chit chatting about anything right now. Wringing my hands in my lap, I stare ahead the road that lies before us, wondering what is going on inside his head right now and where he is taking us. Turning on a road, he heads away from all the shops and stores I saw while driving in with Luke.
After a while, Mitch steers off the main road, onto an old dirt path barely big enough for the truck to drive on without cutting into the ditch line. To the left of us is nothing but mountains for what looks like miles. To the right is the river.
Pulling off onto a patch of flat ground, Mitch parks the truck and shuts off the engine. Flinging open the door, he climbs out, striping off his jacket. Working the knot loose
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