by W.J. Smith
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Proven Steadfast
As always, Chase came in with perfect timing. Madison had just put the finishing touches on the spaghetti sauce and was rinsing the noodles when he hopped down the stairs. "I smell dinner!"
She laughed at his enduring sunniness and nodded at the pot. "Help yourself, it's ready."
Steam wafted upward as he lifted the lid. "Are those meatballs?" Closing his eyes, he leaned in and inhaled noisily.
"Yep." Madison filled a squared plate with the spaghetti and passed it to him. "Hope you're hungry."
"Famished!"
She watched him pile on the sauce and chase a few meatballs around in the deep pot. "Is Skyler going to come down or should I go tell him it's ready?"
"Don't worry about it." He popped a meatball in his mouth and turned to the stairs. "I'll get him."
The sound of Chase's hurried steps faded as Madison filled another plate and carried the two to the table. She was working on the third when he padded back down the stairs.
"I'll just take him a plate." He reached for the dish in her hands.
"He doesn't want to come down?"
Chases bobbed his head. "He's not ready to slow down yet, much less stop. Eat on the go, I guess."
She let him take the plate from her. "Could we all eat up there?" She was really looking forward to sitting down with them, especially Skyler.
"Another time. I'll pull him away from the wheel before too much longer." He grew serious for a breath. "I think we should let him have this one."
Knowing Chase was right, she swallowed her frown and pulled a can of soda from the fridge and passed it to him as well.
"Don't worry," he winked. "You won't be completely deprived. You'll have me for company!" He gave a silly smile and went his way to deliver Skyler's dinner.
She stood in the kitchen as it was once again empty. Her hopes for a few heartening moments with Skyler withered away. She told herself that it was only the stress of the situation, and that he would be back to his old self shortly. But there was also the dark, nagging thought that echoed in the back of her mind ...she brought this mess to him.
The corner table felt big to Madison with only her and Chase to fill it. He stretched out across the booth and leaned comfortably against the wall behind him. She kept herself confined to the area of the thick blue placemat in front of her as she sat in a white wooden chair.
"I brought some movies if you want to watch one later." Chase had been doing all the talking since he came back into the kitchen. She could tell he was trying to cheer her up, but she was to the point that she was all right with being down.
"Maybe," she shrugged and twirled noodles around her fork. "I think I might turn in early. Kind of tired."
He raised the blind beside him and peered out. "The sun is still out. How early are you planning on calling it a day?"
"It's been a long day already."
"Maybe so," he said. "But I bet a movie will help that. I'll even let you pick which one we watch."
She didn't answer. A movie wouldn't help. It would only distract her for an hour or two. Then reality would be there waiting to drown her as soon as it was over. It would only delay the inevitable. What was the inevitable? It was too early to tell.
"He's going to be fine." Chase's words sounded misplaced at first. Madison raised her eyes to him to decipher his meaning. He was talking about Skyler. "He's had worse."
"He said the same thing."
"When we met for the second time, to sign the lease agreement, he looked like he had been hit by a bus or something," Chase said with a smirk. "He claimed it was a bar fight and went on like it was the norm. I didn't question him any about it, and it never came back up, until today, I guess. But this one only looks like he stepped out in front of a truck."
"He's not a vigilante," she sighed. "And I'm not a security guard." He looked unimpressed with her confession. "It's probably best you forget about us as soon as we're out of your hair."
"Why would I do that?"
"We're con-artists, Chase. I've yet to meet a safe I couldn't crack, and Skyler is our frontman. We scam people." He didn't flinch. She shook her head and went on. "My fiancé organized the jobs, and we carried them out. We knew it wasn't right, but the people we targeted weren't exactly respectable people themselves. Morgan sought out those who were getting fat on others' hard work. We stole from thieves. But that doesn't make it right."
He finally stirred, sitting upright as he eyed her. "I know who you are," he said.
"How? And why would you still be here if you did?"
Chase half smiled and leaned forward on his elbows. "I have a lot of time on my hands and lots of research tools at my disposal. My dad is a super-jeweler. He owns a bunch of stores here and internationally. You could understand his need to research his potential clients and employees. I looked into Skyler's information before agreeing to the lease. He had a few rough spots but nothing that I would hold against him. You too."
She went back to twirling the noodles. "You knew this whole time? And you still went along with this? Why?"
"I know I haven't known you two for long, but I have a feeling." He hesitated and chuckled under his breath, then went on, "You both have good intentions. You just got mixed up with the wrong crowd. If you two were given another chance to start over fresh, you would change your course and follow the rules. Maybe this is the second chance you guys need. What would you do differently?"
She would do nearly everything differently. But second chances weren't real, were they? They're mythical. This was real life, and real life had consequences. One couldn't simply wish away their past. They carried it with them. One could only learn and grow.
"You'll see," Chase nodded. "It'll get better from here. Just hang in there."
Only one thing would make her feel better. "Has he said anything?"
He shook his head. "Not much. I think he's a little stretched right now. But give him time, he'll come around."
"I hope you're right."
Madison poked at the pasta that was left on her plate. Her appetite was gone. Chase went back to chattering by himself. She forced a smile every now and again to make him think she was listening, wondering what she could do to mollify Skyler. It seemed to work. He never slowed until he left to go back to the upper deck.
It took her longer than needed to clean up the kitchen. She meticulously scrubbed each dish and piece of silverware then checked all the cabinets to find where they belonged. The leftovers fit in the fridge after the third attempt to rearrange everything inside.
She put on a pot of coffee out of habit. She didn't want any but figured the guys would like some to help combat the winter weather and to fuel their constant activity. Nevertheless, when it was finished brewing, she poured herself a cup.
The quiet kitchen filled her vision as she sat at the table and clutched the mug. The coffee's warmth felt good as it seeped through the ceramic and reached her tired hands. The drone of the motor blended with the sound of the water breaking around the vessel. It was oddly calming. The stillness gave her solace.
Dwindling daylight was slowly replaced by the mellow glow of the kitchen's lighting as she held her place. Evening faded into night.
A shadowy figure slipped by and pulled her from her daze. She hadn't heard anyone come down the stairs. He moved on with near silence. She blinked her dry eyes to see clearly. It was Skyler.
"There's some coffee," she blurted out before he could disappear down the dark hall. "I'll get you a cup, if you want."
He slowed and half turned to her, his eyes not quite meeting hers as he looked out from under the bill of his hat. "No, no coffee." He must have been cold with his hands in his pockets and his popped collar hiding most of his face. "I'm just going to ..." He gave a small nod toward the hall, then trailed off. "I didn't think you'd still be up. You should get some rest."
She didn't offer a reply as he lowered his head and melted into the blackness of the hallway. What could she say? He was still forlorn. Her heart ached for him. She missed his strong presence. It had been replaced with a defeated aura.
Feeling useless, Madison gave up her station and went to her room. Light spilled from beneath the bathroom door and faintly illuminated the hall. She sat on the edge of the bed and fell back in its softness. Her body was ready for sleep, but she wondered if her mind would let her. It was worth a try.
She crawled to the middle of the bed and curled up with a pillow hugged to her chest. Her eyes stared at the blank wall, and she did her best not to think. She didn't know the time, where they were, or where they were going, but she knew everything was out of her control. It would be pointless to fret over what was out of her hands. But she still did. She couldn't help it.
It took awhile, but she eventually began to drift. Her eyes felt heavy, and she let them slide closed. The movement of the boat was rocking her to sleep. She almost smiled at the thought of appreciating her time on the vessel. Never did she dream she would find peace on one.
She must have slept. The rocking continued, but everything seemed quieter. She wanted to keep sleeping. Time passed easily that way. Snuggling the pillow tighter, she held to the warm spot beneath her. Her eyes eased open as she thought to wait for the retreating slumber. Something was different. She wasn't alone. There was someone beside the bed.
Madison automatically flinched away from the being before she could tell herself there was nothing to be afraid of. Skyler didn't move as he sat with his back against the wall, and his knees pulled to his chest as if he were a frightened child. Her heart raced as she remembered to breathe. "What is it?" she mumbled. "What's wrong?"
There wasn't an answer from him. He kept still. Because his face was well hidden in the darkness, she couldn't tell whether or not he was looking at her. She gave him a few moments then sat up to take a closer look.
He stirred at her movement with one hand weakly waving her away. He had been watching her, but now he bowed his head.
She shifted to the edge of the bed and peered down at him. "Are you all right?"
"Chase told me what happened," he whispered. "He told me what you did." He hesitated. She didn't try to rush him as she was unknowing where he was going with this. "Morgan said they caught you when you tried to run. He said that they dragged you back. He told me that they needed to get Levi's bullet back and that you cried for him." Skyler slowed again. His voice trembled when he went on, "Morgan said that you begged him to help you and that he let you cling to him. He told me that he was going to kill you himself and that it was my fault for trying to hide you from him. He said he was going to make me dig a grave and put us both in it. I knew that I'd never see you again, and that I did this. I didn't know what to think when you walked in. We already lost.
"But Chase tells me that you chose to go with them. He said that you could have gotten away but that you willingly went to them. You came back for me."
"I couldn't just leave you ..."
He raised his hand again to cut her off. She could see his face a little better as her eyes adjusted to the dark. He looked as troubled as he sounded. "I made a promise. I gave my word. Your father asked me to keep you safe, and I said that I would. How am I supposed to do that when you put yourself in danger because you think you have to look out for me?"
She ignored him this time when he tried to wave her away. Madison climbed down to the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're looking at it all wrong," she said softly. "You've kept your word. I'm just fine. You've taken care of me. But I need to do the same for you. That's how this works. We take care of each other."
There wasn't any change in him. He didn't return her embrace as his arms hung limp at his sides. She held him anyway, wishing she had known he had bore his promise to her dad all this time. "That was more than two decades ago," she whispered against his neck. "I'm sure he didn't mean to leave you stuck with me that long."
"I though I lost you," he muttered. "I gave up. I'm sorry."
She couldn't answer him. She didn't know what to say. Everything sounded wrong in her head, and she was afraid it would come out even worse. But much to her relief, she didn't have to say anything. His arms came around her, and he held her tight, nearly squeezing the breath out of her. They were all right.
Neither moved or spoke a word for several minutes. Skyler's hold didn't weaken the entire time. Madison eventually shifted back to look at him and took his face in her hands. She gave an encouraging smile when his eyes found hers. He looked much better; as if he took the weight of the world off his shoulders for a change.
"You must be tired," he quietly said.
"Funny," she smirked and traced the bag under his good eye with her thumb, "I was about to say the same thing."
He smiled. Finally. She drank it up. It had been too long since he last smiled.
They stood together. Skyler kept her hand snug within his. He acted as if he had more to tell, and she waited. He kept whatever it was to himself.
She nodded at the bed. "Come on, get some sleep. You've earned it."
Turning on her side after crawling across the bed, Madison watched him ease into the bedding as if he thought it was breakable. It took him a moment to settle in, but once he was still, he closed his eyes and looked like he was already sleeping. His hand never left hers.
She studied him and thought back to the first time she spent a night with him. It was a few months after she had gotten her own place. Heading home late one night, she noticed a man from the diner following her. She went straight to Skyler's for help. He was sleeping. At least it looked that way when he opened the door to halt her knocking. She franticly told him what was going on, and he immediately strode over to the guy's car. She never knew what was said, but when he came back, he closed the door like nothing happened and assured her all was well. He asked if she would like him to take her home or if she wanted to stay. He gave her his bed and slept on the couch. She couldn't sleep because of still being afraid of the man coming back, so she climbed onto the couch with Skyler. He never said a word, letting her cuddle against him. He put an arm around her and went back to sleep. That was the first time she realized he was no longer the kid she remembered him to be. He was grown, big and strong, and he kept her safe.
With a smile of nostalgia, she squeezed his hand and closed her eyes.
"Stay," his voice came in a breathy whisper. She opened her eyes and looked to him, wondering if she imagined him speaking. "Stay here with me."
She was slow to answer. "I'm not going anywhere."
His eyes raised to hers as he pulled her hand to his chest. "I love you. I always have. I don't know what's taken me so long to do something about it. I would like it if you would stay with me. We can make it official if you want. The whole picture. Marry me and stay, please. Forever or always, your pick."
His words were like a dream come true. She let them silence all her other thoughts and savored their sweetness. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she couldn't keep from smiling. "Nothing would make me happier."
He matched her smile and shifted closer and gave her a tender kiss. "Thank you." He brushed the curls from her face and tucked them behind her ear.
Madison looked at him and ran her fingers across his stubbly cheek. "You've been the only constant in my life," she offered. "That means more to me than you will ever know. You're my best friend. I love you." She closed her eyes and whispered, "Forever."
"Hmm?"
"You said 'forever or always'. I'll be forever if you'll be always." She laughed to herself, feeling silly after saying it out loud.
He gave a soft chuckle. "Always."