Maddox

by Lisa Helen Gray

  I nod. “Yes. As much as this is killing me, it’s something I know I need to do for my children’s sake. The interest fees keep climbing, and I can’t up my monthly payment,” I admit, glancing away. “I-I’m so grateful.”

  She tucks my hair behind my ear. “Go home. Get some rest, and I’ll get Mary to cover your shift. She’s been wanting extra hours.”

  “I can’t do that,” I tell her.

  “You can. It’s an order. I’ll get the information off your mum on what bills need paying, and together we will get them sorted and work out a payment plan for you. Does that sound good?”

  I reach for her, pulling her into my arms before squeezing her tightly. “Thank you.”

  She stands, wiping off her trousers. “You are more than welcome. Now get home. I’ll call your mother and tell her you’re leaving early.”

  “Yes, boss,” I tease.

  She smiles before turning on her heel and leaving. Once she leaves, more tears begin to fall. It does feel like giving up in my head, but in my heart, I feel like the vice that had been wrapped around it is finally loose, giving me room to breathe.

  *** *** ***

  Groggily, I make my way down the stairs. I came home, got changed, and immediately fell asleep on top of my bed covers. Until I heard my mum walking in with the kids.

  I rub sleep out of my eyes as I step into the front room, coming wide awake when I see the bags scattered all over the floor.

  Mum looks up from a bag, beaming wide. “Darlin’, Tracey told me what you agreed to, so I thought I’d go out and get you some things.”

  “What?” I ask, stifling a yawn.

  Jasmine walks up to me, hugging my waist. “Hey, Mummy.”

  “Hey, baby,” I greet, and watch her jump on the sofa, flicking on the television, before turning back to Mum. “What are you going on about?”

  She walks up to me, cupping my cheeks before leaning in to kiss my forehead. When she pulls back, tears are in her eyes. “You’re finally accepting help.”

  “Mum, you help me all the time,” I defend, realising where this is going.

  She sniffles dramatically as she pulls back. “I’ve worried about you for so long. You are one of the strongest, most determined women I know, but you worry me. You not letting me and your father help… we lost sleep because of it. Now you are letting us and Tracey.”

  When she begins to cry, I pull her down on the sofa, keeping her close. “Mum, you cared for me when I got out of the hospital. You did it whilst helping raise my daughter. You helped me get back into work. You looked after my daughter and now my son, so I could continue to work. You saved me from myself. You were helping. More than you’ll ever know.”

  When she turns into a blubbering mess, I pull her into my arms, holding her close. “I love you.”

  Laughter spills out of me at her reaction. “I love you too, Mum. Always.”

  She pulls back, dabbing her eyes dry with a tissue she pulls out of her pocket. “Look at me, getting emotional.”

  “It’s fine,” I assure her, leaning against her. I take in the bags again and pull back. “But, Mum, what on earth is in those bags?”

  “I got you a date outfit. It’s beautiful. Whilst I was there, I got you new shoes, a bag, and a few other bits and bobs. When Tracey told me the news, I knew I could do what I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

  “And what is that?” I ask, turning from the bags to her.

  “Spoil you.”

  I laugh. “Mum, you do spoil me.”

  “Not in the way we’d like to. You give restrictions,” she explains, before dragging the closest bag over. She opens it and pulls out a bedsheet. “Now you can stop using the one you took from my house. This one is more your style.”

  It is. “Mum,” I whisper.

  She pulls another over. “I got you that salt lamp you eyed up when we went shopping too. It will look amazing in your bedroom.”

  My eyes widen as I take a look around the front room. “Mum?”

  “Don’t you dare moan at me. I get to do this—”

  “Mum,” I yell, getting up.

  She stands, yelling back. “You don’t need to yell. I’m right here.”

  “Where is Asher?” I breathe out when panic begins to rise in my chest.

  “Your Maddox bumped into me when I came to get your size out the wardrobe.”

  I gape at her. “You came here whilst I was asleep?” And I didn’t wake up?

  “Yes.”

  “And Maddox?”

  “Was on his way to work and offered to take Asher.”

  I press my hands to my cheeks, feeling them heat, before I rush to my phone. “Mum, Maddox works in construction. All that dust and whatever won’t be good for the baby.”

  “I don’t think he’s actually going to put him to work,” Mum mutters.

  The phone rings in my ear, and I tap my foot restlessly on the floor. “Evening, sunshine.”

  “Maddox, please tell me you didn’t let Asher around your workplace,” I rush out.

  “Does being in the bed and breakfast count?”

  “So, he wasn’t inside the new build?”

  “No,” he answers. “Everything okay?”

  I run my hand through my hair, narrowing my gaze on my mum. “Yeah. I was just worried.”

  “He’s safe with me. And we didn’t stay long, just long enough to let Mark know he was in charge. Then we went to Lily’s.”

  “You’re at Lily’s?”

  “No, I’m at my mum’s now.”

  My brows pull together. “Wait, I didn’t pack enough stuff for him to be gone this long. Have you changed his nappy?”

  “No,” he admits.

  I slump down in the chair. “Maddox, you need to bring him back now. Being in a nappy that long can cause problems.”

  “Your mum said he had been changed before she left the house, then Lily changed him when we got to hers, and my mum just changed him. I didn’t need to do it.”

  “How did you have enough stuff?”

  “Why are you acting weird? I got what he needed from the box of stuff beside your sofa.”

  My brows pull together. “What? How? I thought you were out.”

  “I was, but after we used the last nappy at Lily’s, I drove to yours and grabbed more.”

  “I was asleep,” I push out, wondering if I’m still asleep because this conversation is confusing as hell.

  “I know. I didn’t want to wake you, so I let myself in.”

  “Let yourself in?” I repeat, gaping.

  “Yeah, with your spare key. I nabbed it the other day. Anyway, we’re coming back soon. I’ve got a surprise for Jasmine.”

  “What?”

  “One of the neighbours’ kids has outgrown her bike, so she put it out the front for free. I’ve grabbed it. It’s that ice princess too, so she’ll love it. I’ll check it over to make sure everything is okay before I give it to her.”

  “I—what?”

  I hear his heavy sigh into the phone. “Look, if you need another hour to get more sleep, let me know. You’re acting weird.”

  “This conversation is weird.”

  His soft chuckle sends a shiver up my spine. “Be back soon.”

  Mum looks at me knowingly when I hold the phone in my lap. He put the phone down. “I’m going to head back, but I’ll be back in the morning to help out.”

  “You don’t need to do that. You’re already babysitting tomorrow night.”

  She waves me off as she grabs her handbag off the floor. “I’m happy to.”

  After saying our goodbyes, I head back into the room, flopping down on the sofa. Jasmine tucks her legs up over mine, and arches her eyebrow. “Mum? What’s a bikini wax?”

  “What? Where did you hear that?”

  She shrugs. “Nanny said she’s going to book you in for one.”

  I groan, covering my eyes with my arm. I’m going to kill my mother.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  MAD
DOX

  Freshly showered and changed, and finished for the day, I leave to head over to Amelia’s. I’m hoping she’s in a better mood this evening. This morning, she had been tense, on edge and acting weird. If I snored through the night, all she had to do was say. I could give her ear buds.

  Locking up, I take one step onto the drive, and stop at the sight of Kayne running out of the house. “What is this?” he cries out, wiping white gunky stuff off his face and chest.

  “The smell,” Cassie cries, opening the upstairs window. She gags with her head out of the window.

  One of Kayne’s friends stops at the end of the path, eyes wide and unblinking. “Why the fuck does it look like you’ve got a bucket of spunk tipped all over you?”

  “He likes the boys,” is whispered, and I inwardly groan.

  The lad looks around as he takes a step back. “I’ll, um, I’ll speak to you later.”

  My attention goes back to the house as other windows upstairs are opened, the same with the two downstairs facing the street. Three girls and two more lads hang out, their eyes red and their skin a sickly green colour.

  “Colour me amused,” I hear hissed from close by, and I spin around to the sound, just as a cloud of neon green glitter explodes all over Kayne.

  “What the fuck?” Kayne roars, trying to wipe it away. It only makes it worse. “You!”

  I point to my chest, unable to hide my amusement. “Me?”

  “You did this,” he hisses.

  “Sorry, princess, but I’ve got no hand in this,” I admit.

  “I’m not a fucking princess.”

  I lean over the fence a little, whispering. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but you look like a female unicorn that just got gang-banged.”

  “You fucking prick,” he roars, going to take a step towards me, but another cloud of glitter explodes, leaving him blind and tripping over his own feet.

  Laughter spills out of me when I hear screams coming from inside the house. Another glitter bomb is catapulted through the window, then another, and another.

  “My bed,” Cassie cries.

  I squint into the branches, chuckling when I see my uncle lying on his stomach, the gun he and my uncle Myles built in his hand. It was meant to be for water bombs, but clearly, he changed it to hold glitter bombs.

  “What is that smell?” someone yells.

  “Get it off me!” Kayne screeches. “My balls are burning.” He begins to choke, pink glitter shooting out of his mouth.

  I watch him stagger back to the house, tail between his legs, before heading over to the tree. I look up, arching an eyebrow.

  “How long have you had that camouflage hazmat suit?” I ask.

  Max grins, jumping down from the tree. Looking back, he did it with finesse, with the grace of a cat, but when he lands like a baby deer walking for the first time, it’s anything but smooth.

  I hold my hand out to him and he takes it, before wiping his hands down his suit. He lifts the goggles up, grinning like a cat who got the cream. “Glitter is a fucking bitch to get out. And did you see the new concoction me and Hayden came up with? It really does look like thick semen.”

  “How do you even have time for this?”

  “How do you not?” he argues. “You’re just jealous that I came up with something good.”

  I snort. “I have an idea myself you know. I just don’t have time to pull it off.”

  “Yeah right.”

  “I do!”

  He crosses his arms over his chest after sliding the gun over his back. “And do tell us what this plan is.”

  “No, because I can’t do it anyway, and I’m not having you talk me into it. I’m getting sick of being taken to the station because of you.”

  He smirks at me with that cocky look of his. “You didn’t have anything good, did you?”

  I narrow my gaze on him. “Yes, I did. Our lofts are connected. I was going to sneak in each night and make them think they are being haunted.”

  “Don’t they party all night?” he asks.

  I sigh, leaning against his car at the end of the drive. “Yeah, and I’m working all day, hence the reason why I can’t do it.”

  He glances up at the house, looking deep in thought. “So, they’re connected, huh?”

  “Max,” I warn. “Dad’s dealt with it.”

  “Doesn’t seem like it. They’re still living there.”

  “Whatever,” I mutter. “I need to go.”

  His grin spreads. “Over to Amelia’s?”

  “Yes. I have dinner there.”

  He straightens with that look I know all too well. He’s hungry. He licks his lips. “I heard her food was good.”

  I snort. “Hate to tell you this, but they were lying. It’s her mum who’s the cook. Amelia’s food is crap. Its why her mum normally leaves edible food around.”

  He scratches his head. “I must have heard wrong.”

  “Right. And don’t you want to do the back windows before you leave?” I offer.

  He swings the gun to the front, putting his game face on. “Those fuckers are going to shit glitter by the time I’m done with them.”

  “Have fun,” I call out, taking a step into the road, ready for my dinner.

  “Always do, kid. Always do.”

  I shake my head as I pick up speed, running up Amelia’s path. I knock on the door, and seconds later, I hear Jasmine. “It’s Maddox!”

  I grin, jumping forward when she opens the door. “Roar!”

  She squeals, jumping back. “I’ll get you back for that.”

  Breathing hard, Amelia races to the door. “Jasmine, what have I told you about opening the door.”

  Cocking her hip, Jasmine rolls her eyes at her mum. “But he always comes for dinner.”

  I push my way inside. “I really do.”

  Amelia’s cheeks turn pink as she steps back. She’s still acting weird, not looking me in the eye. “I’m doing jacket potatoes and chicken.”

  I rub my stomach and kick the door shut behind me. “Sounds amazing.”

  Just before the door clicks shut, Amelia’s eyes widen. “Is that your uncle in a camouflage hazmat suit?”

  I wave her off. “No. Next door have a flea infestation.”

  Horror washes over her expression. “Really?”

  I nod. “Horrible.”

  “Yeah,” she murmurs, before a shiver rakes through her body.

  “Want any help?”

  “If you don’t mind. Asher’s down for a nap so I’ll have time to prepare everything.”

  Jasmine races ahead, diving onto the sofa to watch the cartoon channel. Before I let it pull me in, I follow Amelia into the kitchen. Everything is set out on the counter. There’s cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, carrots and a mix of veggies to make coleslaw.

  The door knocks again, and Amelia looks up, her face paling. “I’ll get that. It will be my mum.”

  “You okay?”

  She forces a smile, wiping her hands on the dish towel. “Yeah.”

  I grab the chopping board as she leaves to answer the door. I relax when I hear her mum. “Sweetie, what did I tell you? You need to pamper yourself.”

  “I have two kids and things to do, dinner to make,” she tells her. “And can we not talk about this.”

  I beam at her mum as she comes to a stop in the kitchen doorway. She shares a look with her daughter, making me question whether there is more to Amelia’s behaviour. “Maddox, what a pleasant surprise.”

  “You staying for dinner?” I ask, as I hand Amelia the knife.

  She begins to work on chopping up the salad, handing me the bowl to put the coleslaw ingredients in.

  She holds out a piece of cucumber, and I close my lips around it, not taking my gaze away from the task. I place the ingredients into the bowl, and she passes me the mayo before pulling out another bowl and emptying some tuna into it. I finish mixing the coleslaw before grabbing another plate, then reach for the cheese grater Amelia hands me. />
  We make quick work of putting dinner together when suddenly, her mum begins to laugh. We stop what we’re doing, glancing up at her. She’s watching us in amusement, her eyes alight with happiness.

  “What?” Amelia asks.

  “How long have you two been married?”

  I choke on the piece of onion I stole from Amelia’s board. I bang my chest as it heaves, and my nose begins to burn. “Shit!” I croak out.

  “Me and your father have been married for many decades, and we still don’t have that kind of rhythm together. If your father tried to help me in the kitchen, it would be a disaster.”

  “Mum,” Amelia groans.

  “To be honest, I’m normally a disaster in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I can pick up a plate with food on, even watch someone cook, but the minute I put my hands on any cutlery, it’s over. Amelia makes it kind of easy.”

  “I bet,” Nita murmurs, smirking at her daughter.

  I clear my throat. “Are you staying for dinner? Amelia makes loads.”

  Her brows pull together. “Of course. I’m here to babysit the kids.”

  My attention snaps to Amelia. “What? Where are you going?”

  “Um, nowhe—”

  “She has a date,” Nita interrupts, staring at me weirdly.

  I rear back, glancing at Amelia. She’s going on a date? With who? Why didn’t I know about this?

  “You’re going on a date?”

  “Yes, my—”

  “He’s so handsome. He has a respectful job, is polite, and did I mention handsome?” Nita comments as she grabs the jacket potatoes out of the oven.

  I can’t believe she would do this to me. To us.

  “You can’t go on a date,” I demand, my tone high, screechy.

  “Why not?” she asks, slowly placing her knife down on the chopping board.

  I gulp, stepping back. “Because you have kids?”

  “I’m going,” she tells me, straightening her shoulders, the uncertainty from the past two days leaving her body. Now, in front of me stands a determined, confident woman.

  What is going on?

  “I’ll babysit the kids,” I blurt out.

  Maybe then I can see who this dick is.

  “You will?” Amelia asks, her eyes wide. “But you just said—"