Jack (Secret Revenge #1)

by Robin Edwards

  “Okay,” he said. “So the bad news is, you still have to take Alexandra to Ohio. The good news is that you get the next week off to prepare, with pay of course, and they are going to give you a bonus plus pay for your little sister to go with you. See, it’s not so bad. Most likely you’ll get there, show her around and then you won’t even hear from her for a week.”

  Maddie leaned back in the chair and shut her eyes, trying to imagine the look on Sophie’s face when she told her to pack up they were going back to Ohio for two weeks. The last place Maddie wanted to go back to was where she grew up, and everyone treated her like a porcelain doll ever since her parents died. She did not want to have to answer questions from the nosy townspeople that had known her all her life. Most of them didn’t even know she was gone until she had landed in California and her best friend Loren had decided to open her mouth to the other girls in town.

  “Fine,” Maddie said as she swung forward and slammed her hand on the desk. “But you are taking me out for a drink tonight damn it. I have had my share of assholes today, and I can promise you, my sister is going to be an asshole when she finds out her summer vacation is going to be spent partly in our hometown.”

  “Yes!” Angel’s face lit up, and Maddie could see his wheels turning, something that made her instantly regret mentioning going out. “Girl, we are going to have so much fun tonight. I am bringing you an outfit; these cotton shirts won’t do here in Southern Cali nightlife! Oh, wait, DAMN IT! I can’t do honey tonight; I am part of this amazing drag show downtown, and I have practice. We will do it when you get back, promise.”

  Maddie pretended to be disappointed and walked over to her desk to collect her belongings since it was nearly seven and her sister had texted her three times acting as if she would die any minute from starvation. The ride back home was pleasant since Angel gave Maddie his driver so she wouldn’t have to take the train back with coffee matted red hair and smelling like sour milk. Maddie leaned her head against the cracked window and looked out over the water as they drove across the strand, a thin piece of land surrounded by ocean that ran between Coronado and Imperial Beach. The waves were beautiful, and Maddie was looking forward to spending the next week laying on the beach with her sister and discovering her new home. That is before she is being ripped away and flown back to town to babysit some dive queen while she pouts about her unhappy existence. Maddy was taking that bonus and adding it to the bank account her and her sister set up several years before. They were trying to save up for a trip to Europe so they could see all the fantastic museums and artwork.

  When Maddie got home, Sophie jumped up from the couch and ran over to give her sister a hug, stopping short and scrunching up her nose at the smell of old coffee. She looked at Maddie for a moment with suspicion and started to open her mouth to inquire why Maddie looked like she had been to war. Maddie held up her hand at Sophie and just shook her head, throwing her dry cleaned jacket on the table next to her keys and plopping down on the chair. She had decided to wait until tomorrow to give her sister the news since she didn’t have the patience to listen to her moan and whine about it.

  Sophie walked into the kitchen after seeing that her sister was exhausted and pulled a frozen pizza from the freezer. She pre-heated the oven and stood by the stove waiting to put the pizza in. After the pizza was in and the timer was started Sophie walked back out into the living room to let Maddie know dinner was cooking but found her sound asleep, curled up in a ball on the couch. Sophie pulled a blanket from the closet, turned off the light and the television and covered her sister up, kissing her on the forehead before tiptoeing back to her cooking pizza.

  Maddie didn’t stir from that couch all night, nor did she have a single dream. Dreams were pretty average for Maddie, and she preferred to call them nightmares since she always woke from them in a sweaty mess. Maddie took sleeping medication regularly to help her sleep without dreaming of her dead parents, something she dreamt about since they passed away. However, tonight she didn’t need anything but a soft couch and warm blanket, especially knowing she didn’t have to get up in the morning for work. The next day would be relaxation and the sun, or so she thought.

  Chapter Three

  Maddie woke up to her sister shaking her shoulder and the sound of Tijuana parrots squawking through the house. She opened her half expecting to see a bird flying around the living room but instead she was looking at her sister who was holding Maddie’s phone up to her face. Maddie blinked her eyes trying to adjust to the sudden awake state she was just brought into and realized there were four texts from Angel over the last fifteen minutes. Maddie sat up quickly and grabbed her phone from her sister. She scrolled down through the messages which read:

  Angel: Maddie wake up I have news.

  Angel: Seriously, get your red headed ass out of bed, plans have changed.

  Angel: Don’t make me come over there, I hate leaving the city, people are so hippie there.

  Angel: Okay listen plans changed, you leave for Ohio tomorrow so pack your overalls and yeehaw your way back to Oberlin. Call me when you wake up. Kisses.

  Maddie kept her face down as she realized her sister had probably read these messages and the cat was now out of the bag. She slowly lifted her eyes to Sophie and realized she was standing on the other side of the living room; her arms crossed, foot tapping, and a serious frown on her face. Maddie sighed, put down her phone, and looked up at her sister.

  “Sophie,” Maddie said kindly. “I didn’t have a choice. We have to escort Alexandra Brownstone around our hometown because she wants to see how “normal” people live or some crap like that. It’s only two weeks I promise.”

  “Two weeks!” Sophie shouted dropping her hands to her side in a theatrical pout. “But I have surf lessons planned, and I made new friends, and...wait. Did you say we are escorting Alexandra Brownstone around? Oh. My. God. That is the coolest thing ever!”

  “Yea,” Maddie scoffed. “Don’t get your heart set on her; she’s not the most stable human being ever.”

  Sophie looked at Maddie with a confused face but then glanced over at the dry cleaning, and the crumpled white shirt was thrown onto the counter. Instead of realizing that obviously, something terrible had happened Sophie just got more confused and turned her head sideways at Maddie.

  “Look,” Maddie said exhausted from explaining herself. “Alexandra is kind of a primadonna. She isn’t as nice as she is made out to be in the media. Either way, we are taking her to Ohio for some r&r, and there is nothing I can do to change that. So, go pack a bag, call your friends back home, and put a smile on your face because we leave tomorrow.”

  Sophie dropped her hands to her sides and stuck out her lip in a pout. Maddie hated when she did that, it worked on their mother but not on Maddie. She only felt punched in the gut because Sophie was being a normal kid and not appreciating all the sacrifices Maddie has made to keep them together as a family.

  “Oh,” Maddie said as Sophie started to walk away. “Do NOT tell any of your friends about why we are coming home. The last thing I need is a mob of country bumpkins crowded around our house when we get there. Alexandra doesn’t want anyone to know where she is going, so keep the trap shut.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes and stomped into her room. Maddie sighed and dialed Angel’s number to get all of the details. He picked up immediately and chastised Maddie for sleeping in. After that was over, he gave her all the travel information including car rentals and flight information. At least the company sprung to fly all three of them first class; Maddie couldn’t imagine the horror of being stuck in coach with either one of the girls.

  Sophie packed her bags and gabbed excitedly with her girlfriends back home while Maddie went through her clothes trying to decide what to bring with her. She was planning on showing Alexandra around and then leaving her to her own devices so she decided not to pack too many professional outfits. Maddie wasn’t picky and was fully packed within an hour, including her backup toothbrush she kept
for such occasions.

  The rest of the day was beautiful and quiet for Maddie since Sophie decided to go to the beach for the day and the parrots had flown the coop. Maddie sat in her chair by the open window reading some of her favorite books, skipping the boring chapters she had read a thousand times and going straight for the action. Oddly they all were books that Alexandra starred in the movie version of, so the superstar ran through Maddie’s head just about all day.

  By the time the sun was setting Maddie’s school girl crush was back in full force and she forced herself away from the books and upstairs to bed. Though the flight wasn’t until four in the evening, Maddie wanted to make sure she was prepared for, what could be, a very long trip to Ohio. Sleep came quickly to Maddie that night, and she dreamt of her mother and father, but this time her dreams were full of hugs and smiles instead of the circumstances surrounding their tragic accident.

  Maddie woke the next day feeling completely refreshed and ready to face whatever Alexandra had to throw at her. She woke her sister for breakfast, and the two silently ate in front of the open windows. When breakfast was done Maddie and Sophie hung out watching television until it was time to call the cab, and then quickly loaded their luggage into the car and headed for the airport.

  Maddie made a point to arrive early so that Alexandra wouldn’t have to wait for them but to her surprise, she was already standing in front of Starbucks when they got through security. Alexandra was wearing large sunglasses and had the hood of her black chiffon sweater pulled up as if that was a real disguise. Alexandra waved and smiled at Maddie, and she became instantly suspicious of her new friendly attitude.

  “Oh,” Alexandra said looking at Sophie. “You brought an assistant. Perfect.” She tossed her carry-on into Sophie’s arm and started walking away. Sophie looked over at Maddie with irritation and Maddie rolled her eyes as she took the bag from her sister.

  “Um,” Maddie said running to catch up with Alexandra. “That is not my assistant that is my sister, Sophie.”

  “Oh,” Alexandra said stopping in front of their gate and looking Sophie up and down. “I wasn’t aware this was a family trip. I figured you would leave your siblings with your parents or something.”

  Maddie could see Sophie’s hands clenched, and she looked at her with kindness, shaking her head. Sophie took a deep breath and smiled forcefully at Alexandra. The three sat down at their gate and pulled their phones out in an attempt to avoid an awkward conversation. They were about an hour early for boarding so Sophie put her headphones in and Maddie began answering emails on her phone. Alexandra sat quietly, skimming through the latest edition of Style Magazine where she was featured on the cover.

  Finally, they began the boarding process, and the three girls entered the plane. Maddie sat next to Alexandra and Sophie sat across the aisle, gawking at the amenities first class came with. Neither of the girls knew anything about luxury, not that they were poor, but they were more coach than first class. As the plane took off Alexandra clutched the arms of the seats, anxiety is written all over her face. She pulled out her bottle of water and swallowed some sort of pill that Maddie assumed was Valium.

  As the flight leveled out and they began their routine trip to Ohio, Alexandra put her magazine away and pulled the blanket onto her lap. She gazed out of the window and for a second seemed more like an average person than the crazy lady from two days ago. Alexandra looked up from the view and over at Maddie who was still playing with her phone.

  “I’m sorry for the other day,” Alexandra whispered. “I had a complete meltdown and no one deserves to be treated that way.”

  “Oh,” Maddie said acting as if she didn’t remember the atrocity that happened in Angel’s office. “It is no big deal. I understand, well, I guess I have no idea what your life is like, but I am sympathetic to your feelings over the article. It was hard enough having my friends look at me funny when I came out; I can’t imagine the whole world scrutinizing my love life.”

  “You,” Alexandra paused as if she wasn’t sure what she was asking was appropriate. “You are gay as well?”

  “Mhmm,” Maddie hummed as she poured the diet soda into her cup. “Yea I knew my whole life, but it took me until my late teens to tell anyone. I mean I didn’t really have anyone to tell besides my sister.”

  “What about your parents? Are they supportive? You seem like a very nice person, and apparently forgiving, so I would assume they are proud of you,” Alexandra asked as she opened her dinner tray and poked at the sandwich with her fork.

  “Oh,” Maddie sometimes forgot that not everyone knew about her life now that she had moved. “My parents died several years ago. I have raised my sister while I was finishing high school and going to college. I never had the chance to tell them I suppose.”

  Maddie jumped a little as Alexandra reached over and squeezed her hand, butterflies shooting though Maddie’s stomach. Alexandra seemed surprised by her reaction to their touch and looked down at their clenched hands and swallowed hard. She looked up at Maddie with her dark brown eyes, and they held that stare for several moments until the airline steward cleared her throat in the aisle and they pulled free of one another.

  “Well,” Alexandra said with a happy tone. “Tell me what I have to look for in Oberlin, Ohio!”

  “Ha!” Maddie rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, it's a tiny town despite the college being there. Everyone knows everyone’s business, the old people are judgmental, the young people are dying to get out, and everyone goes to the diner on 3rd Street every Friday night for milkshakes and fries. I guess you could say the town is stuck in the 1950’s while the fashion is stuck in the early 90’s.”

  Maddie and Alexandra looked at each other and laughed hard. This was nice, having someone her age to talk to and laugh with. Maddie never made many friends since she wasn’t able to do the typical teenage girl stuff, having to take of her sister and an entire household as a teen has serious disadvantages.

  “It sounds amazing,” Alexandra said looking back towards the window, still giggling to herself.

  “Well, I will try to show you the best parts and leave you to relax. We will have to go shopping; my house has sat vacant since I moved so it’s pretty cleared out, except for furniture, all the furniture is still there,” Maddie said looking down at her phone.

  “Okie Dokie,” Alexandra said yawning. “Oh, and please call me Alex. I hate how stuffy everything always is. My friends call me Alex. Now. I am going to let this Valium take me to sleep land. Wake me when we land?”

  Maddie smiled and nodded as she pulled the blanket up further on Alex and tucked her in as well as she could on a plane. Maddie felt higher than the clouds, and not because she was on a plane at 1500 feet, but because she felt like Alex and her connected. Maddie crossed her arms and leaned her chair back, catching a nap as well.

  Maddie’s eyes opened as the decline in pressure increased since they were making their descent. She looked slightly to her left and realized Alex had turned and was sleeping on Maddie’s shoulder; her beautiful dark features lost in dream land. Maddie pushed on Alex gently to wake her, and as her eyes opened, she smiled a big smile at Maddie. Maddie immediately began to blush and helped Alex sit up in her chair.

  “We are making our descent,” Maddie said calmly.

  Alex nodded and began to straighten her hair and move her things around to be more prepared for exiting the plane. They landed smoothly, and the exit and luggage retrieval went off without a hitch. Maddie helped Sophie carry some bags, and Alex insisted on handling her things as they made their way to the car parked out in front of the rental desk. The company had gotten them an SUV so loading their luggage in was simple. The drive was quiet, and they played the local radio station as they made their trek through town and to Maddie’s house.

  It was late by the time they got in the house and settled down so all three of them found their ways to their rooms for the night. Maddie lay in her bed knowing Alex was directly on the other
side of the wall that her headboard sat up too. She smiled at the way Alex made her feel, and she drifted to sleep thinking about what the next day would bring.

  Chapter Four

  The rain was pouring from the sky when Maddie, Sophie, and Alexandra made their way downstairs, still groggy from their trip. Maddie opened the front door and stood in the doorway breathing in the smell of rain on the warm ground. Alexandra joined her, pulling her sweater jacket tightly around her as she smiled at the calmness of the morning.

  “Even as a child,” Alexandra quietly spoke. “I grew up in the spotlight in Southern California. There weren’t rainy days like this, and I lived in a huge southern style mansion facing three other southern style mansions in The Hills. I always saw movies with scenes like in this and wanted so badly to be a part of it.”

  “Well,” Maddie said taking in a deep breath and stretching her arms high above her head. “You are here for two weeks so soak it all in.” Maddie smiled and walked back towards the kitchen where Sophie was sitting in the breakfast nook. Maddie sat down next to her and put her head on Sophie’s shoulder.

  “What are your plans for today?” Maddie asked.