The Legacy series: The Love series, the Wrapped series, and the Burning Souls series.

by Mj Fields

  ���Okay that���s a good start,��� Collin said soothingly.

  ���That���s a good start? Screw you! Then your daughter pisses me off and then is sweet and on my back half fucking naked and I liked it,��� Maddox raised his eyebrow, ���She was sweet and held me throughout the day and I fucking loved it. Then she gets pissy and you threaten her safety. Then she���s pissed at me for standing up for her, and now here we are, with me trying my utmost to piss you off, both of you, because I just want to fucking get away from all this feeling shit!���

  ���Okay Maddox, I���m sorry Collin and I���m extremely sorry, Maddox,��� Brody stood shaking.

  ���Look at your father Maddox������ Collin began.

  ���I would rather look at your daughter,��� Maddox sneered.

  Collin stood up and bent slightly so that he was nose to nose with Maddox, ���Brody your son������

  ���Has had enough for the day, Collin ��� I apologize,��� Brody interrupted taking Maddox by the arm.

  ���No, your son���s scared, he���s lashing out at me because he knows he and I aren���t much different and he���s safe doing so. I have broad shoulders Maddox, but I will not������ Collin started.

  ���Your daughter is beautiful. I would never treat her poorly. I just wanted to piss you off because you pissed me off!��� Maddox snapped, ���I would never hurt her, I wanted to protect her. I need to get the HELL out of here!���

  ���Maddox ��� have you ever had a relationship with a female by choice?��� Collin asked.

  ���And he just keeps going,��� Maddox pronounced to the heavens.

  Collin laughed and Maddox looked at him like he was crazy. Maddox let out a deep breath.

  ���You done?��� Collin laughed.

  Maddox shook his head, ���You purposely pushed me?���

  ���Like breaking a wild horse,��� Collin grabbed his shoulders, ���You���re further ahead than I was, boy.���

  ���I���m sorry,��� Maddox said and closed his eyes.

  ���I accept your apology,��� Collin hugged him. ���Brody run his ass ragged and you���ll all be fine.���

  * * *

  Everyone had gone to bed, and Maddox tossed and turned, Brody wouldn���t leave his room until he thought Maddox had fallen asleep. When the house was quiet, he quietly left his room and walked outside. He stood at the gate looking at the ocean basking in its beauty. He closed his eyes and remembered going underwater and being afraid until he realized that Harper was glued to his back. He didn���t know if she could swim, but he couldn���t take the chance, he grabbed her legs firmly and kicked his feet until they surfaced. The gratification, feeling like he had saved her from death was dreamlike. When she raised her hands in the air and smiled as she trustingly fell into the oceans depth, gave him a surreal feeling. A feeling that he could take care of her and that she trusted he would was the most gratifying feeling he had ever experienced.

  He secretly wished she didn���t squash that feeling when she emasculated him by insisting on making him blow bubbles as she dunked his face in the water or held his back so that he would learn to float and laughed when he sank. He���d decided to indulge himself and focus only on the memory of saving her.

  ���What do you think you’re doing out here?��� Harper announced from behind him.

  ���Good evening, Harper,��� Maddox laughed turning around.

  ���Good evening?��� She asked.

  ���Well, in fact, I was enjoying the beautiful sky and all those twinkling stars until you came out here and ruined it,��� Maddox laughed.

  ���Oh really I ruined it? I thought the highlight of your day was when I held you in the water,��� Harper said antagonistically.

  ���Harper I won���t let you ruin this moment so please be quiet,��� Maddox closed his eyes and stood silently.

  ���Well I think������ Harper began and Maddox turned and lightly pinched her lips together.

  ���Why does your thinking involve so much talking?��� Maddox cocked his head and smiled. She stilled and he took his hand away, ���See? Much better.���

  ���You did NOT just do that!��� Harper gasped.

  ���I���ll do it again, fair warning,��� Maddox smiled to himself.

  ���You���re impossible!��� Harper stomped.

  ���But intriguing enough to follow out here in the wee early morning Harper, Harper, Harper,��� Maddox shook his head.

  ���I wanted to see that you were alright, but now I could care less. You���re a jerk,��� Harper turned.

  ���Goodnight Harper,��� Maddox said sweetly.

  She stopped and turned around, ���If you don���t come inside, I���m telling,��� she snapped and Maddox started to laugh, ���It���s actually not funny!���

  ���You are a treat,��� Maddox turned and looked at her smiling.

  ���Yeah one you find beautiful and you feel the need to protect,��� Harper crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

  ���Oh really? What makes you think I think you are beautiful?��� Maddox laughed.

  ���You told my dad, and I heard to you say it. So go ahead ��� try to deny it Maddox,��� Harper raised her eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.

  Maddox looked at her, ���Beautiful face and appearance Harper, but the fact that you are so nosey is ugly and hurtful.���

  * * *

  Harper���s face fell, no longer feeling so full of herself. She looked sadly at him, ���Maddox I wasn���t trying to������

  Maddox started to walk passed her. She grabbed his hand, ���Please listen. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.���

  ���Tell yourself whatever you need to Harper,��� he pulled his hand away. ���Eavesdropping and sneakiness are not traits that are attractive. Answer me this, why is it any of your fucking business?���

  Harpers lip quivered, ���You tried to protect me. I was just trying to do the same.���

  ���I might believe that Harper if for one second I believed you didn���t trust your father,��� Maddox tried to walk away.

  ���Please don���t be mad at me, please, I don���t know why I keep screwing up and being rude to you, but I don���t mean to. I really want to be your friend,��� Harper stood uncomfortably looking up at him.

  ���I don���t trust you,��� Maddox said and walked past her.

  Harper sat on the beach and cried until she felt like she couldn���t cry anymore. She didn���t understand why she acted the way she did around him. She really did want ��� no needed him to be his friend. But she acted like an ass embarrassing herself and him, two things she didn���t want to do. What made it worse was she didn���t know why. She didn���t understand these feelings.

  She walked inside and quietly opened the door to Maddox���s room. He was lying on his back with the pillow over his head and she tapped on his shoulder.

  Maddox jumped up, grabbed her and flipped her onto the bed. His hand was on her throat, and he was on top of her when she began to shake.

  He sat up quickly and growled, ���What the hell are you doing in here?���

  ���I won’t sleep until you accept my apology,��� Harper scowled.

  ���Get out,��� Maddox pointed to the door.

  She shook her head no and crossed her arms in front of her.

  ���Fine,��� Maddox grabbed a pillow and a blanket of the bed and laid
on the floor.

  ���Please, Maddox I felt really bad, and now I feel worse and I can’t let you hate me. I don���t want you to ever hate me,��� Harper started crying again.

  Maddox sat up, ���We���re like family right? It���s not likely that I���ll be able to hate you Harper, so fine. I accept your apology.���

  ���We said we weren���t family that we���re friends right?��� Harper asked sadly.

  ���I don���t trust you, Harper,��� he said looking down.

  Harper pulled the covers over her face and began to sob, ���Shh you���re going to get us both in trouble, damn it! I���m going to get someone, who do you want me to get your Mom or������

  ���No, please don���t,��� she sobbed.

  ���Would you shut up?��� Maddox pleaded.

  ���When you say we can be friends������ Harper said and wiped her tears.

  Maddox scowled at her, ���Do the tears normally work for you?���

  ���Yes I suppose,��� she scowled back at him.

  ���Listen Harper, you���re confusing the hell out of me and pissing me off, and as you heard tonight, I���m a bit unstable…so you should leave,��� Maddox stood up and pointed to the door.

  Harper looked at him and began to laugh.

  ���Seriously who can I get for you? I may be unstable, but you are a textbook case of fucking crazy,��� Maddox shook his head and looked at her as she laughed harder.

  ���You read textbooks?��� Harper asked seriously.

  Maddox stepped towards the door and turned to look at her. He let out a breath he ran his hands through his hair, puzzled. He opened his mouth to say something and stopped. He did it again, and gave up trying to think of what to say to this crazy girl.

  ���You should sit. Let���s hash this out. You may think I���m crazy, but I���m not. What I am is being persistent as hell,��� she patted the bed, ���I���ll leave as soon as you trust me.���

  ���Honest to God Harper ��� I���ll be in a mental institution sooner than previously predicted if I have to deal with you much longer,��� Maddox warned and sat down.

  Harper smiled at him, and he smiled back.

  ���What do I have to do to prove that you can trust me?��� Harper asked smiling at him.

  ���Stop snooping,��� Maddox scowled.

  ���Then hide nothing from me, ever,��� Harper looked up at him.

  ���Why would I do that?��� Maddox looked confused.

  ���Because we have to be friends, not just friends who say hello and share pleasantries, but what���s in our hearts and heads. Our fears and our dreams,��� Harpers eyes sparkled as she spoke.

  ���Harper, I don���t need that,��� Maddox said softly.

  ���I do,��� Harper whispered.

  ���I���m sure you have several friends with whom you can share, I���m not capable of doing that, not yet,��� he scowled and looked down.

  ���You just did, see it was easy. Now my turn, I don���t have any friends that I feel like I can share those types of things with either,��� Harper looked up at him and then quickly down.

  ���I don���t understand,��� Maddox admitted.

  ���My family isn���t like the average family. We travel and spend a lot of time with just us. I love it, I actually do, but as far as friends go? Girls compete against one another and all the guys in my town are my relatives, which is cool, but I don���t have anyone to share details with that aren���t too close, you know?��� Harper asked quietly.

  ���I���m sorry Harper, but I really don���t,��� Maddox looked uncomfortable.

  ���Okay, I���ve never kissed a boy,��� Harper said softly and squeezed her eyes shut.

  ���Neither have I,��� Maddox said with a smile in his voice.

  Harper opened her eyes and laughed out loud. He covered her mouth, ���Shh!���

  They giggled, ���See this is nice right?���

  ���Yes Harper,��� Maddox smiled.

  ���I sometimes wish I could be alone for like a week, and not take care of everyone. But I know after two days I would lose it,��� Harper smiled.

  ���Admitting your crazy. See we���re getting somewhere, now,��� Maddox smiled.

  ���My dad likes you,��� Harper smiled.

  ���I���m not sure about that Harper ��� I was awful tonight,��� Maddox closed his eyes, ���But it felt really good to know I could be without being���abused.���

  ���That���s why he likes you; you’re like him, except young and funny. But I know I can trust you, I want you to know that the same is true for you. You can trust me,��� Harper smiled.

  Maddox looked in her eyes and didn���t respond as he tried to understand what she was actually telling him.

  ���Okay here���s a bombshell, my dad killed someone,��� Harper said, ���I trust you enough to keep that a secret.���

  Maddox looked confused, ���Why?���

  ���He was like twelve and his sister was being abused. He stopped it,��� Harper looked cautiously up at him.

  ���He saved her,��� Maddox whispered.

  ���For a short time, then crazy Nana killed her,��� Harper tried to make light of the confession.

  ���That must be where you get it,��� Maddox chuckled.

  ���Not funny,��� Harper warned.

  ���My mother���s the crazy one. Or was���she died,��� Maddox let out a breath.

  ���I heard, I���m sorry Maddox,��� Harper grabbed his hand.

  ���You heard a lot,��� Maddox closed his eyes.

  ���You didn���t choose any of those things they chose you. Now it���s your time and lucky you, you have a new friend who���s going to be in your corner ��� rooting you on,��� Harper hugged him.

  Maddox closed his eyes and put one of his hands gently on her back, ���Thank you Harper.���

  They sat and talked until they both fell asleep with their backs on the wall and their heads together. They didn���t let go of each other hands.

  * * *

  ���Harper Ann!��� Tessa snapped as she walked into Maddox room.

  Harper���s eyes were still closed, ���Good morning, Mom.���

  Harper opened her eyes and smiled. She was under the covers on Maddox���s bed. She felt someone squeeze her hand and looked beside her, ���Oh shit,��� she heard Maddox whisper, and it made her laugh.

  ���This is not funny Harper,��� Tessa snapped, ���Now get your ass out here before…���

  ���What���s going on Tessa?��� Emma asked from behind her.

  ���We���re in trouble, completely screwed Harper,��� Maddox whispered without moving a muscle.

  ���Are you going to wake up and help me out?��� Harper giggled.

  ���Hell no, you wouldn���t leave last night. I���m going to fake sleep through this, your so screwed,��� he began to snore.

  ���You’re seriously ignoring me young lady? If your father sees you, you���re so screwed,��� Tessa whispered loudly.

  ���He won’t let go of my hand Mom. He wouldn���t let me leave here last night, and I would hate for you to know what he has on under these covers,��� Harper said dramatically.

  ���What���s going on Tessa? Everything okay?��� Collins voice called from down the hal
l.

  Maddox sat up at the sound of Collin���s voice and pushed Harper off the bed, and they laughed.

  ���Damn it Harper Ann ��� what are you doing in there!��� Collin yelled entering the room.

  ���Trying to sleep, but apparently no one thinks it���s a good idea,��� she laughed and so did Maddox.

  ���Collin keep your voice down! London and Lexington are sleeping!��� Tessa scolded him.

  Emma was leaning against the wall covering her face terrified to move.

  ���Em, is he okay?��� Brody walked out of their room and saw them congregating in the doorway.

  Brody flew into the room.

  ���Hey, wow, it���s Brody Hines, mega rock star wearing almost nothing,��� Harper laughed.

  Maddox laughed so hard he had tears rolling down his face. Brody stood frozen and then felt tears flooding his eyes. He let out a deep breath and covered his face. He was watching his son who looked so carefree and happy. For the very first time he saw a glimpse of what Maddox may have been like had he not suffered for all of those years. It was an overwhelming feeling

  ���Dad?��� Maddox scrambled to his feet and hugged him, ���I���m so sorry.���