Blown (Elemental Series Book 2)

by Rose Wulf

  She tried not to cringe as she waited for his reaction to bubble over. Sometime during her tale he had developed a muscle twitch in the corner of one eye, his jaw had locked tight, and he’d resorted to heavy breathing through his nose. Her hair ruffled every time he exhaled. Oh, he’s definitely angry.

  Nate released a heavy breath, took a step forward, stopped, spun on his heel, and started pacing the room. “What–why—I don’t—!” He cut himself off when he realized he wasn’t making sense, took a deep breath, and turned to face her as he finally managed, “What the hell were you thinking?”

  Don’t get mad, she told herself. She had known—and fully anticipated—that he’d be angry. Anger usually resulted in loud voices and uncomfortable conversations called arguments. Couples argued. This just means we’re a normal couple, even if the subject of our normal arguments is less than ordinary. But was it too much to ask that he be happy for her?

  When Madison didn’t immediately respond, Nate pushed ahead, ranting now. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed! I know you’ve been upset about your car, but chasing down the lightning-throwing murderer? Dammit, Madison, you’re smarter than that!”

  “Stop,” Madison interrupted shortly, holding up one hand to emphasize her command. “Just stop, Nate.”

  “Stop?” Nate repeated incredulously, moving again to stand before her, though just out of arm’s reach. “Did you seriously expect me to laugh and say ‘good for you!’?”

  “No,” Madison replied honestly, her eyes narrowing at him as her own temper flared. “No, I fully expected you to be angry with me for doing something without telling you about it first. But I never expected you to call me stupid.”

  Nate blinked at her, as if he couldn’t remember what he’d just said.

  “You know what,” Madison continued, turning toward her fully-booted-up computer, “I’m going to take my laptop down to the library, and I’d really like it if you could not talk to me for a couple of hours. Like until dinner.”

  “Wait a second,” Nate said as she reached for her computer, “I never called you stupid. I never said I was upset because you didn’t tell me about it ahead of time. I called you smart, and I’m upset because you could have died. And, I’m sorry if you can’t understand this, but the idea of you getting hurt—or killed—really upsets me.”

  Madison released her laptop and turned to face him squarely. Later, she was sure, she’d think over what he’d just said and be touched. Her heart would race and flutter like a teenager’s at the idea that he cared so much for her safety, even despite the fact that she already knew he cared. But, in that moment, she was honestly infuriated that he was using that argument in this situation. So she rounded on him, stepping into his personal space and snapping, “And how do you think I feel?”

  He hesitated again. Apparently that wasn’t one of the responses he’d prepared for. He even opened his mouth, confusion in his eyes, before recognition replaced it and he mumbled a soft, “Maddie…”

  “Oh, don’t you ‘Maddie’ me, Nate,” Madison continued, coming to a stop before him with her finger poking his chest. “Do you think I’ve had anything else to really think about at all for the last couple of days? Because five-minute distractions here and there aren’t enough to make me forget that you might not come home on Monday! And what am I supposed to do then? What am I supposed to do without you?”

  She sucked in a breath when she realized what she’d just said, and it wasn’t until that moment that she realized she had started crying. Well, there it is, then.

  ****

  For a moment, Nate wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. He thought he might have been too distracted by the unexpected sight of her slowly falling tears. But her widened eyes and sharp, short breaths, as well as the fleeing tension from her extended arm, confirmed what his ears had tried to tell him. And then he was bombarded by a thousand different reactions. But, most of all, he felt guilt. Guilt for making her worry. Guilt for not being able to assuage her fears. Guilt for the tears dripping down her cheeks.

  Madison stepped back, her arm falling to her side as the fight fled from her system. She obviously hadn’t meant to let that slip. She swallowed heavily, her watery eyes averted, and mumbled, “I think … I need some air.”

  “Madison,” Nate finally managed, his voice revealing his surprise. She attempted to duck around his arm as he reached for her, so he said, “I’m sorry.”

  She paused, his upfront apology and gentle tone seeming to break through the wall she was already trying to put up. But she didn’t turn back around, let alone look up at him.

  Hoping she was going to listen to him, Nate kept his voice gentle, saying, “I’m so sorry about all of this. I never wanted to drag you into this fight. And, please don’t get me wrong—I’m glad you were able to get your car back, and I’m even more glad you didn’t get hurt. It’s just … I hate that you were in that position in the first place. Which is my fault, and I know it.” He paused, dragging in a deep breath and praying he was making sense, and during his silence she finally turned around.

  Her movements were slow, almost cautious, and her expression was guarded. But she looked him straight in the eye, making no move to interrupt him and revealing nothing of her reaction to what he was saying. She was waiting.

  He wanted to close the distance between them. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tight. To kiss her with all of the passion and tenderness that she brought out in him. To whisper reassuring sentiments in her ear. But now wasn’t the time for any of that, so he held his ground, forced his muscles to relax, and searched again for the words he needed to say. If he could just find the right words, then maybe they could put this argument behind them. And maybe she wouldn’t walk away, like he was so afraid she might.

  “The last thing I want,” he finally continued, honesty saturating every word, “is for us to argue. I know you’re upset, and worried, and I wish I could take that away. I wish I could honestly look you in the eye and tell you everything will work out just fine… But I can’t see the future. I don’t know what’ll happen. But I swear to you, Madison, that I will do everything I can to come back in one piece. And I … I’m sorry I yelled. I just need you—”

  He cut himself off. He’d been intending to add “to be here when I get back” or something to that effect, but he stopped himself. Not because he thought she’d get upset again, but because he realized there was a better way to say it. So, keeping his eyes focused on hers, he repeated, “I just need you."

  Madison swallowed audibly. Seconds ticked by before she took a breath and quietly admitted, “I’m sorry, too. I know that confronting him wasn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had, and … I shouldn’t have lost my temper when you called me out on that.”

  “I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me,” Nate suggested carefully, one corner of his lips lifting in a faint, lopsided grin.

  Her own lips twitched and she nodded her head.

  Nate breathed a silent sigh of relief and his restraint broke. He stepped into her, lifting both hands to frame her face gently even as his lips found hers. The kiss was light for a moment, almost unsure, but then she leaned into him and he pressed his lips firmly over hers. Her fingers curled in the sides of his shirt as their lips molded together and his own hands slid back, fingers threading through her hair. It was a long moment before the kiss deepened, lips parting and tongues slipping free to resume their favorite dance.

  Madison’s hands had released his shirt, and her fingers were just beginning to slip beneath the fabric in search of skin when a ringing cell phone shattered the moment. She pulled back slightly, her hands stalled over his sides, and asked breathlessly, “Expecting a call?”

  “No,” Nate grunted, leaning down and brushing his lips over her temple.

  The ringing from his jeans pocket continued incessantly, and Madison put a hand to his chest reluctantly. “You should get that. It might be important.”

  Nate sighed heavily and st
epped back, releasing her as he dug out his offensive cell phone. A new kind of guilt pierced him when he recognized Kirk’s Caller ID, and he quickly put the device to his ear.

  ****

  Madison released a breath as Nate stepped away to take the call. She was still feeling emotionally tangled, too wrapped up in everything that had happened in the past hour. It felt like a lot to process. So, silently signaling her boyfriend that she would be stepping into the hall, Madison turned and made her way out of the room. She felt like she needed to move.

  Her feet carried her down the hall, around a corner, and past a staircase that she’d never used. She was unintentionally walking toward the main staircase, not giving any thought to where she was going, when she nearly walked into Logan.

  “Easy,” Logan said with an almost-laugh as he reached out with one hand to steady her gently.

  Madison felt her face heat up for an instant as she mentally berated herself for not paying attention. “Wow, I’m sorry,” she said awkwardly. “That’s what I get for walking and thinking at the same time.”

  Logan’s lips lifted in a brief smile before he asked, “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” she assured him. “Nate’s on the phone so I thought I’d take a walk… apparently.” She blinked up at him for a second before realization dawned and she moved to step aside, saying, “I’m so sorry. You were probably trying to get somewhere!”

  “It’s all right,” Logan replied with a faint shake of his head. “I was actually coming to talk to you.”

  Confusion settled across her face as she asked, “Me? What for?”

  “Nate mentioned earlier that your mother’s moving to town, but she doesn’t have a job set up for herself yet,” he said calmly. “I don’t know what her qualifications are, but I’ve got a receptionist position coming open. If you think she’d be interested you could give her my email address, as long as you understand that I can only promise her a fair chance.”

  Madison blinked at him for a long minute. Have I hit my head recently? But his expression remained patiently expectant, and she realized she must not have hallucinated his words. With a faint, embarrassed, shake of her head, Madison replied, “That would be great. I’m sure she’d be interested. I’ll tell her to email you. And, I promise, whatever happens after that is between the two of you and has nothing to do with me.”

  “Okay, then,” Logan replied, inclining his head.

  ****

  Sunday came around too quickly for anyone’s tastes, and Angela met Vaughn at the door less than half an hour after breakfast. Her parents joined them in the entry before they could leave, and Christopher said, “Remember, home by seven.”

  Angela did her best not to roll her eyes, saying, “Yes, Dad, I remember. And that won’t be a problem.”

  “And call immediately if anything happens,” Christopher insisted.

  “I will,” Angela promised. She hiked her purse—loaded with her wallet, cell phone, pepper spray, and sunglasses—higher on her shoulder and asked, “Can we please go now?”

  Lillian laid a hand on her husband’s bicep and smiled softly at her daughter. “Have fun, sweetheart. And good luck.”

  “Thanks,” Angela said, flashing her mother a smile before she turned to Vaughn and added, “Okay, let’s go!”

  The door had barely closed behind them when Nate stepped up beside his mother and asked, “Did she tell you what car she’s looking for?”

  Lillian was smiling with amusement as she turned, intending to go back to the living room, and said, “No. She’s very insistent on surprising us.”

  Nate sighed, frowning exaggeratedly at the door before turning to follow his parents. “Well that’s annoying,” he grumbled.

  Ignoring his commentary, Christopher asked, “Where are your brothers?”

  “In the backyard,” Nate replied easily. “Dean thought it’d be best if he wasn’t in earshot when she left.”

  “And Madison?” Lillian asked curiously, noting that her son’s girlfriend had disappeared shortly after breakfast.

  “Library,” Nate supplied. “She had to call her mom, and she’s a little behind on checking her email.”

  “Perfect,” Lillian said quietly as she moved to her chair. Christopher silently took a seat on the couch, crossing one leg over the other knee.

  Nate paused now, arching a brow at his mother’s response. “Perfect?” he repeated carefully. “Perfect how?”

  Lillian gestured to the couch across from her seat, saying, “Sit, Nate. I want to talk to you.”

  Oh. She wants to have that talk. He took a deep breath and sat down in the indicated seat, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Playing dumb, he asked, “What’d you want to talk about?”

  From the other end of the large, curved couch, Christopher clucked his tongue. “Don’t you think you outgrew that game a little while ago?”

  Before Nate could respond, Lillian asked a question of her own. “Have you given any thought to what it might mean that Madison’s actually stuck around through all of this?”

  Nate’s eyes snapped back to his mother when she spoke, and he swallowed heavily. “That she’s … open-minded?” He knew that wasn’t the answer his mother was looking for, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about what she was asking about.

  Lillian’s lips dipped into a frown and she said, “Nate.”

  Cringing, Nate leaned back into the couch and looked away as he mumbled, “Yes, I know what you’re asking. And yes, I’ve thought about that. But can we not have this conversation?”

  Concern in his voice, Christopher asked carefully, “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” Nate replied, glancing briefly at his father before letting his gaze fall to the floor. “We’re just … not talking about that yet. This is all hard enough as it is, you know?”

  His parents exchanged understanding frowns before Lillian said, “I think everyone would understand that. But ask yourself if you really want to leave tomorrow without getting everything off your chest.”

  He didn’t have much to say to that. She wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t been thinking. He really didn’t want to leave in the morning without at least telling Madison how he felt, but at the same time a part of him was still afraid she wouldn’t be able to reciprocate his feelings. Or that, if he actually said it, she might panic. The last thing he wanted was to have her awkward, or negative, reaction dancing around in his mind while he was fighting for his life. And when did I get so insecure, anyway?

  The object of their musings stepped into the room a moment later, entirely oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place. She paused when she realized she was likely interrupting, her lips curving into a self-conscious smile. “Sorry,” she said with a glance toward Lillian and Christopher. Her eyes flicked to Nate and she added, “When you get a chance…?”

  “Oh, please,” Lillian said quickly, waving one hand in a lazy, dismissive gesture. “We were done, don’t worry.”

  Nate nodded and pushed to his feet before looking over at Madison and asking, “What’s up?”

  “I was just on the phone with my mom,” she began, “and she’s really excited about Logan’s offer. She wants to come up as soon as possible, which means I need to get back out and keep apartment hunting. Think I could talk you into coming with me?”

  Nate wrapped his hand around hers, tugging gently as he said, “Walk with me.” He wasn’t sure how to say what he was thinking, and he had absolutely no idea how she would respond to it. But he was going to say it anyway.

  Madison gave Nate a curious look as they came to a stop in the hallway, well out of earshot of any curious family members. “Is there … something I should know?”

  Releasing a breath, Nate gave her hand a quick squeeze and shook his head. “Not like that, no,” he assured her. “It’s just that … I’ve been thinking about something. And I don’t know how you’ll react to it, so don’t feel pressured or anything. It’s just an option
I think you should keep open.”

  “You’re stalling,” Madison said quietly. Nate fell silent for a beat, before finally declaring, “It’s about the apartment hunt. I know you said she had a bad experience with renting a house, but … what if she took the guest house? I could give her a real good rate, and I think I’m a pretty amazing landlord.”

  Confused now, Madison tilted her head slightly and slowly asked, “And … what about me?”

  His voice lowered, the slight uncertainty returning, and he offered, “You’d have to move in with me.”

  She swallowed heavily, her eyes widening. But she wasn’t silent nearly as long as he’d expected she’d be. “Okay.”

  Nate’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly. In truth, he hadn’t expected her to give him an answer in the moment at all. So it took him a second to regroup enough to form a smile and manage a teasing, “Don’t you think you should check with your mom first?”

  A similar teasing glint lighting her own eyes, Madison replied, “I’m a grown woman, thank you. I can make my own decisions. But obviously it’ll be her decision whether or not to take your offer.”

  “So,” Nate began, voice low and thick, “does that mean you need to call your mother again?”

  Madison’s hands lifted to land lightly on his chest as he stepped into her, and her voice was equally hushed when she replied, “I can call her in a couple of hours.”

  He leaned down, nuzzling her ear and brushing his lips over the side of her neck before murmuring, “Good, because there’s definitely something we should be doing.”

  “And what’s that?” Madison asked, her eyes fluttering shut at the light, teasing pressure of his lips on her skin.

  Grinning now, Nate lifted his head enough to see her face and replied, “Boating.”

  Madison’s eyes blinked open and she dumbly asked, “What?”

  “It’s a beautiful day,” Nate began, thumbs absently massaging her hips, “so my brothers and I have decided that we should spend it outside, doing something fun. We’re going to the beach. Of course, Logan and Dean aren’t likely to get on the boat—they’re not so fond of water—but you should definitely come.”