Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1)

by Tawa M. Witko

  “Well, I don’t want a rapist around me but it’s obvious that you do. Of course it figures, with you being raised by faggots, that you wouldn’t think it was a big deal. Hell, Harrison was in prison so maybe he’s a faggot too. Maybe that’s why you think he’s alright.”

  Jimmy smiled as the blood drained from Jayden’s face. He felt empowered once again. Jayden had always been a challenge for him. He didn’t care about pleasing anyone yet he cared about everyone. He refused to toe the line and do as everyone else did. He dressed funny, he acted funny, and he talked funny. He represented everything that Jimmy hated and now he was defending some known sex offender.

  Callie gasped and tears came down her face. Jayden looked at his beautifully sensitive girlfriend crying and was filled with rage. He didn’t care what Jimmy thought of him, he never did, which had made Jimmy hate him even more. In all honesty, Jimmy hated everyone that didn’t follow whatever he deemed was appropriate. Jayden moved real close to him as a stealth predator would.

  “Fuck you, Jimmy. At least my parents love each other and didn’t fuck around on one another every chance they got.”

  Jimmy’s faced turned as red as a beet as rage filled within him and he attacked Jayden. He pushed Jayden and soon they were both on the ground, throwing punches at one another.

  Without thinking, Andrew stood up and raced over to where the two men were scuffling and quickly pushed his way through the crowd. He looked at the two men and reached down, grabbing Jimmy by the back of his shirt and tossing him to the side. Jimmy turned and stared into Andrews’s hard face. Andrew’s eyes were dark and his brows were furrowed. His body was already in a fighting stance, ready to attack should the need arise. At that moment, Andrew looked lethal, like he could actually kill someone. Jimmy drew his fist back to defend himself but the look on Andrew’s face frightened him enough that he decided retreat was the better option. Jimmy jumped up and out of the way, still seething with anger as his friends started brushing him off.

  “You stay the fuck away from me, Harrison or I’ll call the damn cops on your ass!” Jimmy said with venom in his voice.

  Jimmy turned around and scowled at Jayden as if to say their tiff was not over. He then proceeded to make his way over towards Brie. Andrew watched as he embraced her and then shot Andrew a lethal glare. Andrew stared at him and assessed that Jimmy was all talk and no fight but he sensed that he would also need to keep an eye on him. Andrew turned back to Jayden and reached down, helping him up.

  “You okay?” Andrew asked concerned.

  “Yeah, it’s not the first time Jimmy and I have rolled around in the dirt,” Jayden said nonchalantly.

  “What were you two fighting about?” Madison asked quietly, although she had a strong suspicion, she wanted to make sure.

  “Jimmy shouldn’t have done what he did to Andrew just now. That was wrong,” Callie said indignantly.

  “He was just being an asshole,” Jayden said standing tall, he turned to Andrew. “I mean, I don’t know the situation or anything but I am not going to judge you on it until I know the facts. What Jimmy did was so uncool. We aren’t all judgmental jerks, Andrew. If you want to say what happened that’s cool, if not, that’s cool too. If there’s one thing I have learned from my parents, it’s never to judge others.”

  Callie squeezed his hand and he looked at her, smiling. Jayden knew Callie understood. They had been together from the time they were children. Jayden had moved to town when he was twelve and they had hit it off immediately, starting out as best friends and eventually turning into lovers. When Jayden’s family first arrived in town everyone talked and whispered about them. No one had ever seen two gay men raising a child, but Jayden’s parents were sweet and kind and Callie had loved them immediately. Jayden truly had no patience or tolerance for judgmental people which had been why he had always been considered a freak by his peers. A banner he had worn proudly.

  Andrew stepped back, shaking his head. So few people in his life had ever stood up for him, defended him, yet these two people whom he had barely met were willing to do that. He could feel his eyes moisten and was shocked at the fact that there were tears pooling there. He didn’t know what to think. His initial thought when all this had happened was that he needed to get the hell out of there but now he wasn’t so sure that was the best course of action. He was so used to shutting people out but he really didn’t want to do that anymore, especially where Madison was concerned.

  Andrew stood there with his eyes shut tight as he tried to wrap his head around the last couple of hours. Since he had met Madison he had experienced feelings within himself that he had never thought he would be capable of, he had been shown a glimpse of what friendship would look like and he had seen someone look at him with adoration and kindness. She brought out a side of him that he thought would never resurface. All of this was new and exciting for Andrew but it also left him filled with an immense panic that it would slip away just as quickly as it had arrived. Nothing in his life ever worked out right and people usually proved that they could not be trusted or relied upon. Would Madison prove this as well? In the midst of his chaotic inner ramblings, he felt Madison’s warm hand wrap around his. He looked down at it, his heart racing. How was it that a 30-year-old man had never felt the intimacy of holding a woman’s hand?

  “Andrew, it’s going to be okay,” Madison repeated the words he had said to her before Jimmy had so rudely interrupted them.

  “Do you think we should leave? I don’t want me being here to be a problem for anyone,” Andrew said, unable to meet her eyes.

  “Is that what you want to do?”

  Madison looked into his torn face. She didn’t believe that leaving was really necessary but also didn’t want him to feel like he had no choice in the matter. Madison had almost always been a take charge kind of person but she was desperately trying to rein that in. As she looked at the confusion and anguish on Andrew’s handsome face, she realized that he had been given no choices in his life for such a long time. Her heart ached for the pain he had endured and she had no desire to contribute to that. As Madison watched him, he still seemed reluctant, almost waiting for someone to tell him what was to happen next. No, she would not take his choices away from him. She took a deep breath and stood directly in front of him grasping his other hand in hers.

  “Andrew, look at me,” Madison said forcefully.

  Andrew snapped his head up and stared into her determined eyes.

  “I am not making this decision, you must make it, but I will support whatever you choose. I just want to spend some time with you, whether it’s here or somewhere else, it makes no difference to me.” Madison then squeezed his hands to emphasize her point.

  Andrew drew in several deep breaths, contemplating what he wanted. What he wanted was to kiss her. What he wanted was to feel her body close to his. What he wanted was to be near her. But that was not what she was asking him or was it? No, she was asking him to make a decision. It wasn't that Andrew was not a free thinker because he had always been one. In spite of the chaos that had swirled around him, he had tried to hold on to his individuality and his sense of right and wrong. But years of heartache and despair had slowly washed that away until Andrew had finally succumbed to letting drugs make the decisions for him and then, later, authority. His aunt and uncle never told him what he could or couldn’t do. They respected him but he avoided making decisions, avoided it out of fear until it became a way of life for him. As he stared at the beautiful woman with deep brown eyes before him, his decision became as clear as the water on the lake. He needed to take charge of his life.

  “I think I’d like to stay, and if we have further problems with anyone, then we can leave. Is that alright?” Andrew asked decisively.

  “That sounds like a good plan to me,” Madison said with a smile before she drew her bottom lip into her mouth, watching Andrew’s smile light up the world.

  “Do you want to go swimming, get out of this heat?” Andrew asked softly wi
th a smirk and that same air of flirtatiousness she had experienced from him at the trailer park.

  Madison nodded her head like the bobble head dolls she so despised and smiled widely as she bounced on the balls of her feet. The thought of seeing him wet, the water glistening across his chest, sent waves of desire coursing through her, making her hotter than the heat ever could. Yes, swimming was definitely a good plan.

  5 FUN IN THE SUN

  Andrew smiled at the way her head bobbed up and down in response to his question. He glanced back towards the inviting water and then turned around, taking in his surroundings. They were in a very nice area of the lake. It was mostly adults but there were a few families as well. Callie and Jayden had vanished and it surprised Andrew that he hadn't seen them leave. He was normally very observant and aware of his surroundings. Just a little ways away from them was one of those bathrooms that also served as a changing room. He offered Madison another smile, watching in enjoyment as her eyes lit up.

  “I’m going to go change. I’ll be right back,” he said, letting go of her hands.

  Madison bit down on her bottom lip in anticipation of his return and as she watched him walk away she breathed in deeply. He was truly something else. There seemed to be so much under the surface with him. Just in the short time she had known him she had seen glimpses of his hurt but she also saw playfulness within him too, as well as the resident loner bad boy he portrayed to the world. He was clearly an enigma to her that would require further study. She snickered at herself, for she knew exactly what she wanted to study. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she turned and walked to the table, sitting down to wait for him to re-emerge.

  Andrew walked into the changing room and quickly checked to make sure no one was in there with him. When he was reasonably sure that he was alone, he changed clothes. He hated that he always did that now. He had been out of prison for two years, yet bathrooms still terrified him. He had many close calls in the beginning of his imprisonment as the guards tended to turn their heads during shower time. He had guessed it was one of those 'every man for himself' kind of things.

  Andrew shook his head, trying to get the images of prison life out of his mind. He leaned against the bathroom wall and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He started to wonder how Madison would feel about his tattoos as he studied the markings on his skin. He sighed and ran his fingers over the tattoo positioned directly over his heart. A look of sadness passed over his face as he felt the distinct scars that were hidden behind the ink. He had told Steve that he wanted an eclipse, a black moon covering up the sun. He had always remembered his mom, during her up moments, calling him the sun. 'You shine as bright as the sun', she would say. Therefore, he thought it only fitting, considering the circumstances; that he cover up the sun with darkness. He wasn’t her sun anymore nor would he be anyone’s sun ever again. She made sure of that. They both did!

  Madison stared towards the building that Andrew had entered, speculating what was taking him so long. When he finally emerged, he literally took her breath away. He was wearing a simple pair of black board shorts with a white stripe down the sides and he was still wearing his holey shirt, much to Madison’s dismay. She noticed that his brow was slightly furrowed and he looked deep in thought. She wondered if Jimmy’s asinine behavior was still bothering him. Well, she was not going to let that happen.

  “So, you gonna swim in that shirt, Harley man?” she asked playfully as he approached.

  Andrew laughed. “What about you, city girl, you gonna swim with those on?” he replied, shaking her wrist and making her bangles hit one another.

  She laughed heartedly. “Hmmm, well, I suppose I could take them off but what if someone tries to steal my bling?” she said, sticking her lip out in a pout.

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” he said with an arch of his brow and a chuckle that soon turned into a full-fledged laugh.

  Madison smiled, loving their light-hearted banter and the fact that, for some reason, she was able to make him laugh so easily. She grinned and slipped her bracelets off, setting them on the table. She then reached to the hem of her shirt and slipped it off before she wiggled out of her shorts. She stood in front of him in her black bikini and her boots which she quickly stepped out of. Andrew was breathing heavily and had to shake his head several times to get his bearings. Madison caught him eyeing her and felt good about it. She had never considered herself beautiful but she knew she was somewhat attractive. She had been told that she had a nice rear, which she sort of agreed with. It did seem to generate a lot of attention when she wore her skinny jeans. Of course, Madison was not seeing herself as others did. She had smooth unblemished skin, big brown eyes and full, red lips with a splattering of freckles that ran across the bridge of her nose and over her cheeks. Her breasts were just big enough to make her cleavage look good and she had legs that most women would kill for. As she watched Andrew’s reaction to her, she felt unbelievably sexy.

  “Your turn,” she said flirtatiously as she flicked the hem of his shirt up and allowed her fingertips to lightly graze his flat stomach.

  His breath hitched when he felt her touch him and he stood there, staring at her helplessly until she arched her brow and flicked his shirt again. He smiled as he lifted it up and over his head, taking another quick breath before he tossed it on the table beside her. Madison’s mouth parted as she took in the sight before her. He was lean and fit with just the right amount of hair on his chest but what her eyes zeroed in on immediately was his tattoos. Right where his heart was he had a solid black circle over the outline of what appeared to be a sun. Creeping over his right shoulder were what looked like the final points of the tribal tattoo that must be on his shoulder blade. It moved down his right arm and ended just below his elbow. The tattoo she had seen earlier on his lower back she now saw that it wrapped around his rib cage and ended on his hip. Madison’s eyes roamed down his chest to his stomach, admiring his perfectly sculpted abs and the V that she was certain was carved from stone.

  “Are you ready?” Andrew asked, drawing her eyes to his again.

  “Umm, yeah,” Madison said as she shook her head at herself for openly gawking at the poor man.

  “You guys going in?” Callie asked eagerly. She and Jayden were just returning from the Lake.

  “Yeah, you guys?” Andrew said in response.

  “In a bit. Hey, you want to race jet skis later. I brought my dad’s. They're pretty fast,” Jayden said and frowned before meeting Andrews’s eyes again. “It’s the only kind of racing I can do anymore.”

  “That sounds like a lot of fun,” Andrew said smiling. He had never been on a jet ski but he assumed it was similar to driving a motorcycle.

  “Hey, we could double up?” Callie jumped in.

  Andrew turned to Madison. “Ever been on a jet ski, city girl?”

  “No, but I told you, Long Island, baby. I’m up for anything,” she said, complete with her hand on her hip and a shake of her head.

  He grinned and nodded at her before looking over at Jayden. “I guess we’re in.”

  Andrew couldn’t contain the joy he felt saying 'we'. He had never used that term in relation to a woman and it made his heart beat even faster. Madison watched as Andrew talked with Jayden about jet skis, she had no idea about horsepower and speed or how you handle a turn; she had better things to think about, like admiring the stunning man in front of her. She wondered what it would be like to trace her fingertips along the ink that adorned his body. Moving her fingers languidly down his chest until she reached that trail of hair leading to what she was sure was something beautiful to behold.

  “Madison?” She finally heard Andrew say.

  “Huh?” Madison dumbly replied.

  She was almost positive she had some drool coming out of her gaping mouth. He laughed and then grasped her hand as he led her to the shore. As they approached the water, Andrew immediately started to walk into it but Madison stopped when the cold water h
it her feet, forcing Andrew to stop as well.

  “Hold on there, Hot Stuff!” Madison said, giggling at the expression he was now giving her.

  “What did you call me?” Andrew asked trying hard to keep a straight face.

  “Harley Man?” she replied with a smile as he shook his head.

  “Tattsational?” Madison smirked and then laughed when his brows furrowed.

  “SexyMoFo?” she offered and this time he smirked and grabbed her, leaping into the lake.

  “How about asshole,” Madison sputtered, coming up for air and splashing water at him.

  He laughed as he sat up in the water that was now coming up to his chest. He glanced at Madison, who was scowling at him, her hair falling in her face and looking fit to be tied. Madison glanced over at him, splashing water at him once again.

  “How about you just call me Andrew?” he stated as he smirked mischievously, trying to grab her again.

  “No way, I am going to come up with a great nickname for you,” she said laughing and ducking out of his way. “It will be what the kid’s now-a-days call epic!”

  “Hmmm,” he said with a smile as he moved his hands to his now wet hair, trying to push it out of his face.

  Madison smirked and, seeing an opportunity, she tackled him, forcing him under the water. When he resurfaced, his eyes were dark and as he cocked his head he gave her a look that immediately sent blood rushing to her most sensitive area as desire consumed her. Andrew watched her, her face flushed with excitement; he knew he needed to move before he did something he shouldn’t. His overwhelming desire for her made his heart pound rapidly in his chest but it was too soon for him to feel this strongly about her, he reasoned. Andrew took a deep breath and took a few steps forward, thankful that she couldn’t see the response he was having to her. Luckily for him, the water crashed around his chest covering his lower half, hiding his arousal.