Becoming Maddie (The Casterhouse series Book 1)

by Hannah Gittins

  Maddie just nodded her head ever so slightly. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet.

  Feeling movement at her feet she looked down the bed at Marvin. He was still there but instead of being out cold he had his head resting on his paws and was just watching her. Relief flooded Maddie at seeing proof that her husky really was okay or at least on the mend like she was. He still didn’t come towards her.

  “What did the vet say?” Maddie asked still looking at her dog.

  Aiden moved away from the wall and walked to stand at the end of the bed putting his hand on the dogs back. Marvin tilted his head back to look at the man before letting his head drop down again to carry on looking at Maddie. They looked tired. Canine and man.

  “He gave him the all clear.” Aiden said giving the dogs back a rub. “He had a bad knock on the head plus the wound in his side was checked and stitched up. Just has to take it easy now. The vet tried to put one of those cone collars on him but he was having none of it but the tough guy seams to leave the stiches alone anyway.”

  Maddie didn’t hear half of what Aiden had said. She was stuck on ‘wound in his side’.

  “Wound?” Maddie whispered. Even though she was trying really hard to not let her emotions get the better of her she could feel her lip wobble. Marvin shuffled slightly on the bed heading in her direction but stopped and rested his head on his paws again.

  Marvin sucked in her breath, her friend was in pain and she was too. Neither could move closer to the other for comfort.

  Sarah took Maddie’s hand and drew her attention to her.

  “We can talk about all of this when you’re home.” Sarah said trying to make things easier for her.

  Maddie didn’t want to be sheltered and have things be told to her when they decided she was able to take it. She needed it all now so that she had all the facts and could deal with it and start to move on.

  Mostly though she wanted to know what had happened to her dog.

  “Wound?” Maddie repeated with a far steadier tone.

  Maddie watched Sarah look at Aiden for a moment and shake her head a little bit. She knew her friend was trying to do what was best for her but right now Sarah wasn’t managing. Turning to look at Aiden she tried to put how she was feeling into her eyes. He looked at her then Sarah before holding Maddie’s eyes again.

  “They stabbed him.” Aiden stated.

  “Aiden.” Sarah gasped.

  Stabbed? They stabbed her dog for just trying to protect her? How could anybody do that?

  “He stabbed my dog.” Maddie declared, finding some energy. “That bastard stabbed my dog. How could a person do that? Marvin is the cutest thing ever and loves me. He was just looking after me and that bastard stabbed him!”

  By the end Maddie was nearly shouting. Sarah put a hand to her chest in surprise and sympathy. What she didn’t do was what Aiden did.

  Aiden moved from the end of the bed to her free side and but his hands on either side of her head so that she could only see his face. His eyes.

  “He was just trying to protect me.” Maddie whispered with such pain that Aiden grimaced but never looked away.

  “Maddie.” Sarah said softly.

  Aiden’s eyes held hers. They were not filled with sympathy but something much stronger, something that took her breath away.

  “He was and he would do it again. They tried to take him out of your room but that stubborn husky refused to leave your side. The vet had to see to him at the end of your bed.” Aiden said to her. “You can’t even imagine the trouble that caused. They had the director of the hospital here at one point.

  Maddie let the breath that she had been holding out in a whoosh.

  Aiden carried on talking, his eyes burning into hers.

  “Marvin loves you more than anything else in his world. He would take on an army for you. What happened to him is not your fault in anyway. You have enough going on that you cannot take this on as well. So listen to what I am saying…Let it go and focus on other things.”

  Left with no other choice Maddie nodded. Everything he said was totally right and she could do nothing but what he said. Realise it has happened, that Marvin loves her and would do it again, know that it wasn’t her fault and let it go.

  Maddie was also prepared to wait till they were both better before she buried her face in his scruff and cry. It had to be done because it could have been much worse but they were both okay and still together.

  “He?” Aiden asked.

  Maddie frowned confused at his question. She was still trying to let Marvin being stabbed go.

  “You said ‘He’ stabbed Marvin. Do you know who ‘He’ is?” Aiden asked still holding her face.

  There was no way she was ready to answer these questions. Maddie may not feel like she was ready to speak to the police but she would rather do that than tell Aiden about what happened. How could she tell him who did this to her. She didn’t know if he knew the thin man or the beefy guy but he definitely knew Jessica. How could she break his heart by telling him that it wasn’t just his flat that his sister stole from or even tell him about that company that she was keeping?

  “Aiden.” Sarah said sharply.

  Maddie watched as he turned to look at her friend and used his distraction to pull her face free from his hands before Aiden managed to get the information out of her that she wasn’t ready to give him.

  Did she feel bad after he gave her the news about Marvin when she wanted? Yes. Did that change anything about her telling him what he wanted to now? Sadly no.

  “I think Maddie has had enough for now don’t you?” Sarah asked. “Maybe she should tell that stuff to the police before you?”

  Aiden’s face started to change from calm and in control to annoyed and close to anger.

  “Oh you mean the policeman that are sat outside on their asses doing fuck all?” He snapped at Sarah. “In the meantime Maddie can’t tell her story and start to move on. No, she has to lay in this fucking bed while the people that put her here are out there doing God knows what. Actually we know exactly what they are doing. Right. Now.” He paused to make a point. “They are out there selling Maddie’s fucking things.”

  Maddie couldn’t hold back the sob that was in her throat. Letting that out seemed to set the tears free again too.

  “Aiden shut up!” Sarah nearly shouted jumping to her feet. “What is wrong with you?”

  Aiden frozen and seemed to take in where he was and what exactly he was saying. He took a couple steps back from the bed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked around the room and ran his hand through his hair again.

  “Sarah?” Maddie said softly.

  Sarah who had crossed her arms over her chest and was actively glaring at Aiden didn’t move in any way to acknowledge that Maddie had spoken at all. Sarah was so enraged at Aiden for being angry that she hadn’t even realised that she was just as mad as him.

  “Here Maddie is lying in her hospital bed and you start ranting and raving.” Sarah said ranting and raving herself, throwing her arm out to take in Maddie. “I mean, honestly, what are you thinking? Stop letting your anger at not being there yesterday get the better of you and start helping her now!”

  “Sarah.” Maddie said quickly sitting up in bed and then crying out loudly as pain from her chest shot through her body.

  Aiden quickly stepped back to her side again and slid his arm under her back. Then he helped lower her carefully back down onto the bed. He took her hand. What he didn’t do was say anything. Maddie didn’t really need him to. His eyes said how sorry he was. Tucking a lose bit of hair behind her ear Aiden squeezed her hand.

  “Oh Maddie.” Sarah said reaching for her other hand. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to. He just made me so mad.”

  Sarah flicked her eyes to glare quickly at Aiden before resting back on Maddie. What had happened to turn her away from Aiden’s fan club that she’d been in?

  Maddie quickly squeezed her hand back and started talking before
Sarah could say anything more that would start Aiden off again.

  “It’s fine. Both of you. You don’t have to say you’re sorry. It’s a crap situation that will make everybody feel all sorts of things.” Maddie said her voice not quite even. “Sarah would you mind waiting outside?”

  “Maddie-.” Sarah started.

  “Please.” Maddie cut in. Looking at her friend she pleaded with her eyes.

  Aiden said nothing during that exchange. He just held her hand and stared out the window as if his thoughts were a million miles away.

  Sarah looked at Aiden blatantly showing that she didn’t think it was wise to leave Maddie alone with him. Looking at her friend one last time Sarah nodded. Squeezing Maddie’s hand one last time she walked outside.

  After the door shut behind Sarah the atmosphere in the room went from tense to serious.

  There was so many things that Maddie was ready to tell Aiden. Most of them she was scared to tell him because of his reaction. Others she just plain didn’t want to tell him or at least didn’t want to be the one to tell him.

  “Why do I feel like you are not telling me something?” Aiden asked more in control. He let his head fall before lifting it again and giving her a smirk. “I should say why do I feel like there is something new you are not telling me?”

  Maddie bit her lip and avoided looking at him. How could she telling him? Remembering her vow to herself as she had laid on the floor in her flat waiting for Aiden to answer the phone. She vowed that she would tell him everything and although she had been meaning her past at the time this was just another thing that she should tell him. There had to be no secrets between them if they were going to be able to fight against what was coming their way. They had to share everything if they were really going to try to be whatever they could be.

  “Has it got to do with that call?” Aiden asked sitting down on the edge of the bed.

  Even just sitting down Aiden was so careful that he didn’t hurt her in anyway. He put an arm on each side of her body and leaned down so that he could be closer to her height on the bed.

  “No.” Maddie said looking him in the eyes again.

  He searched her eyes for a second before nodding.

  “Okay.” He replied. “Tell me what happened?”

  Still totally unsure that she was about to do the right thing or not, Maddie took a big breath and let it out slowly. Best to do it like a plaster she thought. Quick and painful.

  “It was Jessica.” Maddie stated straight out. “There were two guys as well. A really thin guy called Larry and a massive guy, called Grant, he’s not someone that you want to mess with.”

  Aiden hadn’t really heard anything Maddie had said after hearing his sister’s name. His whole body had locked and then frozen. His lips parted but he didn’t look like he was breathing. Maddie reached up and put her hands on his neck and laid there watching strong emotions flicker across his face. Confusion, disbelief, pain and full out anger. The last something she couldn’t place. Something that he didn’t want her to see as he sat back from her then stood up, Maddie’s hands fell back to the bed.

  Pacing up and down the length of her private room Aiden ran his hand through his hair and tried to collect himself. Then suddenly he stopped walking and just looked at her.

  “This is my fault.” He stated.

  “What? No!” Maddie cried out instantly.

  Aiden looked at his feet and sighed.

  “She saw you when you were round for tea.” He said talking to the ground. “I made you a target.”

  “Aiden did you think she would do something like this?” Maddie asked.

  Straight away Aiden stepped towards her.

  “No! Never in my life!” He gasped. “I never would have thought that of her and I would never have put you in such danger!”

  Lifting her hand up and holding it out for him to take, she cautiously enquired, “Then why is it your fault?”

  He shook his head while looking at her hand. It was clear he wanted to take it yet he didn’t.

  “Because she is my fucking sister!” He growled. “Because I should have known that she would do this. Because I wasn’t there to look after you.”

  There it was. That’s what was really getting to him. Aiden thought that he should have protected her from Jessica. In his head it was his fault that Maddie had been hurt and that this had happened to her because he introduced her to Jessica. He seemed to think that he should have somehow known that Jessica would do this at all.

  Jessica may have taken everything from Aiden’s flat but there was a big difference between doing that to your family who will forgive you and doing it to strangers. Maddie had not been a total stranger she was a friend of Aiden’s. More than a friend.

  Maddie needed to somehow get through to Aiden that it was nothing to do with him. She just had no clue at all how to do that.

  “Aiden you were not to know. No one was to know what would happen when I walked through that door.” Maddie tried to explain. “You are not to blame Jessica is. You told me I had to let Marvin’s stabbing go and it might not be the same but you need to realise the things that you can change and the things that you can’t. You are not to blame and I definitely don’t blame you.”

  Aiden didn’t move as he took on board everything she said. Tipping his head down, he walked toward her out stretched hand and took it with a firm grip.

  “I will never let anything happen to you again.” He expressed then kissed her hand before leaning down and kissing her head.

  There was no doubt that Aiden meant what he said. Maddie believed him too. Surely she had all the bad luck she could have and now it was time to let some good times come her way. Maddie was not forgetting about her past, but decided to live in the moment, the here and now.

  “I know you won’t.” Maddie told him.

  Aiden gave her a half smile before kissing her. With tongue.

  Maddie loved it.

  Chapter 14

  Well finding her was considerably easier than Charles thought it would be. He also knew it was going to make him angry having to hunt down his own wife but not this enraged.

  Throwing the paper he had been reading across the room, Charles growled. Watching it land on the bed next to an unconscious brunette he didn’t feel any better.

  There had been two pictures to go with article. One that showed Maddison, his wife, stood on the side line of a football game. She was wearing her hair up, which he hated and had made that clear often, the excitement was clear on her face and she looked like she was having fun. There was a massive dog sat at her feet playing with a little girl that looked like she was laughing. Next to his wife was a fat woman that was in the middle of yelling something. Maddison’s head was tilted down to the dog and the girl, his wife looked like she was in the middle of laughing too.

  She clearly thought she was free and safe from the responsibilities that being his wife came with. Charles had been away too long and now it was time that Maddison was reintroduced to him.

  The second picture was the reason that he had thrown the paper, it was the reason that he knew he had to hit the road and get to her ASAP.

  The picture was of the hospital entrance and his wife leaving it in a wheelchair. She had a hand to her side as if she was hurting there and another was in a sling. Her eyes were black and clearly nowhere near to being healed and yet she was smiling a sweet smile. Next to her was the fat woman who was looking to the right as if there was something off shot that was holding her attention.

  All of the above he didn’t mind. What had him so angry that he wanted to throw back his head and roar, was the man pushing the wheelchair. The man was bending down slightly so that he could whisper something in his wife’s ear. Something that was making her smile that sweet smile. On the man’s face Charles could see a softness that was totally for Maddison. A softness that this stranger had no right to be giving her. How dare he even be near Charle’s property!

  Looking at himself in the wi
ndow he could see the changes that his time inside had done to him. His hair was a mess and until yesterday he had not had a shave in years. Charles had used the ‘outside time’ to work out. Well, really, he used all of his time in that shit hole to work out. He had never had any visitors. Maddison hadn’t come and others that might have wanted to, he asked not to. Charles wanted to use the opportunity that he had been given to come up with some plans and think about what he really wanted out of life. Now he knew. Maddison.

  Charles had known where his wife was, he had even been making his way towards her, but now that he had seen the pictures it was too much. He had clearly wasted too much time enjoying his freedom and not enough time driving to the middle of nowhere to get his wife from Casterfield.

  Running his hand over his chin, using the feel of it to remind himself that he was free, he turned back to the bed and the woman in it. She was nobody, just a brunette that was hanging around at the bar he’d had a beer in last night. In fact Charles couldn’t even remember her name not that he was really trying that hard to be honest. The clothes she had been wearing had been screaming for ‘it’. Charles had definitely given her that and so much more. He had taught her a lesson, something that he needed to be doing to his wife but would settle on taking his anger out on her for now.

  Looking at himself in the mirror one last time he smiled at the reflection. Even prison could not take away the good looks that he had been gifted with his whole life. When he had picked up the whore last night he had tested out his charming skills again. They seemed to be in working order too. As he grew older he seemed to get even better looking and an even better charmer. Maddison had thought that he would be punished in prison, that she would be safe while he was locked away, really it seemed to have done him zero harm at all.

  Charles just kept getting better and stronger.

  Walking round the bed he bent and picked up his shoes. Sitting on the edge he did them up and then gathered his things. Throughout all of this the woman didn’t move. Not that Charles really expected her to, it had been rough towards the end. Oh, she would wake up…but not for a good long while.