by Elks, Carrie
Ashleigh snorted. “I might have exaggerated a bit. I was upset with you.”
“I got that message. I didn’t realize how important Gray was to you.”
“He isn’t.” Ashleigh waved her hand. “It was my ego talking. Nothing else.” She laid her head on Maddie’s shoulder. “You may have noticed I have quite a big one.”
“I didn’t.”
“And that’s why I love you.” Ashleigh smiled at her. “Anyway, I got kind of pissed that Gray Hartson was okay with ditching me, yet he wanted you enough to incur everybody’s wrath. It hit me where it hurts. Right in my self esteem.” She pretended to bend over with pain. “And I took it out at you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah, it does. But I guess we have more important things to deal with now.”
“Like how you’re going to smuggle me out of town and send me to a deserted island with no Wi-Fi?”
“You don’t need to joke with me. I know how much this hurts.” Ashleigh slid her arm around Maddie’s shoulders. It was like she’d opened a dam. Tears pooled in Maddie’s eyes. Angry ones. Hurt ones. Shameful ones. They spilled out and down her cheeks as she thought about that damn recording.
“Everybody will watch it.”
“I know.” Ashleigh nodded.
“And they’ll all see me naked in bed next to those two…” Maddie’s voice caught. “They’ll laugh at me. The same way Brad and his friends did.”
“No they won’t.” Ashleigh’s voice was strong. “Because there’s nothing funny about it, Maddie. What he did wasn’t just immoral, it was illegal. He recorded you and uploaded it without your consent. None of this is your fault. Not one single bit. People are worried about you. That’s all.”
“Jessica looked pretty smug about it.”
“Yeah, well she’s a bitch. And if I hear her saying anything I’ll pop her one.”
Maddie sniffed. “I don’t think I can do this again. I’m not strong enough.”
“Yes you are. And there’s a guy back at my car wanting to see how strong you are. I had to practically restrain him from coming with me.”
“Gray’s here?” Maddie frowned.
“I couldn’t keep him away.” Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “And I tried, believe me. I think that guy might really like you.”
Yeah, well the feeling was mutual. Maddie liked him too much. The fear of getting hurt – again – pulled at her, making her want to curl in a ball like an armadillo, leaving only her hard armor for the world to see.
Life was easier if you didn’t expose yourself to hurt. So much smoother when you let yourself be hard to the world. For one reckless moment, she’d exposed her tender flesh to it, and the knives had stabbed in.
She was an idiot. Because she knew this would happen.
“I want to go home now,” she whispered.
Ashleigh took her hand. “Okay.”
“And I want to eat my own body weight in ice cream.”
“We can do that.” Ashleigh nodded.
“And once that’s gone, I want to open a bottle of whiskey and drink until everything disappears.”
“From what I know of you, that’ll only take two shots.” Ashleigh stood and pulled Maddie with her. “Come on, let’s take you home.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ashleigh turned her car onto Mulberry Drive, slamming her foot on the brake and forcing Maddie and Gray to lurch forward. In the passenger seat, Gray automatically braced his hands against the dash, and winced as the pain shot up his injured arm. He was in the middle of typing a message to Becca, asking her to pick up Maddie’s car. He’d offered to drive her home, but Ashleigh had argued they’d all be safer in her car. In the end, Gray couldn’t be bothered to fight.
“Goddamn.”
“Do you see them?” Ashleigh asked, staring straight out of the windshield.
Maddie leaned forward from the backseat. “Who are they all?”
“The press.” Gray let his head fall against the seat. “They’re fast. Must be local. Nobody could get here from New York or L.A. this quickly.”
“Mom’s in there,” Maddie said. Gray turned to look at her, taking in her worried expression. “We need to go help her.”
“I’ll call her.” Ashleigh leaned over to pull her phone from her purse, opening it up with a swipe of her finger. “Mom?” she said as soon as the call connected. “You okay?”
“I assume you’re referring to the circus outside the house. They’ve tried knocking a few times but I ignored them. “ Her voice echoed over the loud speaker. “Is Maddie with you?”
“I’m here and I’m fine,” Maddie lied. There was no way she wanted to cause her mom any more worries.
“Reverend Maitland called. Told me not to go online or watch any videos. I told him I have no idea how to surf the world wide web. Anyway, he’s coming over and bringing a few friends with him. Said he’d talk to the press for us.”
Maddie’s eyes met Gray’s. They were still watery. But for the first time since she’d come back to the car with Ashleigh, he could see something other than sadness there. Maybe humor. And a little bit of anger. He liked the change more than he could say.
“Ma’am, I’m going to take Maddie somewhere safe,” Gray told her.
“Well don’t take her to your house. Gina called to say there are folks banging on the door there, too.”
“Shit.” Gray blew out a mouthful of air. “I’ll try to find us a hotel to stay in.”
“No.” Ashleigh shook her head. “I’ll take her to my house. They won’t find us there. And if they do, it’s on a huge estate with closed gates. Nobody can get anywhere near her. Mom, I’ll call you back later.”
The thought of Maddie being away from him felt like a constrictor squeezing his chest. But he knew it was right. She wasn’t ready for this exposure. He needed to make things right first.
“Okay,” he said. “That seems for the best. I fly to L.A. tomorrow, but I’ll be back early next week. Hopefully things will have calmed down by then, and we can get back to normal.”
“Don’t I get a say about this?” Maddie asked, arching an eyebrow.
Gray smiled. “Of course you do. Where do you want to go? If you’d rather go to a hotel, I’ll find one.”
She sighed. “No, it’s okay. I’ll go to Ashleigh’s.”
“You should probably get out of here, Gray,” Ashleigh said, turning the car around. “Walk home through the woods. That way nobody will spot you.”
“Can I say goodbye to my girl first?”
“Don’t push it,” Ashleigh muttered. But then she stopped the car, unclipped her seatbelt, and climbed out. “You have one minute, and then I’m coming back in. Don’t dirty my car, okay?” She stomped out, ignoring the irony of her feet and shoes caked with dry mud. As soon as the door closed, Gray managed to climb through the gap in the seats until he was next to Maddie.
“You could have come through the door,” Maddie told him. He hated the way her voice was so thick with emotion.
“That’s not how we do things, is it?” He reached out to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. “Climbing is our thing.”
“Like Romeo and Juliet.”
“With a less tragic outcome, I hope.” His eyes were soft as he smiled at her. “I’m sorry I got you caught up in this mess. You don’t deserve it.” He pressed his lips against hers. They were soft and swollen and made him ache for her. “I wish I could make it go away.”
“So do I,” she whispered, her mouth moving against his. “But you can’t.”
He slid his arm around her back, pulling her against him as he deepened the kiss, loving the way her breath came in tiny pants against his lips. When he pulled away, her eyes were hot and heated, and it was only by force of will that he didn’t kiss her again.
“I have to go,” he told her. “Before Ashleigh throws a fit.”
“She’s been so nice today.”
“Yeah,” he said with a smile. �
��It’s making me nervous.”
She laughed. It was quiet and muted, but still a laugh. He’d take it.
“She’s okay,” she said softly. “She may be a bitch at times, but she’s always been there for me when I’ve needed her.”
“Don’t make me like her,” he warned. “That’s a step too far.”
The driver’s door opened and Ashleigh peered in. “Are you done?” she asked Gray.
His eyes caught Maddie’s. “We’re not even started.”
“Just get out,” Ashleigh said with a sigh. “Before the paparazzi catch you in my car.”
He kissed the tip of Maddie’s nose. “I’ll call you later. I’ll be in L.A. for two days. Three at the most.”
“Where are you going now?”
“Back to my dad’s. I need to pack. And I want to make sure they’re okay.”
“Be careful.”
“I can deal with the press. I’ve been doing it for years. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“If you’re that worried, maybe you can get the hell out of here before we all get mobbed.” Ashleigh climbed in and shut the door with a bang.
“I changed my mind,” Gray told Maddie. “I do kind of like her. The same way I kind of like Hannibal Lecter.”
“Get out, rockstar.”
He grinned. He couldn’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t enjoy messing with Ashleigh. Maybe that was a good thing. Whether Maddie knew it or not, he was planning on being around for a while.
* * *
“Your father’s in the study,” Aunt Gina told him as Gray walked through the kitchen door. “You might want to tell him you’re home.”
Gray let out a mouthful of air. The last thing he needed was another confrontation with his dad. And he knew this would be a confrontation. There were cars haphazardly parked up the road, and a group of journalists and photographers milling around the end of the driveway. They hadn’t spotted him come home, thanks to the back route through the woods, but it was only a matter of time before they came and knocked at the door again.
“I’ll go see him.”
“I warned Becca about all those cars out there. She’s staying with her friend Ellie tonight,” Aunt Gina said, untying the apron she’d been wearing to clean the dishes. “I’m heading over to Jenny Clark’s place. We’re all taking turns sitting with her.”
Another thing he was responsible for. “Should I pay for a hotel room for Maddie’s mom until things die down?”
Aunt Gina’s face softened. She walked forward and reached up to pat his cheek. “You’re a good boy, you know that? But no, Jenny prefers to stay in her house. She knows where everything is there. It’s adapted for her. She’ll wait them out. She has plenty of time.” Her expression turned grim. “And if they try to mess with her, they’ll have to get through us.”
Gray walked into his father’s study a couple of minutes later.
His dad glanced up from the newspaper he’d been reading. “I see you’ve caused mayhem outside.”
Gray leaned against the doorjamb, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “You don’t need to worry. They’ll be gone by tomorrow. I’m heading to L.A.”
“You’re leaving?”
“For a few days. There are some things I need to do.”
“Hmm.”
“I have an interview. To talk about me and Maddie Clark.”
“Your relationships are giving me whiplash. It doesn’t seem that long ago that you and Ashleigh were dating.”
Gray figured he might as well get used to talking to a hostile audience. “I dated Ashleigh when I was a kid. But Maddie’s the woman I’ve fallen for.”
“Right.” His dad carefully folded his newspaper, pushing it aside to give Gray his full attention. “And are you planning on breaking this Clark girl’s heart, too? One might be seen as a mistake. Two looks like you’re targeting the family.”
“I’m not planning on hurting her at all. I’m in love with her.”
His father’s brow lifted. “Ah. That sounds messy.”
“I’m not expecting your blessing,” Gray told him. “I’ve learned over the years to live without that. I just want you to know, in case you hear people talking.”
“I don’t listen to gossip.”
“I know that.”
His dad pushed himself to standing, wincing as his knees cracked. With his palms flat on his desk, he leaned forward, his eyes catching Gray’s. “I know you think I’ve been hard on you.”
“I don’t think it, I know it. You busted my ass constantly as a kid. And as an adult. Why do you think I never came home all these years?”
His dad winced. “There’s a reason for that. Life’s hard, Gray. Damn hard. I wanted you and your brothers to be tough enough to take it. God knows I wish somebody had taught me that.”
Gray’s heart was clamoring against his ribcage. He thought about all those years he’d been desperate for his father’s approval, but instead had gotten his condemnation instead. Yeah, they’d made him hard. Hard enough to face this now.
But at what cost?
“I just wanted your love,” Gray told him, his voice thick. “But I know you had none of that left in you. Not after Mom died.” He took a deep breath. “But I’ve come to realize I don’t need it. Not any more. I’m not scared of you, Dad. I feel sorry for you.”
His dad pressed his lips together and grabbed his cane, leaning heavily on it. “I’m an old man, Grayson. Too old to change and start talking about love and happiness.” He walked over to where Gray was standing. “But maybe you should look in the top drawer of my desk. You might learn something.”
Gray stepped to the left so his father could walk through the doorway.
“I’m going to sit in the garden,” he said. “I expect you’ll be gone by the time I come back.”
Gray silently watched his father leave. Curious, he walked over to his dad’s old mahogany desk, and sat down in the green leather chair he’d just vacated. It was still warm.
He curled the fingers of his good hand beneath the handle and pulled at the drawer, frowning when it stuck. Another tug and it grudgingly opened.
Gray reached inside to pull something out. A CD. He lifted it to his eyes and saw it was one of his. His second album, with his bare, tattooed torso on the front.
There were more CDs in there. Four of them in total. And there were printed programs from his tours – ones that Aunt Gina must have brought back with her. Blinking, he pulled out a large scrapbook and opened it up. The pages were covered with magazine and newspaper articles, and fliers from his shows. Gray turned the pages carefully, his throat scratchy as he read early reviews of his first album, when nobody had known who he was.
And then the last item pasted. His interview with Rock Magazine. His dad must have done that this morning.
Tears stung at his eyes. He blinked them away as he closed the scrapbook and carefully replaced it in the drawer. The top of the book snagged at something. A frame. Gray lifted it carefully, so it didn’t catch at the scrapbook and turned it over to look at the photograph. It was in color, but faded as though it had been left facing the sun for too long. Still, it was clear enough for Gray to recognize the people standing in the backyard of this very house.
His father looked so young. He couldn’t have been much older than Gray was now. And he was standing next to a beautiful young woman. Gray’s mom. There was a baby in her arms – himself, he presumed – and the two of them were looking down at the little one, smiles lighting up their faces.
He swallowed hard. He’d never seen this photograph before. Never seen it on his father’s desk or in his bedroom. Had he hidden it away because the memories were too painful? God knew it hurt Gray to look at it.
His chest was still tight as he pushed the drawer closed and stood to walk out of the study.
His father was too old to change, he’d admitted as much himself, but maybe Gray could live with that. Understand it, even. Because if he’d lost Maddie the way his father h
ad lost his mom, it would kill him.
With that thought, he headed upstairs to pack the essentials he’d need for the flight to L.A. It was time to stand up for the one good thing in his life.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Maddie was moping, and she didn’t like it one bit. She didn’t let things affect her, not any more. She had trampoline skin, problems bounced off her and on to somebody else. And the things that didn’t? Well, she usually had a sarcastic retort that made it look as though it didn’t hurt.
But this video and all the comments people were making about it? They hurt her to the core. Some people were saying she was a gold-digger, first setting her eyes on Brad Rickson and then on Gray Hartson. Others were making fun of her, asking how she could sleep through two people having sex next to her.
And yeah, there were kind words, too. People saying how despicable it was that Brad recorded his cheating on her while she was sleeping. Others calling for him to be prosecuted for sex crimes.
Either way, all of it made her want to hide away from the world. To unzip herself from this body and climb into a dark corner until the gossip died down.
That’s if it ever died down. Hartson’s Creek was a small town. People here gossiped the same way they breathed in oxygen.
“Grace wants you to read her a story,” Ashleigh said as she walked into the family room. “That’s if you’re up for it.”
“Of course I am.” Maddie put her phone down resolutely. “I’d love to read to her.”
“When you come back down, we can open a bottle of wine and eat that ice cream you were talking about. And watch something on Netflix.”
“Are you sure I’m not causing you any problems by being here?” Maddie asked her. “I can’t imagine this is what you had planned for this evening.”
“Honey, you’re my sister. Nothing is more important than making sure you’re okay right now.”
It was strange how easily they’d fell out and made up again. It had been like that ever since they were little girls. Maybe blood did run thicker than water. Because Maddie felt love for her sister wash over her.