Hot water cascaded over Maddie’s mud-tracked flesh. She laid her head against the shower wall and watched the rinse water swirl down the drain, slowly running clear. Finally she washed her hair and scrubbed down.
What was she going to do? The whole thing was a disaster. Flying beasts trying to kill her, flying beasts trying to protect her — and all she wanted was to have a regular boyfriend and do teenage stuff.
Fully rinsed and clean, she stepped from the shower, dried, and dressed. In her room she combed her hair, allowing the damp tendrils to surround her face. Purple bruises wound around her wrists and cuts ran the length of her arms. She grabbed a sweater from her closet, donned it, and tugged down the sleeves. Now at least the mirror reflected a normal girl. She exhaled loudly. Why couldn’t her life be simpler?
Plastering a smile on her face, she bounded downstairs. The aroma of popcorn filled the air.
Chase sprawled on the living room couch, his feet propped on the coffee table. A glass of iced tea rested in one hand, a handful of popcorn in the other. Several DVDs littered the table. He looked ridiculously comfortable, as if nothing had ever happened to her and the world was just peachy.
Fighting the urge to slam him with a handy pillow, Maddie sat beside him and tucked her feet beneath her. She shuffled through the movies. An old Western lay on top. “This is a good movie, but I’m not in the mood for horses and romance and riding off into the sunset.”
Second was a dancing movie. “Love it, but I don’t think I can do the musical scene tonight.” It felt far too cheerful for her current mood.
Third was a romance. She set it aside because she didn’t think he would like it, although she had to give him points for even setting it out for her consideration. But the fourth and last one was the best. “This is it.”
“Really?” he asked, cocking a brow.
“Yep. This is definitely the one.” She wished she could explain her choice, but it would lead to too many questions. Bruce Wayne was secretive, protective of his woman, handsome, rich, and reminded her of Alasdair.
Maybe Alasdair wasn’t all those things. In fact, he favored a cat more than a bat — a big cat, like a pale panther. And she wasn’t sure about his wealth. But he was secretive and protective. Part of her found him handsome, but not in the same way she viewed Chase. Chase was like Bruce Wayne, Alasdair like Batman. If only they were one and the same.
Besides, she got the impression Chase had put that movie on the table hoping she’d choose it. Who was she to disappoint him?
Chase inserted the disk and the movie rolled onto the screen. Maddie snuggled against his side, sharing the popcorn.
“Why do you think your grandma owns this movie?” he asked between bites.
“Hmm, maybe because Christian Bale is hot?”
“You think so, huh?”
“I didn’t say that, but now that you mention it…”
He rammed his finger into her ribs and tickled her until she almost lost bladder control. Gasping for air, she called, “Uncle! Uncle!” To no avail; she fell to the floor and writhed, and still he tormented her.
“Nope. I can’t stop until you take it back.”
She opened her hands and shoved against his chest. “You’re right! What was I thinking? I don’t care for dark good looks.”
Still he tickled her. “Not good enough. You’re still saying he’s good looking.”
She enjoyed the attention so instead of pleading for mercy, she repaid in kind. She reached upward and dug her fingers into his side. Chase dropped to the floor, rolled, and begged for mercy. It felt great, and she chased him across the throw rug. Suddenly just before they rolled into the television screen where the movie played unseen, his laughter stopped, and no amount of tickling brought it back.
She straightened and placed her hands on her hips. “You’re not ticklish, are you?”
He shook his head. “Not so much, no.”
Jerk. She punched him in the arm.
“Ouch. What was that for?”
“For making me believe I’d won!”
Maddie placed her hand on the floor and pushed, but he grabbed her and drew her to his side. “Don’t you realize you’ve won much more than a tickling contest?”
She hid her face behind a veil of hair, but he forced her to look at him. “Maddie, you’ve won my heart.”
****
Maddie didn’t have to reciprocate, but after his admission he expected some kind of response. Couldn’t she find something to say? But the moment dragged, becoming increasingly brittle as he waited. No, she couldn’t, and it felt as if his heart stopped beating.
She shoved off the floor and reset the movie back to the beginning before settling on the couch and pretending to watch it. He rose, too, intending to join her, but it suddenly felt like too much to handle, and instead he strolled outside to the porch and sat on the swing. He lost track of how long he sat there. The moon lowered toward the mountains and he yawned.
A beam of light appeared in the doorway. “Chase?”
“I’m over here.”
Maddie shone the flashlight in the direction of his voice, but kept it low, so it didn’t blind him. She hesitated, then crossed the porch to the swing. Once settled beside him, she blurted out, “Don’t love me.”
A deep snort left his throat. “Too late.”
“Chase, you must understand—”
“Oh, I understand. I understand it perfectly. You love someone else.”
“No! That’s not it.”
“You were awfully close to Dougal at the hospital.”
“Chase!”
“What am I supposed to think? I’ve practically thrown myself at you.” The intensity of his voice increased. Cool. Keep it cool. “You must think I’m an idiot.”
She cringed. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. She wrung her hands. Angrily she shouted, “You can’t love me! You can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Because everyone who loves me dies, okay? And if anything happened to you then I— I don’t think I could live with myself.”
He glared at her. It seemed like the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. “So your solution is to push me away?”
Her chin firmed. “If it keeps you alive, then yes.”
“It won’t work. Besides, it’s too late.”
She shook her head hard.
“Why fight it? You know as well as I do that our destinies are intertwined.”
“No…” she groaned.
“Yes.”
“But—”
“No buts. We’ll be together and nothing will stop us.”
“But you don’t understand—”
He swiped a hand between them, as if wiping away her doubts. “Then help me understand.”
Her frustration mounted. “I can’t!”
“You can share anything with me.”
“No, I can’t. I— I made a promise.”
And suddenly he froze inside. Was the secret about Alasdair? If she revealed what she knew, could he keep a straight face? Would he give his own secret away? Instead of testing himself, he said, “Okay.”
She looked stunned by his reply. “‘Okay?’ I reveal that I have a secret and all you say is ‘okay’?”
Well, he was stunned, too. “I can’t have you breaking promises. One day you’ll tell me.” Chase almost repeated what she had said to him earlier.
“Yeah.” She still stared at him, her lips gently parted. “Sure.”
Her lips… no, enough of that. “Are you tired?”
She blinked, startled in a new way. “Yes.”
“Why don’t I take you upstairs?”
Pink invaded her cheeks. “I think I can make it on my own.”
“I’m sure you can,” and he hoisted her into his arms, “but I want to take you.”
The tension melted from her shoulders. She snuggled against his chest, the embrace reminding him of earlier. When he looked at her, he saw the same perfect girl he’d always seen.
He ducked backward through the front door, carefully maneuvering her legs through, and took the stairs one slow step at a time. Then Chase stopped outside her door and lowered her to the floor, allowing her body to glide along his own. Every nerve ending screamed. Afraid to touch her more, he backed away and blew her a kiss. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Her eyes softened and she touched her lips. Perhaps Alasdair needed to pay Maddie a little visit. His alter ego seemed to have better luck.