ANMELDENMADISONQuickly, I plop down opposite him, my legs folded, my eyes almost disconnecting from their sockets.He didn’t say his mom drowned him, did he? I must have heard him wrong.With a throbbing heart, I ask, “Caden, did you say your mother drowned you?”“Every day, for seven days.” His lips press into a thin line as he watches me gape at him.“Why would she do that? I don’t understand.”I really don’t. Okay, I know Dad was always creating nothing into something to find flaws in Caden. You might even see it as hate, even though some people say a parent can never hate their child.But his mother? As in a whole mother? I never saw that coming.“I don’t either,” he answers quietly, his eyes downcast while his hands play with the fabric of his shorts.I shift closer until our thighs are touching.“What happened?” Flustered, I ask, “Caden, I’d love to listen. Do you really want to talk about it?”He peeks at me briefly, then responds, “She decided to leave after the seventh time.”His mo
MADISONAfter Caden left me stranded in the bathroom, confused about what just happened, I muster up the strength to follow after him. I am not letting this slide like it never happened.I saw him. It wasn’t just some instinctive reaction about someone’s safety. What happened has to do with something more, something he’s concealing inside to prevent everyone from seeing.He admitted he was in pain, and yeah, he even made it obvious by almost killing Daisy. But what I saw in his eyes has nothing to do with losing his stepsister. He said he regretted what he did. So, what is he suffering from?How much devastation lies behind that gorgeous man who wanted me out of the bathtub?Cautiously, I take hesitant steps to the kitchen, where Caden is furiously throwing everything into the sink.His shoulders are tense, and the only sound is the crash of dishes and spoons.The place smells like burnt sauce. It makes me fear whether this is the right time, because he seems very angry.I take two ca
MADISONWith the holiday break underway at my workplace, I arrive home around five in the evening.However, I still make a stop at the police station to talk to the lieutenant, who remains unyielding despite my pleas.Worn and irritated, I unlock the door to the apartment I share with my stepbrother.Stepping inside, it’s just like any other day. Caden has already cleaned everything.He’s in the kitchen preparing dinner, dressed in a plain white T-shirt and cargo shorts that make him look innocent.His tousled hair, shorter on the sides and longer in the middle, highlights his hazel eyes that can shift in color. They’re captivating and can change within a nanosecond, especially in the light.When our eyes meet, a sudden, benign smile spreads across his face.Yes, when I said he needed this quiet treatment, I meant it. Surprisingly, it’s working. Apart from trying to get me to talk, all he does is work, play video games, and sleep.“Hey! Shit.” He freezes, holding out a tomato in a fun
MADISONIt was on Tuesday, around mid-December, a couple of weeks after what Caden had done.In case I haven’t made myself clear, yes, I have been ignoring him because he needs to know what he did was highly wrong.Of course, I want him out of jail, but that doesn’t mean what he did to Daisy Esteban is going unnoticed.He promised me things would be better, then he went and did something so unimaginable, something so brutal, so horrible.No. He needs to feel the guilt. He needs to know I am not okay with anything like that.He almost killed someone and dragged himself into deep shit that could’ve destroyed his future and mine.Did I mention today is the last day of school for the year? It is. It’s almost Christmas, and Caden still isn’t permitted to travel back home. This leaves me wondering if leaving for New York tomorrow is a good decision.Mom and Dad are only expecting me for the holidays, since Caden had to cover himself with arrogance and provoked Dad to give up trying to get e
CADEN“This is all,” said a bold man dressed neatly in a police uniform after handing back my personal belongings seized when I was arrested for attempted murder four days ago.Yes, four days ago.I still can’t comprehend how I am freely standing outside the cell four days after what happened. I should be locked up in one of the high-security prisons in the country for almost killing a person.Instead, I am getting my stuff back from the police and being escorted home along with two police officers, my lawyer—whose name I have no idea of—and Mitch, the guy my dad and Martha trusted.Beside him is Mad, who seems entirely debilitated and overworked.I shove the two-hundred-dollar notes into my wallet and grab my car key from the desk.The confusing thing is there’s no more trial or chains or prison. I only have an ankle bracelet monitor, which the police will use to keep me under surveillance for a specific time that I wasn’t told about.Yes, I was sentenced to home arrest, in case you’
MADISONI returned to the building around five in the evening that day, hoping Mitch was at home. He is the only one I can think of. He is the only one around here who could help us.In the same denim pants and T-shirt I’ve been wearing since Monday, I step out of the elevator. Then again, I have some visitors standing by my door. Bryan Tatum. And he has his two security men accompanying him.Not now. I haven’t attended school for three days. I haven’t talked to Asher or picked up any phone calls that aren’t related to Caden’s issues. All I need right now are solutions.When his eyes find me, a smile begins pulling at his lips, until he takes in my miserable appearance. Concern promptly replaces his smile. “Hey. I’ve been calling you.”I stop by Mitch’s door and let Bryan walk over to me. “I am sorry, I have been busy lately,” I respond, trying to sound fine even though I look anything but.“All right…” He eyes me suspiciously before he suggests, “Well, maybe if you are free, I can ta







