Chapter 9

A few days had passed and Poppi had been avoiding Madden. She didn’t want things to be awkward between them so she just stayed out late with friends or slept over their houses.

Valyn let Poppi know that since Madden was off of work she needed to introduce him to her friends.

“Take him to Cooper’s. It’s 18 and over night and you guys can do line dances. How fun would that be? I know Viva and Anchor will love it!” Valyn went on.

Viva and Anchor were twins. They had been friends with Poppi since she was five years old. They were like sisters to her.

“You’re right mom and who knows, maybe MJ will hit it off with one of them. They are his age after all,” Poppi said, and almost winced at the thought of Madden hooking up with one of her friends.

She texted Anchor and Viva to see if they were available and they were. They all planned to meet at Cooper’s at 8:00 pm.

Poppi went to find Madden. He was laying on the couch scrolling on his phone.

“Hey. I invited some friends to go line dancing tonight. Do you wanna hang?” Poppi asked.

Madden looked up briefly from his phone and kept scrolling.

“Not really,” he said.

Poppi was a little shocked by this.

“Are you serious Madden? Why the hell not?” Poppi asked.

Madden sat up and looked at Poppi confused.

“Poppi, you have avoided me all week. It’s hella rude and now you expect me to what, go hang out and make nice with your friends?” Madden scolded.

Poppi’s stomach dropped. She didn’t want him to notice she was avoiding him. She just wasn’t ready to face him after their moment they shared at the vendor market.

“Mad-…” she began.

He put his hand up as if to stop her, “Save it. I am sure this is something Valyn put you up to, so just tell me the plan and I will be there.”

Madden put his headphones on and completely ignored Poppi while he continued to scroll videos on his phone. Her heart felt something, but she didn’t want it to. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that she wanted him and that is why she had to avoid him. She hated the situation their parents put them in. Why didn’t they grow up together? Why didn’t they have a sibling bond? She didn’t even know how to begin starting a relationship with him under these circumstances.

She wrote down a time and meeting place on a sheet of paper and set it next to Madden on the couch. They still hadn’t exchanged phone numbers so this was the best she could do to communicate with him. He didn’t even look at the paper or in her direction. She planned to make it up to him this evening and try to start their relationship over again.

Madden told her he would meet her at Cooper’s tonight at 8:00 pm, so she went without him. She pulled into the almost full parking lot, headlights sparsely lit the gravel as her tires crushed over it. People were heading inside as if they belonged there.

Poppi looked around for Viva or Anchor’s jeep, but didn’t see it. She fixed her high ponytail and walked inside.

She could see people drinking and chatting. A couple was in the corner kissing. A few people were sprinkled throughout the dance floor. She spotted Anchor dancing with a guy she didn’t know. Anchor had long blonde waves and she sparkled. She was irresistible to any man that stood in her snares. She noticed Poppi and ran over.

“Hey girl! Viva went to get us some lemonades. Where is he?” Anchor asked, searching the crowd frantically.

Poppi looked around and then saw him at the edge of the dance floor, drinking a water. His hair barely combed, a button collar t-shirt, jeans and boots. His gaze met hers briefly and then he did a double take. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. Poppi knew her outfit and hair were not in her wheelhouse and it must have thrown him off. Her mind changed quickly as he never broke his gaze. He got a small smirk on his face like he had seen something he wanted to find the whole night.

Madden soon realized he was ogling Poppi and broke his gaze. He walked over to the ladies to say hello.

“Hey Pop…” he started.

He was quickly spun around by Anchor.

“So you are MJ? You’re way more muscular than I imagined. Poppi why didn’t you tell us your brother was so rugged?” She charmed.

Madden laughed a little.

“So you guys line dance often?” He asked.

“If this is your way of asking me to dance, it’s lame, but it worked,” Anchor said, lightly touching his arm.

It was brief and no one else probably noticed. But Poppi noticed and it made her stomach hurt. She had to ignore that feeling.

“I uh…I mean I’m not much of a dancer,” Madden said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh nonsense, with arms like those, you could show me some moves,” Anchor flirted.

Madden hesitated. He looked at Poppi and then back at Anchor.

“Just dance with her Madden,” Poppi insisted.

She wasn’t sure why she suggested this and instantly regretted it as Madden took Anchor’s hand and led her to the dance floor. The two bopped around and laughed as if they had known one another for ages.

Viva noticed the look on Poppi’s face as she watched Madden and Anchor.

“Is there something going on there Poppi?” Viva asked with her soft voice.

Poppi snapped from her tunnel vision of the two and looked at Viva.

“Oh my gosh no way! That’s my brother Viv,” Poppi defended.

“Stepbrother Pops, and it’s okay if you have some feelings for him, I mean look at him. Damn!” Viva said, licking her lips.

“No, Viv I swear. I am just taken aback by how quickly he is moving in on my friends you know? We have barely hung out today and now he is grinding on one of my best friends. It’s just weird,” Poppi lied.

“Yeah, that does make sense. Sorry for thinking it was something else. I’d say I’m drunk, but they will only serve us juice and soda!” She joked.

The DJ stopped the music to make an announcement, “Line dances will begin in about five minutes. Meet in the red rectangle on my left if you plan to join.”

A cheer went up as the crowd shifted, bodies funneling toward the glowing red rectangle taped on the floor.

Poppi exhaled slowly, grateful for the interruption. Distance. Structure. Something safe.

“Come on,” Viva grabbed her wrist. “You’re not standing over here all night.”

Before Poppi could protest, she was pulled into the crowd, the energy swallowing her whole. The red rectangle pulsed under the lights, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people lining up in rows.

And then—

Of course.

Madden ended up directly across from her.