Chapter Five - Ansley

Rays of morning light streaked through the crack in my bedroom blinds, waking me. I groaned, rubbing my eyes with my fists. It felt like someone hit me in the head with a hammer, or ran over me with a truck.

I kicked my leg and swung my arms to get out of my blankets because a thick layer of sweat covered my skin. What time is it? What’s the day?

I rolled my leg over, noticing a glass of water and aspirin sitting on my nightstand. I tried to remember what happened the night before, only gathering bits and pieces.

Oh yeah, the barn party.

I grabbed my leg, slipped the sleeve over my thigh and tossed the aspirin into the back of my throat. A headache danced around my vision, promising me a fun-filled day of torture—crap.

It’s Friday.

My clock on my nightstand read seven-fifty-five.

I bounded up in a hurry, grabbing clothes and tossing them until I looked somewhat presentable. My door crashed against the opposite wall as I barreled through the barrier.

Madden was up before I made it to the kitchen, gun in his hand and a sleepy look in his eye. If I hadn’t been in a total hurry to get to my eight am class, I would have taken the time to ogle him.

He stood shirtless, all coiled muscles and a perfectly sculpted pack of abs. My heart skipped a couple of beats at the sight of a piercing in his left nipple.

As if he needed anything else to make him attractive. He sighed heavily, dropping his handgun. “Where is the fire?” he asked in a bedroom voice that threatened my ability to keep my clothes on.

“I’m late. My class starts in five minutes. Get dressed if you’re coming with me.”

Madden stretched his long, lean arms above his head, and I reluctantly snuck a peek over the dining table while grabbing us muffins from their package.

He shuffled around, pulling on his signature black t-shirt and shoving his feet into his boots.

He kept up with my pace, sliding into the passenger side of my car as I started the engine. The cool air hit my face, and brought back everything that happened the night before.

Madden looked at me carefully when I jerked my gaze toward him. “I asked you to kiss me last night,” I blurted.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You did. I wasn’t sure if you remembered.”

Embarrassment swarmed me like nagging bees. How could you, Ansley? What about your pride?

I even told off Lesley Cartwright.

Mouth meet foot.

“Oh my God,” I mumbled, pulling out of the parking lot. “That was—not me, I mean, a drunk and stupid me. I don’t care who you kiss.”

Do you not care, Ansley? My inner voice taunted me.

I didn’t know what was up her peehole this morning, but I wasn’t above fighting myself over it.

Madden smirked.

I didn’t like it.

“Why are you smirking?” I asked, tightening my hands around the wheel.

“I’m not. You’re paranoid.”

Ha. Paranoid. Me? No. “I’m not. Don’t take it to your head, Madden. I’m serious. I. Was. Drunk.”

Madden nodded his head slowly, pulling out the muffin I tossed him and taking a bite. The lack of conversation about it made me more uncomfortable. “You don’t have anything to say about it?”

He shrugged unbothered. “What is there to say, Ansley? You said you were drunk, why are you so worried about it? I didn’t kiss you, if you remember, I’m not some date raping fraternity boy. It’s only a big deal if you make it a big deal.”

“Right,” I agreed.

Another smirk pulled at his mouth. “Stop smirking!”

Madden chuckled deeply, putting my nerves on edge. Thankfully, I found a parking space quickly, and I raced toward Human Sexuality. Professor Heckles’ voice boomed from the other side of the swinging classroom door.

I cringed, but walked in. Everyone looked over at us. I could only imagine the thoughts they had with me looking like I’d had a wild night out.

Professor Heckles eyed us cautiously but proceeded.

I sank into my seat, pulling out my homework and notebook. I wasn’t one to be late to anything. Madden glanced over my head at who I assumed was Marcus. His jaw worked underneath the blanket of dark scruff.

Being me, I didn’t look, or acknowledge he was in the same room. It only made it worse to have a cowboy stare down with him. Pulling out my pen, I scribbled over the top of my paper, and shoved it toward Madden.

Stop staring at him.

Madden took my pen and answered, He started it.

I hated myself for being attracted to his handwriting. Can handwriting even be attractive? I compared his small cursive to my big bubbly letters and scowled at myself. It looked like an eighth grade girl wrote mine.

Don’t indulge him, please?

Madden chuckled.

What do you suggest I do, Sergeant?

I tossed him a dirty look.

How about ignore him?

Madden looked at me and crumbled up the paper into a tight ball, leaned in and whispered, “No.”

We held an uncomfortable stare down until Professor Heckles’ shadow brought me out of my stupor.

“Do I need to separate the two of you?” he asked, shoving his hand into the pocket of his slacks. “We aren’t in high school, so I suggest you two zip it, and show up on time.”

I felt judgement from the entire class, and a rain cloud formed above my head. “Sorry, Professor Heckles,” I mumbled.

He took my homework and left me with a pop quiz that I didn’t feel prepared for. This day is not starting out in my favor. Once class ended, I slipped out before Professor Heckles could say anything to me. I didn’t need a reminder of my causalities.

Madden stalked behind me. His heavy footsteps a constant reminder of my babysitter. Another set of footsteps bypassed Madden’s and stopped next to me.

Jenny smiled. “You coming to the game tonight? It’s a home game.”

I inwardly cringed. Call me crazy but I’d never been a huge football fan. Raised in Louisiana, I received tons of flack about it, but I couldn’t help it.

“Jenny—,” I whined.

She grasped my upper arm and pleaded. “Please Ansley. You never come. You only go to college once. You need to embrace this. It’s LSU football, come on.”

“I can’t, I have to work anyway.”

Jenny pouted. “You know Cindy Kate would let you off. You work every Friday.”

“Ansley doesn’t like football,” Madden said. “Never did. She’d always disappear on Sundays when we would watch it.”

Jenny eyed me. “So you two have known each other a long time?”

“He’s Sammy’s friend.”

Jenny sighed. “You sure you can’t come? At least try to come to the after party. What about the tailgate?”

Poor Jenny. When we became friends, she didn’t realize I border lined anti-social. “I have a lot going on, Jenny. I’ll try to make it to the next home game.”

Jenny twirled in her skirt. “Does this have to do with Marcus? I heard someone say he was arrested this week.”

Madden didn’t make any indication that I wasn’t supposed to elaborate. Plus, it was in the paper. “Yeah, he came to my job and Madden—he …” I stopped.

Jenny glanced over my shoulder at him. “You’re the guy that beat him up?” she asked with a smile. “I think I like you.”

Madden’s chuckle sent chills up my spine. “I have to take care of our girl, don’t I?”

Jenny winked at me. “Maybe we can get together this weekend and do something fun. I’ll call you.”

She skipped toward her next class, leaving me with Madden whose big paw sat on my shoulder. I shrugged out of his grasp. “Our girl? Give me a break.”

Madden shoved his hands into his pockets. “You need to relax, you’ve been on edge since you asked me to kiss you last night.”

Does he have to say it?

“I. Was. Dru—,”

Madden leaned forward and the sweet taste of coffee on his breath hit me. “Drunk, I know. Calm your tits.”

I didn’t miss how his eyes lowered.

“Whatever. Let’s just get through today.”

Madden stepped back and gestured for me to lead.

***

When my shift ended that night, my feet hurt and I felt like I could sleep for eighteen hours straight. The parking lot of my apartment was littered with the remains of a home game cookout and drunken kids celebrating the Tiger’s win.

I couldn’t be bothered with it.

Madden stayed uncharacteristically quiet most of the night. He seemed very stealthy compared to class. I wasn’t sure if he sensed something or just expected it.

I showered, washing off the hamburger stench that clutched to my skin, and slipped into a pair of pj’s and tank top. Madden sat in the living room, sharpening a knife I never noticed on him, his handgun sitting to his side.

“Want some popcorn?” I asked.

He didn’t look up but smirked. “I could eat some popcorn.”

I watched him tentatively sharpen the blade, the slicing sound almost rhythmic. Once I finished the popcorn, I sat down loudly on the recliner, tucked my knees and tossed Madden his own bag.

He caught it, and propped his feet onto my living room table.

The silence felt nice.

For a while at least.

I turned the TV to some design show, eyeing Madden as he absently watched it. “How long do you think my dad wants you to stay? Don’t you have other stuff to do?”

His dark gaze turned toward mine. “Like what?”

I shrugged, tossing a popcorn into my mouth. “I dunno. What had you planned to do after you were honorably discharged?”

“Find a job.”

I eyed him. “Doing what?”

Madden grumbled beneath his breath. “What’s with the twenty questions?”

“Oh,” I said sarcastically. “Are you busy doing something else?”

Madden leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “I would have found some nine to five job, and worked. That’s it.”

“Doesn’t sound like much fun,” I mumbled. “Why don’t you go to college and get a degree?”

He leaned back. “I don’t like school.”

“You like to blow stuff up? Or interrogate people? You could go into the police force—,”

“Ansley,” he said. “I don’t need a shrink, okay? I’m working for your dad right now.”

Humph. Pursing my lips, I let my attention go toward the TV. I couldn't imagine Madden working some nine to five job. Sitting behind a desk? I snickered at the thought of him wearing a suit and tie, but then stopped. For some reason I didn’t think Madden would look bad in anything, and him dressed to impressed made my legs weak.

“How long do you think this will last?”

Madden crumbled his bag of popcorn. “Can’t tell. Seems like a persistent bastard to me. Spoiled. Everything handed to him.”

I couldn’t argue there.

“He seems quiet today,” I said. “I mean besides the my balls are bigger than yours stare down in class.”

Madden smirked.

“What?” I asked.

“You thinking about my balls.”

Embarrassment climbed my throat. “No, I was not. And I wasn’t thinking about Marcus’ either.”

He gave me a lazy smile that made my heart skip a beat. It looked too much like the him I knew in high school. “The difference is you’ve seen his …”

I didn’t know if the reminder that I’d seen anything on Marcus embarrassed me, or the thought of Maddens. “This is enough of this conversation.”

“Hard subject?” he asked.

My blood ran hot. “Stop,” I warned.

Madden chuckled. “You were much more brazen in high school,” he said, pulling his knife back out.

I rolled my neck dramatically. “What does that mean? You hardly paid any attention to me in high school.”

A touch of a smile played on his mouth. “Not true. I completely noticed you spying on us from your bedroom window.”

“I was ten,” I countered. “And don’t get a big head, Madden. I thought all of my brother’s friends were cute.”

“Obviously,” he said.

I’m over this.

I stood up. “I’m finished talking about this. You’re just fishing for a compliment because of my drunken request last night.”

Madden let his head fall back in laughter. My gaze traveled down his thick neck as he chuckled from deep in his chest. I hated that his laugh was sexy, and how much his neck  made me want to run my tongue against his skin.

Get it together, Ansley.

When he pulled himself together, he wore a smile that forced my thighs to clutch together. “Haven’t you heard that your true feelings come out when you’re drinking?”

“You made that up.”

“G****e it,” he said, his dark gaze playful. A side of him I didn’t see too often.

I walked to my room with the feeling of his eyes on me.