AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you again for the incredible reviews. You guys are so savvy, it's unbelievable. Thanks for takin' the time to drop me your opinions; it means so much. Please review!
The day slowly passed between Rainey and I. It was quiet and uneventful. Rainey was busy working on his story while I was finishing reading on of his stories, which turned out to be suspenseful and thrilling.
At about nine at night, I bid Rainey good night, and walked upstairs to my room, falling quickly asleep. I don't know how long I was out, but a loud scream woke me up. I was so startled I fell off the bed and stumbled down the stairs. I saw Rainey panting heavily, sitting up on the couch.
Must've had a nightmare, I concluded, rushing over to kneel in front of him. I smiled, realizing that it was now my turn to care for him as he did for me.
Rainey saw me kneel in front of him and he leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes softly. I glanced out the window and saw that it was still dark out, but I could make out Rainey's features perfectly.
I gently reached out and pulled a strand of hair away from his face, letting my fingertips linger on his cheek for a moment. Mort's hand softly took hold of mine and I locked eyes with him, smiling slightly.
"Care to share?" I asked him quietly.
"It just feels like the past has caught up with me," he said hoarsely yet softly.
"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" I asked him humorously, my thumb gently caressing his cheek.
He smiled and closed his eyes. "Depends on if you're open-minded or not. My past...."
"Is like my past," I finished quietly.
He nodded and I smiled slightly, gently pulling my hand away from him. "Are you going to be okay?"
He nodded. "I'll manage," he said. "Thanks."
I smiled and stood. "It's no problem. If you need anything, you know where to find me."
He nodded, closing his eyes and he instantly fell asleep. I watched him for a while. His face looked so beautiful; the rays of the moon accenting his high cheekbones. His breathing was even and soothing, and I found myself getting tired. With one last look, I headed up the stairs.
The next morning, I woke up fairly late, around ten in the morning. I threw on some jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and headed down the stairs, the sweet scent of coffee waking me up more than I already was.
Walking into the kitchen, I smiled when I saw Mort reading a newspaper in his over-used robe, his thick-rimmed glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. His head lifted when he saw me, and we smiled our good mornings.
"Coffee's on the sink, if you want any," he said, his eyes returning to the paper.
Pouring myself a cup of the hot liquid, I took my usual seat across from Rainey, my eyes skimming the front page of the newspaper. I rose my eyebrows and took a sip of my coffee, realizing that the Ball was in a few days.
After a moment of silence, Rainey abruptly folded his paper and stared at me. I looked up from the black drink and smiled at him. He returned the smile and said, "Madison, would you care to join me for a walk in the woods?"
I quirked an eyebrow but nodded. What was he planning? Did he want to talk? Is my family causing too much trouble for him? I began to get worried as I excused myself to grab a random hoodie.
A few minutes later, Rainey and I were walking down a path close together. Not a word was spoken, which scared me a bit. The snow had disappeared but it was still cold. Dew was on the leaves of the various trees and decorated the grass beautifully. I smiled as I took in the scenery. Simply beautiful, I thought.
"Madison," Mort said, scratching the back of his neck. I noticed he had thrown a big, brown jacket over his grey shirt and tan slacks, the robe gone for now. "This is really hard for me to do..."
I gulped, knowing what was coming. "I'm sorry," I said suddenly, not wanting him to go any farther. "I know, I know. My dad's bothering you and everything, and it's okay, you can fire me."
Rainey stared at me for a moment, and I gulped. It was a long, excruciatingly painful moment of silence that I had ever felt. He was my only friend, and if I lost him, I wouldn't know what to do anymore. And suddenly, he smiled. My mouth dropped slightly as my eyebrows scrunched.
"Do you really think I'm going to fire you because of your father?" he asked me and I shrugged. How would I know?"'Cause I'm not," he added quickly.
I slowly let out a breath I did not know I was holding but I quirked an eyebrow. "Then why'd you want to talk to me?"
He smiled. "I was wondering if you'd accompany me to the Writers' of the Century Ball in a few days?"
I smiled and began to laugh. So that was what he had trouble asking me? I shoved him, and said, "You scared the crap outta me."
He laughed along with me. "So, is that a yes?"
I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but I don't have anything fancy to wear, and I don't know how to dance."
He smiled. "That's why you have me, Maddy."
I quirked an eyebrow at my new nickname and he continued. "I'll teach you how to dance, and don't worry about the dress. Leave everything to me."
My eyebrow rose a bit more and I crossed my arms over my chest. I realized that I suddenly felt guilty; Rainey was being so nice to me and I somehow felt I had to repay him somehow. "At least take it from my pay, then."
Knowing I wouldn't back down, he nodded and smiled, softly taking my hand with his. I leaned my head on his shoulder and we silently made our way back to his house.
"What will people think?" I asked suddenly, pulling my head off his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" he asked, turning towards me.
"At the ball, what will they think?" I asked. "Of you? Of me? Of us?"
Rainey let go of my hand and cupped my face with it. His thumb softly caressed my cheek, sending unwanted urges through my body.
"You shouldn't worry about what other people think, but how you feel," he said softly. "Just remember, Maddy, that your rep is what people think of you but your character is who you really are."
I smiled softly at his words and he released my face and took my hand once again, walking me to the comfort of his house.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Wow, what a sweet chapter! Please be kind and drop a review! Don't worry, chapters will come out quicker because my Spring Break is next week. Ta!