Chapter Twenty Five
Talk to me now
Let me inside your mind
I don't know what you're thinking sugar
But I just got that feeling sugar
I can hear the sirens burning
Red lights turning
I can't turn back now
So hold on tight
David Guetta - Dangerous
The shower had been amazing, Maddie had forgotten how good it could feel to be clean again, the hot water had soothed over aches and pains she didn't realise she had as well as unveiling several scrapes she hadn't realised she had collected along the way. That didn't both her much, she was used to cuts and bruises that came along with the job, occupational hazard she called them. It had given her a chance to unwind too, she hadn't realised how much she had been carrying from Nick's case, her brain sued the quiet time to process what had happened in the woods and compartmentalised it.
Cases including Wesen were starting to become the norm in their world and she didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, maybe it had always been this way and Nick's ability had given them the ability to see it now instead of being shrouded in the dark and not knowing what they were up against. It didn't matter to her human or Wesen if they were a bad guy they needed to be out away and that was as clear cut as it got in their world, people were complicated and they did things for different reason, one thing Maddie did know was that she wouldn't be surprised by the acts that people committed, there was a darkness in the human condition one that cops saw day in and day out and she was glad that she was helping to combat it.
At the moment she was perched upon one of the bar style stools at her breakfast bar, her hair limp and damp, drying in the warm air from the central heating built into her small bungalow. She placed her chin upon her hand and watched Sean as he sat across from her, chopsticks clasped between his nimble fingers. The sleeves of his baby blue shirt were rolled up to his elbows, his dark head bowed as he dexterously picked up the morsels of food from the inside of the white take out container. His navy blue tie was neatly folded into a small square and was situated on the arm of her sofa. Being here with him felt natural and Maddie had given up trying to figure out whether this was a good or bad thing. She liked it though, having him here felt right.
"You know most people would find it unsettling to be watched so closely while they eat." Sean informed her, before picking up a napkin and using it to wipe the edges of his mouth. He replaced it back on the breakfast bar before entwining his fingers together in front of him. "You clearly have some questions so go ahead and ask."
"I'm not sure that I should." Maddie said stabbing her fork into the chicken Pad Thai noodles. She had never learned how to use chopsticks, she wondered how Sean had learned and if he would teach her if she asked nicely.. She gestured between the two of them with her cutlery. "I like this but I don't know what this is."
"Two people having dinner together." Sean answered, carefully picking up his chopsticks and returning to his meal.
Maddie fixed him with her vivid blue stare. Sean ignored it and continued to eat, his gaze never leaving hers. She felt that the two of them were at a turning point and that things between them should be laid out across the table. The problem was they didn't know where they stood, was this just sex or was this something more? Maddie wanted more, she knew she shouldn't but the truth was that surge in side wouldn't let her. The sex was amazing but there was more depth to it than that.
"And what happens after dinner?" Maddie questioned cautiously, her eyes intent on handsome features.
"I'm guessing that we throw these away." Sean responded looking down pointedly at the cardboard take out containers.
Maddie sighed out loud, before setting her fork down on the counter and pushing the leftover noodles away from her.
"Your not helping you know?" she told him, her tone frustrated. "I can't do this if I don't have an idea of where I stand. I've done that before and it just becomes this giant mess and I don't want that, I don't want that for us."
"I'm not trying to be difficult Maddie. I just don't know what you want." Sean spoke honestly, kneading his fingers together. "I don't want to push you into something your not ready for."
There it was lying between them on the table, it was the truth and he'd had the balls to say it out loud. She knew she was the problem but admitting it to herself was a different thing all together. She'd come to him the other night and she'd confessed her darkest secret. That wasn't something she rushed into, she had told him something she had never told anyone before. He knew that and more, it occurred to Maddie maybe Sean knew her better than she knew herself sometimes and she didn't think that was a bad thing.
"I don't do casual." she blurted out suddenly into the silence that hung between them. "And I don't like the idea of you sleeping with other women."
Now she was showing her own hand, she was ready to make a commitment if he was too but she wouldn't play second fiddle to anyone. She didn't do well as the other woman, she had tried it before and there was never a happy ending for anyone. Briefly she pondered back to that moment, the one that seemed almost a life time ago when she had seen Sean in his glossy black SUV, kissing Adalind Schade. Jesus she had never felt such white hot jealousy before then, she had wanted to rip open that car door and tear the other woman out. It had been irrational, she knew that at the time since Sean had been barely more than her superior at the time and she had managed to walk away. She couldn't promise the same thing now and he needed to know that.
"Then I don't want you giving your phone number to other men." Sean parried, his dark gaze equally as serious. That was what had started this whole thing off, that had been the tipping point for their relationship, it had been fluke for him to have been in the bar that night but he was glad he had been otherwise Maddie could have ended up going some with someone else and he didn't think any part of him Hexenbeast or man would be able to handle that.
"I think that's fair." Maddie agreed, her delicate hands slipping across the smooth work surface of the breakfast bar until she clasped his larger ones in her own.
"I haven't been in a relationship for a very long time." Sean said abruptly, his eyes lowering to their joined hands as his thumb caressed the underside of her palm. "You have to be patient, there are things that don't come easily to me, not the way they do to other people."
The truth was Sean hadn't cared about anyone for a very long time. There had been dalliances over the years, women who had scratched an itch, people he'd been with to manipulate his goals but he had never cared for them no matter what the part was he had played at the time. The ability had served him well over the years but it was time to leave that behind now because there was something far more worthwhile on the cards.
For the first time in his life he thought there was a possibility he could be happy and he wanted to grab that opportunity with both hands and damn the consequences but he was a careful man and he protected his things. If this thing with Maddie was going to work he could have to be vigilant, he could not have his worlds colliding the way he had before. He knew he would have to be take measures to keep her out of the limelight, he had too many enemies who would use her as an opportunity to stick in the knife and they wouldn't think twice about Maddie's safety, he was a fool to be engaging in this, he new that but he could not help himself. People in love did stupid things, that was how he had been put on this earth after all.
"I think it's safe to say we're both a little rusty." Maddie uttered, her dulcet tones breaking through his dark thoughts like a ray of sunshine. He didn't know how she had such a profound effect on him but despite himself he found himself smiling before he rose to his feet and purposefully dodged around the breakfast bar so that he was planted right in front of her. Her blue eyes were bright as he placed his large hot hands upon her knees lightly and parted them gently so he could lean in closely. Their lips were inches apart and that familiar surge of heat was crackling in the air around them as he whispered against her pert pink mouth.
"I guess we'll figure things out along the way."
Hi All, the good news is we finally have the internet now in my apartment so I can post chapters. I have also just completed my Level 3 Course in Adult Learning and Training so I have a lot more spare time for writing and drawing. Yay!
Guest: Thank you for taking the time to review, I am so glad you enjoyed the chapter, it puts a little smile on my face.
Netflix: Thanks for the review! They really made me grin!
Vamp: These two write themselves sometimes so it works for me. Thanks for taking the time to review.
Despry: That's the way I like to read stories with a nice cup of tea. *toasts with tea cup. Thank you for your review and I'm glad you got to read a couple of chapters at a time sometimes it's better than having to stop and wait.
Random: I hope your problems got a little easier to deal with while I was away. I can't believe you take Latin that is a skill. Wu knows man! I need to catch up on Grimm to be honest I paused at season 3 and haven't had a chance to catch up but there's a long weekend coming my way so fingers crossed.