(*Squeals* Thanks for all of the support that this had gotten [Including some from a few friends that I have gotten to read this] So here you have chapter two. I will probably try and post at least one chapter a week [maybe two if your lucky ;)] so here you go guys! Chapter 2!)
Maddie blinked in confusion at Liz when she spoke to the mysterious waiter, looking up at her friend in confusion, not noticing that her sweater had fallen just slightly, letting the top of her bruise become exposed.
"Oh Hallo Liz. I didn't recognize you at first. Gott it's been a long time since I've seen you." He said. Liz nodded, looking at Maddie's confused expression
"Oh! Madeline this is Gilbert, We went to college together for about a year. He was a good friend." She said. Maddie smiled shyly, looking up at Gilbert, offering to shake his hand. Gilbert gave her a warm smile that almost made her heart melt at the sight as he shook her hand.
"I-It's nice to meet you Gilbert." She said, her voice soft. He nodded
"Ja, It's nice to meet you too Madeline." He said, his eyes catching sight of the bruise on Madeline's shoulder
"What happened to your shoulder?" He asked. Maddie's eyes widened and she quickly pulled her sweater up, looking down at the table
"N-Nothing." she said softly. Before Gilbert was able to say anything Liz cut him off
"Gilbert can you get me a Caramel Mocha Java Chiller please." She asked, smiling at him but shooing him away with her hand. He gave a curt nod, giving Maddie a worried glance before he left
"Ja. One Caramel Mocha coming up Liz." He said, walking back behind the counter of the shop. Madeline's lip quivered as she kept her head down, her hair falling in her face. What the hell was she doing here? Why was she acting like that with Gilbert? She was in a relationship...a broken relationship….a falling apart at the seams relationship, with Ivan. She gasped, jumping when Liz put her hand on Madeline's shoulder
"Maddie. You don't need to do this anymore. You need to break it off. You can come stay at my place if you have to but you have to do something about Ivan." She said softly, her expression full of concern as she wiped a tear from Madeline's cheek, she hadn't even realized until now that she had been crying. Maddie let a shaky breath escape her lips and closed her eyes for a moment
"O-Okay…I'll talk to Ivan."
Madeline pulled up in her driveway, gulping as she looked up at the house she and Ivan had shared, gulping hard as she put her car in park and turned it off, grasping her keys tight in her hand before stuffing them in her purse and closing the car door. She walked into the house slowly, taking off her black converse by the door and leaving them there on the little mat that they always left their shoes on. She proceeded down the hallway to Kuma's room and opened the door, letting the pup out and putting him on his leash, taking him out into the back yard to do his business. As Kuma was sniffing around the yard Maddie let her mind wander back to those few moments of bliss in the coffee shop, a lump forming in her throat as she thought back to those shining crimson eyes and that sweet smile that made her heart melt and do flips in her chest. She heard Kuma yip at her feet, the sharp sound almost making her drop the leash.
"You ready to go back inside?" She asked, smiling at the obedient pup as he sat at her feet. Kuma barked softly in response, following Maddie back into the house. Maddie saw Ivan in the kitchen and swallowed hard, her eyes full of fear as she let Kuma in first, taking the leash off as he went. Ivan saw her and gave her a tired smile
"Privyet podsolnichnik~" Ivan cooed. Maddie gave him a fake, fearful smile
"H-Hi Ivan….d-did you sleep well?" She asked. Ivan looked at her with confusion
"Da...How long was I asleep?" He asked. Maddie looked over at the clock on the table by the couch it was three now. He had gotten home at ten right?
"Um...about five hours." She said, her voice soft and timid. He gave her a small smile and walked over to her, his arm going around her waist. Maddie squeaked in fear and turned her head to the side as he raised his other hand to her cheek. He had a confused look on his face
"Madeline? What's wrong?" He asked. Maddie looked up at Ivan, her little heart racing and her eyes wide, her body shrunken in fear. Madeleine had never been so afraid in her life, even of the man she loved, or at least she thought she did. He didn't have a clue what he had done did he?
"I-I...It's nothing Ivan…" She said softly. Ivan smiled a little and nodded at her, leaning in to kiss her on the lips but before he could Maddie turned her head away and his cold lips hit her cheek. It was then that Ivan noticed the slight handprint on her cheek and then when he pulled back he saw the bruise on her shoulder and then the memories seemed to come back to him
"O-Oh my...M-Madeline...I'm….I'm so sorry." He said, pulling her into a hug
"I did not mean to do this to you. I did not mean to say those things. I am very sorry." Maddie didn't return his hug but she tried to pull away, finally getting out of his arms.
"I-Ivan...w-what's...what's been going on the past few months….you...you never come home at night and when you finally do it's later the next morning and...I'm...I...I don't think your being faithful...I'm worried Ivan...I don't like being alone but...I..I want to stay with Elizabeta for a little while...I need a break if that's really what's going on.." She said softly. Ivan's eyes widened and he frowned, his brow furrowing
"Madeline. I have told you before that it is my work that keeps me out so late." He said, trying to approach her for a hug
"N-No! I...I talked to your boss...He told me that you weren't working those late hours. That you said you were...a-and...that he's seen you leaving with...s-some Lithuanian girl." She said softly
"He...He caught you...k-kissing her in the staff breakroom and...w-worse." Madeline's eyes were filled with tears and her cheeks were stained
"You...have been doing all this behind my back for how long?" She asked, her voice shaky and unstable as she clutched her own arm. Ivan's confusion turned to anger
"You dare accuse me of such things!?" He growled, teeth gritted together
"You accuse me of lying to you about work and then ask my idiotic boss about what I have been doing!" He bellowed, grabbing Maddie's arm roughly
"I have done no such thing!" He shouted in her face. Maddie gasped at his tight grip and whimpered in pain
"I-I hate you…" She said softly. Ivan smacked her in the same place he had this morning, making her yelp in pain
"You know what. You may hate me but I will keep you here if you like it or not!" His grasp suddenly tightening on her as he dragged her to the bedroom, tossing her on the bed and slamming and locking the door shut. She sat on the bed with her head in her hands, loud sobs coming from her shaking figure as she sat there
"I-I need to get out of here…" she whimpered, clutching the sheets in her hands.
"I don't want this anymore."
Gilbert folded his uniform apron over his arm as he walked out of the little cafe, his keys to his car in hand as he left. He had just locked up and was headed home for the night. He hadn't been able to get that girl out of his mind all day, he had locked eyes with her for just a moment and he'd felt a spark and his heart had been flying out of control as she spoke, her voice ringing in his ears like a sweet little bell, almost like an angel. Her eyes had sparkled for a moment as they'd met his but that had changed when he mentioned the massive bruise on her shoulder that seemed to extend to her collarbone, her eyes had gotten bigger and turned to worry and hurt like he had never seen before. He needed to talk to Elizabeta about this, she seemed to know what was wrong with Madeline and he really needed to know. He needed to know if she was okay. He sat down in his car and pulled out his phone, pulling up Elizabeta's number that she'd jotted down for him and called her.
"Hallo?" Liz answered. Gilbert had forgotten it was almost midnight but he was sure LIz wouldn't mind.
"Hallo? Elizabeta, it's Gilbert." He said, making sure the tired sounding woman on the other end knew it was him
"Gilbert! Oh hi! Did you close late tonight?" She asked,
"Ja I did but I needed to ask you something." Gilbert said, starting his car and beginning to drive down the road to his house
"Of course, what is it?" Liz asked, a soft shuffling being heard on the other end as Liz presumably sat up in her bed.
"Your friend Maddie today, was she alright? She had that huge bruise on her shoulder and she looked pretty bad." He said
"N-Not her appearance! That wasn't bad! That was pretty good actually but her mood or something...I mean!...fuck...um." Liz cut him off with a slight giggle
"I know what you mean Gilbert. Ja Madeline is having some...relationship problems...I...I don't really know if I should tell you this but Ivan, her boyfriend, pushed her and slapped her when he came home drunk this morning." She said softly. Gilbert felt his heart sink at the mention of Madeline having a boyfriend but then his anger flared up at the mention of this 'man' abusing that beautiful treasure that had sat there in his coffee shop with a massive bruise and red cheek from his terrible mistakes, her eyes full of sadness and hurt when that shouldn't be what is coming from a relationship. Gilbert wouldn't ever be like that to a woman...let alone Madeline
"Is she going to cut it off?" He asked, hoping that he could be there to comfort her if she would let him
"I don't think so. She texted me earlier and said that she was staying with Ivan but I guess we'll see if she does go and talk to his boss about his work schedule. I really hope she does break it off though. He's been acting kind of badly since December! And Maddie's let it go on this long!" Liz complained. Gilbert was shocked
"December?! That fucker has been treating her like that since December?!" Gilbert asked
"Yea. I don't' think the abuse had been happening but I'm afraid it'll become a habit." She said softly
"I hope not…" Gilbert said, his voice soft and worried
"I have to go to bed Gilbert. I have work tomorrow and I have to get up early." Gilbert nodded to himself
"Okay. Goodnight Liza." He said
"Goodnight." She said, hanging up the phone. Gilbert sighed. He couldn't believe that Madeline would have to go through that for all that time. She was such a sweet and beautiful girl, she deserved so much better than that dick she was with right now. He wished that he could have her as his girlfriend and show her how a real man was supposed to treat a lady. His eyes widened as he thought about that
"Gottverdammt Gilbert. You've got to stop thinking that way about her. She isn't your girlfriend and she will not be." he said, sighing and putting his eyes back on the darkened road.