Neither Maddy nor Rhydian could believe the eventfulness of the night which was now coming to a close; Rhydian coming back, Maddy being attacked by Ceri, Maddy's condition being touch and go, Rhydian running away, again, Maddy almost being attacked, again, whilst looking for him, Rhydian saving her. It had all gone by in a flash.
As the moon disappeared from the sky, and the sun began to peep above the horizon, Rhydian and Maddy exhaustedly made their way back to the house. They had passed Bernie's and were now taking a shortcut through the woods when Rhydian began to speak.
'What were you doing down that alley, anyway?' he asked as he stopped to look Maddy wholly in the eyes. He trusted Maddy more than anyone and knew that she would never lie to him, but he still felt the need to meet the gateways of her soul out of habit; 12 years' worth of foster families had taught him that this was one sure way to get the truth. He wanted no avoidance of his question, no embellishment or exaggeration; he wanted the truth.
'I'd been looking for you and they followed me, I didn't even know where I was and didn't know the alley was a dead end, so I ran down it thinking I could escape.' Once she had said this they both broke their eye-contact and looked at the ground in thought. Maddy took a step forward, thinking that the conversation was over and they should carry on home so that she could have some more painkiller for her chest, when Rhydian suddenly ran over to her and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. This confused her.
'Maddy, I need you to promise me that you'll never put yourself in so much danger ever again because of me,' he now held her at arm's length to look deep into her eyes again, determined to get her word, 'please…'
'Rhydian, I… You know that I can't do that.' She left his hold and stepped backwards to put more space between them, allowing her room to think. How could he ask her that?
'What do you mean you can't?' He was bewildered.
'I mean I can't. Why would you even ask that, Rhydian? You know that I would never agree to it.' Maddy retorted.
'But why not?!' He was beginning to get angry at her refusal now.
'For the same reason that you'd say no if I asked the same thing of you!' This silenced them both. Rhydian put his hands over his head in exasperation. When he eventually did speak, it was with a renewed calmness.
'But you don't understand Maddy, you have to.' He now stopped his pacing, which had begun in the silence, to look at Maddy intently. He had to make her understand.
'Why do I have to?' Maddy's tone of voice showed that she did not accept Rhydian's authority and thought of the whole thing as ridiculous.
'BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO!' Rhydian's poise was gone and even the newly risen birds had quietened now. 'Because I could never take it if you were to be hurt because of me, again.'
This struck a chord with Maddy. She stopped her internal mocking of Rhydian's request to really look at him. He was quivering all over. He looked different. He looked changed; he was no longer sure or collected looking in his stance or face, he now looked worried. Worried and scared. This abrupt opposition to the norm in Rhydian tugged on Maddy's heart strings, making her do the only thing that she could; run to him, cradle his face in her arms and then, gently, press her lips against his, making the anger they both once felt feel like a distant memory.
When they both withdrew from the kiss it was Maddy's turn to look into Rhydian's eyes. 'If you don't want me to be hurt again, there's only one thing you need do.'
Rhydian looked down from Maddy's gaze, a small smile playing on his lips at the amusement of the idea that it would only take one thing to satisfy someone as ambitious as Maddy. 'And what's that?' He humoured her, seeing the importance of this in Maddy's deep, brown, eyes.
'Stay.'