Heyyy! I'm back with another chapter! The last one was a little intense wasn't it?! Well, this one is just as intense...if not more! I wanna give my girls JustCherry73, wwechristina and GoldenGirl1920 a shoutout for your continued love and support! I love you ladies so much!
I don't own anyone affiliated with the WWE...I own everything else including the storyline.
Enjoy!
Maddie POV
I stand there, eyes wide open, gawking at her, sure I heard her wrong. "I'm sorry…who?" I ask, feeling the anger beginning to build inside of me.
"You heard me. You need to stay away from him. In fact, you need to break up with him…ASAP," Jessica demands of me and my eyes harden. I ball up my fists as I feel my body begin to shake from the fury suddenly coursing through my veins. This is the bitch who broke AJ's heart. The one who cheated on him and turned him into the insecure man he is today. I'm gonna fucking beat this bitches ass.
Jessica's laugh pulls me from my inner turmoil. "I can see the hatred running over your face. I'm assuming AJ has told you about me, no?" She says, her condescending tone taunting me to act out irrationally.
"You bitch. Do you realize how insecure you made him?! How the hell can you be so proud of yourself for breaking someone down so bad, that they worry when their significant other doesn't respond within a reasonable time, they think the worst?" I spit at her and she shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly.
"He did that to himself. It's not my fault he turned into a little pussy when things got tough," Jessica replied without any care and I release a low growl deep in my chest at her words about him.
"How dare you. He's anything but. He was the best thing to ever happen to you and you threw that away by cheating on him! But I guess I have to thank you because you sent him straight into my arms. To someone who wants and loves him for who he is. I can't say the same for you," I sneer and she snorts.
"Oh my god, you really are blind and pathetic! You don't have a clue as to who he is and what's he's done," Jessica rebuts.
"Because he won't tell me because you fucked him up so bad. I've begged him to tell me, but he won't. He shuts down any time I try and ask him. What did you do to him?" I snarl as my patience begins to wear thin with this bitch.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she grins like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.
"Try me," I ground out.
Jessica's sigh is one of annoyance, but she answers me anyway. "Just know you asked for it. When I met AJ he was a recovering addict. He did cocaine if I remember correctly," she tells me and my heart drops into my stomach as my eyes widen.
"No, you're lying. Allen wouldn't do something like that," I shake my head, not wanting to believe a word she is saying. "You need to leave. Now!" I yell at her and Jessica holds her hands up with a shit eating smirk on her face.
"I tried to tell you, you wouldn't believe me. Anyways, show AJ my love would ya?" Jessica throws my way before leaving the store and my heart shattered into pieces on the floor.
"No. There is no way he would drugs. He's too good for that. It's impossible," I whisper. How can you be so sure? It does make sense on why he shuts you down every time you ask him about his past. Why he gets so defensive. I think to myself. "We close soon. I'll go see him afterwards and confront him about it," I say to myself.
I can't focus on anything else but what this bitch told me about Allen and I can't get it out of my head. Allen. Doing drugs? There is no way! There just can't be. Thankfully, it's finally time to close shop because if I wasn't able to get out of here faster, I would have lost my marbles.
Wasting no time, I pack up everything, lock the safe and door behind me before I hop into my truck and make my way to Allens's house. When I pull up outside his house, I find that he's home. Taking a deep breath, I get out of my truck and walk to the front door, knocking on it as I wait for Allen to answer.
Moments later, the door opens and when Allen's eyes land on me, they brighten like fireworks on the 4th of July and it breaks my heart to see how happy he is to see me because I know within moments, everything is going to fall apart.
"Maddie," he breathes, pulling me into his arms after closing the door behind us. "I've been so worried about you. Why haven't you returned any of my calls or texts?" He asks back to back questions and when he realizes I'm not returning his hug, Allen releases his hold on me. Worry replaces the happiness that was there moments earlier.
"Maddie?" He says again, his voice taking on a tone that has tears brimming my eyes. "Are you alright? Baby, what's going on? You're scarin' me. Talk to me, please," Allen begs, his voice becoming more quiet with each question. He reaches out his hand for mine and I let him take it.
"Why won't you tell me about your past, AJ?" I ask him quietly and a look of disbelief and fear radiate through his eyes and he releases his hold on me as if I burned him. He turns away, further into the house before turning back around to face me.
"Why do you keep askin' me that? I told you I'm not ready to tell you," Allen replies and I look up at him in sadness with what I'm about to do. Instead of answering his question. I ask it with another question of my own.
"Did you do drugs when you were younger?" I ask him, going straight for the kill and the color in his face drains and he looks like he's seen a ghost. Oh my god. She wasn't lying.
"Wha–how? Who?…Who told you that?" Allen stutters out.
"Answer the question, Allen," I reply, my tone firm but at the same time weak because tears had finally found their way down my cheeks.
He adverts his eyes from mine, looking anywhere but at me and nods his head, "yeah…I did. But I only did it to cope with losing my parents. I was 15 and I had nobody, so that was my escape from reality," he says and looks back up at me with haunted eyes.
I'm at a complete loss for words at what I just learned about him, but the tears just won't stop falling. With how he holds himself, I never in a million years would have thought…"Allen," I whisper and the look in his eyes instantly shows me that he's put his guard up.
"Are you happy now? That you've learned that your boyfriend is a recovering addict? Is that what you wanted to hear?! Why do you think I shut down or reacted the way I did whenever you asked me? The way you're looking at me right now, is the exact reason why I didn't wanna tell you this soon. I didn't want to lose the best thing I had in my life, but the look in your eyes tells me that I have," Allen said, tears of his own falling.
"I would have understood…" I begin to reply, but he cuts me off.
"Sure you would have! We've only known each other for a month and you expect me to believe that you wouldn't have ran for the hills after learning that I've done hard drugs in my past?! God, I am such a fuck up! I can't do anything right," he berates himself as he pulls at his hair in frustration. That is, until he turns his attention back onto me. "I answered your damn questions. Now answer mine. Who told you?" He grounds out, advancing on me and I back up, letting myself hit the door behind me, needing something to hold me up.
It's my turn to not be able to look at him when I answer, "Jessica," I whisper, but I know he heard me when he takes a sharp intake of breath. I look up at him and find nothing but rage and dread swimming in his blue eyes.
"What did you just say?" He growls and I quietly whimper because I've never seen this side of him before and it's terrifying me.
"Allen, you're scaring me…please," I whimper, cowering from him, even though I know he'd never physically hurt me.
"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" He bellows out and my tears fall harder and faster. "That fuckin' bitch! I should have known! She's done nothin' but destroy my life and now here she is makin' sure I lose the one thing that matters most to me!" He bellows out.
"ALLEN!" I cry his name and he snaps out of whatever state he just put himself in and looks at me completely and totally broken. He closes the distance between us and I press my body as far as I can into the door in fear of not knowing what he'll do.
"Maddie," he breathes a whisper and I slowly, but hesitantly look up at him. I've never seen him so defeated before. He looks like he's just given up without hearing what I have to say. He lifts his hands up and gently frames my face within his large hands.
"Maddie, baby. Please tell me I haven't lost you. I can't live without you; you're my everything…please," he pleads, resting his forehead onto mine. "Maddie," he whispers my name and I reach up to grabs his wrists. Allen pulls back some to look down at me and I've never seen someone look so beaten down mentally and emotionally.
"This would have been different if you told me yourself…the whole story. I would have understood," I begin to say, but he cuts me off again by pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
"I can't lose you. I love you, so damn much. Please Maddie," he begs and I move my hands from his wrists to his face.
"Allen…please. Let me speak," I say quietly and he nods his head, releasing his hold on my face, but hesitantly places them on my hips. "Look at me," I whisper and he shifts his eyes up to meet mine. "I love you, Allen and I'm not going anywhere, but the only way that this…we…can work is if you tell me. I can't be with you not knowing what else you're hiding from me," I explain and he defeatedly nods his head.
"Stay with me tonight? Please? I need you. I need you here with me and I'll explain everything," he pleads and I take a deep breath, releasing it through my nose and I nod subtly. The look of relief and happiness that grows on his face has a small smile of my own grow on my lips.
"I need to go home though and check on my dad. I also need to get my things," I tell Allen and he nods his head in understanding.
"Can I come with you? I'll wait in the truck because I know how much your dad hates me. I just…I need to be with you," he asks and I nod my head.
"Of course you can, baby. Get a shirt and some shoes on; I'll wait for you in my truck, alright?" I tell him quietly and Allen nods his head then presses a kiss to my lips.
"I love you," he whispers against my lips, his eyes never leaving mine.
"I love you, too," I whisper back.
I still can't believe what I've been told and learned within the past couple of hours about the man I've fallen in love with in such a short time. Learning that he's done drugs in his past should have been enough to make me want to leave him, but I also know that what he's done in his past doesn't define who he is now.
Besides, I love him too much to walk away and not hear what he has to say first. He's never given me any indication or reason to not trust him; that's why I'm letting him tell me his side of the story and not let his bitch of an ex-girlfriend convince me otherwise with so little words.
I'm broken out of my thoughts when I hear the truck door slam shut and I look over at Allen to find an exhausted look on his face. I can see in his features that he is still extremely upset about what just happened, so I lean over and frame one side of his face, pressing a soft kiss to his chapped lips. "Allen, look at me, baby," I whisper through the small space between our faces.
Allen shifts his eyes up to meet mine and I can see the inner turmoil churning like a blazing wildfire that can't be put out, no matter how much water you use to try and stop it. "I know it's a lot to ask, but please relax and calm down. If you need to have some sort of physical contact with me to ease your mind that I'm still here with you, I'm not going to stop you from doing it. If I didn't wanna be here with you right now, I wouldn't be. I would have left a long time ago. Like I said Allen, I'm not going anywhere; you're stuck with me, handsome," I tell him and a subtle smile graces his gorgeous features. "There is that smile I love so much," I say, bumping my nose against his.
"God Maddie, I love you so much. I really don't know what I did to deserve you; you're so good to me. Even when I don't deserve it," he replies and I flash him a disapproving look.
"Stop it. Now. I don't like you talking about yourself like that. You do deserve me and you've proved time and time again why you do. You bettering yourself after leaving that piece of trash is one of many reasons. We all go through shit for a reason, only to have better things come our way. I think it's safe to say we're both those better things for each other. Now come on, let's go get my shit and let me check on my father so we can come back here and talk," I tell Allen and he nods his head with a crooked smile.
"Yes ma'am."
I smile at him with a small shake of my head and press another quick kiss to his lips before putting the truck in gear and head back to my place. 15 minutes later, I'm parking the truck and I look over at Allen, "baby, you know you are more than welcome to come in with me. I don't care if he likes you or not," I tell him and he shakes his head.
"I appreciate it, Mads, but I'm gonna stay right here. I don't want to start or cause any trouble. Just go inside, do what you need to do and come back to me, alright?" He tells me and I breathe in deeply, releasing a heavy sigh with a nod of my head.
"Okay…fine. I'll try and be quick," I tell Allen and he leans in to press a kiss to my lips.
"Take your time, darlin'; I'm not goin' anywhere," he replies and I nod my head once more, pressing another quick kiss to Allen and get out of the truck, making my way inside the house.
"Maddie, sweetheart; you're home. How was your day?" Dad asks me the second I walk into the living room. The smile on his face drops when he sees the look on mine. "Maddie, is everything alright, honey?" He asks me.
Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, "yes and no. I'm actually not staying. I came here to check up on you to make sure you're doing okay and to grab my things. Allen is in tough shape right now, so he needs me. I'm going to be staying with him tonight," I tell him and the look on my dads face is anything but thrilled.
"You're with that no good, trouble making piece of garbage? Maddie! How many times do I–," he begins, but I cut him off, anger burning through my eyes at his treatment of Allen.
"No dad! You need to stop! He's done absolutely nothing to you! I don't know why you hate him so much, but it's not going to stop me from being with him," I reply and his eyes widen in shock.
"You're with him?!" He bellows out, but I stand my ground.
"Yeah, I am with him. Where do you think I go to the nights I'm not here? I'm with him! We're together and there is nothing in this world that will let you change my mind. I love him and I don't plan on stopping any time soon," I said and his eyes turn murderous.
"No! I refuse to have my only child with a useless waste of space! He's no good Madison! I can't believe you are being so stupid and reckless! Your mother and I raised you better than that! You don't even know how disappointed she would be in you right now. Jesus Christ Maddie!" He continues to yell at me and that's when the tears begin to fall from my eyes.
Allen POV
It's too quiet out here and I can hear Maddie and her father getting louder as their conversation continues and I know it's about me. I can hear his voice getting louder and I begin to become more uncomfortable leaving her in there alone with him even though I know he wouldn't be able to do anything to her.
Making my decision without even having to think about it, I get out of the truck and for the first time in my life, I walk into the house without permission. But Maddie is in distress and I'm not going to leave her by herself to deal with it. Regardless of what her father thinks of me.
I open the door and I can see Maddie from where she stands and the look on her face and the tears in her eyes has my protective side coming out tenfold. The second the door closes, Maddie looks over at me and I can see the relief in her brown eyes.
Without hesitation, I walk into the living room and up to Maddie, cupping her face in my hands, "are you alright, baby?" I ask her quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks.
"Get your hands off my daughter you worthless, no good…" he begins and I snap my head in his direction, effectively making him shut his mouth.
"I dare you to finish that sentence. Please. I'm begging you to. I don't care if you're her father and if you're ill, you are not going to speak to your daughter like that. Not when I'm around," I growl, standing my ground when the look on his face becomes even more livid than it was seconds ago.
"How dare you speak to me that way. You got some balls thinking you can tell me what to do," he fires back and I feel Maddie round my body, standing in front of me, facing her father.
"It goes both ways, dad. You're not going to speak to him like that and then be hypocritical in telling him not to return the favor. Just because you're sick doesn't give you the right to talk to him like that. Don't make me choose Allen over you because I will do it," Maddie threatens her father and I rest a hand on her waist.
"Mads, baby no. I'm not gonna let you do that, no matter how much he disrespects me," I tell her quietly and Maddie looks up at me.
"And I'm not going to let him treat you like that. You've done nothing to deserve it, Allen. I don't care how he speaks to me, but I'm not going to let him call you names," Maddie said, then turns her attention back onto her father, "this isn't the man who raised me. I don't know who the hell you are anymore. I finally found someone who makes me happy, loves me and treats me right. Who is a good man! But you still find a way to hate him and I don't know why," she begins to cry harder and I immediately pull her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her head. Every word she told him is true and I don't plan on ever having that change. Not while I get to call her mine. And I hope its for the rest of my life.
"It's okay, baby. I don't care what he thinks of me. The only persons opinion I care about is yours, darlin'," I tell Maddie quietly and she nods her head, looking up at me. "Go pack your stuff and I'll wait down here," I add on and press a soft kiss to her lips.
"I won't take long; I promise," she tells me. We can both hear her father grumbling about his displeasure of what he's witnessing, but we both ignore him because we don't care. I know he's her father and that she loves him, but he is doing this to himself and his relationship with his own child because of a poor choice that was made 20 years ago. Me doing hard drugs in my past is the last thing Maddie needs to worry about. I just hope that when I tell her the whole story she won't hate me.
I stand with my back leaning against the wall as I keep my eyes on her father while he continues to stare daggers at me. He can give me as many death glares as he wants. It doesn't change the fact that I love his daughter and that she loves me. "You can keep staring at me like that all you want. It's not going to change anything. We're not going to stop seeing each other because you don't like it. I love her more than you'll ever know and whether you want to believe it or not, her and I have something special. She knows about my past, but here she is, still with me. As for you, on the other hand, I can't speak for Maddie on what she'll do when she finds out what you've done. And I plan on confessing everything to her…tonight," I tell him and his eyes widen like the size of saucers. His hate for me after my comment I can sense is stronger, but I can also see the genuine fear radiating through his brown eyes about the new knowledge that his daughter will learn about what he's done.
"You wouldn't dare…"he hisses out and I provide him with a closed mouth smirk.
"But I would. And I am. I love your daughter more than anything in this world and I don't want to keep anymore secrets from her. Me keeping my past from her almost made me lose her tonight, but she was very adamant that she wasn't leaving my side and I'm going to be just as adamant about not letting her go," I reply back, my tone letting him know that I meant every single word.
He opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs had him snapping his mouth shut. I look over at Maddie with a smile and lean down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Ready to go?" I ask her quietly, taking her bag from her and she nods her head with a smile of her own.
"I am. I'll meet you outside? I wanna talk to my dad quick," she tells me, handing the truck keys over and I nod my head, pressing one more quick kiss to her lips before leaving the house, not giving her dad a second glance.
Surprisingly, not even 2 minutes later, she comes bounding out of the house with a semi sour look on her face. I get out of the truck and approach her, gripping her hips, "everything alright, baby?" I ask and Maddie shakes her head.
"With him, nothing will be okay anymore," she replies then looks up into my eyes, "take me home; I can't be here right now," Maddie whispers and I nod my head, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Of course, darlin'. Do you want me to drive?" I asked and she nods her head.
"If you don't mind."
"Not at all," I whisper before opening the passenger door, letting Maddie climb in. I round the truck, hop in and put it in gear, heading back to the place we both call home.