DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Hawaii Five-O" or any of its characters.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you all for the reviews! I really appreciate the time you take out to read my story. Also, just a reminder that while this story has 36 chapters so far, 6 days have gone by! I know it seems like it's been forever that Maddie and Steve haven't been in an awkward place. That Maddie assumes the worst whenever he says or does something because she's so hurt, but it's only been a few days since he said the stupid thing. AND they've only seen one another for A COUPLE HOURS since that time. Please keep that in mind! I'm sorry, but I absolutely HATE when I'm reading a story and I get really into it and the guy meets a woman and the next day they are in love and the week after that they are having a baby. SUPER UNREALISTIC and it takes away the angst the reader feels when reading it. For me, it ruins the fic for me. But that's me. Everyone is different.
Also, the story is called "The Long Road" for a reason... ;o)
Like always, thoughts are in italics. And in this update, words replaying in anyone's head are in bold.
I really really hope you enjoy!
xo
DivaLola
CHAPTER 36
Part 2
"So you found nothing?" Steve asked, his voice raised slightly.
"Not in the last four months. Just like Pete said Saturday, some of the threats were credible and the rest were harmless," Joe told him regretfully.
Steve sighed, frustrated that he and his team continued to hit wall after wall of dead ends. Of all the cases, he thought.
Desperate for some sort of lead, no matter how small, he said, "Try the last year. See if there's anyone who repeatedly made threats, even if there was no way they could've gotten to her." He paused, squeezing his eyes shut as he rubbed his forehead. "I need something. I need to find this guy and get him out of her life. And fast."
Joe could hear his desperation, a rare emotion for him. "Okay, I'll go back farther," he agreed, although he knew the search would turn up nothing. Something he was fairly certain Steve knew too, but they'd do their due diligence and leave no stone left unturned.
"Thank you."
"How's she holding up?" Joe asked.
Steve sighed again and shook his head while he stared at the ceiling. "Not well."
"Yeah?" That was not what Joe was hoping to hear, but he couldn't say he was surprised after Steve had told him what had happened when they had lunch a couple days earlier.
"Pete said she's gotten a total of maybe six hours of sleep since Sunday. Her knee's really bad. Her foot's infected." He chuckled, rolling his eyes as he ran his tongue along his top lip. "Oh, and she's sick."
"Sick?" Joe asked, concerned.
"Incredibly high fever. Sore throat." He groaned. "Getting lunch into her was a battle. Even the warm soup hurt." He paused, thinking through her symptoms. "And she's got a cough so bad that she needs an inhaler. Oh and the headache. She's still got the headache."
"Damn," Joe muttered. No wonder Steve sounded more stressed. "And how are things between you guys?"
Steve sighed loudly, almost as if he was trying to exhale every ounce of frustration, worry, and concern. "Weird."
"How so?"
"Well, it looks like she's going to pretend it never happened." He paused, shaking his head. "She's not only pretending it didn't happen, but she's pretending like everything's fine and normal, but, let's just say, I can tell it's an act."
"She's in protection mode," Joe stated, more to himself than to Steve.
"Yeah... I just never thought she'd try and protect herself from me," Steve said, his voice eerily quiet.
"You guys will figure it out. I know you will," Joe encouraged.
"I hope so." Steve was silent before he puffed out a bit of air in a sort of chuckle. "Of course, she took off twice over the last four days. I don't know how she gets away from her security, Joe. There's sixteen of them and they're all military. And she's on crutches."
Joe laughed out loud. "Does it really surprise you, son? She's a spitfire! She might not be acting like herself right now, but she's still Maddie. The same one you grew up with."
Steve grinned. "Yeah, I know." He paused, his smile slipping. "I just wish she wouldn't pull that stuff right now. Whoever's after her... it's bad, Joe. This guy's good. He's not your normal run-of-the-mill stalker. And to be honest, whatever she knows about it, whatever she won't tell me... I think if I knew, I'd discover he's even scarier and more dangerous than we realize. Maybe that's one of the reasons why she won't tell me? I don't know... I just wish she'd stop pretending like this isn't a big deal. What if she takes off and he gets to her?"
Joe had the same fears. "Well, the items you asked for will be done soon. Probably Thursday or Friday."
"I hope she doesn't fight me over them." Just then Danny exited the dressing room and shot him a questioning look. "I better go... So, just go back further. Maybe we'll get lucky and you'll find something."
"Sure thing, son," Joe responded. "I'll see you in a few hours."
"Thanks, Joe."
"Take good care of her," Joe ordered.
Pete walked out of the dressing room and saw Danny leaning against the wall eavesdropping.
"I will," Steve smiled. He'd always appreciated the way Joe cared for her like a daughter. She needed all the family she could get since she really didn't have any blood relatives of her own, or at least any that she was close to. Her family had fallen apart once her mother had passed away.
"Tell her I'm excited for the show," Joe added.
Steve's smile grew. "I'll definitely tell her. She'll be happy to know you're coming... Thanks, Joe. See you later."
As Steve slid his phone in his pocket, Danny asked, "About Maddie?"
"Yeah," Steve nodded, sighing slightly. "I had him looking into the threats against her from the last four months, hoping it would lead to something."
"Did he find anything?" Pete asked, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach. He hated the fact Maddie had asked him to keep the incidents a secret, especially when they might provide leads.
"No." Steve shook his head, disappointed. He was at his wits end. Nothing was panning out and he felt like he was letting her down. "I told him to go back further."
"Can't hurt. Especially when we have nothing else to go on," Danny said, purposely avoiding looking at Pete. Steve's gonna lose his mind, he thought. But, he hoped it would help that they had the tampered items and processed the scenes.
"So what are you guys doing out here?" Steve asked, needing to change the subject.
"Rachel's done at the doctor's."
Steve shook his head and said, "I don't know how you're able to do this. I wouldn't be able to if I was in your shoes. You're a bigger man than me."
"You mean if Maddie, the love of your life, got pregnant by another man, you wouldn't be there for her?"
"Danno," Steve warned. He didn't want to go there. Not just her being pregnant by someone else, but also his partner referring to her as the love of his life. He didn't want to think about it. Any of it. For the moment he just wanted to focus on getting Maddie through the show.
"You gonna tell us you're just friends?" Danny smirked unapologetically. Maddie was right. It was a lot of fun messing with Steve.
At Steve's silence Pete added, "Finally, he's wised up!"
"It's a miracle!" Danny shouted exaggeratedly. When Steve glared he and Pete chuckled. "No, but really. Maddie is not going to get pregnant from another man because you're going to stop being an idiot and stop hurting that awesome woman in there." He nodded his head towards her dressing room. "You're going to beg and plead and be-" He paused, trying to find the right words as he circled his hands in front of him. "Well, not your usual self, and get her to realize you didn't mean what you said. Then you're going to marry her and do everything in your power to make her happy because she is your soulmate, Steven. When she's around you're actually a human being, something I never thought was possible." He paused again before he broke into a slow, mischievous smirk. "And don't worry, if you do all that, you'll be the one that gets her pregnant."
Steve stared at his partner as the image from Saturday came rushing back, him holding Maddie, his hand on her rounded belly.
"I know... 'Shut up, Danno'," Danny said, impersonating him.
As much as he was enjoying seeing Steve uncomfortable, Pete had a job to do. "I'm gonna make a round, make sure everything's alright. Can't be too careful right now."
"That's for sure," Steve mumbled, more to himself than Pete.
Pete was filled with guilt over the fact her stalker had already gotten through security numerous times. He still didn't understand how it was possible, and it scared the hell out of him. If he had his way, he would insist the show be cancelled from a safety and security standpoint.
"I'm gonna go back in," Steve said walking towards the door. "I'm hoping I can convince her to get some more sleep."
As Steve walked into her dressing room his eyes automatically looked Maddie over from head to toe. It was a habit he'd gotten into when they were kids because she was so clumsy. Now, it was just routine. Once he was satisfied she was okay, his eyes drifted to Ryan sitting in the spot he'd vacated. His eyes then flitted to Maddie's other side where Tina sat, her head thrown back against the couch in what he assumed was sleep. Steve glanced at the chair Pete had been sitting in only to find Kono, who was talking animatedly with Ryan. With Chin in the other large armchair his only option was to sit next to Lori on the other couch. He glanced again at Ryan and seriously debated asking him to move, but knew it wouldn't go over well. Not that Ryan would care, but he knew Maddie would. She'd tell him he was being ridiculous and he could stare at her and worry just the same sitting on the other couch. Reluctantly, he took a seat beside Lori, consciously leaving a significant amount of space between them. While she'd seemed to accept the fact he'd said they wouldn't be more than friends, she'd done some things that worried him she wasn't quite as okay with it as she'd claimed.
As soon as Steve walked through the door, Maddie noticed he seemed more tense and rigid than when he'd left. Even the muscles in his face were more defined from the way he was clenching his jaw.
As Steve sat, he met her eyes and flashed her a small, sexy smile. One that caused a light blush to creep up her pale face which caused his smile to grow.
Still convinced he thought her feelings were funny, she assumed he found it amusing and pathetic that a mere smile would cause her to blush. She immediately grew uncomfortable and cleared her throat, almost as if trying to clear away the self-consciousness she was feeling.
What just happened? he wondered. There were so many times lately that he wished he could be inside her head to know what she was thinking when she withdrew like that. "Hey, Mads?" he said, wanting to get her to look at him again. When she met his eyes he asked, "Feeling any better?"
"Yeah," she replied, forcing a small smile.
"I'm glad."
Taking advantage of the fact Steve was sitting next to her, Lori scooted towards him and placed her right hand on his upper back. "Everything okay?"
Steve tensed at the contact. "Yeah."
"Was the call bad news?" Lori asked, not letting the subject go.
Maddie's brow furrowed in concern, something he noticed. Worried, she nibbled the inside of her bottom lip, hoping he'd answer Lori's question so she'd know what was going on.
He met Maddie's concerned gaze and smiled at her reassuringly. "It was just Joe. He wanted me to tell you that he's excited to see the show tonight."
She broke into a huge smile. "He's coming?"
"Definitely," Steve replied, unable to keep from grinning at her dimples. "He'll be here a little later."
While the two friends smiled at one another, Ryan's phone beeped. He glanced at the new text before gently touching Maddie's left arm. When she looked at him he leaned in and began whispering to her. She quickly nodded and started glancing around the room.
"What do you need, Mads?" Kono asked.
"My purse," she whispered.
"It's in the other room. Next to your overnight bag," Tina suddenly said, surprising everyone as she lifted her head and prepared to stand.
"I got it," Chin declared, immediately standing.
"You sure?" Tina asked, surprised by how bright the room suddenly seemed.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm already up and I'm closer."
"Thank you so much, Chin!" Maddie exclaimed, flashing her pearly whites when he returned with her bag and handed it to her.
"No problem."
Steve watched as Maddie rifled through her purse before pulling out what appeared to be a set of car keys and handed them to Ryan. Steve could see the muscles around their mouths twitching as they fought to keep from grinning while they avoided eye contact. God, I hope they don't have something planned for tonight, he prayed.
They'd been lucky to keep their plans quiet over the last few days and Ryan didn't want to blow it now. He knew they had to be even more careful now that Steve was there watching Maddie's every move. He headed to the door, but before exiting stopped and turned back to Maddie. "I'll be back in a little bit." As he turned to leave, he came face to face with Pete, who was eyeing him suspiciously. "Hey, Pete," he greeted, doing his best to appear innocent and guilt-free as he walked around him and headed down the hall towards the main room.
Pete walked in and asked, "Where's Ryan going?"
"I need something from the store," Maddie answered as she leaned forward slowly so she could set her purse on the coffee table. Kono quickly reached out and helped, placing it on the table for her. "Thanks, Kono."
Kono nodded, smiling at her friend.
"I could've sent a runner," Pete said.
Usually that was Tina's job, but Pete assumed she was asleep by the way her head was leaned against the back of the couch, her eyes closed. However, she wasn't. The only reason she didn't say anything was because she knew where Ryan was really going, and it wasn't to the store.
"It's okay, Ryan's got it covered," Maddie replied.
After all the whispering he'd witnessed between the two over the last several days, Pete wanted to be sure they weren't up to something. "Well, what do you need? Maybe they have it here."
"I doubt it," she answered, bringing the blanket up to her neck so she could snuggle into the soft material.
"What do you need?" Pete repeated.
"Tampons," she answered bluntly. She'd been prepared for his questions and knew he hated talking about this kind of stuff. She wasn't disappointed when he stared at her in discomfort. Enjoying making him squirm, she couldn't help but take it one step further. "The jumbo tampons. It's one of those days."
Tina was thankful her head was thrown back so no one noticed the small smirk on her face. However, she was disappointed she was missing his reaction.
"Um... okay then..." Pete stumbled as he backed up towards the door, his face turning redder and redder. "Uh... I gotta go check on... uh, the gate." After he rushed out, Maddie, Kono, Lori, and Tina started laughing.
"That was amazing, sistah," Kono said in between laughs.
"I wish I could've seen his face," Tina giggled.
Feeling Steve's eyes on her, Maddie looked across the coffee table at him. He couldn't help but grin at the sparkle in her eyes.
"That was mean, Maddie," Chin chuckled as he shook his head in amusement. His words only made them laugh harder.
After several minutes of hysterics Tina's slowly dwindled, mainly because her head was killing her. She sighed and glanced at her watch. "As much fun as I'm having, I gotta head out. Will you be okay for maybe... an hour?"
"Yeah, definitely," Maddie said. "Thanks for running the errands."
"No problem," Tina answered as she slowly stood. However, she immediately felt dizzy, more so than earlier. Thankfully she was able to hide it as she walked to the kitchen to her purse. As she searched for the SUV keys, Steve approached. "While you're out, would you mind doing me a favor?" he whispered.
Tina glanced at him, surprised by the request. "Sure, what is it?"
"I was gonna try and sneak away and do it myself, but..." He paused, quickly glancing at the back of Maddie's head.
"You don't want to leave her," Tina quietly finished. When he nodded once she said, "I get it. What's the favor?"
"I special ordered the blue glittery roses for Maddie."
Not able to help it, Tina immediately broke out into a huge smile. "You did? Steve, that's so sweet!" she whispered. "She's going to absolutely love them."
"You think?" Steve asked a bit uncertainly.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Steve, it's gonna mean a lot to her. Seriously." He smiled at her words and she found she couldn't hold back anymore. She shrugged her shoulders and held them there as her smile grew so big he wondered if it hurt. "You liiiikkkke her," she whispered giddily.
"Tina…" he mumbled. He had hoped she wasn't going to make a big deal out of this, but at the same time he wasn't surprised by her girly excitement.
"Oh come on! I've been waiting, we've all been waiting," she corrected, "years for you guys to get your heads out of your asses and wake up. It's exciting!" she gushed quietly.
"Don't get too excited," Steve warned. At Tina's irritated expression, he immediately clarified, "I mean in case I screwed things up with her for good."
Tina sighed, "I'll be straight with you, she's really hurt. But, Steve? ... This is a good first step. This is gonna help."
"You think?" Steve asked, exhaling a nervous breath.
"I do. It's gonna mean a lot to her that you remembered," she smiled. "Anyway, where are they?"
"That specialty florist near the store close to Maddie's," he answered. "It's next to the Chinese restaurant." He probably could have done a better job with the directions, but Maddie's coughing was pulling his focus.
"Despite your unbelievably specific instructions," she said sarcastically, "I know where it is."
He quickly pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed her a credit card. "Thanks, T," he whispered, quickly kissing her on the side of the head before taking large strides to the couch. "You're okay," he softly told Maddie as he sat beside her. Seeing her coughing spasm wasn't improving, he pulled her inhaler from his pocket and began shaking it before handing it to her.
While Maddie used her inhaler, Tina headed to the door. She wanted to get out of there and get back before she felt any worse. She was so sleepy and her head was throbbing. Plus, her stomach felt a bit off. "I'm gonna head out. If you think of anything else, just call."
As Tina entered the main room, she winced as she rubbed the back of her head. She couldn't believe she'd fallen backwards. That's something Maddie would have done, not me, she smirked, recalling some of the clumsy things her friend had done over the years.
While she continued to think about her long-time friend, she noticed a member of Maddie's security team speaking with a man. It appeared security wasn't allowing him to come in. "Oh crap," she muttered, finally close enough to recognize the visitor.
Adam was one of the new hires that had started four months ago. He had been out of the Marines for two years and had been so grateful when he'd been offered the job. He'd had a difficult time adjusting to civilian life, but once he started working for Maddie things began to look up. He was an incredibly hard worker and took his job seriously, proving what an asset he'd been to the military.
"Hey," Tina greeted as she came up behind them.
"Hey, T," Adam replied.
"What's going on?" she asked, although she already knew. Since this was Adam's first time to Hawaii with them he didn't know who the visitor was.
"He says he wants to see Maddie, that he knows her, but he doesn't have credentials," Adam answered. "I told him I can't let him in without them."
"Maddie knows him," Tina assured. She glanced at the visitor and smiled. "Keep him here. I'll go talk to her and see if she'll agree to see him."
"Okay," Adam nodded.
When Tina walked back in the dressing room she immediately met Maddie's eyes. Silence descended over the room as the members of Five-O watched the two women wordlessly communicate.
Finally, Maddie grabbed Steve's left hand and pulled it to her, glancing at his watch. Of course, she thought seeing that it was 2:30pm. It's the right time of day. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten. She'd been so busy rehearsing over the last few days that she hadn't worried about it at all. It hadn't once crossed her mind. That's a first, she mused. However, now that he was there, her stomach instantly knotted.
"Everything okay?" Steve asked, noticing the way she'd begun to tense.
"Of course," she lied as she released his hand.
Tina waited as Maddie tried to decide whether she would see her visitor. When she gave her a quick nod Tina immediately walked behind the couch and into the adjoining room while quickly texting Adam. After slipping the phone back in her pocket she leaned over and grabbed the black Converse Chuck Taylor's from the floor beside Maddie's duffel bag.
As she quickly rose, she was hit with an intense dizzy sensation which caused her to lose her balance. She reached out blindly in hopes of grabbing onto something she could use to steady herself, but with everything moving she couldn't tell exactly where the items were. "Damn," she mumbled as she fell into a small table near Maddie's bag. Her butt made contact with the floor first and although she tried to keep it from happening, her head hit the edge of the small table. Tina squinted her eyes in pain and her hand immediately went to the back of her head. When she felt the slight dampness she looked at her hand. Sure enough there was a little blood on her fingers.
Chin and Kono were telling a funny story from when they were kids when they heard the crash. "Tina?" Steve called out. When there was no response he shared a concerned look with Maddie.
"I'll check on her," Chin said as he quickly stood and hurried into the other room. "Tina, you okay?" He noticed she seemed flustered as sneakers dangled from her delicate hands.
"Yeah," Tina smiled, embarrassed, as she tried to act like she hadn't just fallen on her ass. "I just bumped into the table."
Chin watched as she used her free hand to straighten out her clothing, noticing that she continued to fidget with it long after. "Hanging out with Maddie too much?" he joked.
She forced a laugh. "Maybe." As she followed him from the room, she quickly reached out and wiped her slightly bloody fingers on the towel hanging on a hook near the door.
"What happened?" Steve asked as Tina appeared.
"I just bumped into the table." When he eyed her suspiciously she felt herself panic slightly. Hoping to distract him, she smiled flirtingly. "Why, Commander... do you have a crush on me? Is that why you're so worried?"
At her question he broke out into a breathtaking smile. "Damn, you caught me. I thought I was being subtle about it."
While everyone chuckled, Tina walked to the couch and sat at the edge of the coffee table next to Maddie's elevated feet. Untying and loosening the laces on the left sneaker she asked, "Wanna wear just one or both?"
"Both," she answered as she began to lean forward to grab the shoes. "I got it, T."
"It's okay. It'll be hard for you to lean forward with your busted ass," Tina joked.
Maddie felt guilty as Tina helped her into her shoes. Even after being in the spotlight so many years, she'd never gotten used to people doing things for her. Plus, putting her shoes on was not in Tina's job description.
"Mads, I don't know if I'll be able to tie this shoe with your foot wrapped so much," Tina stated.
"It's okay if you leave it untied," she responded. Because she'd be using her crutches there was no way she could trip on the laces.
"There you go," Tina said as she stood and hurried to the kitchen where she opened the freezer and pulled out new ice packs before turning and walking back to the couch. On her way she grabbed Maddie's other knee brace where it was leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the other room.
"Where are you going?" Steve finally asked. "You're not rehearsing anymore."
Maddie fought the urge to tell him that wasn't his decision, but because she knew how he'd react when he found out where she was going, she held her tongue. "I gotta go deal with something."
Tina set the brace on the coffee table before quickly going to work and sliding the new ice packs in it.
Although he wanted to tell her she wasn't going anywhere, he didn't, knowing it wouldn't be well received. Instead, he leaned forward to unhook the brace from the ice machine, but quickly realized it was still unplugged from when she'd gone to the restroom. He glanced at her, shooting her a reprimanding look. With her eyes wide, she gave him a cute, guilty little smile as she lightly bit her bottom lip. He couldn't keep the disapproving look going when she looked at him like that.
Steve smiled as he shook his head while gently opening the brace's many straps. Once they were completely open, he carefully pulled the brace straight down and set it on the floor. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. Maddie shook her head and smiled. "Nope, it didn't hurt."
"Good," he responded as he reached over her leg to take the other brace from Tina.
"Thanks for doing this, Steve," Tina said. "I can do it, I just worry I'm going to bump or move her leg and cause her more pain."
"Don't worry about that, Tina," Maddie assured.
"No problem, T," Steve replied as he made sure all the straps were completely open and unhooked before he held the brace under her leg. Tina immediately placed her hands under the large object and held it in place so he could fasten the straps.
"There you go," he muttered as he nudged the coffee table towards Lori a few inches so he could place her foot down on the ground.
Still determined to act like her old self, Maddie reached her hands out to Steve, taking him by surprise. Smiling, he took both in his left hand and used his right to wrap around her back to give her more support. He wanted her to feel as little pain as possible in her tailbone and he knew the best way to accomplish that was by doing most of the work.
Since being made aware of her visitor, Maddie had been debating whether or not she'd ask Steve to go with her. She went back and forth, but in the end she knew that if things hadn't been weird between them, she would've had him accompany her. "You can go ahead and go, T. Thanks for all the help."
Tina looked at her, confused. "But what about?"
"Actually I was gonna see if Steve would go with me," she said, just as he got her to her feet. She glanced at him while he held her around the waist, steadying her until she was using her crutches. "Will you?" she asked.
Steve looked at her as if she'd suddenly grown two heads. "Of course," he answered. "Did you think I was letting you leave this room without me?"
She simply shook her head while rolling her eyes. If she thought he was overprotective now, she couldn't imagine how bad it would be once he found out "Unknown Sender" had gotten to her.
"Okay, well then I'm gonna head out," Tina said, handing Maddie her crutches.
"Sounds good! Thanks for everything, T," she genuinely smiled.
"No worries!" Tina walked into the kitchen and grabbed her purse off the table before leaving.
Maddie took a deep breath and looked at Steve. Although, he was no longer holding onto her, he was still close. "Ready?" he asked.
She paused, her nerves multiplying. Not only was she always nervous and on edge when this particular visitor stopped by, but she knew Steve was going to lose it.
Maddie took another deep breath and swallowed audibly, wincing at the severe pain in her throat. "Yeah," she whispered, plastering on a smile.
Steve returned the smile before taking a couple steps out of the little living room area. While his back was to her, Maddie glanced at Chin. Unlike Steve, he knew exactly where they were going and he wasn't particularly happy about it. Something he made clear with the disapproving look he sent. Because he'd been to every show she'd had in Hawaii since meeting John McGarrett, he knew what that look Tina had given her was all about. He knew she had a visitor and he knew exactly who it was. He was just thankful that although she was upset and hurt, she asked Steve to go with her. If she hadn't, he would've gone himself. There was no way he would've let her go by herself or with only Tina.
Maddie flashed him a reassuring, but nervous smile before turning back and following Steve. She watched him stop behind Kono's chair and wait for her.
Once she reached him he walked next to her towards the door. As he opened it he turned to her and said, "Whatever we're going to go do, we're only going to be a few minutes and then it's back here. Understand?" He gave her a no bullshit look until she nodded in understanding.
While Steve and Maddie walked down the hallway he asked, "Where are we going?"
"The main room," she answered vaguely. There was no way she was going to tell him what exactly they were going to go do before they got there.
"How do you feel?" he asked, needing to fill the deafeningly loud, awkward silence between them.
"Okay," she answered as she sniffled.
He glanced at her, quickly studying her. Something was weird. He couldn't ignore it anymore. There was something in her voice when she'd answered him. Something that hadn't been there before. Plus, the closer they got to the main room, the more nervous she seemed. At first, he'd chalked it up to her feeling uncomfortable now that they were alone, but when he heard her voice he realized that wasn't it. It was something else. Something he now recognized as fear.
He straightened, immediately becoming more alert as he glanced around. Regardless of who he was with he always automatically scanned his surroundings for threats making sure he knew the best options in case of a tactical situation. After years of extensive training, it was second nature to him, something he didn't even think about.
Subtly, he brought his right arm closer to his side to inconspicuously, without frightening Maddie, double check that he'd reattached his sidearm before leaving the dressing room. Thankfully he felt the familiar bulk of metal at his hip.
Reaching the door to the main room, Maddie slowed. As he held it open for her, he watched as she stood still for the briefest of seconds before she took a deep breath and walked through ahead of him, something that made him uneasy. When she continued to crutch forward, his unease grew. She was only a few steps ahead, but he didn't care. He wanted her directly next to him, especially when she was suddenly afraid. "Maddie, wait," he quickly ordered. She stopped, her eyes closing. She'd thought he'd figured out where they were going and she was preparing herself for his very strong opinion on the matter.
As Steve took the few hurried steps towards her, he said, "I don't want you that far from me, okay?"
Her eyes opened when she realized she'd been wrong. She turned her head and nodded.
No fight? he thought, surprised she hadn't accused him of being overprotective and paranoid. She's definitely scared of something. His jaw clenched as he fought his instinct to reach for her, hoping to quell her fear and comfort her.
When she began crutching again, Steve immediately matched her pace while getting a bit closer to her. As he scanned the room he recalled the four different ways he could get her out of the room if he had to. He also knew where they could go for cover and hide if they couldn't get out of the room.
Satisfied that he had a solid plan, along with Plans B, C, and D, he focused on where she was leading him. He'd imagined that when she said they were going to the main room they'd be sitting at one of the tables. When she didn't head towards one, he became even more curious. "Mads, where are we-". He didn't finish. He didn't have to. She knew he knew exactly where they were going.
Steve glared at the man at the end of the room who, once he saw Maddie, rose from his spot at a table close to the outside door. Steve's right arm shot out in front of her, forcing her to carefully stop. "No," he clipped. She could hear the anger he was trying to keep from exploding.
Maddie turned her entire body towards him. "Steve..."
"No." He shook his head. She could see the muscles in his face flexing and contracting as he clenched his jaw. He was trying so hard to keep his temper in check.
Steve glanced at the man standing next to one of Maddie's security members, one he didn't recognize. However, he definitely knew the man beside him. And there was absolutely no way he was letting him get anywhere near Maddie. He looked back at her and took a step towards her, his protective instincts growing. He searched her pale face, hoping to figure out why she had agreed to this. "We're going back," he growled. "Let's go." His voice was hard, leaving no room for argument. At least that's what he hoped. That she would listen and do what he was telling her. That she wouldn't argue. He couldn't let her get hurt. He wouldn't let her get hurt. And he was afraid that if her visitor got anywhere near her that's exactly what would happen.
When Maddie made no effort to leave, he placed his left hand on her right bicep and applied slight pressure, hoping it would urge her to turn around. But she didn't move, she only stared at him with those brilliantly blue eyes of hers.
"Madeline, come on. Now," Steve ordered, his voice rising slightly. However, more than anger, and there was most definitely anger, she could hear the fear. Other people wouldn't have noticed, but she knew him. She knew that he was afraid, just as much as he was angry. He wasn't afraid of the man, he was afraid that she would get hurt. That she would get hurt just like she had when she was a kid. All those years he should have been protecting her, but he hadn't because he hadn't realized there was anything to protect her from.
"I swear to God, Maddie, if you don't turn around and start walking, I will throw you over my shoulder and take you back myself," he promised, his voice dangerously low as he fought like hell to keep from exploding at her.
"Steve," Maddie sighed, taking a step forward and closing the distance between them. "It's different."
He placed his right hand on her other bicep, holding her by her upper arms as he furrowed his brow and studied her face. Without realizing, his fingers tightened on her arms and he fought the urge to shake her, desperate to get her to see reason.
Although he was starting to hurt her, she never let it show. She understood his feelings and she couldn't blame him for them.
Suddenly realizing how tight he was holding her, Steve's fingers loosened. However, he didn't let go of her. "I don't understand," he finally whispered, searching her eyes for some kind of explanation to why she was doing this. Why she was agreeing to see him. Although his voice had softened slightly, his eyes and face still held his growing anger.
She smiled sadly while trying to hold back the tears pressing at the back of her eyes. "Because, Steve, no matter what he did in the past..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "He's still my dad."
He scoffed as his temper flared and his nostrils flared. Hearing her refer to the bastard standing at the other end of the room as her dad made him want to shoot someone. Preferably her father. He really didn't want her to go through with this, but he was getting the impression that he wasn't going to be able to stop her. That is unless he physically took her back to her dressing room, but he knew that would only further drive the wedge between them. He was trying to fix the damage he'd caused, not make it worse.
Just as Maddie began to turn and continue walking towards her dad, something dawned on him. He grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her.
"How did you know he was here?" Steve asked. "Tina didn't say a word to you." She averted her eyes at his question. "Look at me," he barked, giving her arm a slight shake. However, he immediately felt bad when he saw her slightly flinch. Take a deep breath, he ordered himself. Calm down. You're scaring her. As she brought her eyes back to his, he squeezed her arm lightly, hoping to convey his wordless apology. He waited for her to answer his question, but when she didn't, the bit of calm he'd achieved flew right out the window. His eyes flashed with anger as he sent her a warning look. A look that told her he was only going to ask once more and she better answer. "How did you know?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Although her body's instinct was to shrink under his furious stare, Maddie did her best to stand up straight. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for his reaction. "Because he always comes to see me when I perform in Hawaii."
That was it, his temper exploded like a live grenade when the pin gets pulled. "What?" he yelled, tightening his grip on her arm. She winced.
"It's always around this time. He works close by and he's able to get away from the office between 2 and 3pm, give or take," she explained, hoping it would help calm him. She tried to tug her arm free while unconsciously crutching a step back.
Noticing her begin to back away in what he assumed was fear was just what he needed to cap the lid back on his anger, regaining his control. The last thing he wanted was for her to be scared of him. The thought made him sick.
He released her arm and instead brought his right hand to his face. He pressed his fingertips into his eyes while his left hand settled on his hip. He took a moment, trying to calm down and digest what he'd just learned.
Maddie waited for him to speak again, waited for him to do or say anything.
Finally his hand dropped from his face as he licked his bottom lip. "And you see him every time you're home?" Steve questioned, struggling to keep his anger a mere sizzle in his voice. It was still raging inside him, begging and clawing to be released, but he was doing everything he could to internalize it. Maddie said nothing, only nodded. "For how long?" he asked, his left hand still on his hip.
She nibbled her bottom lip as she thought back over the years. "Maybe the last five or six years."
He felt like she'd just punched him in the gut. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" He wasn't just angry. He was hurt. Apparently her lying and keeping secrets from him wasn't a recent thing like he'd thought.
Maddie sighed, smiling sadly. "Because Steve, you would've freaked out-"
"Hell yes I would've freaked out!" he exclaimed, his control slipping and his anger exploding as he interrupted her. Luckily, it was a leak he plugged quickly as he managed to get the top screwed back on his temper. However, he knew it was only loosely screwed and could pop off at any time, but it was the best he could do at the moment. "But that's no excuse!"
The sad smile fell from her face as she shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Steve, you were always on dangerous missions halfway around the world. I wasn't going to tell you something that was going to upset you! Something that you wouldn't be able to change! You would've worried which would've distracted you." She paused, her brow furrowing as she tried to reign in her emotions. He immediately felt bad, something she could tell by the way his hand returned to her upper arm, and inconspicuously rubbed circles with his thumb. "You could've gotten yourself killed because of it." Steve went to open his mouth, to argue with her, but she stopped him with a firm shake of her head as she repositioned herself on her crutches. Her back was beginning to ache from hunching forward and resting her weight on the objects. "You told me that yourself. That it's incredibly dangerous when you're distracted in the field. That it's the worst thing that you can do. Let something distract and eat at you. That it can get you killed. There was no way I was going to be the reason something happened to you." I'm still not, she thought.
Steve stared at her, his angry, flashing eyes narrowing somewhat as he licked his bottom lip before biting it slightly. He stayed like that, looking in her eyes, for what felt like minutes before releasing it. She watched as his upper teeth slowly scraped against it as he did so. Finally he spoke. "I should never have told you that."
Because she was shocked by what he said, Maddie's real emotions slipped through the walls she'd built to keep him at arm's length. "What?" she asked in disbelief.
This time when he squeezed her upper arm it wasn't in anger, but in comfort. "You're never gonna tell me anything serious now because you'll be too afraid it'll distract me. I can't have that, Madeline." He paused. "You'll worry me a thousand times more if you try and protect me from things and keep them to yourself. Then I'll always be distracted. All the time. Always wondering if you're hiding something you shouldn't be."
Maddie stared at him. Although it stung that he made it sound like all she ever did was lie to him, which wasn't true, she knew that what he said was the truth. "Okay," she agreed after a minute of silence.
"Okay?" Steve questioned, wanting to clarify that she was saying what he thought she was saying. That she'd tell him things even if she knew they'd upset him.
She nodded as she nibbled at her bottom lip.
"Okay," he smiled, happy they'd seemed to reach a small understanding about something.
Maddie took a deep breath and turned, forcing his hand to fall from her arm. She began crutching toward her dad. Steve closed his eyes, shook his head, and took a deep breath before following her. Because of her slower pace it took him only a couple steps to catch up. As they neared her waiting father, he spoke up. "I'm not happy about this."
"I know," she replied.
Steve sighed loudly as they continued, making sure she knew just how much he didn't want her doing this. At least I'm with her, he thought, trying to find the bright side of the situation. In fact, she wanted me to come.
"Thank you, Adam," Maddie said as she and Steve approached.
"No problem," he replied. "I'll be right there if you need me." He flicked his head towards his designated post ten feet away. She nodded in response, forcing a small smile even though her stomach was in knots. It always was when she saw her father.
"Madeline," her dad greeted once Adam was back at his post. He gave his daughter a smile, happy to see her.
"Hello," she replied, her voice sounding tight. Steve watched her out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that although she was doing this, she didn't seem to be too sure about it. She seemed nervous and anxious. He also noted she didn't give her dad even a hint of a smile. Something that made Steve nearly grin.
Her father looked to the tall, well-built man standing beside his daughter. He hadn't seen him since he was a teenager. In fact, he wasn't able to tell who he was at first. He'd watched him talk to his daughter, and yell at her, at the other end of the room, but it wasn't until he was standing in front of him that he realized who he was. The yelling now makes sense, her father thought, knowing Steve wouldn't like the idea of her seeing him. "Steven."
"Henry," Steve ground out, his tone icy. The anger that had begun to dissipate slightly, flared as he stared into the eyes of the man that had hurt Maddie way more times than he was sure he knew about. It took everything he had not to reach out and use the skills he'd been taught and beat the hell out of him before snapping his neck like a twig, something that would be so easy for him to do. He wanted to make him feel the pain he'd inflicted on her. However, he knew even if he beat him to death, he wouldn't feel a tenth of what she had experienced. Although they hadn't talked about it, he knew it wasn't the physical trauma that had done the most damage. It was the devastation of it being her father. The man she'd idolized as a young girl. The man who was supposed to keep her safe.
"You're all grown up. You're a man. A far cry from that skinny kid always hanging out with my daughter," Henry stated, offering him a small smile, which wasn't well received.
At his comment, Henry noticed the way Maddie glanced at Steve out of the corner of her eyes. The way she looked at his body in an appreciative manner.
"Yes, I am," Steve replied, his words an unspoken threat.
"I heard about your father," Henry began, ignoring Steve's indirect threat. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Let's save the pleasantries," Steve spat. "Because no, you're not." He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "Why don't you just do what you came here to do. Or say what you came here to say. You only get a couple minutes with her."
Henry nodded, knowing he was lucky Maddie would agree to see him after what he'd done.
Steve took a moment to take in her father. He'd aged well and was still in great shape. It was obvious he was active, that he worked out. His skin was tan, but not overly so. He'd always had amazing hair. It looked the same, thick and wavy. The only difference was that there were strands of silver mixed into the chocolate brown. Not gray, but silver. Steve imagined when he was older and his hair went completely silver, that he would look distinguished.
As a kid and teenager, he'd always remembered that Henry was well dressed. The suits he wore had always looked expensive. Maybe they were designer, he didn't know. And now was no different. He was dressed in a gorgeous navy blue suit, but Steve couldn't have told anyone more about it except that it looked like it had cost a pretty penny. The same with his shoes and vibrant red tie.
"Madeline, what happened?" he asked, looking to her knee. Concern showed on his oval shaped face, deepening the wrinkles, especially around his light brown eyes.
Steve snorted at his concern.
Before answering her dad, Maddie turned to her best friend. "Steve," she began. "Can you give us a minute?" She knew he'd only continue to make comments. It's not that she was standing up for her dad, she never would, but she had yet to figure out why he'd started expressing concern and visiting her. And she definitely wanted to know why.
"No," Steve immediately answered. She cocked her head and gave him a look. "No way," he told her. "Are you crazy? Have you literally gone insane? I am not leaving you here with this asshole!" He was getting more and more upset, losing control of his temper. It was bad enough she was seeing him, but to be alone with him? Hell no! There was no way he was going to give Henry the opportunity to lay a hand on her. He'd kill him first.
Knowing she needed to do something before he lost it entirely, Maddie took a crutched step towards him. "Just please, give us a few minutes."
With her so close to him, Steve wanted to pull her into his arms, but he wouldn't let himself go there. He refused to focus on her close proximity or the way she was looking at him with her sparkling blue eyes. He couldn't. He couldn't get distracted from the situation. He shook his head at her request.
Maddie sighed. To keep from getting annoyed, she reminded herself that he was just scared something would happen and he wouldn't be there to protect her. Just like when they were young. Even though they hadn't talked about it, she knew he was still filled with so much guilt over not realizing sooner what had been going on for years. "Just stand over there with Adam. You haven't met him yet. Go suss him out... Make sure he's worthy." She smirked a little at her last statement, knowing he would do exactly that. "I'll be right here. I won't move, I promise." She paused. "Not that I could go far." She glanced down at her crutches and knee brace before bringing her eyes back to his face, raising her eyebrows.
Steve couldn't help the slow smirk that fought its way through his glare. He cocked an eyebrow. "Like this morning?"
She smiled, but said nothing, only shrugged her right shoulder. Finally she broke their silence. "I promise. I won't move from this spot." With her hands wrapped around the hand grips of her crutches, she pointed down to the floor with each index finger.
Steve glanced to where Adam stood guard. It was only ten feet away. He could get to Maddie quickly if Henry tried anything. Reluctantly, and obviously not happy about it, something he made very clear by the look he shot her, he nodded. Even as he was doing it, he couldn't believe he was agreeing to it.
Thankful, she smiled as she tucked the tops of her crutches tightly in her armpits before letting go of the hand grips. She reached her hands towards Steve and rested them on his hard, toned chest as she leaned forward.
Steve's heart quickened as she leaned her face towards him. Is she going to kiss me? he wondered as he noticed the way her eyes flitted to his lips. God, I hope so. "Thank you," she murmured, her face a few inches from his.
Hoping to calm him down a bit before he left her, she closed the distance to kiss his nose. Just as her lips were about to make contact with his skin, he saw Henry move out of the corner of his eye. Without thinking he turned his head, wanting to be sure he wasn't making a move towards her, and her lips made contact with the side of his face, close to his ear.
Maddie's heart sunk as she pulled her head away, assuming that he'd moved his head so she wouldn't kiss his nose. For a few minutes she'd forgotten how he felt about her, how he'd lead her on only to make her feel like a joke in front of their friends. However, it all came rushing back, nearly knocking the wind out of her.
As what he'd just done sunk in, Steve whipped his head back to face Maddie as she pulled away. Oh man, he thought. That could not have been worse timing. He tried desperately to catch her eye, but she was avoiding his.
Worried she was thinking he'd done it on purpose, that he didn't want her to kiss his nose in the sweet gesture he loved, he debated what he should do. However, before he could do anything she pulled her hands from his chest as she began to straighten. Moving too quickly when she wasn't stable on her crutches caused her to waver slightly.
The second Steve saw her wobble he grabbed her, but before he could even process that she was fine, she turned her body to face her dad, a move that forced his hands to fall from her tiny waist. His stomach dropped.
"I'm fine, Steve," Maddie told him, turning her head towards him. "Please give us a minute."
Steve's jaw clenched in anger and frustration as he shook his head and walked the short distance to Adam. She watched him introduce himself to the newer member of her security team before turning around and facing her father.
Maddie looked at her dad, waiting for him to say something. Even though she started to agree to see him, she never knew what exactly to say to him. What did you say to a man that basically checked out of your life after your mother got sick with cancer at six years old? What did you say to a man that beat you for years? She didn't know and although she'd seen him several times over the last five years, she hadn't figured it out.
Finally breaking the silence Henry gestured to her knee and asked, "So, what happened?"
"Oh, I," she paused and cleared her throat, trying to hide her nervousness. "I tripped and aggravated an old knee injury."
"What about your foot?" he asked, noticing it was wrapped.
"Just a cut," Maddie replied. She didn't want to give him any more details than that. He didn't have the right to know.
Since he wasn't too far away, Steve could hear everything they were saying. He was surprised at everything Henry was saying. He sounded genuine, like he really wanted to know the answers. And as much as Steve hated to admit it, he sounded concerned. However, it didn't change his feelings towards him. He still despised and loathed the man. Acting concerned for a minute didn't, and would never, change or fix what he had done.
"You look tired," Henry stated. He'd noticed her pallor the second she'd gotten close enough to take her in. He also noticed the dark bags under her eyes and the way her usually happy, sparkling, blue eyes, her mother's eyes, were dull and slightly bloodshot. "You okay?"
Maddie didn't realize that at her dad's question, she unconsciously glanced quickly at Steve. However, her dad noticed. He'd also picked up on the way she'd looked hurt when Steve had turned his head, causing her to kiss the side of his face.
"I'm fine," she answered. "Just been a long few days rehearsing. That's all. Nothing I'm not used to." She glanced quickly at Steve again before looking back at her father.
"Madeline," Henry said, his tone taking on a more serious, almost warning, quality.
At the change, Maddie tensed. She flashed back to the times he'd had a similar tone only to smack her moments later. Her grip tightened on her crutches as she tried to keep from panicking. She reminded herself that she wasn't that same helpless kid. She was thankful that she was holding something because she knew her hands would be visibly shaking if she weren't. She quickly looked towards Steve double-checking he was still there. She felt her rapid heartbeat begin to slow as she discovered he was watching intently, his arms crossed, his body tall, and his feet shoulder width apart. One of his typical stances. One that oozed authority.
Steve straightened as he saw the change in Maddie. He noticed the way her knuckles were turning white as she gripped her crutches. The way she scooted her left foot and crutches an inch backwards and leaned back slightly as if she was preparing to flee. To put as much space between them as possible to give herself a head start.
He knew something must have triggered her to feel threatened or scared. He'd been paying attention and her father had only said her name. However, he knew it could've been anything. All that mattered was that she was suddenly on edge.
He brought his shoulders back causing his chest to puff out as he fought the urge to walk towards her and interrupt their conversation.
Steve was surprised when she looked over at him and their eyes met. He immediately saw the uncertainty in them. Hoping to put her at ease, he nodded and smiled, wordlessly letting her know she was safe. As much as he wanted to go to her, she'd asked for a few minutes alone. However, he'd only promised a few minutes and that was almost up.
"Yes?" she answered as she turned back to look at her dad, her eyes fixed to a spot on the grey commercial carpet.
"He'll never have feelings for you," Henry stated, his voice unexpectedly gentle.
Surprised by his statement, Maddie's head shot up and her eyes found his.
Seeing the confusion in her vibrantly blue eyes, the ones that had always reminded him of her mother, he clarified. "Steve, he'll never love you." He paused. "He knows too much of your past. He'll always see you as damaged and broken."
Rage surged through Steve at her father's words. His nostrils flared as his hands clenched into fists. It was taking every semblance of discipline to keep him from kicking his ass and throwing Maddie over his shoulder and taking her back to her dressing room. He didn't need someone filling her head with nonsense, especially her dad of all people. What are you worried about? he asked himself. It's her dad. She'll never believe him.
She cleared her voice as she sniffled. "I know," she whispered. "He's made that clear."
Steve's bowed his head slightly as literal pain filled his chest. He suddenly found it difficult to get air into his lungs. She really thinks that? he wondered. Steve's stomach churned and his eyes fluttered closed. He really debated whether he might throw up. I kissed her for God's sake. I've hinted several times today. I… However, it didn't matter, it obviously hadn't been enough to counter the stupid things he'd said and done. God, can I fix this?
Henry hated how sad she sounded. Although they weren't close, she was still his little girl and he wanted her to be happy. "I'm not saying that you are damaged or broken, or that you're unlovable, because that's not true," Henry immediately said, worried she'd take what he said the wrong way.
"I know, Henry," she said. Feeling a slight tickle in her throat, she turned her head and coughed into her shoulder.
Her dad couldn't help but flinch slightly at his first name coming from her. She wasn't being a smartass or facetious. She hadn't called him dad since she was fourteen and to be honest, he didn't blame her. He was surprised she hadn't stopped when she was younger than that.
"I'm not trying to hurt you by telling you this. I hope you know that, Madeline," Henry said. "I'm trying to keep you from getting your heart broken."
Too late, Maddie thought. It's already broken. However, she couldn't tell him that. They didn't have that kind of relationship. Or any kind of relationship. They saw one another for a few minutes every time she performed in Hawaii, which wasn't even once a year. "I know." She coughed again into her shoulder.
Worried Henry would further damage his relationship with Maddie, he knew it was time to take her back to her dressing room. He couldn't handle hearing him tell her any more lies. Her dad's statements couldn't have been further from the truth. He didn't think of her as damaged or broken. Actually, it was the opposite. He thought of her as strong. In fact, she was probably the strongest person he knew.
Henry paused, trying to think of something else to say to her. "You're so beautiful. You know, you look just like your mother." Although he was smiling, there was also a deep sadness to it.
Anger coursed through Maddie's veins. She clenched the handles of her crutches so hard her arm muscles began to quiver slightly. "Don't talk about her. You don't have the right."
"I'm sorry, Maddie," Henry immediately apologized. "You're absolutely right."
"Everything okay?" Steve asked as he approached. Even though he'd heard what her dad said to elicit her reaction, he pretended he hadn't.
"Yes," Henry answered, staring at the boy that had grown into a man. He knew how Steve felt about him, he'd made it very clear. And, if he was being honest, he wasn't sure how he felt about him either. Especially given how his daughter seemed to be upset and hurt. But then again, he didn't know Steve the man. He only knew Steve the kid and Steve the teenager. And he was a different man back then. An angry, terrible man, who had done unspeakable things. So anything Steve had said to him back then was, in his book, warranted and well earned.
Refusing to look anywhere but at her dad, anger and hurt in her eyes, she answered, "Yes."
"Okay." Steve paused, licking his bottom lip out of habit as he studied what he could see of Maddie's face. She was looking worse than she had when they'd left her dressing room. "Mads, let's get you back. You're looking paler. You need to get some rest."
"Honey, are you okay?" Henry asked his daughter. He'd noticed she had paled as they spoke, but he hadn't wanted to say anything to her in case she took offense to it.
"I'm fine," Maddie mumbled, sniffling. Feeling the tickle again, but this time much worse, she tightened her upper left arm against the crutch to keep it in place while she brought her hand to her mouth as she coughed. And they were deep and painful.
"Are you sick?" Henry asked, his brows knitted firmly together in concern only a parent could understand when something was wrong with their child, no matter how old.
"Yes, very sick," Steve answered.
"I'm fine," Maddie said, annoyed Steve had told her dad.
Steve rolled his eyes. "Oh, so it's completely normal to have a fever over 104?" he sarcastically countered.
"She always did get insanely high fevers when she got sick," Henry revealed.
"I'm fine, really. He's over reacting," Maddie told her dad. "He tends to do that."
"I'm gonna have to agree with Steve on this one. You look like you don't feel well. Plus, you look exhausted," Henry told her honestly. "Go and get some rest. It was really good to see you."
Maddie held her tongue, fighting the urge to tell him he had no right to tell her what to do. However, Maddie knew he was trying. He'd been especially trying for the last couple years. While it was too little, too late, she couldn't help but be curious what had changed.
"Come on, Mads," Steve said placing his hand on her upper back. At his touch her heart ached, her father's words running coming back. She squared her shoulders and pushed her chest forward subtly.
Steve's stomach sunk as he received her message loud and clear. She didn't want him to touch her. Casually he dropped his hand.
"Before you go," Henry said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out what appeared to be a business card. "I know I've given you one before, but I thought I'd give you another one. Just in case." He reached his hand out to her. Slowly, almost as if it would bite or burn her, she took the card. "You can call me any time, Madeline." He smiled. "If you want to talk or say hi, or just... whatever," he added, obviously nervous. "And any time. Seriously. Even if it's in the middle of the night. It's fine."
Maddie nodded at her father, not knowing what to say. She never did when he gave her his number and told her to feel free to call. She didn't want to lie and claim she would, but she also didn't want to be rude and tell him to go fuck himself. However, if she was being honest, a part of her did want to do that. She was just grateful that he'd never asked for her number.
"Okay, go get some rest. I'll be watching tonight. I'm really excited!"
Both Maddie and Steve looked at him in shock. "You're coming tonight? You have a ticket?" Steve asked.
"Yes. Well, I went to buy a ticket, but they sold out in less than five minutes." He smiled proudly, something that pissed Steve off. Maddie had accomplished everything in spite of him, not because of him. "However, I really wanted to see the show, so I bought a ticket from a third party," Henry answered, leaving out the fact he'd bought more than one. That he wasn't coming alone. He had been planning on talking to her about it during this visit, but she'd seemed so rundown and not herself. He might not have known her very well as an adult, but he'd still been with her until she was fourteen. He knew her better than she realized and could tell when something was wrong and there was definitely something wrong.
Again, Maddie wasn't sure what to say to him. To her knowledge he'd never attended one of her shows. Feeling like she needed to say something, she said, "I hope you enjoy the show."
"I'm sure I will." Henry smiled at her. "Now, go get some rest. Okay?"
Maddie nodded slightly. "Okay, goodbye Henry."
"Goodbye, Steve. Goodbye, Linny Bear," her father said, using her childhood nickname.
Maddie's chest tightened at the emotions and memories the nickname quickly produced. It sent her back to a happier time. One where her mom wasn't yet sick and her dad was still her dad. Her hero. It was before he'd fallen apart and let anger and grief change him.
"Take care of her, Steve," Henry said.
Steve turned and shot him a furious glare. "I always have."
Although she wished they weren't, her father's words ran on repeat in her head as they walked towards her dressing room. He'll never have feelings for you…. Steve, he'll never love you… He knows too much of your past. He'll always see you as damaged and broken.
Steve watched her worriedly, concerned at how withdrawn she was. I should never have let her see him, he thought angrily. He wanted so badly to tell her that her dad was wrong, but he knew she'd be so upset if she knew he'd been listening to their conversation. He couldn't win either way.
As they neared her dressing room, Steve couldn't take the silence anymore. "How did your talk with your dad go?"
"Fi-ne," Maddie whispered, her voice cutting out halfway. She cleared her throat.
"Oh yeah?" He asked. "What did you guys talk about?"
Maddie clenched her jaw, her father's words growing louder. Steve, he'll never love you…. He'll always see you as damaged and broken. "Nothing important," she finally answered.
He thought that response made his chest tighten, but the next thing out of her mouth nearly did him in. "Nothing I didn't already know and nothing that wasn't true."
He couldn't let it go without saying something. "I doubt that Maddie."
Could he hear our conversation? she suddenly worried as her heartrate increased and her hands began to sweat. "Doubt what?" she hesitantly asked.
"That what he said was the truth."
She swallowed the emotions that begged for release. "No, I know for a fact that everything he said was true. Plus, it doesn't matter. We didn't talk about anything important," she lied, never looking anywhere except straight ahead as they continued to walk. She hadn't met his eyes once since he'd interrupted her and her father's conversation.
He wasn't able to say anything further as they arrived at her dressing room. Seeing them approaching, Mo was holding the door open.
They entered in complete silence.