DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Hawaii Five-O" or any of its characters. However, I do own Maddie, Pete, Tina, Ryan, Lyle, Harper, Carl, etc.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
A couple things to keep in mind for this update... PLEASE READ!
1. The song rehearsed is Britney Spears "If You Seek Amy". The song is referred to as "If You Seek..." in dialogue because artist's usually shorten the names of their songs when talking about them. Just know I'm referring to the same song. Also, it's mentioned that Maddie rehearses another song, but I don't go into detail or show her rehearsing it. That one is called "Shattered Glass" and it's also sung by Britney Spears.
Again, I'm not saying Maddie sings like Britney.
2. When song lyrics are in parentheses (), they are being sung by background/backing vocalists (background singers).
3. Larry Kern is the new head of the record label Maddie is signed to.
4. Just so you know, here are all the names of Maddie's dancers, both male and female.
MALE: Ryan, Justin, Leo, Tyler, Nathan (Nate), Jackson, Mason, Jensen, Elijah (Eli), Nolan
FEMALE: Claire, Avery, Mia, Harper, Naomi, Nancy
5. I mentioned this in the last update, but I want to remind everyone. I am NOT a dancer! I wish I was, but I'm not. NO ONE wants to see me dance. This is the last update where I am describing Maddie rehearsing/performing in this much detail because it is so hard for me when I don't know any technical terms. Maddie is in Pointe shoes for this chapter. Pointe shoes are what ballerinas where when they are on their toes. You can google it as I am sure that's not a very good explanation. haha. Anyway, I did my best in this area. Please, be kind if I made any mistakes, but feel free to teach me any terminology I can use for the future.
6. Flashbacks/memories, lyrics, and texts are all in bold.
7. Thoughts are in italics.
8. Both versions of the story are the same for this update. I didn't change anything because I didn't think what I wrote was graphic enough. HOWEVER, if any of the T-Rated version readers feel it is, please let me know and I will make sure to not go as detailed in adult themes for future updates. It's hard to judge what's appropriate for the rating by the information given on the site. I've done my best and yes, I have left a few things out on other chapters. (Only a few). However, there will be more times that the updates are different because of things I will leave out for the T-Rated Version.
You can imagine with the way this update ended, that things are about to get good and interesting... so take 2 seconds of your time and leave a review. Or you can PM (Private Message) me. I have readers who have asked me all kinds of questions and left me their reviews and advice (both positive and negative). It's really wonderful, because I'm trying to become a better writer by doing this and all the help I can get is great. Or if you simply like what I'm doing, say that!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the story. It means a lot!
I really hope you enjoy this update! ;o)
xoxo
DivaLola
Chapter 36
Part 6
Maddie struggled through the next song, "Shattered Glass", a number she normally aced. But she was exhausted and in so much pain. She was pretty sure the Advil Steve had given her was wearing off because the body aches were returning with a vengeance.
"Mads, what's the problem?" Lyle asked as he walked towards her and her dancers. He was baffled by the mistakes she was continuously making. "This number is easy for you. You never have a problem with it. What's going on?"
"I don't know," she lied as she rubbed her temples.
Lyle sighed. They'd run through the number three times already and Maddie was still missing choreography she'd never had a problem with.
He looked at his watch. They'd been rehearsing for almost an hour and hadn't even started going over the changes in "If You Seek Amy". He glanced at the door. He'd been expecting Steve to be there at the forty-five-minute mark exactly, forcing Maddie to stop, but he hadn't. He had disappeared with Chin and Doc and none of them had been back.
Knowing they'd been lucky to make it almost an hour, Lyle decided he couldn't count on them having much more time. He was confident Maddie knew the choreography to "Shattered Glass" and decided it was pointless to continue running it. They needed to work on "If You Seek Amy" before Steve got back and before Maddie was too exhausted to continue, something he knew could happen at any moment. Plus, he knew the injection Doc gave her was only going to last a little longer
Lyle turned back to Maddie and her dancers. "Enough with 'Shattered Glass'. You know it. Let's not worry about it. Let's just go into 'If You Seek…'."
While Lyle gave individual instructions to the dancers, Carl approached Maddie, taking in her pallid face. "Hey."
"Hey, what's up?" she mumbled, sniffling and coughing. Where'd he come from? she wondered, having not realized he'd been watching her for the last twenty minutes.
"How ya doin'?" he asked, his eyes drifting to her leg.
"Fine," she lied, forcing a small smile.
He sighed. "Shorty, let's go back to the dressing room and get some rest. You're exhausted. You gotta think about the show."
"I'm almost done. Just one more song," she argued. Her hand flew to her mouth as she coughed, wincing at the pain.
"It's either go with me now or go with Steve in a few minutes. And, you know it'd be better to go with me and avoid the scene," Carl tried to reason with her.
Maddie knew he was right and that she should just go lay down, but she still had work to do. "Steve doesn't get to dictate this. I have a job to do, and I'm not done with it," she seethed. "Not after everything."
Carl knew that her anger towards Steve was just her way of dealing with how much he'd hurt her. "What do you mean after everything?" he asked, playing dumb.
"What?" she asked, looking at him in confusion. Suddenly she realized what she'd said, and her face flushed. She hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Oh, um… nothing," she stuttered.
"Mads," Carl began, his tone slightly hesitant.
"Yeah?"
"I ran into Steve a little bit ago…"
"Oh yeah?" she asked tentatively.
"Well…" Wanting to find the right words he paused briefly before deciding it was better to just spit it out. "Mads, he didn't mean what he said Sunday."
"Not you, too," Maddie groaned, rolling her eyes in frustration. "If he said it, he meant it. What did he do? Ask you to talk to me? I told him we're fine… We're friends. I get the picture. No need to talk about it. I don't wan-"
"Maddie," he interrupted, his voice forceful, but not raised. He waited to continue until he was sure he had her full attention. "He didn't mean what he said," he spoke slowly, hoping she'd recognize the statement as the truth.
Maddie closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about this. She was too tired and felt too awful. And, her heart was in too many pieces. She had too much on her plate and couldn't handle discussing this again. "I don't want to talk about this," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.
"Mads." Carl placed both hands on her shoulders. "He screwed up."
"Carl," she whispered, clenching her jaw as she felt all the emotion she'd been trying to hide well up in her throat. Her bottom lip trembled as she battled for control as her father's words came back to haunt her. Steve, he'll never love you… He'll always see you as damaged and broken. She shut her eyes, trying to will them away.
Convinced she had a reign over her emotions, she met Carl's eyes. However, what she saw finally broke her. There was so much compassion, understanding, concern, and worry. What does it hurt? she asked herself. He had always been someone she went to if she really needed to talk, if she needed an unbiased point of view. He was a great listener and even better at dishing out advice. There was something about him. He had a way of getting you to talk about things you'd never in a million years tell anyone.
"He laughed at the idea of us together. After he led me to believe he felt it, too," she whispered.
She sounded so broken it nearly ripped his heart out. "He does feel it, too. I talked to him. You gotta trust that you know him. That he would never do that to you." When she bit her lip and looked down he squeezed her shoulders gently. "You know Steve." He paused. "Tell me something… When can you always count on him to kind of freak out?"
Maddie took a deep breath hoping it would keep her tears from falling. "When I take off from security."
He chuckled. "Well, yeah, but when else?"
She sniffled and whispered, "When there's a huge change in his life."
His eyes mirrored the same small smile he gave her. "Exactly. And tell me… would deciding to completely change his relationship with the one person who's stayed constant in his life be considered an incredible life change?"
Maddie nodded as she tried to swallow the raw emotion threatening to suffocate her.
"You know what he told me?" Carl asked. She shook her head slightly as she nibbled her bottom lip. "He told me he's terrified he screwed up for good. That he lost you." He paused to let his words sink in.
If that's really true, he wouldn't have said it, she thought, refusing to allow herself to believe Carl. She couldn't afford to. She couldn't get hurt again.
"Tell me one last thing," he smirked as he continued. "Have you ever known Steve to willingly talk about his feelings with another SEAL?" He lightly squeezed her shoulders again, trying to drive his point home.
Holy crap, she thought, her eyes going wide as she realized he was right.
Carl knew he was close to getting through to her. "And can I just add, I didn't have to badger him into it… I think you know that he really is sorry. That he didn't mean it."
As much as she wanted to believe Steve had just made a mistake, she was too scared. Too scared to believe him only for him to hurt her again. She didn't think she could handle it. Not with everything else going on. "I don't know, Carl… it wasn't just that."
"I know. He's an ass!" he said, trying to get her to smile. He could tell he was so close to getting through to her. "What do you expect? He's a guy, AND he's a squid!" he joked. She smiled, rolling her eyes slightly. "There's that smile." He grinned back as he massaged her shoulders. "Just give him a chance to fix this."
He immediately felt Maddie tense as the smile slipped from her face. She shook her head quickly, wincing at the pain it caused. "I can't," she whispered, slightly panicked.
"Why not?" he asked gently. He knew losing his patience would only undo any kind of progress he'd made.
Her eyes fell to the floor as she hesitated. "I'm sca-red," she admitted, her voice cutting out from the emotion she'd been suppressing for days. To her frustration, a lone tear escaped her right eye and she angrily brushed it away.
"Hey, I get it," Carl replied, hating to see her like this. She was hurting so much. Her behavior over the last several days, the way she'd pushed herself to rehearse, the way she'd run off several times, it all made sense now. "I don't blame you." He paused, trying to think of another way he could break through that final barrier and get to her. Suddenly it dawned on him. "I just-" He sighed, already feeling guilty for what he was about to do. "I feel horrible, Shorty. This is all my fault."
Maddie's head shot up and stared at him, her brow wrinkled in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"If I hadn't put him on the spot… It was stupid. I wasn't thinking," Carl answered. "I'm really sorry."
"No, Carl! This isn't your fault," she tried to tell him, but he just shook his head. "You didn't force him to say what he did."
"It is my fault, and I feel awful." He was quiet for a second before continuing. "Can you do me a favor?"
Maddie narrowed her eyes warily. "Depends…"
"I get why you won't give him another chance. I do. I don't blame you. But, can you stop pushing him away? Cut him a little bit of a break? For me?" He saw her about to refuse, so he tried again. "Come on. I feel horrible. This is all my fault." He knew playing the 'I feel guilty, do this for me' card was low, but he was desperate to help them. He, along with everyone else, had been waiting years for them to realize they weren't just friends. He refused to let his stupid mouth be the reason they never gave it a shot.
Maddie shook her head in resignation. "Fine." She took a deep breath. "I'm not saying I forgive him. But-" She sighed. "I'll stop pushing him away… at least I'll try."
"Hey, that's all I ask," Carl smiled and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her small body. As he did, her left temple brushed the side of his chin and he startled. "Mads, I think you have a fever."
She squeezed him before drawing away. "I'm fine." She flashed him a tired smile. "But I need to finish rehearsing."
He shook his head, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Stubborn." She shrugged her shoulders in silent acceptance. "He's gonna come in and then you're gonna regret not coming with me."
"Ready, Mads?" Lyle called.
"Yeah," she replied. She turned back to Carl. "Thanks…"
"Anytime. You know that." He gave her an encouraging smile before she walked away.
Steve glanced at his watch as he and Pete waited outside Doc's room for Tom.
"You can go ahead," Pete said, knowing he was anxious to get back. "I'll meet you there."
"It's fine," Steve replied and then gave him a humor filled smirk. "Plus, I'll probably need backup when I shut rehearsal down."
Pete chuckled. "Good point."
"Hi, Sir," Tom greeted.
"Hey Tom," Pete replied, giving the younger man a smile. "And we aren't in the military. It's Pete." He liked Tom, even if he was a Marine. But, better yet, he trusted him. He hadn't been out of the military for more than a few months when Maddie had hired him. Just like Adam, he was incredibly grateful for the job as he'd had a difficult time finding work.
"How's Tina?" Tom asked, glancing at the closed door.
"She's gonna be fine. Just needs some sleep. However, because of the text message, I want eyes on her at all times as well as Maddie," Pete explained. The entire security team had already been brought up to speed on the new developments with Maddie's stalker. "Detective Kelly is inside with her, as is Doc, but I imagine he'll be in and out treating a lot of the crew who've caught Maddie's bug."
"I'll keep an eye on her, sir… uh, Pete." Tom replied.
"And we've had that outer door locked," Steve added.
Tom nodded. "Good! Gives us more control over Maddie, and Tina's, safety."
"Exactly," Steve replied, giving the young man a small, but genuine smile. "If anyone comes from that hallway, regardless of whether they have passes, you'll know something's wrong."
"If only we could be that lucky," Pete shook his head in frustration. He thought of the incidents that had occurred over the last several days and felt his temper, and guilt, flare.
"That's for sure," Tom agreed.
"By the way, I don't think you officially met Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett," Pete introduced.
Tom immediately held out his hand. "I've heard a lot about you, sir," he smiled as he shared a strong handshake with the SEAL.
"Uh oh!" Steve hissed in a deep breath. "Who's your source? If it's Maddie, I'm in trouble."
"And you're not if it was us?" Pete quipped.
"That's true." Steve looked back to Tom. "Was it good or bad?"
"All good, sir," Tom grinned. He had already liked Steve just from the stories he'd heard, but from their brief encounter, he was a fan. He looked up to both SEALS and couldn't help but love the comradery that he'd missed so much after leaving the military. Not only had he had a difficult time finding employment, but he'd had a hard time adjusting to civilian life. He'd done several tours overseas, had lost countless "brothers", and seen things one couldn't even imagine, things he'd never forget for the rest of his life no matter how hard he tried. It had definitely been a tough adjustment. And, if he was honest with himself, he was still adjusting. However, he found that being surrounded by so many former military had made things so much easier.
"It's Steve. Or McGarrett," Steve replied. He liked the kid. He'd still check him out, just like the other new security members Maddie had hired, but he liked him.
"Stop!" Lyle yelled. "Leo, you're too far forward... AGAIN! Maddie won't be able to get to you. She'll fall! You have to be exactly on your mark. You can't be even a centimeter off. She'll get hurt otherwise... Get with it!"
Lyle was frustrated, and it was showing. For the last several minutes they'd restarted the song 3 times without getting through it.
He turned to Maddie, not realizing Steve and Pete had just walked in. It was obvious she wasn't feeling well, and he felt bad, but he still had to do his job. And that, unfortunately, sometimes involved being hard on them. "Pull it together, Madeline! You just need to nail this number, then we'll be done. I know you're tired. I know you're in pain. Suck it up! You're making stupid mistakes. You're better than this."
Steve tensed as he and Pete neared the table Kono and Lori were seated at. He was fighting the urge to go break Lyle's knee and then tell him to suck it up.
Pete caught Carl's eye and nodded. Understanding, Carl left to go check the stage again.
"She won't need to worry about sucking anything up since rehearsal is over," Steve stated, his biceps flexing as he crossed his arms.
Not realizing Steve had returned Lyle jumped slightly. "Steve, we're almost done. We have to run this song. It's the last one."
At the sound of Steve's voice, Maddie's heart began to accelerate. While she was scared, Carl had gotten through to her. For the first time, she was entertaining the notion that maybe Steve had made a mistake.
"No. Rehearsal's over," Steve decreed, his arms still crossed in an intimidating, 'my answer's final' way. He studied Maddie. Exhaustion clung to her like a second skin as she walked towards him in her Pointe shoes.
Remember what Carl said, she told herself as she neared him. Give him a little bit of a break. Don't push him away. Ignore being scared… You can do this. "Steve, just ten more minutes," she said as she stopped in front of him.
"Mads, we had a deal. Forty-five minutes. It's been an hour," Steve replied. He took a step towards her, not wanting prying ears to hear their conversation. "You look tired, Mads," he whispered, his voice softening.
Her heart ached at his concern and worry. While she was going to do her best not to push him away, she wasn't ready to acknowledge the other emotions in his eyes. In fact, she didn't even notice them. If she had, many of her doubts would have disappeared.
"In four days I haven't gotten this right. I'm gonna be stressing about it the rest of the day if I can't go through it a bit more," Maddie admitted. "I just need ten minutes. That's all."
Steve said nothing. He couldn't believe he was even considering it. However, there was something different about her. She seemed to not be as closed off or shut down. "If I give you ten more minutes, that's it. At the end, there's no fighting me," Steve said. He smirked. "Because, you'll lose." Pete and Kono chuckled quietly, picturing exactly what Steve would do if Maddie tried to fight him.
"I won't fight you," Maddie replied honestly.
Something has definitely changed, he thought as she gave him a small, but genuine smile. Or maybe she's just too tired and focused on the song and she's forgetting to be mad at me. "Alright. Ten minutes. But that's it. No more," he announced, shocked to find himself agreeing given her current state. "However,-" His tone hardened. "If I see things aren't going well... I'll end rehearsal before the ten minutes are up."
"Okay," she agreed, letting her smile grow before turning and walking back to her dancers.
He glanced quickly at his watch, noting the time. "Better get to it! The clock starts now!"
Come on Madeline… Pull it together, she told herself. Changes had been made throughout the entire number, but they weren't huge. Except the changes in the bridge. Not once over the last four days had she gotten through the bridge without falling.
"Because we don't have a lot of time, we're gonna start at the top of the second verse," Lyle announced. "The lead up time is crucial to make sure you're in the correct positions," he continued, his eyes on the male dancers. "You know if just one of you is the littlest bit off, she can get hurt. So, pay attention!" He wet his lips and took a deep breath, exhaling it loudly while he located the correct spot in the song. Finding it, he glanced at Maddie. "I'm gonna walk you through this first run through."
Standing in the center of Stage 1, Maddie nodded as she nibbled her bottom lip, trying to ignore the burning hot fury that was the bottom of her foot as it rubbed raw along the inside of her Pointe shoe.
Steve was forced to look away when his cell rang. He peeked at the display. Fong, he thought. He glanced back at her. As much as he wanted to stay and keep an eye on her, he had to take this call. He'd had Charlie working on tracing the text Pete had received and wanted to know what, if anything, he'd found.
Knowing loud music was about to be played, he rose and met Pete's eyes. Pete nodded, understanding the silent communication.
Steve finally answered the ringing object. "One sec, Charlie," he spoke into the phone as he began walking towards the door leading to the parking lot. He looked back at Maddie and found her watching him. With the cell still to his ear, he stopped and gave her a small smile as he nodded his head towards the parking lot. Lifting his eyebrows, he mouthed "ten minutes". She nodded, having every intention of honoring their agreement.
"Alright, places... right before the start of the second verse!" Lyle called out. Once they were in their positions, he pressed play.
Maddie and her female dancers were immediately up on their toes. She began to lip sync, her female dancers arranged around her. Their movements were sharp and sassy, but also elegant and beautiful as they danced on Pointe for the male dancers around them. It was obvious to their small audience that this number was choreographed so that the men were being toyed with, so to speak.
Amy told me that she's gonna meet me up
I don't know where or when and now they're closing up the club, oh
I've seen her once or twice but boy she knows my face
But it's hard to see with all the people standing in the way, oh
Pete watched closely, looking for any changes in the choreography. Although this wasn't a new song, Maddie hadn't let him see her rehearse it over the last few days, which worried him.
The male dancers tried to reach out and touch the women, but they batted them away. When Ryan approached Maddie she placed her elbow on his shoulder while remaining on her toes. She gave him a flirty look as she sang to him.
Oh oh, tell me have you seen her, cause I'm so oh
I can't get her off of my brain
Ryan reached out trying to stop her as she spun away. Once out of his reach, she continued with the jerky, but beautiful, movements with her female dancers.
I just want to go to the party she gonna go
Can somebody take me home?
Ha ha, he he, ha ha ho
Now singing the chorus, Maddie and all of her dancers began dancing the same choreography, the formation changing to include everyone. Slowly they made their way down the area marked off as the catwalk and to the second stage.
Love me hate me, say what you want about me
But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy
Love me hate me, but can't you see what I see?
All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy
The formation changed. While continuing to dance, Maddie's ten male dancers began to space out from one another as they formed a single line in the center of Stage 2.
As Maddie lip-synced the next part, Lyle walked to the male dancer's right sides. He stood and waited next to Justin, the male dancer at the end of the catwalk.
"I don't know what she's about to do, but I got a bad feeling," Pete murmured.
"You haven't seen this?" Kono asked.
"Not the changes," he sighed. "She refused to let me see them until now."
Oh, so what you want about me?
Oh, but can't you see what I see?
Oh, so what you want about me?
La la la, la la la
Between the end of the chorus and the start of the bridge, there was a short space without vocals where the music began to slow. During this, Justin squatted and leaned forward, making sure to keep his back as parallel to the floor as he could. Maddie leaped, landing on Pointe on Justin's back with her arms out elegantly. Lyle grabbed her right hand and held it firmly to help her keep her balance.
As she continued to sing the first line, Justin rose steadily while she leaned forward on Pointe, lifting her right leg straight behind her while holding tightly to Lyle's hand.
So tell me if you see her
"Bad feeling verified," Pete muttered, shaking his head. Seeing her male dancers positioned in a straight line, he knew exactly what the choreography would be for the rest of the bridge.
"Yeah," Kono agreed. "But if she pulls it off it's gonna be awesome!" She shrugged when Pete glared at her.
"More like amazing if she pulls it off," Lori corrected, watching Maddie closely.
Maddie came down off Pointe while lowering her right leg. She then quickly rose back on Pointe on her left. Lyle let go of her hand as Justin rose quickly and Maddie pushed off his back and spun once in the air before landing on Tyler's back. He was in the same tabletop position Justin had been in. As soon as she landed safely, Lyle immediately grabbed her right hand as she went up on Pointe.
("Let me know what she was wearing and what she was like")
Before Maddie sang the next line, she leaped forward onto Leo's back. Although Leo was in position this time, his back was slightly rounded when she first landed and had she not been holding Lyle's hand, she would have slipped off.
"Leo, flatten your back!" Lyle called over the music, feeling Maddie's grip on his hand tighten as she tried to use his strength to help her balance.
As she lip-synced the next line, and while still holding Lyle's hand, Maddie leaned forward slightly on Pointe as she brought her left leg back and up. Gracefully, she reached her left hand above her head and behind her and grabbed her left foot.
In. Out. In. Out, she thought, reminding herself she needed to breath as the pain in her injured right leg, currently bearing her entire weight, skyrocketed.
'Cause I've been waiting here forever
Maddie was relieved when she released the position. Lengthening her limbs, she stepped forward onto Jackson's waiting "flat" back. She used her arms and upper body to make beautiful movements as Jackson, still bent over with his back flat in tabletop, slowly straightened his legs, causing her to rise in the air.
("Let me know if she was going out tonight")
Pete had never been so nervous and anxious when watching her rehearse. He had absolutely no idea how she was going to pull this off in the show. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why it had been made so difficult when she was injured. However, his gut told him Larry Kern was behind it.
Maddie grasped Lyle's hand as she lip-synced the next line. She lengthened her right leg and stepped forward onto Jensen's waiting back, and then quickly released Lyle's hand. Up on her toes and with her arms close to her sides, she moved and rotated her shoulders in time to the music.
Oh baby baby if you seek Amy tonight
As she sung the last word of the line, she lowered her heels to Jensen's back and then quickly jumped straight into the air before landing back on Pointe. She grabbed Lyle's hand as she lengthened her leg and stepped forward onto Elijah, most often referred to as Eli. She let go of his hand as she rose up on Pointe and moved her upper body and arms in time to the music.
Oh baby baby we'll do whatever you like
She sang the last word of the line then lowered her heels to Elijah's back and jumped straight in the air before landing down on Pointe.
As she sang the next lines, she continued down the "line" of male dancers, elegantly stepping on Nolan's flat back. Once again, she held Lyle's hand until she felt balanced and then released it.
Oh baby baby baby
Oh baby baby baby
There was a break in the vocals as the music began to slowly speed up now that the bridge was ending. Maddie swallowed hard as she mentally prepared herself for the end. Without looking, she reached out and found Lyle's hand. She gripped it as she rose onto Pointe and pushed her shoulders back. She took a deep breath as she began to elegantly and gracefully walk forward onto Mason's back. However, it was somewhere between a walk and a quick march, but she didn't bring her knees up like one does when marching.
Unlike the other times she walked forward onto another male dancer's back, she didn't stop and do any kind of movement or pose. Instead, she continued forward onto Nathan's back, "walking" the same way. Her shoulders and upper body added a sassy, but slightly jerky aspect to the walk.
Again, she didn't stop, but continued forward, stepping onto Justin's back. He had been the first dancer and, like the others, had come forward from the back to extend the line.
What made this particular part of the bridge even more difficult was that because they were going to run out of stage, the men were slowly walking backwards while Maddie walked forward across their backs. The dancers at the back of the line rushed forward and into position just in time for Maddie to step forward onto their backs.
La la la, la la la la la
La la la, la la la la la
Suddenly Ryan stepped into the last position in the "line" and bent forward, his back perfectly parallel to the floor. The second Maddie made contact with his back he squatted quickly while she gripped Lyle's hand.
Lyle let go as she lowered her heels to his back for a nanosecond before pushing up quickly into Pointe. At the same time, Ryan pushed up, supplying her with more momentum so she could leap through the air in the splits.
She landed near the neon pink tape marking the front of Stage 2, but what made it even more difficult was that she landed in the center of her female dancers, who were already in their spots for the chorus. Barely getting a second to recover, the chorus began, and she started to lip-sync as she and her dancers immediately began the chorus choreography.
Love me hate me, say what you want about me
But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy
Love me hate me, but can't you…
The music abruptly stopped, and Lyle yelled, "Great job everyone!" He looked at Maddie. "Good job!"
She sniffled and coughed. "You were helping me." By her tone it was obvious she was annoyed with herself. She hated that she still needed his help. They'd rehearsed it a lot and she still hadn't gotten it on her own. Not once. And she worried she would never be able to with her injuries.
"So! You still had to do most of the work. I was just there as insurance," he replied, hoping to ease her frustration. He knew what a perfectionist she was and having her injuries, along with everything else, slow her down was getting to her.
"That was insane!" Lori exclaimed, genuinely impressed.
"Seriously, sistah! I don't know how it's even possible to do what you just did!" Kono chimed in. "And you guys," she continued, looking at Maddie's male dancers. "Doesn't that hurt? Having her dancing on your backs?"
"It doesn't feel fantastic," Jensen chuckled as the others joined in.
"I'd prefer a massage," Tyler added.
"Sorry, guys," Maddie apologized, genuinely feeling guilty for hurting them.
"Don't even worry about it, Shorty," Justin told her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You're not on each of our backs long enough for it to really matter." She looked at him, uncertainty and guilt in her eyes. "Seriously," he said, "don't even think twice about it. We're fine! I promise." He eyed her until she finally nodded and flashed him a small smile. He leaned forward, planting a brotherly kiss on her head.
"Alright, let's do it again!" Lyle boomed, enthusiastically. As Maddie and her dancers got into their positions, he glanced at his watch, then up at Maddie walking. He knew the injection Doc had given her wasn't going to last much longer. Maybe ten minutes, at the absolute longest.
"Same spot!" Lyle called out as he found the correct location in the song. "And, I'm staying back here this time, so, guys, be sure you are exactly on your marks. You won't have me there to help you." He paused. "And Maddie, I'm not there. Whatever happens, happens." He watched her jaw clench in a mixture of both determination and frustration before she nodded. "Alright. Here we go! And… 5… 6… 5. 6. 7. 8."
They all watched as Maddie successfully got onto Justin's back as the bridge began.
So tell me if you see her
("Let me know what she was wearing and what she was like")
Kono tensed, knowing something was wrong when she heard Lyle's sharp intake of breath. She hissed, feeling her friend's pain as she slipped off Leo and fell to the floor.
"Leo!" Lyle yelled. "You have to be in the right spot!" He looked at Maddie. "You alright?"
She nodded and coughed. "Ye-ah."
Pete's jaw clenched as he studied her carefully. She appeared to be telling the truth and that the fall hadn't hurt her. This time, he thought, hoping there wouldn't be a next time.
"Sorry, Mads," Leo said as he pulled her in for a quick hug.
"It's okay. I'm fine. No harm done!" She smiled and gently tugged on a strand of his wavy dark hair that had fallen into his eyes. When he smiled back, she wrinkled her nose. "Ready to do this again?"
"Definitely!" Leo grinned, grateful he worked for such a down to earth boss.
Maddie looked back to Lyle and nodded as they once again got into position.
This time, Leo was in his correct spot and Maddie made it past him but lost her balance on Jackson's back and fell. However, Leo was able to catch her and keep her from completely hitting the floor.
"Again!" Lyle called out before starting the music.
So tell me if you see her
She jumped, with Justin providing momentum, and spun forward through the air towards Tyler's back. Although Tyler was in the correct position, she fell. They all winced, as the right side of her body slammed into the ground.
"Ow," Maddie mumbled as she laid on the floor. "I'm okay!" she exclaimed, glad Steve wasn't would've stopped rehearsal after the first fall. Who am I kidding? He would have stopped it the second I stood on Justin's back, she thought.
Tyler reached his hands down and pulled her up. She straightened her shirt as she went to her starting position. "Again!" she ordered in as loud a voice as she could muster, which was nothing more than a raspy whisper-like yell.
Lyle nodded and pressed play.
"I know I've never had a knee injury, but I'd imagine dancing on her toes is brutal... but then jumping and landing on their backs while on her toes? She's gotta be in so much pain," Lori commented. She couldn't help but have a lot of respect for her as she continued to get back up.
"I know how badly my knee felt when I wasn't putting any weight on it, so I can only imagine," Kono added. "I know she's in agony." Although she was impressed by her friend, she was also worried. She didn't want her to injure herself further, and she worried if she continued rehearsing like this, she very well might.
Pete met Kono's concerned eyes. "Not a good time for Steve to get a call," he said.
"No," she agreed. "Not at all."
Doc walked in and was surprised to see Maddie still rehearsing. He had been sure Steve would've already ended it. He glanced at his watch. "That injection is going to wear off in less than ten minutes," he reminded Lyle. "Probably sooner."
"I know," Lyle responded, his eyes never leaving Maddie as she landed successfully onto Tyler. "Good job, Mads," he muttered under his breath as she continued through the choreography without falling. Sure, she'd wobbled a couple times, almost imperceptibly, as she'd fought for balance, but she hadn't fallen, and that's all that mattered.
"She's gonna do it!" Lyle exclaimed, smiling proudly as she stepped onto Ryan's back. He held his breath as she soared through the air in the splits. "Oh crap," he muttered when she began closing the distance between her legs just a hair too late. Not only that, but she hadn't jumped off in a straight line causing her to veer slightly to the left while in the air. He winced as she careened into her female dancers, knocking half of them down.
"Strike," Maddie joked as she laid on the floor with her dancers, forcing herself to block out the pain. "Sorry, guys!" she apologized.
"What the hell?" Doc cried, rushing towards her. "You can't be falling with your knee the way it is! And with a concussion!"
"I'm fine, Doc," Maddie assured as he helped her to her feet. Pete's eyes widened and his body tensed as he watched her wobble slightly. He glanced at the door leading outside praying Steve would walk back in. He knew rehearsal needed to be stopped but knew Maddie and Lyle would ignore his attempts.
Each step back to her starting position took Maddie's complete focus as she tried to ignore the dizziness she was experiencing. That, and the horrible pain throughout her body. That last fall had hurt. A lot. However, she told herself it didn't matter as long as her dancers were okay.
Reaching her starting position, she closed her eyes as the dizzy sensation began to ebb. Relieved, she took a deep breath.
"You were close, Mads! The closest you've been!" Lyle encouraged. "You were just a bit late coming out of the splits. A nanosecond earlier and you would've landed it." He smirked. "But, uh, make sure you leap straight. You're not a bowling ball, and they're not your pins." The dancers chuckled at his joke.
He could see Maddie was tired. The energy she'd had left was dwindling, and rapidly. He glanced at his watch and saw they had five more minutes before Steve stopped rehearsal.
While they ran through it again, Doc turned his anger towards Lyle. "What the hell is this, Lyle?" he fumed. "She can't be falling like that."
"I know it's not ideal, but-" Lyle began, but was interrupted.
"Ideal? ...Ideal?!" Doc cried. "Are you kidding me right now?" He took a deep breath hoping it would help him calm down. "If she falls just the littlest bit wrong on her knee, that's it! There's no show! Not only that, but she could cause permanent damage, never dancing at this level!"
"I understand," Lyle said somberly. Before he could continue, he saw Maddie fall out of the corner of his eye. She immediately stood and went back to her starting position all while Doc's anger escalated.
Lyle started the music over before returning his attention to Doc. "The situation sucks, but she hasn't gotten this number. The new choreography for this is difficult."
"So, change it back!" Doc exclaimed. "It's not worth the risk!"
"I tried already. Days ago. Kern said no. That the changes have to stay if she wants her extended vacation," he explained, fighting to keep his own anger and frustration from showing. "I'm not happy about this either, but I'm doing all I can to help her... We all know she needs the time off. She's tired. Plus, you know as well as I do that she's gonna have to have surgery on that knee this time. There's no avoiding it. Not like last time."
Doc shook his head, furious and frustrated at the entire situation. "This is absolutely ridiculous. Kern is being completely unreasonable. I don't know what the hell his problem is!" He winced as he saw Maddie fall again. Lyle said nothing, only started the music once they were all back in position.
"I know," Lyle agreed, feeling helpless.
"And yes, she's gonna have to have surgery, but please don't say anything. I haven't told her yet. I was waiting until this show is behind her," Doc admitted what he'd been keeping to himself.
Over the next minute, Maddie and her dancers ran through the bridge another three times. However, Maddie fell each time, never making it even halfway through. She seemed to be getting up slower and slower each time. And she was falling on simple things in the choreography as opposed to the harder things that had been giving her trouble.
Pete shook his head as she went to get on Justin's back and fell, a move she'd never missed. Seeing Maddie's drooping eyes as she slowly pushed herself up, he looked back at the door. He quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Steve. Get in here NOW! You gotta stop this rhsl. Little did he know, Kono was sending him a similar message.
Lyle and Doc watched Maddie nervously. Lyle knew it was time to stop, that she couldn't handle anymore. He was just about to tell her rehearsal was over when she called out, "Again!" When the music didn't start, she glanced over. "AGAIN!"
Reluctantly, Lyle started the music and Maddie and her dancers rehearsed the sequence for the umpteenth time.
They were all surprised when she made it further down the "line" than she had during the last five run-throughs.
Oh baby baby we'll do whatever you like
As Maddie successfully made it to Elijah's back Steve walked in.
Stopping just inside the doorway, his eyes went to Maddie. His jaw clenched as he saw her on Pointe on a dancer's back. What the hell is this? he fumed.
No sooner had he thought this than she jumped straight in the air hoping to land back on Elijah's flattened back while on Pointe. However, she slipped and fell, her body colliding with the floor.
Steve's eyes widened as both anger and concern coursed through his body. "You've gotta be kidding me!" he fumed. He watched Maddie closely, trying to discern if she was hurt, as he headed towards Lyle.
"AGAIN!" she ground out through clenched teeth as she dragged herself to her feet. She mentally shook her head hoping to shake away the dizziness and exhaustion. To no surprise, it didn't work. However, she just kept moving, focusing everything she had on walking to her starting position without stumbling or wobbling. She felt like she was battling physics and gravity, hoping to come out on top.
"Mads," Lyle began hesitantly.
"Again!" she interrupted, already in position.
Not seeing Steve approaching from behind, Lyle shook his head and glanced at his watch before pressing play. Three minutes, he thought. Steve should be back any second. Until then, Lyle would do what she said. Had Steve not been there to stop her in the next few minutes, Lyle and Pete would have done it, but he knew Steve would get her to stop with a lot less of a battle.
As Maddie made it safely onto Justin's back at the start of the bridge, Steve appeared next to Lyle. "What the hell is going on?" he barked.
Lyle jumped. "Stop her," he said. "She's frustrated and is gonna continue to do this over and over. She's too tired. She'll keep falling."
No sooner had he said that than Maddie jumped off Justin's back and spun in the air but didn't quite make it to Tyler. She went barreling to the floor, landing on her side and slightly hitting her head.
"Son of a bitch," Steve cursed. His brows furrowed when she didn't immediately get up.
Maddie knew she needed to get up, but she wasn't sure she could. Every part of her was killing her. Not to mention her head was suddenly much worse, feeling like it was going to explode. Did I hit it? she wondered as she laid on the floor. She focused on her breathing as her eyes fluttered closed, exhaustion trying to take over. Finally, she forced her eyes open and then got to her knees. However, she immediately regretted it when the room began to spin.
Steve exhaled a sigh of relief when she got to her knees. Not going to her had nearly driven him insane.
When the dizziness didn't fade, Maddie decided she'd just have to push through it.
"You okay, Mads?" Ryan finally asked from his position a couple feet away.
She swallowed, wincing at her sore throat. She opened her eyes only to close them again. "Yeah," she sighed as she began to push herself up. "Again!"
"That's good. We're done," Lyle said as he walked towards the group of dancers.
"But-" Maddie began to argue. However, when she lifted her head to look at him, she saw Steve standing in front of the table, his arms crossed, his body tense, and his jaw set, his face etched in fury. Their eyes met and he shook his head. She knew there was no arguing when he looked like that, not that she'd been planning to. She felt relieved knowing rehearsal was over. Sure, she was still frustrated with herself for not being able to get the bridge, but she was so tired. She wasn't even sure how much longer she'd be able to stand. She looked to Lyle as he reached them. "Okay."
No fight? Steve thought, surprised. "Something's off," he murmured as his eyes narrowed, studying her closely.
Maddie and her sixteen dancers stood in a group as they listened to Lyle. What he was saying, he wasn't sure, and he didn't care. He cared about Maddie. The second he saw her slightly sway he started towards her.
"Leo... position... the barge... bouncier..." What's he saying? she wondered as she squinted at could see his lips moving, but for some reason she was only hearing every few words. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at them before opening them again. She was still dizzy, and it was taking so much to fight it.
"Mads," she heard someone say behind her. She wobbled a bit as she turned her head. Steve, she thought, relieved. He was staring at her with worried eyes. Why's he in slow motion, she wondered, staring at him with a funny look on her face. Everything was spinning behind him, but he was the opposite.
Steve's concern for her was growing by the second. She was looking at him like she had no idea who he was. "You okay?" he whispered.
Maddie only continued to stare at him. Feeling the sensations worsening, she fought to stay upright. Plus, it didn't help she was in her Pointe shoes. She placed her right hand against his chest to keep herself steady as she continued to stare.
"And Maddie," she heard Lyle say. She turned back around, bringing her attention, or at least trying to, back to her creative director. The way the room was spinning was making her feel so sleepy. She yawned and, without warning him, leaned back against the front of Steve.
Steve immediately rested his hands on her forearms at her sides, fighting the urge to slide his hands past her wrists and lace his fingers with hers.
Feeling safe, she relaxed and leaned her head all the way back so the top of it was right under his chin. It was taking everything she had to try and keep her eyes open and listen to Lyle. However, after a minute she just couldn't do it anymore.
"Woah," Steve suddenly said as Maddie's knees began to buckle and her body completely relaxed against his. He immediately lifted her into his arms, his right under her knees and his bandaged left around her back. "I got ya," he whispered as her head fell to his left shoulder.
"I'm surprised she made it over an hour before that happened," Doc said, suddenly appearing beside him.
"Me too," Lyle agreed, shaking his head in both disbelief and admiration as he interrupted his own speech.
"Stubborn," was all Steve said as he glanced at Maddie's colorless sleeping face. In her sleep she nestled her head closer to his. "Shit, she's burning up," he stated, feeling her fevered skin against his.
"Advil's worn off by now," Doc said as they were joined by Pete.
"I'm gotta take care of a few things," Pete said as Steve gently laid Maddie on the pull-out bed. "You got her?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I have some work in my truck. I'll work on it while she sleeps."
"Sounds good," Pete said. "Give me your keys. I'll get what you need."
Steve pulled a ring filled with various keys from his pocket and tossed them to Pete. "It's in the backseat."
"I'll be back in a minute," he answered, jangling the keys in his hand. "If you're still in here, I'll leave it on the table."
Once alone with Maddie, Steve studied her. She was pale, practically colorless, which made the dark shadows under her eyes even more prominent. His eyes scanned down her body, subconsciously making sure she was unharmed from the falls she'd taken. He imagined she'd have quite a few nasty bruises by tomorrow morning, if not sooner.
She is tiny, he observed nervously. The rumors and articles he'd skimmed through had remained on his mind. He was uneasy and, to be honest, scared of the prospect that they could be true. Eating disorder? Wouldn't I know? Wouldn't I have picked up on it? However, he hadn't seen her much over the last 5 years. Had he been so consumed with hunting down the Hess brothers that he'd missed the signs? Had she not just needed him the last four months, but for years and just never said anything? The thought made him feel physically ill. He swore that as soon as the show was over and he had her to himself that he'd make up for the time he hadn't been there. He'd make sure she was okay. That if the rumors were true, he'd help her through it.
I could get my fingers around her wrists, he mused, his eyes settling on her delicate and tiny hands. Even her fingers were petite and thin he observed. His eyes made their way back to her face and was surprised to see her watching him through incredibly tired eyes.
He sat on the side of the bed. Leaving his left foot on the floor he turned his body so he could face her more, bending his right leg and bringing it up on the mattress. "Hey," he greeted softly. "I thought you were asleep."
Maddie yawned, still watching him through heavy eyes. She'd caught bits of his study of her and had wondered what was going through his head. "I was," she replied, yawning again as her eyes closed. "Light sleep."
"Well, go back to sleep," Steve instructed as he tucked a loose strand of her silky auburn hair behind her ear. Her eyes opened at the gesture, however she said nothing, only stared at him before her eyes closed again. She forced them open, however barely. It was obvious she was falling asleep, and he knew that no matter how hard she fought, she was eventually going to lose.
"There's too much to do," she mumbled, moving as if she was going to get up.
Steve placed his left hand on her slightly raised right shoulder and applied gentle pressure. She immediately laid back down and gave up the fight to keep her eyes open. The fact that she didn't resist him even slightly both concerned and relieved him. He knew she was in bad shape if she didn't fight him even a little. "Nope. There's only one thing on your 'To-Do List' right now and that's to sleep, baby," he told her, smoothing some more escaped hair away from her face. She sighed, a small smile appearing on her face at the pet name she loved so much.
Seeing that she seemed to be surrendering to sleep, he scooted down towards the foot of the bed and reached for her left ballet slipper. Carefully he unsnapped the red satin ribbons around her ankle. Just as his fingers made contact with the red satin ribbon at her right ankle, he noticed her bandage was gone. "Tell me you didn't, Mads," he said aloud, more to himself than to her, as he unsnapped the Pointe shoe.
"Hm?" she murmured, half asleep.
Positive her foot was bleeding, he stood and walked to the adjoining bathroom and grabbed a hand towel.
Steve shook his head as he sat back on the bed, silently praying she hadn't worsened the infected wound. "Damn," he cursed, cringing as he eased the slipper from her foot. She whimpered in pain in her half-asleep state. "Sorry, baby," he murmured, tossing the Pointe shoe next to its mate. He spread the small towel on the bed before slowly lowering her injured foot to it.
Ten minutes later Doc sat at the foot of the bed to the right of Maddie's feet while Steve sat to the left watching exactly how he cleaned her foot in case he had to do it when he was alone with her.
"Okay, you're good to go," Doc sighed as he grabbed the dirty towel before setting her now clean, bandaged foot on the soft mattress.
"Thaaaa-nks," she said as she yawned. She was now propped up with pillows as she leaned against the wall holding a bowl of oatmeal.
"I never took you for a moron, but you proved me wrong with this stunt," Doc admonished. "I told you how important it was to keep your foot wrapped up." He knew he'd already given her an earful, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted her to understand how dangerous this could get if she didn't start being careful. "It needs to stay clean and dry."
"I couldn't get my shoe on," Maddie defended.
"You should have said something. I would have bandaged it differently," Doc replied, carefully sliding her big knee brace under her right leg while Steve held it.
"My foot won't be bandaged during the show," she countered as she tried to keep her eyes open.
"No, not like this. But it will be covered," he said while he took her leg from Steve and gently lowered it into the massive brace. Satisfied by the positioning, he fastened all the straps and then flipped the switch on the tank next to her bed. Ice water immediately filled the tubing, sending it into the brace.
"I don't want a big ugly bandage showing in my show. Plus, I won't be able to get my foot in my shoes with a bulky bandage."
"I know exactly how it will be bandaged. No one will see it, and you'll be able to get all your shoes on. But you will have one," he informed her. His tone told her there would be no arguing.
While she scowled at him, he reached his hand to the small end table acting as a nightstand and grabbed the small tray filled with pills and medicine. He handed her the Advil first. "Take these. Let's get this fever back down."
Steve, who had walked out a minute before, returned carrying a glass of milk. "Here, Mads," he said. At her look of displeasure, he added, "You didn't eat all the oatmeal, so you get milk. Gotta have something in your stomach with these meds."
Sighing, she took the glass, threw the pills in her mouth, and swallowed them with the aid of the milk.
Doc's phone buzzed and he quickly glanced at it before returning it to his pocket. He looked to Steve. "You got this?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Text if you need anything," Doc said, looking at both Steve and Maddie before heading to the door.
"Okay," Steve replied, sitting on the side of the bed.
"Mmm hmm," Maddie answered belatedly.
Seeing her eyes closed and her head beginning to droop, as well as the hand holding the nearly full glass of milk, he quickly grabbed it before it could spill. "Mads," he said. "Stay awake for a few more minutes. Gotta take the rest of these." She forced her eyes open, although only slightly, and groaned in displeasure. "I know," he smiled. He handed her the next pill and then the milk, watching to make sure she didn't doze as she swallowed the medication.
"Be right back," Steve said when she had taken everything.
While Maddie got comfortable, as comfortable as she could while wearing the big knee brace, she thought back to her conversation with Carl and everything he'd told her. She then recalled what Steve had said to her during rehearsal. More than anything she wanted to just be able to forget everything and let him in, but she was terrified of getting hurt again. Not just hurt, she thought, but getting my heart stomped on.
She watched him intently as he came back in carrying a blanket, thoughts and fears still swirling around her head.
Steve wondered desperately what was running through her mind as a myriad of emotions flashed through her hooded blue eyes. They were changing so quickly it was hard to keep track or even decipher each emotion. Reaching her, he stood next to the bed as they stared into each other's eyes, almost as if they were in a trance.
When Maddie shivered it effectively brought him back to the moment. Clearing his throat, he laid the blanket over her. "Better?" he smiled.
"Mmm hmm," she murmured. She felt awkward and unsure, almost like a teenager talking to her crush. It's just Steve, you dork, she tried to tell herself, hoping to relax. However, it didn't help.
"Try and get some rest, Mads," he gently instructed.
"Okay." She sniffled then cleared her throat instead of coughing.
"You gonna be okay in here by yourself?" he asked, remembering how she always had nightmares without him. Through sleepy eyes she looked at him with confusion. "Nightmares," he clarified. "Want me to stay?"
Yes, she thought. However, she knew if she cuddled with him while she slept that she'd get her hopes up only to possibly be let down again. She just couldn't risk it. "No, I'll be fine," she finally told him.
Maddie was surprised by the quick flash of disappointment she saw and was reminded of Carl's words.
"I'll be in the other room if you need me," Steve said. "Get some sleep."
As she watched his retreating figure, their conversation ran through her head. I know I screwed up. I'm sorry, Mads. She remembered him ask her to stop pushing him away and to give him a chance. More than anything she'd wanted to tell him how scared she was, but she hadn't had the guts. Instead, she'd done exactly what he'd asked her not to, she'd pushed him away. Then she remembered her promise to Carl. No time like the present, she thought nervously. "Steve?" she whispered just as he reached the door.
He turned back around to face her. "Yeah?"
With her heart racing, Maddie took a deep breath, terrified she was making a mistake. "I'm scared," she finally admitted.
His brow furrowed for a split second, shocked by the sudden confession. "Everything's gonna be fine. We'll figure it out," he said, purposely keeping it simple. He didn't want to get too deep into the conversation he knew they needed to have when she desperately needed to sleep.
Worried he thought she was talking about her stalker, she said, "I don't mean-"
"I know what you're talking about," he interrupted. He walked back to her and sat at the edge of the bed. He could hear the drumming of his heart in his ears although he let none of his nervousness show. "And everything's gonna be okay. We will figure it out... But not now. We'll figure it out at home. At the moment, I just want you to sleep. That's all you need to worry about."
Feeling like a teenager again, both nervous and awkward, Maddie gave him a shy, unsure smile. "Okay."
He gave her his sexy, one-sided smile before leaning down, a hand on each side of her effectively caging her in, and kissed her forehead. Then her nose. And, after holding back all day, he pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss started off tentative until he felt her relax. When she finally did, it was all the encouragement he needed, and he fought to keep from losing control as the need he felt for her rose. Need so powerful that it scared the hell out of him. He couldn't remember feeling anything remotely like it when simply kissing a woman.
Not wanting to take things too far, Steve pulled away. He made it only an inch when the need to feel her mouth on his became so strong that he gave in and kissed her again. And again. He could feel his entire body reacting to the simple, sweet kisses.
By the third kiss, Maddie was so lost in the feel of his mouth against hers, that her hands involuntarily came up to his chest. At first, her touch was a bit timid as her palms lay against his chest. However, before she knew it, her long, delicate fingers curled and lightly grabbed his shirt. Her body suddenly had a mind of its own and took control, ignoring the screaming doubts and fears in her head. Desire and need rose within her, making her feel an incredible desperation to have him closer, to feel him completely against her. With his shirt fisted in her hands, she began to tug lightly.
God, Steve wanted her. And, if her actions were anything to go by, she wanted him just as badly. However, he knew they needed to stop. Maddie needs sleep, he tried to tell himself as he kissed her again. Plus, he didn't want to take things further until they had talked everything through.
His pants tightened uncomfortably as she began slowly tugging him closer. He knew if they didn't stop now, he wouldn't be able to. He wouldn't have the self-control. He was already completely on edge from keeping the kisses at their current level and not bringing his tongue into the mix. Plus, to keep his hands from exploring, he'd grabbed a handful of bedding on each side of her and was holding on to it as if his life depended on it.
Groaning, Steve reluctantly pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers and looked into her gorgeous, blue eyes. The desire and need he saw in them nearly caused his self-control to snap. "I need to leave," he whispered, fighting the urge to kiss her again.
Maddie's stomach dropped, assuming he was letting her down again. Her eyes immediately looked away from his.
"Wait," he told her before she turned her head and broke their forehead to forehead contact. He knew she had the wrong idea and wanted to clear it up immediately. "Look at me," he whispered. Although it was hard, she forced herself to meet his eyes again. "I need to leave or else you won't be getting any sleep." He raised his eyebrows suggestively to drive the meaning behind his words home. He couldn't help but smirk at the way she blushed. "You need sleep. More importantly, we need to talk first. This is a perfect example of why. You immediately thought the complete opposite of what I meant." He paused again as he sighed. "We'll figure this out, okay? I promise. Everything's gonna be fine, so please don't worry." With his forehead still against hers, he lightly kissed her nose. "Right now, worry about sleeping and resting. You have a show to pull off tonight and right now, you're falling apart, baby."
"Mmmkay," she murmured, inwardly reveling at the pet name. Other guys had tried to call her that and she'd hated it. But when Steve called her "baby", she loved it.
He lifted his head slowly. However, before he could get too far, he leaned down and kissed her mouth once more. He made sure not to linger or else he knew that would be it. He just couldn't seem to get enough of her. I've only kissed her, he thought. I can't even imagine what it'll be like when I actually have her. He felt his body react at the thought. "Sleep well, baby," he told her, pulling away and standing before his body won the battle with his mind and he laid on top of her and picked up where they left off.
Although taking that first step towards him had been hard, she did feel a bit better. She was still terrified and hesitant to completely let him in and trust him, but his response had seemed authentic and honest.
Steve looked down at her and smiled as her eyes fluttered closed, happy to see she wasn't going to fight sleep. He readjusted the blanket, making sure she was completely covered, before turning and exiting the room.
As he closed the door behind him, he felt better than he had in four days. Looks like I can fix things after all, he thought happily.
I hope you guys enjoyed the end! :o)