Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) (23 page)

Andrew and Madison exited the elevator holding hands. After their lovemaking they had both fallen asleep against each other. When they had awoken, they had showered and made love once again. Madison was definitely planning on taking advantage of the privacy they had this weekend. They stepped into the huge lobby and found Callie and Jayden huddled together on a large couch. Andrew cleared his throat as they approached.

“Get a room, you two.” Andrew chuckled.

Jayden casually moved his hand through his hair, scratching his scalp with his middle finger, causing the four of them to break out into laughter. Andrew sat in one of the high back chairs and shook his head at Madison when she started to sit in the other one. She arched her brow and he reached his hand out for her. He pulled her to him and his lap, spreading his legs slightly so that she could set her feet down between them. His arm immediately went around her waist in a possessive manner. Madison looked at him questioningly, but before she could query Andrew’s actions, Callie’s perky voice began speaking.

“The Village is not far and they have a few places where we could eat but I really like Sammy’s.”

Andrew moved his hand under the back of Madison’s shirt slightly, glancing around the room. He wasn’t sure what was in The Village but he was hoping it would be a little more casual. He had borrowed a button down shirt from Aaron for the concert but the rest of his attire was his typical jeans and t-shirts. Madison had selected a flared blue skirt that touched just above her knees and a white tank top over a dark blue one which looked magnificent against her pale skin and dark hair. She was beautiful, unfortunately because of that she drew attention, attention he didn’t like. He felt as if the people around them were undressing her with their eyes. His body tensed at the very thought of it. Madison ran her fingers along his jaw which was already taut.

“Helios, baby, what’s wrong?” Madison whispered, trying to snap him out of the mood he was in.

“Nothing. Yeah, The Village is okay,” he said with little enthusiasm.

“Do you want to stay here, Andrew?” Jayden asked, concerned by the expression on Andrew’s face.

Andrew closed his eyes, trying to get a hold of this immense jealousy he was suddenly feeling. Back home he felt like he wasn’t that much different than most people but here in the mountains at this fancy resort with people dressed nicely, he worried. Worried about everything from people telling him he didn’t belong there, to Madison realizing he had nothing to offer her, to being a burden on his friends because he didn’t know how he was supposed to act or dress.

“We can just order room service.” Andrew heard Callie say and suddenly he realized that he must have zoned out.

“No, I’m sorry, it’s cool,” Andrew said, and to prove that he was indeed alright, he stood, bringing Madison with him. “So, which way to this Village?”

Callie smiled and nodded as she and Jayden rose. The four of them started walking down the hill towards the outdoor shopping mall called The Village. Madison saw Andrew reach into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. She noticed that he was smoking a lot more than he normally did but she didn’t want to say anything about it and make him self-conscious or imply that she didn’t want him to smoke. She instead slipped her hand into his back pocket so he could light up his cigarette. He smiled down at her after he exhaled a puff of smoke and slung his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to his side. Andrew generally didn’t smoke around Madison but his nerves were shot and he was having a hard time controlling the Neanderthal side of his brain that was telling him to grab Madison by the hair and drag her back to the room and have sex with her over and over again. He shook his head a minuscule amount, trying to get that image out of his head. 
Get it together, Harrison!

“I love you,” Madison said, squeezing his rear.

He smirked. “Me or my ass?” he asked with an arch of his brows.

Madison made a show of stepping back to inspect his fine backside, finally slapping it. “Definitely, your ass!”

Andrew put his cigarette between his lips and lifted her up, causing her to scream and giggle at the same time. He then used one hand to tickle her sides while holding her squirming body tightly against him with his other arm.

“What was that?” he mumbled, causing the cigarette in his mouth to bob up and down.

“You, I love you. Your ass is horrible,” Madison screamed with tears in her eyes as she continued to squirm, trying to get away.

He arched his brows again, giving her just a small smirk as he continued to assault her sides.

“I mean, you AND your ass, your ass is exceptional,” Madison sputtered. “No one has a better ass than you, baby.”

He set her down and she slapped his chest as he brought his fingers to his cigarette to take a long drag. When she went to slap his chest again he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly. Callie and Jayden had both been laughing at their two friends but secretly they were happy for the levity that was now in the air. Andrew was laughing and Jayden made a mental note to ask him what was going on with him when he got the chance.

“Oh wow!”

Madison immediately loved the quaint little shopping center with restaurants and charming little stores. Unfortunately they couldn’t get a table at Sammy’s Restaurant right away so, much to Andrew’s dismay, Madison drug him through several of the stores. Eventually she went off with Callie while he hung back with Jayden, waiting for the time when they could go eat.

“You know I meant what I said. My parents paid for this entire trip. You don’t need to worry about paying for anything,” Jayden said, trying to reassure Andrew.

Andrew inhaled and exhaled his cigarette a few times before he looked over at him. “I have money but...” He paused. “I really don’t belong here.”

Andrew turned back towards the store, lighting another cigarette.

“That’s not true, Andrew. You belong anywhere you choose to be.”

Andrew ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “I wish I lived in your world, Jay. I really do.”

Jayden started to reply but the girls walked out of the store, each carrying a bag. Andrew dropped his recently lit cigarette and stepped on it as Madison approached. She immediately found her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as he leaned down to kiss her soft lips.

“So did you find what you wanted?” Andrew asked against her lips.

“Uh huh.” Madison squeezed him tightly. “Right here.”

Andrew smiled and kissed her again.

“It’s about time to go eat. We should head back over there,” Jayden said, putting his arm around Callie.

Sammy’s restaurant overlooked the lake and, thankfully for Andrew, it was what he presumed was reasonably priced, although he couldn’t fathom paying $12 for a hamburger. He had been hesitant when looking at the menu but then remembered what Aaron had said to him before he left the house that morning. Aaron had handed him a handful of cash and then gone over the do’s and don’ts of being in a hotel, tipping, what to expect at a concert and had reassured him as a father might reassure a nervous son before his first big date. Andrew kissed Madison’s temple and whispered for her to order whatever she wanted. Madison nodded as she ran her hand along his thigh.

They had a wonderful meal of prime rib and grilled shrimp. But what was even better was the conversation. They had laughed and joked with one another and after a while Andrew forgot that he was staying in a fancy resort in a picturesque mountainside town, eating an expensive steak in a village of quaint stores. He was just like everyone else, if only for a moment. After dinner they walked back up the hill to the resort.

“You want to walk around the resort?” Andrew asked Madison as they got to the lobby.

Madison nodded, liking the idea of a night stroll with him. Andrew glanced over to Callie and Jayden who were already making their way to the elevators.

“Hey, Jay, we’re going to walk around. We’ll catch you guys in the morning.”

Jayden and Callie both turned and smiled before nodding. Madison and Andrew watched them walk towards the elevators and saw Callie hold on to Jayden tightly. Andrew then walked Madison outside through the side door that led to the pool. It was late so all the lights were on, reflecting off the water in the pool. As they strolled passed the cabana, they came along a circular veranda just off the side. Madison immediately made her way to the railing and looked over. With the new moon in the sky you could distinctly see the water glistening below them.

“Helios, come look at this.”

Andrew came up behind her, molding his body to hers. Suddenly the water and the moon and the trees didn’t seem so interesting to Madison. He bent down slightly, running his hand up her thigh and under her skirt. With quick precision, Madison found her panties in Andrew's pocket. The cool breeze moved up her leg, making her skirt flutter slightly.

“I love you, Madison,” Andrew whispered as he kissed down her neck while simultaneously slipping his hand back under her skirt.

“Andrew, I love you, too.”

He turned her around, slow and stealth like. Madison went willingly, her heart and body his forever. Andrew brought his hand to her face. He swiped his tongue along his lips as Madison’s head fell back and her eyes fluttered closed. She was already moaning through her parted lips. Andrew pushed her back against the railing as he moved his hand away from her face and to his pants. He then rested his hands on the railing as he kissed her heatedly. They were both enthralled with one another, their sounds of passion echoing in the night.

“Madison, I... Oh God! I need you... so much,” he panted through raspy breaths.

Madison brought her head up and could see the pain and anguish on his face. His eyes were closed and his brows were furrowed. He looked like he was both angry and sad, like his brain couldn’t decide which emotion should be present at the given moment and she wondered if he had ever really needed anyone before, if he had ever allowed himself to truly depend on someone else. She brought both her hands to his cheeks.

“I need you, too, Andrew,” she said reassuringly.

He let out a loud breathy gasp as he placed his forehead against hers. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes but he wouldn’t allow himself to cry. Madison wasn’t sure what kind of inner struggle he was having but she needed him to know that he was it for her. At that moment, she knew, without a doubt, that she wouldn’t leave him. She wasn’t sure what that meant for her job but she knew that she couldn’t have him trust her with his heart and then vanquish it as others had. She would rather die herself that to see him hurt like that.

“Always, Andrew, I’ll need you always. We’ll always be together,” she promised.

His lips found hers and she could feel tears falling onto her face. Andrew had felt so many unexpected emotions throughout the day, maybe it was the realization that he could go back to prison and would never see her again, maybe it was insecurity at not feeling worthy of her, or maybe it was simply desire beyond any normal scale. All he knew was that he hadn’t been able to resist her. The way her hair was blowing behind her, the way her dress was moving gently in the breeze, teasing him with her sexy thighs. He had to have her, to please her like no one else ever could. They continued to move against each other until Andrew finally pulled away. He kneeled down, pulling out her panties and catching the evidence of their lovemaking. Madison shivered and reached her hands back to hold onto the railing to steady herself.

“Do I need to carry you, baby?” Andrew asked with a smug smirk on his face.

“Just give me a minute, I was just fucked by a sex God and need to get my bearings again,” Madison said with her eyes closed and her lips curled into a knowing smile.

Andrew laughed. “Well, by all means, rest. I just thought maybe we could take a bath in that fancy tub in our room but...” He ran his fingers along the neckline of her tank top. “If you would rather stay out here, that’s alright too.”

Madison opened her eyes and raised her brows. “I could use a dip in the tub.”

He smiled that crooked grin that made Madison immediately want him again. How he did that, she had no idea. She shook her head and beamed as she stood up and took his hand in hers.

“I don’t think I will be able to walk by the end of this weekend,” she said casually.

“Well that is my plan,” he replied confidently, hearing Madison gasp beside him.

Andrew stood on the balcony smoking a cigarette in his board shorts and nothing else. Madison watched in rapt fascination how his right shoulder flexed when he brought the cigarette to his mouth. They had already eaten breakfast and were getting ready to meet Callie and Jayden on the private beach attached to the resort. They didn’t have to be at the show until later that evening so the girls decided that an afternoon sunbathing was in order while Andrew and Jayden had decided that racing speedboats was a better way to spend the day. Madison turned around to gather her things and pick up the sarong lying on the arm of the couch. Andrew slid the balcony door open and slinked inside, startling Madison who was just wrapping her sarong around her waist.

“Jesus, Andrew,” Madison screamed as he grabbed her from behind.

“Hmm, Jesus, God, same thing, right?” he said, nibbling down her long neck as his hands sought out her breasts.

“Huh?” Madison stuttered, lost in the sensations.

“You seem to scream that out a lot, is that my new nickname?” he asked, sucking her flesh into his mouth with no intention of releasing it until he knew that she was marked.

Madison’s hand moved up the back of his neck and tugged on his hair as she moaned incoherently.

“Oh, God!” she whispered and then giggled when she realized what she had done.

She could feel Andrew’s smile against her flesh. Andrew removed his mouth from her neck, laying a soft kiss over the purple mark on her pale skin. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to go out. Madison looked sinful in her pink bikini and he was certain that he might actually need to piss around her lounge chair to ward off any fool who was stupid enough to approach her. Besides, Andrew liked the solitude of the magnificent suite they were staying in. It was as if they were in their own little apartment, away from everyone. They had already had sex twice that morning and, looking the way Madison did at the moment, he wanted to again.

“Do you know how to drive a speedboat, Helios?” Madison asked, bringing Andrew out of his thoughts.

“It can’t be that much harder than any other racing vehicle.” Andrew spun her around and grinned at her flushed face.

He leaned down and kissed her plump, ready lips as his hand moved into her bathing suit bottoms. Madison, who had become accustomed to moaning at will, let out several panted sounds as he continued touching her. His phone started ringing and shortly thereafter Madison’s cell phone started buzzing. Andrew hesitantly pulled away from her and reached for the phone only to hear Jayden’s laughter on the other end.

“Hurry up, man. Fuck or get off the pot, we’re wasting daylight, Bro.”

Andrew shook his head and chuckled.

“Well, I think I might need the first option so we will be out shortly,” Andrew said looking at Madison who was giggling as she set her cell phone down.

“Well, make it a quickie,” Jayden replied, laughing as he hung up.

Andrew sat down on the sofa and motioned for Madison, who sauntered over to him with a little extra sway in her hips. Andrew licked his lips and smiled as she approached him.

~*~

For the past few hours, Andrew and Jayden raced up and down the lake. The first 30 minutes consisted of Jayden giving Andrew the basic run down on how to operate a speed boat. Andrew was a quick learner and after losing the first three races to Jayden he got the hang of it and had won the last three matches between them. Their boats were now sitting idle, side by side as they enjoyed a cold beer and relaxed in the sun.

“You think I’ve had a sheltered life, don’t you?” Jayden asked casually, taking a long gulp of his beer.

Andrew hesitated. He had just been about to take a drink when Jayden asked his question. Andrew took a deep breath before finally bringing his beer bottle to his mouth. He turned to Jayden and nodded, affirming Jayden’s assumption. He suddenly worried though that he might have offended his friend.

“Yeah, but there isn’t anything wrong with that, isn’t that the way life’s supposed to be?” Andrew asked with a shrug.

“But you also think I have some Pollyanna existence don’t you?”

Andrew smiled. “Well, I don’t know who Pollyanna is but you shouldn’t be ashamed that you have parents who love you and have been able to indulge your every wish.” When Jayden looked at him strangely Andrew continued, “Jayden, I have never seen anyone who has jet skis and bikes and boats at their disposal like you do or can go skiing every year at a nice resort or just not have to work.” Andrew shrugged again. “But, like I said, it’s not a bad thing.”

Jayden watched him for a moment and sighed dramatically. “It’s true that my dad’s do indulge me and, in reality, I take advantage of it.” Jayden brought his hand up the back of his neck and rubbed it like he was hurt. “It started when I was younger. They just...” Jayden scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head slightly. “They just desperately want to make up for the other stuff that has happened in our lives. You know what I mean?” Jayden asked, glancing at Andrew.

Andrew shook his head. No one had ever bought him nice things to make up for the bad stuff in his life. Jayden sighed once again.

“For a long time my parents thought I had some kind of death wish,” he said with a nervous chuckle.

“Really?” Now Andrew was truly perplexed. Why would Jayden be suicidal?

“I mean, I wasn’t suicidal or anything,” Jayden said, as if he could sense what Andrew was thinking. “It’s just that for a long time I didn’t talk to anyone or interact with anyone other than Callie and then suddenly I wanted to race dirt bikes and later motorcycles. At that point they didn’t care, they were just happy I was showing an interest in life so they gave me whatever I wanted, hoping I would be, I don’t know, happy?” He shrugged. “Turns out I was more of an adrenaline junkie, but by the time they realized that it was kind of too late,” he said with a slight grin on his face.

Andrew smiled and then opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, a bewildered look on his face.

“Go ahead, Andrew. You can say anything you want. I won’t get upset.”

“I know why I have to live with my aunt and uncle but, I don’t know, you don’t have those restrictions so why live with your parents?”

“Umm, I ...” Jayden once again ran his hand up his neck, his face bore a look of complete concentration and then he blew out a breath. “I get real antsy if I’m too far away from my parents. I feel like I am going to have a panic attack or something. My heart starts racing and I can’t breathe.”

Andrew looked at him strangely. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Jayden let out a nervous laugh seeing the expression on Andrew's face.

“A lot of shit happened when I was a kid and...” Jayden paused trying to decide what he should say, he then sighed again. “When I was twelve, my parents and I had gone to one of those carnivals, you know those cheesy ones in mall parking lots.” Andrew nodded so Jayden continued, “Well, we were walking home because my dad, Liam, is kind of a workout fanatic and he thought it would be good to walk. You know, exercise as a family kind of thing. Anyway, we were stopped by a group of guys who...”

Jayden closed his eyes as images began to flash through his head, images that brought to life his worst nightmares and his greatest fears. It was a time in his life that he never wanted to go through again. He could feel his heart start to race and his breathing pick up. He took a long steady breath, trying to calm himself down.

“Hey, Jay, man, it’s cool. I have my own demons that I live with so I know what that feels like. You don’t need to tell me anything. I understand,” Andrew said reassuringly, seeing the look of horror and panic on Jayden’s face.

Jayden shook his head and continued his story. “My dad, Liam, is a great fighter, does Taekwondo and works out, so he yelled at my other dad to take care of me and tried to take on all these guys but there was just too many of them. They ganged up on him and he was beat up badly in front of us and when my dad, Elias, tried to help him they went after me saying if I was gonna be raised by faggots I should become one too. My dad had to choose between protecting me and protecting the love of his life.” Jayden swallowed hard and opened his eyes which were wet. “He chose me. He kept telling me to shut my eyes and cover my ears but I couldn’t and these men, these…” He squeezed his eyes shut as if he could erase their faces. He took another deep breath before looking at Andrew. “They were yelling horrible things to both of my fathers. But that wasn’t even the worst of it. Do you know what the worst part was?” Jayden asked in a tone that was chillingly calm. Andrew shook his head.

“The worst part was looking up to see the expression on my dad’s face as he watched these ugly and vile men assault my other dad. He stood there helpless, unable to stop it. That look has haunted me. I mean, you know my dad, he’s fierce but that night he looked like...” Jayden exhaled loudly and shook his head. “I don’t know, I can’t describe it but it was like his heart was being ripped out or something. After my father healed, we moved to California. We could have gone to Los Angeles but my parents wanted to live in a smaller town. I just... I know it’s stupid but every time I think 'hey, get the hell out of your parent’s house' I see that night and I can’t leave them,” he says with a shrug. “Real loser, huh?"

Andrew shook his head. “No, not at all.”

Andrew stared at him for a long time, absorbing what Jayden had just told him. He knew what it was like to be hurt by his parents but he had no idea what it would be like to witness loving and caring parents sacrifice themselves for their child. His mind went back to Olivia and how she always reacts to him and the words she said two days ago, 
I care about protecting you more
, he gasped with the realization that she would sacrifice herself for him. He swallowed, trying to hold back his own tears and then suddenly leaned over the railing of the boat and grabbed Jayden’s hand in the boat beside him, forcing Jayden’s fingers over the scar on his chest. Jayden looked up at him confused.

“My mom did that,” Andrew said firmly.

Jayden closed his eyes and nodded. He could tell that the scar was deep but there were also a lot of other smaller scars over it. Jayden couldn’t imagine a mother hurting her child like that. He realized that there was a reason he and Andrew had met one another, why they had connected so quickly, they had both suffered and Jayden firmly believed that they could possibly help each other heal. Jayden had been to a few counselors who had helped him in many ways but he never felt completely comfortable with any of them to really open up about everything. It hadn’t been until he turned to racing that he connected to the world. Jayden felt oddly at peace, a sense of relief filled him when he told Andrew what had happened to him and his parents. He also knew from his own experience just how difficult it was for Andrew to share a piece of himself with someone else.

Andrew let go of Jayden’s hand and leaned back, breathing in deeply. There were people who knew what happened to him but he had never actually said those words to anyone and it surprised him that he just had. His brain was flooded with thoughts and memories of that night. He shook his head and closed his eyes, willing the memories away.  Slowly his mind played over scenes of him and Madison, the lake, riding with her on his Harley, her whispering that she loved him and soon the painful memories were gone. After a few moments, his breathing had regulated and he opened his eyes to see a very concerned Jayden staring back at him. Andrew mustered a weak smile for him and finished off his beer in two long gulps.

“Let's get another race in, okay?” Andrew asked, not wanting to think anymore.

Jayden nodded and then smiled. “Best of seven.”

And just like that they both laughed, the gravity of their lives momentarily lifted as they set off across the lake to get in position, the cold water slapping against them and washing away the horrors of their past lives. In that moment, they were free of their hurt and could be a couple of guys, racing, trying to best one another.

In the meantime, Madison and Callie spent a relaxing two hours tanning while sipping Grey Goose and cranberry juice. They had watched Jayden and Andrew racing several times and thought it funny how competitive they were with one another.

“Madison, what are you planning on doing about New York?” Callie asked out of the blue.

Madison turned to her, a shocked look on her face. “I don’t know, Callie. I can’t leave him. I know that but...” Madison trailed off, looking out onto the lake at how carefree Andrew currently was.

“When do you have to make a decision?”

Madison shook her head and turned away from Andrew to see the troubled look on Callie’s face. “Umm, I still have about six weeks of leave left.”

“Does Andrew know?”

Madison shook her head and looked down at her now entwined hands and then plopped back on the chair covering her eyes with her hands, hoping to stop herself from crying.

“Madison, you need to talk to him about it.”

Madison nodded but couldn’t answer. She knew that she was being selfish and unfair and, if honest, a bit childish. In truth, she wasn’t sure what her options were. She was already a Senior Accountant and was being fast-tracked in her office to become manager of her department. There had been rumors that the reason they had been so generous with her leave was that they were planning on promoting her by the end of the fiscal year. That was what she had been working so hard towards. Madison couldn’t lie, she was ambitious. An unfortunate, or fortunate, depending on how you looked at it, byproduct of her mother always making her feel that she needed to push harder in everything she did. But the reality was if she started somewhere new she would start back as a junior accountant and she had no desire to be the low person in a company again. Her love for Andrew was confusing her, making her question what she really wanted in life. She needed some kind of clarity that she didn’t have at the moment. It was all so utterly confusing.