Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) (34 page)

“It’s nothing really, ma’am. After I dropped Jacqueline off, I was so angry. After twelve years of dealing with James’ bullying of other people I had had enough. I went back to confront him, figuring that if I did, maybe other people would as well. I found him with his little crew of followers.” He frowned again. “The girl I had seen him with after Jacqueline, was on the hood of his car and the four of them were taking turns, you know...” Aaron looked at Andrew and Madison who closed their eyes then he glanced at Grandmother Downing who was shaking her head in disgust.

“That’s awful,” Olivia said, wiping under her eyes.

“I yanked James off of her and he pushed me away and said that if I wanted some to get at the back of the line.” He took a deep breath. “I argued with him right there, said he was raping that girl. He told me to take my pansy as...” Aaron paused, not wanting to curse. “He told me to either participate or leave. I tried to grab the girl because she didn’t look like she was there voluntarily, but I wasn’t able to. They ganged up on me and made me leave. I went straight to the sheriff but by the time they got to the lake everyone was gone.”

“My God! That could have been my Jacqueline,” Grandmother Downing said in horror.

“What happened to the girl? Did she press charges?” Madison asked, although she had a feeling the answer was no.

Aaron shook his head. “She said I misunderstood what I saw and that she wasn’t raped. James ended up marrying her a few years later. So I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t what I thought,” Aaron said with a sigh but his suspicion had always been that the marriage was the price James paid for her silence.

“God! Is it wrong to want the world to swallow him and his son up?” Madison said exasperated, setting her head against the back of the sofa. This was all surreal to her.

“Madison, honey, are you really okay?” Olivia asked, touching Madison’s leg softly.

Madison nodded. “I will be. To be honest, I wasn’t that shaken up. It happened so fast. I was just hoping I could fight him off and then, I don’t know... I was more concerned about Andrew.”

Andrew turned to her. “Why would you be concerned about me?”

“I didn’t want him touching me but I would have continued to fight and I might have been able to stop him but...” She looked down and wiped her eyes. “More than anything else I didn’t want you doing something that would send you to prison,” she said, looking at him. “Whatever happened to me, I wouldn’t have wanted that.”

Andrew pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. “If Jayden hadn’t come and calmed me down I probably would have done something stupid. I couldn’t think straight.”

Madison nodded against his chest. “I’m glad you didn’t do anything.”

He held her closely. He hated the idea that she was afraid for him versus being afraid for herself. He heard movement and looked towards his aunt and uncle. Aaron was standing up and reaching his hand down to his aunt to help her up as well.

“We’ll take our leave now,” Aaron said, reaching his hand to tap Madison’s shoulder reassuringly. He then turned to Andrew. “You call if you need us?”

Andrew nodded and then thought of something. “Can you bring the Harley to the house? I was going to drop it off when I went to grab some clothes but now I don’t need to do that,” he said, smiling at his aunt.

Aaron grinned widely. “It would be my pleasure.”

Olivia gave him a hug and whispered in his ear. “You take care of her. She needs you right now.”

“I will.”

She then hugged Madison. “You let him take care of you, okay?”

Madison nodded and wiped her tear soaked face. She watched as Olivia hugged her grandmother and then took Aaron’s hand. Not long after Aaron and Olivia left, Madison helped her grandmother to bed and then found herself snuggled up next to Andrew. She held him close, feeling the gentle beat of his heart and feeling completely at peace. She was never surer of anything as she was in that moment.

“Either you are coming with me to New York or I am staying here. Those are the only two viable solutions because I love you and my life belongs to you, with you, whether you like it or not,” Madison said, indignant. Then, in a much calmer tone, she added, “Andrew, there’s only together, there is no apart.”

Andrew let out a deep breath and ran his hands over her back. “I don’t know if I can leave the state. I will have to talk to Jamal about it next week when I see him.” He kissed the top of her head. “My life belongs to you as well and I want us together. I doubt I could survive apart,” he said sincerely.

She looked up at him, her eyes expressing the amount of love she had for him and seeing that same love reflected back to her. He brought his lips to hers and rolled her on her back, settling in above her.

“I love you so much,” he whispered against her lips, his eyes closed. “I don’t want to ever be without you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, gently twirling the hair at the nape of his neck around her fingers. Their lovemaking that night was gentle and sweet. They had made a commitment to one another, as solid as any other commitment could be. She wasn’t sure whether their life would be in California or in New York, but she was certain that it would be together and that was all that mattered.

It had been nearly a week since the incident with Jimmy. Andrew and Madison had spent that time with one another. Their friends had called to check in with them and invite them out of town, which they were extremely grateful for. They both needed to get away. She glanced at her clock and sighed. Andrew had gone to his aunt’s to shower before meeting with his parole officer today, which made her extremely nervous. If Jamal didn’t allow Andrew to leave... She stopped herself mid-thought and breathed in deeply. She would not think about that just yet. She did wish she had Callie to talk to about things but they had decided that they were not going to discuss the possibilities of New York with anyone until they knew if it was even an option. Madison was hoping that he would be able to come to New York with her. She hated the idea of having to start over at some entry level position. She also reasoned that in New York there had to be more opportunities for Andrew. Opportunities at places that didn't care about the fact that he had been in prison. The more she thought of it, the more excited she became. She already had a place of her own, so that was one thing they didn’t have to worry about. Plus, they could walk around naked or have sex on the kitchen counter, if they desired. Yes, Madison was becoming excited, that is, until she realized that it may not happen.

“Have you called your mother to tell her what happened?” Grans asked, giving her a curious look and bringing Madison out of her thoughts.

Madison shook her head. She hadn’t talked to her mom since their last dreadful call a few weeks ago. In truth, she never shared her life with her. Her mom only seemed interested in knowing what Madison was doing professionally, how she was advancing. She had always told Madison, in no uncertain terms, that she should never give her heart to anyone. For the most part, Madison had always done that. That is, until the day she met Andrew and fell hard. Hell, Madison had practically thrown her heart at Andrew. Madison picked up her phone and walked back to her room.

“So I take it you’re not mad at me anymore?” Jacqueline answered.

“I’m not sure yet,” Madison said with a grin, imagining her mom rolling her eyes.

Jacqueline sighed. “How are you?”

“Umm...” Madison paused.

“Oh hell, Madison, don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to get pregnant?” Jacqueline asked quickly.

“No, God, no. Damn, mom. You must think I’m an idiot or something. Why do you always have to say stuff like that?” Madison stated angrily.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” Jacqueline replied remorsefully.

“No, it’s just...” Madison started but then stumbled on her words.

“My God, Madison, just spit it out already.”

“Fine! I was almost raped by the son of the bastard that almost raped you. You happy, now?”

Silence. An eerie quiet ensued and Madison wasn’t completely sure that her mom was still there. Madison took a deep breath, regretting blurting it out like she did. She probably could have been more tactful but her mother always seemed to push her 'bitch' buttons.

“Mom?” Madison asked timidly.

“Did you say you were almost raped?” Jacqueline finally asked, softly.

“Yes.”

“What happened, Madison?” Jacqueline asked, concerned.

Madison spent the next ten minutes telling her mom about how she had met Andrew, leaving out the part about him being an ex-drug addict who had been in prison before. She told her about the lake and how Andrew had protected her from Jimmy and finally how Jimmy had attacked her. She went on to say how Jimmy was in jail and that his dad hadn’t bailed him out but she didn’t know if she would be required to testify, something Madison was not looking forward to.

“How did...” Jacqueline took a deep breath. “How did you know about James?”

“Grans told me and then Aaron filled in the blanks,” Madison explained.

“Aaron? Oh wow. Now, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.”

“He’s Andrew’s uncle. He’s been such a help to all of us.”

“Is he still married?” Jacqueline asked, interrupting Madison’s reverie.

“Happily!” Madison replied quickly. “He’s happily married, Mom.”

Jacqueline laughed. “Oh Madison, calm down. I was just curious.”

“Mom, how come you never told me about what happened to you?”

“What was I supposed to say, Madison? Should I have told you that when I was 14 I was enchanted with a handsome senior who had a killer smile and a nice ass? Should I have said that I let him feel me up at the lake and then started crying when he tried to take it to the next level?” she asked angrily. “Madison, the reality is I asked for what happened. I shouldn’t have let him touch me. I basically told him it was okay and then put on the brakes. I led him on. He had a right to be angry,” she finished with a huff.

“That’s not true, Mom. Who the hell gave him the right to just leave you there because you didn’t want to put out? No one, that’s who, you had every right to say no.”

Jacqueline started laughing. “Yeah, sure, Madison. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to get a rape conviction. It didn’t matter though. I met your father a few years later and he was...” She was quiet for a while before continuing, “Well, he was a good man but he had his demons too.” She sighed dramatically. “The fairytales don’t exist, Madison. They’re just lies to make women willingly give up whatever they might have for the sake of a man, to become dependent on them.”

“You’re so jaded,” Madison said quietly.

“I suppose I am, Madison, but honestly, you see, don’t you?”

“See what?” Madison asked confused.

“There’s always a catch, some fine print that your love clouded eyes doesn’t allow you to see. Please tell me you are not naïve enough to believe that 'all you need is love'?”

“I should go, Mom. I think I hear Grans calling,” Madison lied.

“Alright, well, are you sure you don’t want to come home early? Like I said, I could hire a nurse.”

“I’m fine, Mom, and no, I don’t want to go back...” Madison hesitated and then added, “...early.”

“Madison?”

“Yeah.”

“Have your summer fling with this man...”

“Andrew, his name is Andrew and it’s...” Madison started to say before her mom continued.

“Fine, Andrew, have your summer fling with him and then come back home. You have an excellent job with lots of potential for advancement. Madison, you have a good life out here. You’ve worked hard for everything you have. Don’t let this man take that from you.”

“Andrew’s not trying to take anything from me,” Madison replied indignantly.

“Maybe not intentionally but...”

“No, Mom, there’s no 'but',” Madison said heatedly and closed her eyes. “Look, I need to go. I just wanted to let you know what happened. I’ll talk to you later,” Madison said quickly before hanging up, frustrated.

Madison had tried desperately to reign in her anger but her mother always seemed to bring out the worst in her. Madison sighed and looked at the time on her phone. In another thirty minutes Andrew would be sitting in Jamal’s office where he would talk to him about the possibility to leave California. Their fate lied in another’s hand. Madison closed her eyes and said a quick prayer that things would work out and that her mom was not right. She had to believe that with love they could find a way.

~*~

Andrew arrived early for his appointment with Jamal. Why, he wasn’t sure, since Jamal never took anyone earlier than when they were scheduled. But Andrew was antsy. He wanted to get this over with so he would know what the next steps were for him and Madison. The idea of New York scared him. Not the people, as he had already lived in Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles, but he was concerned about how he would be perceived, he wouldn’t know anyone but Madison, would he be able to find work out there. He couldn’t and wouldn’t expect Madison to take care of him. That, he was sure of. But the other issue in his mind was that the cities were dangerous and... He paused and laughed at that thought before shaking his head. He couldn’t protect Madison here, how would he manage to do that in New York. He heard footsteps approach and looked up to see Jamal eyeing him with his arms across his chest and the same menacing look he always had.

“Harrison,” Jamal simply stated.

Andrew rose and followed him back. As Andrew sat in his usual spot he noticed Jamal giving him a curious look as he sat down.

“What’s going on, Harrison?” Jamal asked authoritatively.

“I...” Andrew looked down for a moment and then with a deep breath he sat up straight. “I wanted to find out what the procedure was if, say, I wanted to move out of state,” Andrew asked firmly.

Jamal leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to the side, giving him a questioning look before smirking slightly. “You want to move out of state?”

Andrew nodded. “If possible.”

“Where, pray tell, would you like to move?” Jamal asked, trying to contain the smile that was threatening to spread.

“New York,” Andrew said softly.

Jamal laughed. “New York? Why in the world would you want to move there?”

“Madison’s from New York. She has a really good job and a nice place. She’s here taking care of her grandmother but she will need to go back in a few months. She’s willing to stay but...” Andrew took another deep breath. “I can’t let her give up everything for me. That’s not... right.”

He looked over at Jamal who was currently rubbing his hand over his bald head. He had a contemplative look on his face, which was something Andrew generally didn’t see. Jamal was at a loss right now. He would prefer for Andrew to stay in California as he couldn’t imagine that going to New York would benefit him in the long run. Jamal couldn’t shake the worry that once Madison got back into the swing of her old life that she would have no place for Andrew. He could feel Andrew’s eyes on him and finally let out an exacerbated sigh.

“Well, it is possible. I would certainly approve a transfer, but New York would have to accept the request.” Jamal hesitated and then leaned forward with his hands on the desk, his thumb gently tapping the other. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? New York is...” He closed his eyes and scrunched his eyebrows together before sitting back up and staring at Andrew intently. “New York is one of those places you can really get lost in. There are drugs easily available and, well, you know the kinds of things that happen in big cities. It could be... difficult for someone like you, with your... history.” He eyed Andrew, hoping he understood how precarious this decision could be for him.

“I know it won’t be easy, but I should at least try, right? I mean, don’t you think it’s worth a shot?” Andrew asked, hopeful.

Jamal once again began rubbing his dome. He knew that Andrew was hard, that he had lived through a lot, but there was softness within him as well. There was something about him that drew people to him and made them care about what happened to him. Jamal let out a loud chortle and shook his head.

“Ah, Harrison, I don’t know shit about that kind of stuff. I’m not a shrink.” Again, he eyed him seriously. “Is it worth it? Hell, I don’t know. My job is to encourage rehabilitation and your reinstatement in society. Relationships, shit, that’s someone else’s department.”

Andrew looked down again and frowned. “She’s already been hurt because of me.” He let out a soft breath. “If she wasn’t with me, Jimmy would never have attacked her.” Andrew looked up with steely determination on his face. “I have nothing to offer her, the least I can do is not have her sacrifice everything for me. I owe her that."

Jamal didn’t say anything. He ran his hand over his bald head yet again and finally nodded. “Alright, well, I can start the paperwork for you. I can’t make any guarantees because it’s up to New York. I will need to know specifically where Madison lives so I can contact the right division.” He paused and tapped his fingers on the desk as he considered things. He finally quirked his eyebrow up and watched Andrew as he spoke. “I am only going to request a six month transfer and if after six months’ things are going well with you then I will release you completely. But, if for some reason, things are not okay then you will need to come back.”

Andrew frowned. He didn’t want to be tied unnecessarily to California. Besides, what did he mean if things are not going well? What did he expect was going to happen? Did he think he was going to mess up or something? Andrew started to protest but Jamal raised his gigantic hand to stop him from saying anything.

“It’s the only way I will sign off on this.” He paused and decided to try another tactic with him. “I have a greater chance of getting New York to accept a six-month temporary transfer than a permanent one and, after the six months, if there have been no problems I am confident they will accept the remainder of your parole.”

Andrew nodded with a sigh. “Alright, thank you.” Andrew watched Jamal who was in turn watching him with that same contemplative look he had on his face earlier. “What?” Andrew finally asked.

“I wanted to tell you that I was really proud of you for not going after that Bowers character. When I read what happened...” He shook his head. “I worried about what you would do to him. I’m glad you showed restraint, Andrew,” he said affectionately.

It was the first time Jamal had ever called him Andrew and he couldn’t help but smile. It was as if he was a friend or something. Not that Andrew would say anything about it, but it did feel good to feel as if they were equal in some way.