Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game(55)
Maddie gave me a tight smile. “For him to be so awful to me?”
“Yeah.” I gripped the bag of peas tight. “Even if he is your brother, I could’ve punched his lights out even more for the things he said to you.”
“My Knight in Shining Armor,” Maddie murmured.
“I guess.”
She shook her head sadly. “I hate you had to see him like that. He used to be such a good guy.”
“Yeah, that happens when you get hooked on drugs,” I said lamely.
Maddie didn’t say anything. I had wanted to wait for a better time to give her the money, but now seemed like the best opportunity. I reached into my wallet and pulled out the check my dad had slipped me at dinner. Once I’d seen the amount, I knew why he’d given it to me then—I couldn’t protest loudly in front of the others at the amount. I did a good enough job silently when my eyes bulged from their sockets.
“Maddie, I want you to have something.”
“What?” she asked.
“It’s some money from my dad—you know for your parents.”
I handed her the money. Her eyes widened. “But Noah, this is too much!”
“I know. But he wanted you guys to have it—we wanted you to.”
She shook her head wildly. “But it’s too much. We could never accept it.”
“Why not?”
“We just couldn’t!” she protested.
“But your family needs it.”
“I know….”
“Then take it. My dad was happy to do it, and I-I wanted to do something for you guys.”
She stared into my eyes. Then she leaned over and gently pecked my lips.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What was that for?”
She blushed. “A kiss to make the bruise go away.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
Just as we stared each other in the eyes, contemplating taking things further, her parents came in the back door and found us on the floor. Thankfully, they made it in just after our kiss. I would’ve hated to miss even that brief instant of Maddie’s warm lips on mine, the heat radiating off of her body, and the smell of her perfume invading my senses.
At the sight of the mess in the kitchen from mine and Will’s altercation, Pastor Dan and Mrs. Parker both shot us questioning looks. Maddie merely held up hand and said, “Will.” We both then alternated from explaining what had happened to her parents. They were both very understanding and very appreciative that I was there. Of course, I was quick to remind them how level-headed, strong, and tough Maddie had been. Her face had flushed a deep maroon, but she had still given me an appreciative smile.
After I said goodbye to the Parkers, I got in my Jeep and headed home. It had been a rollercoaster day—meeting my dad, Will showing up, and Maddie pulling out a gun. I didn’t know how I was going to explain my lip to my mom. For some reason, I didn’t think it was right to tell her about Will. In the end, she was too interested in hearing about my day than to even ask.
***
Chapter Seventeen
Mom’s wedding day dawned sunny and clear. I was eternally grateful since she was barely clinging to the last shreds of her sanity. With all the crazy chaos of planning a wedding coupled with pregnancy hormones, she had turned into a weepy Bridezilla. Greg and I both did our best to step lightly around her—afraid that anything we said or do might set her off into Defcon mode or something.
The wedding was set for two o’clock at The First Baptist church. Then Mom and Greg were going to take a short four day Honeymoon to Bermuda. It was all the time they could spare, especially with the baby arriving in a few months.
I rolled over and squinted at the clock. It was after ten. “Shit,” I muttered, as I hopped up out of bed.
It had been a late night with the rehearsal and then the dinner. We hadn’t stumbled in the house until after midnight. Plus, I was partially hung-over after sneaking most of the leftover wine at the table.
Mom and several of her friends and sister-in-laws bustled around downstairs. It reminded me of that scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Yeah, it wasn’t my usual viewing choice, but Mom had forced me to watch.
“Noah!” she called over the chatter. “We’re just about to leave for the salon. You need to be at the church by noon for pictures, okay?”
“All right.”
“Greg’s got your tux at the church.”
“Okay, Mom.”
The group made a noisy exit.
“Geez.”
I fixed myself some cereal and sat alone at the kitchen table like a prisoner on Death Row eating his last meal. After two o’clock, everything was going to change. There would be no more “Mom and Me”. Part of her would belong to Greg, and in four months, a part of her would belong to my new sister, which in the long run wasn’t all that bad. I mean, I’d have more of a family now, especially since Joe and I were mending fences with our father/son relationship. Losing Jake and spending time with Maddie had started opening up doors I hadn’t quite imagined.
Although part of me was still bitter, I was getting along really well with Greg. He wasn’t entirely the douchebag I thought he was. Most of the time, it was funny as hell watching him try to decide whether to treat me like a son or a buddy. I think he was even more nervous about me than I was about him. Of course, we wouldn’t have too long together. I’d be leaving for college in August, and Mom and Greg would be moving to a new house. They said they wanted a fresh start. I guess I could see their point. But in a lot of ways, it was going to make me feel even more like a stranger when I came home on weekends to an unfamiliar house.