The Fallen King | ✓

Chapter 26

~Chapter 26~

Maddie was awake.

That still didn't feel real but it was. She had pulled through. She had done it. She was awake.

Utter joy couldn't even begin to describe my feelings as I had rushed to the hospital that day, tears of relief in my eyes. All the negative thoughts had left my mind at the news, leaving room for happiness only.

When I had gone to see her, Maddie was weak as was to be expected but she was fine; she was joking with me; she was talking and most importantly she was still breathing.

I had let myself break down when I saw her, giving her the best hug I could despite her being bedridden and just cried as I'd held her for a good hour.

She was released two days later, doctors trying to get people to be home for the holidays seeing as it was now only a few sleeps until Christmas.

Maddie's therapy had continued as soon as she left the hospital, now a mandatory part of her week and it didn't seem like she minded that fact much, yet I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. The light that used to shine in her brown eyes had dimmed and her usually bright personality had dulled.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't stay with her for the holidays. I had promised my family I would come home — because Zack had asked me to all those months ago — and once you agreed to something with my mother there was no escaping it. So, the best I could do was to delay my trip home by a few days much to mother's annoyance.

Luckily, Maddie's family was more than happy to spend as much time with her as possible after the incident, though I didn't think she was very pleased with that. Her relationship with her family could be slightly tense at times and, especially now, that was probably hard for her to deal with.

I had offered for her to come to London with me but she declined, deciding it was best to stay with her family, even if it was more for their benefit than hers.

So, to say bye, we were having brunch at our favourite cafe in Brooklyn.

Our food had just arrived and Maddison and I were talking about trivial things, mainly I was just catching her up on all that she had missed over the past few weeks — thankfully, it wasn't any longer than that. However, I couldn't help but notice how off she was acting.

I'd tried to ignore it, pinning it as simply being the aftermath of her alcohol-induced coma but I just knew it was something more and the slight sigh of distaste that escaped her lips as she put her glass of orange juice down was the final straw. Maddie loved orange juice. It was a small thing yet so out of place and alien to see her so distant and quiet, especially while eating brunch, her favourite.

Normally, I was a very blunt person and right now I wished I wasn't. I didn't want to suddenly bombard her with accusations and questions but I was worried and very unsure about how to broach the subject. I had been deliberating it in my mind all morning and after much inner debate decided it was best to just come out and say it but in a more gentle and soft tone than I tended to use.

"Maddie," I said so tenderly that I wasn't sure it was even me who was speaking as she wordlessly picked at her food, a stark contrast from her usually bubbly self who would never shut up no matter what you did. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes flashed to mine before returning to her food and she shrugged. "What'd you mean?"

I gave her a soft smile even though she wasn't looking at me. "You're acting a bit off. What's wrong?"

She sighed, readjusting her black-rimmed glasses, finally looking up from her plate long enough to actually take in the worry on my face. "It's nothing, Harps. Don't worry about it," she said nonchalantly.