Trust in You

Chapter 39 - Ethan

Evan McLean keeps talking to me. Saying how sorry he is, he didn't know about Madeline and I. I need over 10 mins to extricate myself from him. But I'm too late. Madeline is nowhere to be seen when I arrive on our floor. Her bag is gone, she already goes home. Fuck!

Here I am in my car with a gigantic bouquet of red roses. I know it's classic, but when I saw it on the way to Madeline's apartment. I remembered my mom taught me I can never go wrong with the red rose. It's classy and beautiful. When we arrive, I jump out of my car before Jack can open the door for me.

I can't wait any longer to fix this problem with her. She was so upset and hurt because I kissed her out of jealousy. But I need to man up. I need to tell her about me so she can understand me. And if she gave me a chance—I freeze. Madeline comes out from her apartment building with a man. They are standing so close and unlike the one when she was with McLean or even Starck, there is no distance between them. She walks too close to this guy. They walk to the Maserati. I can't see the guy's face because his back is facing me. But they are talking and laughing. The guy hugs Madeline, and she hugs him back. I can't breathe. I should have known that I need to hold on her while I can.. and now..

Madeline's eyes lock with mine. She takes a step back from that guy abruptly. The man turns around and looks at me. Andreas Roderick. The billionaire hotelier.

"Ethan Hall." He smiles at me and puts his arm around Madeline's shoulder. Madeline looks at him, her face worry. He squeezes her shoulder, and I have a fantasy of breaking his fingers. But I remember Madeline's tears when she left me in the meeting room. I need to calm down. Whoever is he, as long as Madeline is happy, I need to rein my temper, even though inside I'm bleeding. So I come close to them even though my feet feel heavy.

"Roderick," I say, nodding at him. "I didn't know you knew each other," I say. My voice sounds clipped. I can't help it.

"I have known her since we were 19. And you?" Andrew asks me. His voice sounds relaxed.

"She works for the Hall." I clear my throat and look at Madeline. "Madeline, I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to upset you." And since I bought the flowers for her so I give it to her, anyway. "For you, I'm sorry." I give the flowers and she holds it.

Her eyes on me, like she wants to say something, but nothing comes out. And the silence stretches out, it becomes more and more awkward. Finally, I break the awkwardness. "I'll go now. Good evening, Madeline. I'll see you on Monday." I look at Roderick. "Take care of her, Roderick. She is an exceptional woman." I nod and walk away from them, not waiting for their answer. I have to leave before I do something stupid, like pull Madeline from Roderick.

"Well, I need to go now, Mads," Roderick says. His voice is a bit too loud for normal. Like he wants me to hear it. I stop on my track, but I don't turn around.

I can't hear what Madeline says, bur Roderick replies to her, "take care of yourself, sis! Nice flowers, by the way. Maybe I need to buy one for my date as well." He laughs.

Sis? Date? I spin around. Roderick gets into the Maserati. Madeline says goodbye to him and off he goes.

She studies at the flowers for a while and slowly she glances up at me. Our eyes lock. And I notice the tears well up in her eyes. She swallows hard. I come to her in a long stride and hold her cheeks. "Don't cry, please. Don't cry." I whisper to her like a plea.

She shakes her head violently; the tears fall from her extreme movement. "Why are you here?" She asks me in a whisper. Her eyes are pleading with me. God, she is so beautiful and vulnerable.

"I want to say sorry." my voice is heavy. I wipe her tears. "Don't cry, Sweetness. Please." I whisper. But her tears keep leaking. "Can we go upstairs? People are watching us."