Page 45 of Waiting to Lose
“I felt it, too. I still do.”
He reached out and took her hand in his. “There it is. Each and every time.”
Madi smiled and he felt whole.
“I love knowing you’re backstage when I’m singing. I love knowing you’re watching me. It thrills me. You inspire me.”
“I do?” she asked. “I love watching you sing. I see the way people look at you, and when I hear them shout your name, I feel like I could burst. I’m so proud of you and everything you are.”
Jake lifted her hand to his lips as their food arrived at the table. “I pre-ordered. Same food as the last time.”
“But no Ang.”
Jake huffed. “Yeah, no babysitter. The next day she questioned me relentlessly about what I thought about you.”
“She did? Maybe it’s because she saw the way I looked at you.”
“Maybe it’s because she saw the way you looked when I caught you smelling my hair.”
Madi almost spit out her food as she laughed. Jake patted her back as his eyes twinkled with amusement.
The rest of the evening was spent reminiscing about the past and planning for the future. They talked about Thanksgiving and made plans to spend the Wednesday before together. The next day, Jake would be introduced to the entire Ryan family.
Madi rested her head on his shoulder as they made the drive back to his place. He lovingly kissed her head as he held her hand in his. He pushed a button on the ceiling and “Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down filled the space between them.
“This song always makes me think of you,” he said thoughtfully. She glanced up into his face before hugging him more closely to her. He could hear her sigh into his chest several times throughout the song. He took in every smell and every touch, hoping it would be enough to get him through the next few weeks without her.
After they arrived home, Jake was quick to ask what movie she wanted to watch. “We could reenact the night we watched the Star Wars marathon, but maybe we could watch it on fast forward this time,” Jake laughed.
Madi glanced at the clock. “How about we watch a commercial and you dance with me?”
After they impatiently laughed through a commercial about car care, Jake quickly turned off the television. “Date two? Check.” He pressed a button on his phone and another on a system nearby, and Edwina Hayes’ voice filled the room.
Madi giggled as Jake approached her and pulled her body flush against his. They danced in the dark to “Feels Like Home,” and Madi pressed her head to his chest.
As the song ended, Madi lifted her head to see him gazing into her eyes. “Let me make love to you.”
He heard the small gasp escape her lips before she nodded. It was all she could do and he completely understood. There was something about her that made him feel like he’d finally found the place where he belonged.
***
