Page 75 of Jack of Hearts
“Thank you for that,” she’d whispered, grateful that reporters hadn’t shown up at her or her mother’s door.
“Give him a chance to explain, Madison.”
Not knowing if she ever wanted to talk to Alex again, she had said, “I’ll promise to keep the secret of who you guys are if you’ll promise not to tell him I was here.”
The man who looked so much like Alex, except for the long hair pulled back in a ponytail, had pressed his lips together, his eyes glittering with displeasure. She didn’t care, didn’t want to hear Alex try to explain why he’d thought it was okay to use her. There was nothing he could say to justify making her fall in love with him when it had only been a job to him.
“You never said what happened.”
Lauren’s voice brought her back to the present, and she met her friend’s gaze. “Honestly, I don’t really know. He made love to me, and I thought ...” Embarrassment burned her cheeks. “Stupid me, I thought I saw love in his eyes, and the words just blurted out of my mouth ... that I loved him. Guess he didn’t like that. The next morning he said things were moving too fast for him. End of story.”
“Oh, Maddie, I’m so sorry.”
“Speaking of men, when are you going to tell me how you met Court?”
Her friend shook her head. “That story’s buried too deep to dig up.”
“If you ever decide you need to talk about it, you know I’m here for you.”
“I know. What do you say we swear off the creatures?”
Madison laughed. “For how long?” She couldn’t see Lauren lasting more than a week.
“For today.” Lauren’s lips quivered with mirth as she shrugged. “You know me. One day’s about my limit.”
They dissolved into belly-aching laughter, and Madison was able to forget about a black-eyed bad boy for a few minutes.
The next day Madison received a telegram. Was it even possible to still send such a thing? She eyed the piece of paper, delivered to the bookstore from iTelegram. Obviously, it was. She opened it.
Did you know grasshoppers’ ears are located in their bellies? I miss you something terrible, Mad.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. No, she didn’t know that grasshoppers’ ears were in their bellies, and she missed him something terrible, too. But she still couldn’t bring herself to forgive him. The man she’d thought she’d fallen in love with didn’t even exist.
“What’s that?” Lauren said, walking up and snatching the telegram out of her hand. “Wow,” she said after reading it. “He’s funny and sexy all at the same time. You don’t want him, I’ll take him.”
“Hands off, girlfriend.” Madison took the telegram back. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Maybe listen to what he has to say?”
She probably should, but she couldn’t imagine anything he could say to make her trust him again. “I don’t know.” Why was he sending her these things? She was trying to forget him, but he was making that damn hard to do.
The next day, a bouquet of wildflowers was delivered. Attached to one of the stems was a beautifully painted ceramic grasshopper. He was killing her. For a week, little gifts arrived. Nothing too expensive—except for the bracelet, which she wore every day—but clever little things like aKung FuCD;Are You a Grasshopper?, an illustrated children’s book about a day in the life of a grasshopper; and a small oil painting of a grasshopper in a garden of daisies.
He was wearing her down, but she didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Alex didn’t know what to do next. Madison hadn’t responded to anything he’d tried, not even a thank-you text. Not that he blamed her after what he’d put her through.
“Why don’t you just go over there and talk to her?” Nate said as he held up the remote, clicking between ball games.
“Because I’m afraid she’ll slam the door in my face.”
“You’re such a dumbass, baby brother. That girl’s in love with you.”
“Not. She didn’t even come by the hospital to check on me. I don’t think she cares if I live or die.” He sounded like a pouty kid.
Nate scrubbed at his face. “About that.”
