Page 67 of I Hear You

“Oh and Henderson–I actually have to be on call for the next forty-eight hours, starting at midnight. I think I’m just going to go stay at the hospital,” she says, turning again to continue toward her room.

“Just remember, I’m too young to be a grandmother,” she yells from down the hall before closing her door.

My mother is a saint. I make a mental note to get her an exceptionally good mother’s day present.

I’ve just gotten out of the shower and am trying to decide what to wear. I’ve never actually taken a girl on a real date before. With Jackie, it was always with a group of friends or a party. Never a fancy dinner, just the two of us. I decide to play it safe and wear black slacks with a black button-up shirt. Rolling the sleeves up to my elbows to make it a little more casual.

I grab my phone and text Taylor, letting her know my plan for dinner so she can help Madison pick out an outfit appropriate for the restaurant. I also tell her I’m gonna need her help because I want this night to be perfect. Mads deserves perfection.

I’m running late to pick her up because my truck was on empty. Jesse picked it up from the private airport for me when we left for California and of course didn’t think to tell me he left it on empty. When I finally get to her door, I have to wipe my hands on the front of my pants. My palms are so sweaty. I knock quickly three times and suck in a breath.

Taylor opens the door and is beaming at me.

“Well, hello handsome.”

“Hey, Tay.”

I am not prepared for what I see when she opens the door the rest of the way. Madison is standing there in the middle of the room in a short, tight black dress that hugs her body and her curves perfectly. The top of the dress is rounded and dips perfectly low enough to show off only the top curve of her breasts. Her hair is down in big soft curls and she’s added just a touch more makeup than I’m used to her in. Her lips, that I love so much, are painted a soft pink and are shiny, making them look fuller and more supple. She’s wearing a pair of black flats and I’m glad. She’d look amazing in heels, but they just don’t seem like her style. I’m glad she’s still being herself.

“Do I look okay?” she asks, tugging at the bottom of her dress.

“If Taylor wasn’t here right now, I would rip your dress off you so fast,” I say.

I’m pretty sure my mouth is stuck permanently open and I’m drooling.

Madison’s cheeks turn pink and Taylor hoots and claps her hands together.

“Damn Henry, you sound like me. I approve,” Taylor says. “Now get out of here, you two. You’re going to be late.”

I reach out my hand for Madison’s and she gives Taylor a quick hug before she slips her fingers through mine as we head out the door–for our first real date.

Chapter thirty-one

Madison

Endertoldmewhenhe picked me up, our dinner reservation wasn’t until 9:30, but he had plans for us until then. He won’t tell me what those plans are. I secretly hope they involve me ripping off his shirt because he looks absolutely delicious in his all black ensemble. His button-up shirt fits his muscles perfectly, and his slacks let me see more of the curves in the front of his pants than a pair of jeans would. I am turning into a horny teenage boy.

As soon as he asked me to dinner, I went into my dorm room and called Taylor so she could help me get ready. I was ready almost an hour early because I was so nervous. I borrowed the dress from her and it’s a little shorter than I prefer, but Taylor said it was perfect. I did as Ender asked though, I’m not wearing any underwear. Making the problem of the too short dress even more nerve-wracking when I got into his truck to sit down and the dress rode up even more. I can feel cool air tickling parts of me I’m not used to having exposed. I even let her do my makeup and I’m grateful she kept it natural. I would have been even more nervous if I didn’t look like myself.

While I got ready, I told Taylor everything that had happened over the past day. I left out most of the details about the times we didn’t have any clothes on, but I’m pretty sure she still got the idea of how well it went. She hugged me when I cried telling her about the journals. Re-applying my eye liner three times and never complaining. She squealed and giggled when I told her about sharing the bed in the hotel room. Her begging for more graphic details made me blush, but I still kept most of it to myself.

For the first time ever, I felt I had a best girlfriend. Reliving it as I told her everything made me emotional. I cave and tell her this. She hugs me tightly and says she’s so happy we were paired as roommates. I tell her I love her and I realize she’s the first person I’ve said those words to that wasn’t family or Ender.

I recognize the direction we’re heading out of town from the few trips I’ve made with Taylor to what everyone calls the big city. It’s not much bigger than Easton, but it has more shopping and restaurants. When we pull into the dirt parking lot of the carnival I went to with Jesse and Taylor a few weeks ago, I get giddy. This is better than ripping his shirt off.

My eyes must be bulging with excitement, because Ender is staring at me with a proud goofy grin.

“We can’t stay long, but there is one thing I want to do,” he says before getting out of the truck and coming around to help me down.

I am so glad I didn’t try to go out of my comfort zone and wear heels. I would have fallen flat on my face trying to walk on them in the dirt. Hell, I probably would have fallen flat on my face walking on any surface. Ender takes my hand and speed walks toward the carnival rides. We stop at the Ferris wheel and he hands the ride operator some cash and says something low I don’t hear. The carnival is pretty deserted, it’s been here for so long most people have already been there, done that—we’re the only ones getting onto the ride.

We squeeze into the Ferris wheel, the worker locks our bar in place and starts the ride. As we make our way higher, Ender pulls me closer to him, wrapping his arm around me. I snuggle into him, breathing in his woody cologne. He turns and gives me a quick kiss on the side of my head.

The memories of riding the Ferris wheel with my dad come flooding in again and I try not to get emotional. I want to enjoy this time with Ender. I can’t help but think of everything that’s happened though and everything I’ve discovered since I was last on this same ride. Since I found out yesterday the man I grew up knowing and loving wasn’t my biological dad, I’ve done a lot of thinking about what it even means to be a dad. I know my mom is my biological Mother–it doesn’t make me any less or more angry with her. My dad loved me, he loved me and knew I wasn’t his blood. I will continue to think of him as my dad.

I’m not angry with him, even though I wish he would have pushed harder to tell me the truth. I have to believe in my heart he was doing what he thought was best, protecting me. I am still livid with my mother, but not just because she lied to me and apparently manipulated my dad. No, there’s so much more to be angry with her for. I just hope with time, the anger will subside. I hope in time she will get the help she needs and we can somehow repair our relationship.

I think that’s what had me so worried when I thought she was in the hospital for something awful. I was scared she was dying and there wasn’t enough time to heal things between us. I know not a single day is guaranteed. I learned that when my dad died. But I was relieved when I found out she was going to be fine, even if all I could feel in the moment was anger and annoyance.

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