Luke's Pov

I'm jolted awake by Madison storming into my room with a shocking look on her face. "What the hell?" She breaths.

"Yeah I could the same thing." I raise up, rubbing my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Y-you weren't.." She pauses for a moment and drops her gaze with me, awkwardly looking to the floor. "Never mind, we should get ready for school."

"Um alright." I nod, scrunching my eyebrows together, not following the situation but I decide against asking.

I sigh and get up from my bed. About that time, Parker steps into the doorway with his arms crossed in a displeasing manner. "What?" I ask him, clearly making it noticeable that I was annoyed.

"What'd you do to my sister?"

I scoff. "Sorry?"

"There has to be a reason why she came into your room crying." He states as if I'm just being dumb.

"Well she wasn't crying for one. For two I think she was just scared because she didn't wake up bedside me in the morning." I shrug, throwing on my shirt.

"Madison shouldn't be waking up to you anyways. You have this room for a reason." Parker scolds, his face turning down into a deep frown.

"Try telling her that." I suggest, mainly to be a smartass. Times like this I wish I had the guys back with me again.

Parker purses his lips then rolls his eyes. "Maybe I will." He smirks, turning away to Madison, I assume.

--

Madison climbs in the car silently, not making eye contact which really annoys me. I look over to her before I start the car up but she swallows deeply and looks out the window at nothing.

About halfway down the road it starts bothering me more and more. "Okay what is it?"
"Hmm?" She answers with a question which lets me know that there is something wrong. I bite the inside of my cheek, showing her how unhappy this whole situation was making me feel. "Nothing." She quickly diverts her eyes away from me.

"I'm calling bullshit. What's wrong?"

"It's stupid anyways. Plus I'm tired so I could just be overacting about things." Madison shrugs, meeting my eyes this time.

"Is it that bad?" I pull away from her gaze to focus on the road.

"No." She sighs, "Well I don't know. But before you go all batshit crazy on me, I don't want to talk about it. Just give me time, okay?"

I clench my jaw really not liking what I am hearing. My grip on the steering wheel becomes so tight my knuckles turn white. "Whatever." I growl in frustration, concentrating on the road the rest of the way there.

"Um I guess I'll see you later then?" Madison question softly as she see Daren and Tate at the entrance of the school.

"Well school hasn't technically stated yet. Do you want to get away from me that bad?" I nervously chuckle, scared that I've done something really wrong.

"Of course not, Luke. It's just-you know the class I got into, it starts early in the morning so.." She drags out, not meeting my eye anymore.

I bite my lip again, and look down at her. "Would you at least kiss me?"

Madison blushes and grins. I make her stand on her toes to touch her lips with mine. I was about to let go-satisfied with the kiss-but she lingers there for a while longer almost like we'd break apart like glass if she let me go.

When she lets me go, she buries her face in my chest taking in my scent. Surly there has to be more with this situation. "Bye Luke." Madison lightly smiles, even holding onto my name.

"See you later, baby." And I watch her be embraced by Daren, as he looks over her shoulder at me. Tate links her arm through hers and Daren stays closely in the middle of the two.

I sigh and rub my hands over my face, leaning against my truck. I give it another second before walking in, because I didn't want to make it look like I was following them in.

"Hey mate!" Ashton claps my back as I enter the school. "Where's Maddy?"

"Hell if I know." I smirk, trying to make it look like it didn't bother me. Although Ash always sees right through me.

"Uh huh."

I sigh. "Fine. I don't know what's wrong with her or what I did to her, but ever since she got into that nursing class or whatever, see seems so distant. I don't know."

"Maybe she's stressed over it."

"She only started last week. How could she be so stressed already? Plus Daren said she was a pro." I mock her voice when I heard them in the hallway that time.

"Ah I see. It's about this Daren guy, right." I bite my piercing but don't answer him. "I've seen him around before. Trust me, he's not Madison's type. He thinks he's everyone's type, but he's not."

"Whatever. How have you been? Where are you staying now?"

Ashton awkwardly laughs. "About that. Apparently we're not allowed to run away, or some shit. Sam sent some people-like DCS people-to come and find me, so now I back there."
"That's bullshit, man." I scoff shaking my head.

"Well what she doesn't know is that I sneak out every night to be with Faye."

"Who's that?"

"Some girl I'm shagging with. You know maybe it's time for you to get back out there. Meet new girls."

"No, no, no." I shake my head over and over again. "Madison is the one for me. She's the one I really care about."

"So you love her?"

"We-uh-I don't know.."

"How about you just come home for the night, yeah? Come back and be part of the boys again. Mike is back there too."

I think about it for a moment, then nod my head. "Alright."

~*~*~*~
"Hey Maddy." I meet her in the hallway after class to break the news to her.

"Hi dear." She smiles walking with Daren.

My anger boils, but I chose to bite my tongue for now.

"So I have to go back with Sam tonight for a while. Uh I could get into some serious trouble for this you know."

"I didn't know that, Luke. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Listen I need to grab a few things and then i'll be out for a few days, but don't worry I can still drive you home and everything."

"You know what? That's alright. We can talk about it later. Go ahead and get your things and I'll just have Daren take me home."

"Mad-"

"It's fine." Her eyes start to tear up, and she kisses my cheek letting Daren snake his hand around her shoulders.

Notes