Learning To Fly (Fated Love Book 1) (3 page)

Only because my cousin needed his ass beat and I wanted to be the one to do it. I wanted to kill him for making Maddie think she didn’t deserve to be happy. “I ain’t goin’ anywhere darlin’.” I leaned in and pressed my lips softly to hers. “Well, except to get you packed up so we can come back here until you are ready to leave.” I moved to sit back beside her, picked up my coffee again, and took a drink. When I looked over at Maddie, she was biting her lip gently as though she wanted to ask me something.
 

“What is it?” I asked.

She looked over at me with a little sadness in her eyes. “That offer has an expiry date...”
 

I sighed and kept her close. We both knew at the end of the week I would be back on that plane and back to the tour. I had no idea when I could come back next. “Maybe you could come back with me? Or come and join me at some point… You could start your American part of your plans sooner than you thought? Get away from Josh.”
 

Maddie frowned and looked at me before putting her now empty coffee cup down on the table. Had I overstepped the mark? I watched as she pulled back the covers and got out of bed.
What the hell just happened?
 

“I never told you my ex’s name, Morgan.”
 

I blinked.
Shit!
She was in the bathroom and getting dressed before I was up and out of the bed. Getting up and moving to the door, I kicked my foot on the end of the bed and cursed. Who the hell moved that? When Maddie came back out, she looked pissed off. Was she looking for an excuse to leave? I moved to gently grab her wrist and pull her back to me.

“Wait, Maddie, what just happened?”
 

“I have never told you Josh’s name. How did you know it?”
 

I swallowed hard. I wasn’t about to lie to her. Could I tell her the truth though and not have her walk out that door and far away from me? I looked at both options and either way, she was about to walk out that door and leave. When I let her wrist drop, she turned, grabbed her stuff, and walked out of the bus.
Fuck!
I ran after her. Again, I gently grabbed her wrist. “Wait, I can explain. Please, let me explain? I can’t let you walk away mad at me. Please, Maddie.”
 

Her chest heaved a sigh and she ran a hand through her blonde curls and looked away from me. I took a step closer to her and brushed my fingers along her cheek. “I know we could be real good together. Please, don’t let this ruin it. Please, don’t wake up.”
 

Maddie pulled her wrist away from me and stepped back. “I have to go pack up. If I can listen to what you have to say Morgan, I will come back. If I can’t, you won’t see me again.”
 

“Can I have your phone?”
 

She looked at me like I was crazy.
 

“Please, Maddie.”
 

She looked down and took her phone out and turned it on before handing it to me. I put my number in it and handed it back to her.
 

“Just in case...” I leant in and pressed my lips softly against her cheek.
 

She nodded, turned and walked back the way we came last night. Hearing footsteps behind me, I looked back and saw Lucas coming up toward me.
 

“Want me to follow, boss?”
 

I shook my head. I had already made her walk away. I wasn't about to push her further by having my security following her. She would be sure not to come back then. Rubbing my hands over my face, I turned and walked back to my bus. This was not how I saw my morning going. Pulling my door open, I grabbed my phone and moved to sit on the couch. Seeing Josh had tried calling again, I cleared my missed calls and ignored the voice mail. She was going back to the camp where Ellie was. Ellie would take great pleasure in telling her everything. Fuck. She wasn't coming back. If she did, it would take a miracle for her not to kick my ass to the middle of next week. Maybe I would take that trip to see Josh anyway. If it weren't for him I would still be in bed with Maddie. I sighed because I knew that wasn’t true. Me and my big mouth had gotten me into this. Now I just hoped she would let me get myself out of this. There was just something about Maddie… My Maddie.
 

I made the slow walk back to the campsite. So many times, I wanted to turn back and let him explain how he knew Josh’s name, but I didn’t know if I could. What if it was me? Did I let it slip last night when I had been drinking? When Ellie came and barged in, did I refer to Josh by his name? I chewed on my nail as I walked. I didn’t have that much to drink and could remember almost all of the night. So why didn’t I remember saying his name? I looked down at my phone and I saw the missed calls and voice messages from Josh. Ugh. I so couldn’t deal with him right now. Clearing them all, I put my phone away as my camp came into view. Jas saw me and came running over.

“Oh my gosh. We were so worried. Ellie said Josh has been freaking out and trying to get a hold of you but you’d turned your phone off and weren’t answering it.”
 

“Does that fact really surprise you Jas? My ex cheats on me, then calls incessantly, and people are wondering why I am not answering him? Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Anyway, I was with Morgan. Why would I want to talk to Josh?”
 

“I dunno, Maddie. He just sounded real worried, is all.”
 

“I appreciate that, Jas. I just don't care how he feels or what he thinks. He screwed up. I am having fun. Let’s just leave it, okay?”
 

She nodded her head and walked away. I felt bad for being such a bitch, but why did Josh get to control my life? I drew a shaky breath.
Fuck
. I just overreacted and walked out on Morgan Young. He actually wanted me to stick around and I just walked away.
 

“Look who finally decided to show up. Morgan get bored already?”
 

My head turned and I narrowed my eyes at Ellie.
 

“Watch it, Ellie. I have been harassed all morning by YOUR fucktard. I’m really not in the mood to deal with his doormat.” I pushed past her and moved to pack up my stuff. The girls had already loaded up their cars and left so I guess Jas and Ellie were headed back together. Or Jas was dropping her off at the airport. Either way, I didn’t care. She wasn’t coming with me. Moving around the tent after putting my stuff in the truck, I took the pegs out of the ground and put them in the container where I kept my tent.
 

“You know what your problem is, Maddison?”
 

“Please, do tell me, Ellie. I am dying to know what
YOU
think of
ME
and what my problem is.” I stood up and turned around to face her. I could see she was trying to stand her ground. Ellie had a way of always getting out of the line of fire after she pulled a stunt like this so she didn't cop the fallout. Not this time though.
 

“You are easy. Why are you here and not with Morgan? Did he kick you out after he got what he wanted? Are you trying to make Josh jealous in the hope he’ll dump me and get back with you? It won't work Maddison. We all know you are only good at one thing. Josh got bored. He never really cared about you. You were just an easy lay.”
 

With every word out of her mouth, my hand clenched tighter, and I stepped closer to her. With her last word, I swung and slapped her hard.
 

“Speak that way to me again and I will bury your dead body in the middle of Australia, Ellie. You don’t know shit about what happened with Morgan and me, so keep his name and mine out of your mouth. You lost all right to that when you slept with Josh. Oh and Ellie? If Josh got bored with me, you can be damn sure he is gonna get bored with you in half the time. I won’t be here to see it though. I will be in the States with Morgan, or wherever in the world we feel like going.” I turned my back and swallowed. I hadn't actually made the decision to go with him or even go back to his bus when I was done here, but I knew now what I was potentially losing. I wasn’t about to turn my back on him. Not for these two.
 

“Morgan will just get bored with you Maddie. There is nothing special about you. Plain old boring vanilla Maddison. I’m surprised you even had sex.”
 

I turned around and hit her again. “Shut up, or the next time I will make good on my promise. You know nothing so keep your whore mouth shut. You know nothing about Morgan. He is more of a man than Josh could ever hope to be.” I rolled up the tent and put it in the container. Throwing it in the back of the truck, I shut the tailgate and pulled the cover over it. I moved to hug Jas tight and told her I would call her later. Right now, I just needed to get away from Ellie before I did kill her. Opening my truck door and getting in, I made my way through the camps that were still set up and made my way back to where the VIP’s were. I got through security with no problem. Had Morgan made sure of that in case I decided to come back? I looked down and saw I was still wearing the same clothes from last night. Grabbing some stuff, I got out after parking beside his bus. The door opened before I had the chance to knock, and that made me smile. He had been waiting for me. Maddie = 1, Ellie = 0. He pulled me into his arms and I closed my eyes, breathing him in.
 

“Morgan?”
 

“Yeah, darlin’?”
 

“I... um... Can I use your shower?”
 

He chuckled and pulled back. Nodding softly, he led me back inside and to the back of the bus once more.
 

When he left me to it, I stuck my head back out the door. “And Morgan?”
 

“Yes, darlin’?”
 

“We will be talking about before. Eventually.” I ducked my head back into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Stripping out of my jeans and shirt, I lost the bra and panties and turned on the hot water. When I got it to the perfect temperature for me, I stepped in under it and tipped my head back with a soft groan. God, that felt good. I grabbed my shampoo and poured some into my hand and ran it through my hair. Massaging it into my hair, I left it a minute before I tilted my head back and washed it out. As I did the same with the conditioner, I began to feel somewhat human again. I took my loofa and poured some of my body wash into it, I ran it over my skin and washed off the last 24 hours. When I was finished, I grabbed a towel and dried myself off. Putting on a clean bra and panties, I slipped on a clean tank top and a pair of shorts. After drying my hair with the towel, I hung it back up and cleaned up my mess by shoving all but the loofa back into my bag. Opening the door, I set my bag down just inside the bedroom door and then moved through the bus to find Morgan sitting on the couch. He looked up when I came in and set his book to the side. Sitting down beside him, I pulled my legs up to my chest as I lay against his side.
 

“I’m sorry I overreacted before. I shouldn’t have taken off like that. I should have stuck around and let you explain. Not that it really matters anymore.” I turned my head to look at him. “I wanna go with you to the States. I will get my passport and everything all sorted and worked out. I know I’m taking a big chance here, but in one night, you have made me happier than anyone else has in my whole life. I know we still have so much to learn about each other, but I want to learn it all. All your bad habits, your secrets. Everything.”
 

He pressed his lips to my head and nodded.

“You didn’t overreact. You had every right to be upset about that. I will explain it all to you, I promise. I just need to know that no matter what I tell you it won't affect us.”
 

I had a confused looked on my face but I nodded for him to go on. Whatever it was, I needed to know it now. Otherwise, it would always be there in the back of my mind until he told me.
 

Morgan sighed and took my hand. “Please know I had no idea who you were when I met you… I saw you in that bar and I had to know your name. I had to be near you. This morning, I got a call from my cousin telling me he knew you came back with me and I had to let you go.”
 

My brows creased in a frown. How the hell did his cousin know who I was? Then like a wrecking ball into a building, I let out a gasp, and my hand flew to cover my mouth. “You are Josh’s cousin? He talked about his cousin Morgan but never said anything about being related to you.”
 

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his neck.
 

As I watched him, I wondered if this could be a problem. I thought about last night and today. I moved my hand to his cheek. “I don’t care who your family is. The fact you had the chance to lie to me and try to make this my fault but didn't, proves to me you are an actual human being who has a heart. It shows me you were scared I would think you were like him. I know enough to know you and your cousin are two very different people. I would much rather be around you than even acknowledge his existence. I can’t say he is gonna be too impressed when Ellie tells him I hit her…twice.” I laid my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes.
 

“My little firecracker.” He pressed his lips to my head, and I sighed softly as I shifted to curl into him.