Ballad of Love (Utah Lovin’ Book 1)

14. Madison

“Are you excited to move to New York?” Adalynn, my best friend and Braydon’s little sister, asks while folding up more of my clothes and sorting them into packing boxes.

“I am. It will be something different. And it gives me a chance to get out of this tiny town.”

Adalynn goes quiet. It has been a little awkward lately ever since Braydon and I broke up. I am not going to let that stop us from hanging out though.

“We are still going to talk right?”

I set down the stack of books I am putting into a box and walk over to Adalynn. I sit on my bed next to her pulling her into my chest.

“Of course, Adalynn. I will call you every single day. Send lots of pictures. And spam you with random texts.”

She nods against my chest, and I feel tears prick my eyes. I am really going to miss Adalynn and my parents, but I need to do this. I need to do something for myself. Adalynn sits up and wipes the tears off her cheeks.

“Let’s finish packing your stuff, then I will treat us both to some ice cream.”

“Deal.” I stand up and continue packing the box of books I am working on. It takes us four more hours to finish sorting and packing everything else I am taking with me to college. Just as promised, Adalynn takes us to get ice cream at Pop’s Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street. I order a scoop of mint chocolate chip, and Adalynn orders a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough. We find a table outside and take a seat. A silence falls between us as we both begin to eat our ice cream. It isn’t abnormally hot outside for the middle of May in Utah, but it was warm sitting directly in the sun. I finish off my ice cream and push my cup aside.

“How’s Braydon?”

I almost instantly regret asking the question when it leaves my lips. I shouldn’t care, and after the way I treated him, I honestly have no right to care. I still love him though, and I truly do miss him. Adalynn swallows her bite of ice cream, and pokes her spoon into her remaining ice cream.

“Honestly?”

I nod hesitantly, not sure just yet if I can actually handle the truth.

“Madison, he isn’t doing good. Apparently, the other night at dinner he just declared that he is moving to Nashville. I was at your house, so I unfortunately missed that. He has been spending more and more time at work. He hardly eats when he gets home. He just kind of mopes around. We have talked a couple of times, and he just doesn’t understand where he went wrong. I know that all of this isn’t your fault, but you wanted me to be honest.”

I study the pattern on the table, instead of looking Adalynn in the eyes.

“He thinks he did something wrong?”

“He thinks that is the only logical explanation.”

“But he didn’t do anything?”

“Well not to seem rude Madison, but did you tell him that?”

My eyes fall back to the table.

“No, I didn”t.”

Adalynn nods and finishes off her ice cream. She pushes her cup to the side. Clearing her throat to draw my attention back to her. I meet her eyes.

“Look Madison, I understand that you need to do this for you, and I am ok with that. I respect that, and I will have your back every step of the way. But you need to clear things up with my brother. You both said things you regret, and I really don’t think y”all should leave things like this.”

“He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I tried. I tried to call him. I even tried to go seem him at work, but Bryce wouldn’t let me see him.”

“He’s hurting, Madison. Give him some time, but don’t leave for New York like this.”

Adalynn picks up both of our empty cups to throw them away. I follow her, and we head back out to my car. I drive Adalynn back home and drop her off. I am a little disappointed when I don’t see Braydon’s truck in the driveway, but I quickly push that feeling away. I drive back home in silence. Braydon thinks he did something wrong. Needed to talk to him. Adalynn was right, I couldn’t leave things like this. I unlock my front door and toss my keys in the catch-all bowl by the door. Mom is sitting in the living room working on one of her puzzles.

“Want to help me?” She asks but doesn”t look up.

I sit down on the couch next to her and pick up the first puzzle piece I find. It doesn”t fit, so I set it back down and lean into the back of the couch.

“Everything ok, sweetheart?” Mom tries to meet my eyes, but I look down at my hands in my lap.

“Mom, do you think I made the right decision?”

“About Braydon?”

I nod, willing myself not to cry again.

“Do you think you made the right decision?”

“Y... yeah.”

“Then Madison, that’s all that matters.”

Mom squeezes my hand, urging me to meet her eyes. I do, and she gives me a small smile.

“Sweetheart, if this is what you need then it really doesn’t matter if anyone else thinks you did the right thing.” She pats my knee and returns her attention back to her puzzle.

“Dad said he would bring home Chinese takeout for dinner.”

I place a quick kiss on top of my mom’s head and head upstairs to take a shower. The steam from the hot water fills the bathroom and warms me up. The water washes over me, and I try to let it wash away all the feelings of doubt and regret that I am feeling. I did the right thing. It wouldn’t have been fair to make Braydon wait for me. Or to ask him to give up everything he has ever wanted. Continuing to repeat this to myself like a mantra, I throw on an old pair of leggings and a sweatshirt. I grab my book off the nightstand and curl up in my bay window to read before the sun fully sets. I get lost in reading. This is probably the hundredth time I have read The Fault in Our Stars, but it is my favorite book. A soft knock on the door startles me out of my reading.

“Come in.”

Dad opens the door, and the smell of Chinese food fills my room.

“I brought food.” I hop up for my cozy little spot and wrap my arms around my dad”s neck.

“You are my hero.”

“Well, if I knew this was all it took, I would’ve done it much sooner,” Dad says with a chuckle.

We head downstairs together and sit down at the table with mom. I take the bag of food from dad and dish it out onto three plates. Placing an extra crab Rangoon on my plate, I sit back down at the table.

“How was work?” Mom asks dad.

“Nothing too exciting. Mostly phone calls and paperwork.”

Dad is basically a receptionist for Ambrose’s Brothers’ Construction, which is the same place that Braydon works.

“How was packing with Adalynn?” Dad turns the conversation towards me.

Before I have a chance to answer his question, there is an urgent knock at the front door.

“I got it,” I say, leaving the kitchen promptly.

I open the door and find Adalynn standing there crying. I immediately pull her into a hug, stroking her hair comfortingly.

“What happened, Adalynn?”

“B... Braydon..”

I try not to overreact at the mention of him. Instead, I try to focus on comforting my best friend.

“Did something happen to him?”

“He actually did it.” Madison’s tears soak my sweatshirt, and a chill runs down my spine. I pull us down into a sitting position on my front porch. Wrapping my arms around her a little tighter, I urge her to continue.

“He moved to Nashville.”

“He ran away?”

“No. He talked our parents into letting him skip graduation and move to Nashville now.”

“Ok.”

“He didn’t even say goodbye, Madison. He just left. I didn’t get to say goodbye, and now he won’t return my calls. Or my texts. I even tried to email him.”

“I am sure he will call you back. He is a good big brother; he is just going through some stuff probably.”

“Madison, I don’t think he is coming back for a while. Dad said he sold his truck before he left. He convinced one of the guys from work to drive him there.”

“He loved his truck. Why would he just sell it like that?”

Adalynn shrugs in my arms. She sits up and brushes a few stray tears off her face. She reaches over and wipes the tears I didn’t realize I had cried off my cheeks.

“Madison, do you think he is going to be alright?”

I don’t know how to answer her question, because I don’t know the honest answer.