3. Madison
Chapter 3
Madison
Two months later…
“ W hat the fuck?” I mutter to myself as I flick through the article on my cell. My mom, engaged? To someone she supposedly only started dating two months ago. I only spoke to her a couple days ago and she never mentioned it. When I ask her about her relationship, she always brushes it off which makes me think that all is not as it seems.
Her dating NFL bad boy Knox McCabe came out of the blue, the timing was also very convenient. He was on the front of every tabloid and for all the wrong reasons. Then suddenly, he is the doting boyfriend with only eyes for my mother? Yeah. No. I don’t buy it.
Call me a skeptic but there is also the fact that I know my mom. She never dates younger men—daddy issues or something—and Knox is seven years her junior. I could be wrong about all this, they could be hopelessly in love, but something tells me that my instincts are right.
I haven’t met Knox in person yet. I am on summer break and decided to spend it in New York with my father and his wife. It’s been perfect and given me the chance to pursue what I want most in life—to become a wildlife photographer. My dad’s wife is the editor in chief for the most successful nature magazine in the world—Wildlife World. Vanessa Devereaux not only bought me my first camera, but she encourages me to chase my dreams. Much to my mother’s disgust. Mom wants me to follow in her footsteps, to be an actress. I can think of nothing worse.
Growing up she was your typical stage mom and at eight years old she started pushing me to audition for different roles in acting and modeling. After a few years of playing parts I thought I wanted, I realized I wasn’t doing it for me but to make my mother happy. I hated acting. I hated modeling. When I told her all this she was horrified. The daughter of actress Scarlett Grisham hating the very industry that she loved. Unacceptable.
She continued to push me but the more she pressed the more I refused. Not wanting me to embarrass her she agreed to let me live a normal childhood but only if I did acting and modeling when I finished school. I accepted her terms—emotional guilt will do that to you—but I have no intention of being an actress. I want to be a photographer. I just need to find a way of telling my mother that.
Flicking to my call log, I press down on my mother’s number and bring my phone to my ear. The call rings out and I don’t think she is going to answer but then her voice sounds down the line. “Hey sweetie. How’s my baby?”
I grit my teeth at her nonchalant attitude. She knows damn well I would have seen the article. “Don’t ‘hey sweetie’ me, Mom. What the hell. You’re engaged?”
She sighs and I know without seeing her that she is rolling her eyes so hard right now. “Don’t be so dramatic Madi.” She chuckles. “Although it will come in handy when we get you back into acting.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, praying for patience I don’t feel. At eighteen, I sometimes feel like the adult in our relationship. Which is no surprise. Mom got pregnant and had me when she was only seventeen. It was a whole scandal at the time and not only because my mother was a teenager but because my father, the director of the series she starred in, was a married man and ten years her senior. Case in point. Scarlett Grisham loves and has always dated older men. As much as she would never admit to it, she is still hopelessly in love with my father. He is the love of her life while she is probably his biggest mistake. Don’t get me wrong, my dad loves me, but I think deep down he wishes he had never gotten involved with my mother.
“Mom, what is going on? Is this for real or is it just another PR stunt?” I ask, wanting to know what the hell is happening and why she is messing around with someone like Knox McCabe.
“Jesus Christ Madison. Don’t sugarcoat it,” she barks. “I will discuss this with you when you get back, which is in two days right?”
She is evading the question which means my suspicions might just be right. “Yeah.” I exhale already feeling drained at the thought of going back to LA. “I will send you my flight details.”
She squeals like a best friend rather than a mother. But I guess that describes our relationship perfectly. Since the moment I was old enough to understand things, Mom always treated me like more of a friend than a daughter. I remember when I was fourteen and she was drunk. I spent four hours with her while she rambled on about my father, how much she loved him, and how he lost the best thing that ever happened to him by letting her go. The sad thing is she genuinely believes that. But the truth is, Dad never loved Mom. It was a fling that turned into me. I know that no matter how much time passes, no matter that he is married to Vanessa—the real love of his life—Mom will never get over Peter Devereux. She loves him. Always has. Always will.
“Perfect. I can’t wait to see you, baby. You will love Knox. He is the best.”
I roll my eyes at her over enthusiasm. “Okay Mom. I will talk to you later.”
“Bye sweetie,” she sings before hanging up.
Dropping my cell on the bed, I shake my head. What the hell has my mother gotten herself into now? Before I can think about it further a knock sounds at my bedroom door. My head snaps up just as Vanessa appears. She smiles. “Hi honey, do you have a few minutes? I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Of course. What’s up?” I pat the empty space beside me silently asking her to sit.
Moving further into the room, she drops down next to me and takes my hand. Her eyes meet mine, so kind, so full of love. “We will miss you when you head back to LA,” she says thickly, the emotion in her voice clear.
“I will miss the both of you too. I always feel more settled here in New York,” I admit.
Vanessa nods. “You know you are always welcome here Madison.” She sighs. “Look, I know that you are still deciding what you want to do after school and although I don’t want what I say next to sway your decision, I want to put it on the table. Wildlife World would like to offer you an internship.”
My eyes widen in shock, and I gasp. “W-what? Are you serious?”
She smiles. “I am. I discussed it with your father and again, he doesn’t want you to feel pressured into it or like we are pushing you to do this. We both want you to be happy and do whatever it is you love. However, after our discussions over the years, we both know that photography is a passion of yours, especially nature and wildlife. If you want the internship, it’s yours. If you decide to do something else...” She shrugs. “Well, we will support you in whatever you do.”
My heart constricts. I hit the jackpot when it came to a stepparent. Throwing my arms around her, I say, “Thank you, Vanessa. I would love to intern at your magazine.”
She chuckles. “Take some time to think about it, honey. The offer stands for as long as you need.”
I open my mouth to tell her I have already decided when my dad’s voice sounds. “There you both are.” My gaze shifts to him and he frowns before smiling. “So, you told her about the internship?”
“I did,” Vanessa replies before climbing off the bed. “I hope you don’t mind?”
He shakes his head. “Of course not.” He smiles down at her, kissing her temple quickly before his eyes shift back to me. “I know it’s what you want baby but take some time to think about it. I know your mother has plans for you and I know how much you hate to let her down.”
I frown. He’s right, I do but that doesn’t mean I am going to give up an opportunity like this. “I don’t need to think about it. And don’t worry about Mom; I will talk to her when I get back to LA.”
He nods. “Okay then. Dinner’s ready. Let’s go and eat before it gets cold.”
Climbing off the bed, I follow them down to the dining room feeling more excited than I ever have in my life. All my dreams of becoming a photographer can come true.
I just need to have a talk with my mom.