TWENTY-TWO
Jaxson
Time to do a little digging.
I know what I fucking saw on Madelyn’s arms. Those bruises could have only come from one thing. She may not be my girl anymore, but I’ll be damned if I stand by while some motherfucker puts his hands on her. He won’t get away with it. I just need confirmation before I go to Holden. There’s no way he knows about this already. He wouldn’t stand by and let it happen either. Though I wonder if this is what Holden suspected, and if it is...why the hell hasn’t he done anything?
I approach The Sweet Spot and look around. Madelyn’s car isn’t here, which is exactly what I hoped. I’m not here to see her.
Thankfully, Grams isn’t here either. It would kill her to know what’s going on and I don’t want to be the one to break the news to her.
I head inside and see Hailee behind the counter.
Just the girl I wanted to see.
Word around town is that Mads and Hailee have become close. They also spend most of the day together at work, so Hailee is the exact person I need to talk to. She might not have the answers I need, but she’ll be able to tell me if anything has seemed off with Madelyn lately.
“Hey, Jaxson,” she says with a smile. “Whatcha in the mood for today?”
“Actually, I came to see you. I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes. Is there anyone else here that could cover the front?”
Her brows furrow, and she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as I ask.
“No, but we’ve been dead today and I’m due for a break.”
She walks around the counter and goes to the door, flipping the “Back soon” sign on the door. Hailee comes back to stand in front of me and leans up against the counter.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Madelyn.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, already on the defensive. I love that Mads has so many people that have her back.
“What about her?”
“Look...I know you and Mads are close. I don’t know how much she’s told you about our history, but I love her. Always will. No matter how much time passes, no matter who she’s married to...she will always hold my heart.”
Her expression softens.
“I’m worried about her, Hails. I think she might be in trouble and you spend more time with her than anyone else. Has she said anything to you that would send up any red flags?”
Her gaze shifts to the floor, her shoes suddenly holding some magical appeal.
“Please, Hailee. I bumped into her in town yesterday and she had dark, handprint-shaped bruises on her arms. I think someone’s hurting her and I want to help.”
I can see her worry her lip between her teeth, but she remains silent, eyes glued to the floor.
I start to doubt that I’ll get any help from her, which sucks, but I get it. She and Mads are close friends. She and I are merely acquaintances. She doesn’t want to betray her friend’s trust and if the situation was anything else I would respect her for it. In this case, it kinda pisses me off. If she knows something, knows that someone is hurting Madelyn and doesn’t say anything…
Suddenly, her eyes find mine and hers are filled with unshed tears.
“Hails?”
“I...I don’t know anything for sure. She hasn’t said anything, but I think you’re right.”
I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“God, please don’t tell her I said anything. She’s my only friend here. But shit, Jaxson. She’s always hurt. She always has excuses, but I stopped believing them a while ago. She won’t open up, but I’ve made it clear that she can always come talk to me. I offered her safe haven in my apartment if she needs it.”
Hailee’s tears are streaming down her cheeks now. I hate that she’s worried about losing Madelyn’s friendship. It seems like she needed someone to confide in, too.
“Hey, it’s okay, Hails. Madelyn pretends I don’t exist, so you don’t have to worry about me telling her anything. And I’m your friend, too.” I pull her toward me and wrap my arms around her. I can’t stand to see a female cry and I’d be an asshole not to provide comfort as long as I’m able.
She accepts the hug, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“I can’t prove anything, Jax. I can’t give you the answers you need because all I have are my own suspicions. I wish she’d talk to someone because I know what’s happening, but she denies anything being wrong. I’ve tried to talk to her, but I don’t want to push too hard, and end up pushing her away.”
“Shh. We’ll figure it out, I promise. You’ve handled it the best way you can. You’re a good friend, Hails. You’ve made sure she knows that you’re a safe place. Don’t beat yourself up.”
“Thanks, Jax,” she murmurs into my chest.
I hold her steady, giving her time to gather herself. Before we can separate, Madelyn walks through the front door of the bakery.
She schools her expression quickly, but both Hailee and I see the sharp look in her eye when she sees her friend wrapped in my arms. That flash of anger and betrayal, maybe even a little hurt.
It’s unnecessary. Madelyn should know better. I would never make a move on one of her friends, especially not someone she works with on a daily basis. I can be an asshole, but I’d never stoop that low.
Taking the chance of making the situation worse, I lean down to whisper in Hailee’s ear. “I’m always here if you need a friend. Remember that.”
She smiles at me as I pull away. “Thanks, Jax.”
I send her a wink and head for the door, nodding a greeting to Madelyn as I pass.
Before the door closes behind me, I hear Madelyn ask, “What was that about?”
Hailee can handle Madelyn. I’m off to see her siblings. It’s time they find out the truth about their brother-in-law.
Holden is up first.
Once I corner him in the office at the bar, I give him a rundown of my run in with Madelyn, and tell him about what went down with Hailee. I still have no solid proof, but at this point I don’t think it’s necessary. I know I’m right about this. I can feel it in my soul.
“This is what I was afraid of,” he says when I finally finish. “I knew something wasn’t right. I’ve gotten bad vibes from him since they got together, but he never gave me cause for concern. It was just a feeling, ya know? I never would have thought he’d lay a hand on her. Despite the vibes I get, until they were married, he treated her like a queen. Always there, always supportive. Caring. Kind. He still does whenever I see them, which admittedly, isn’t very often.
“She’s not herself, either. Hasn’t been since...well, before the wedding, really. I thought it was just being back in town—being close to you again—but it’s only getting worse She’s quiet, withdrawn...pulling away from everyone like she did before. I know something is wrong, but she won’t tell me anything. You know Mads. She doesn’t like to be pushed. She’ll just pull away and ghost everyone. I can’t lose my sister again.”
He scrubs his hand down his face and lets out a haggard sigh.
“Fucking hell, Jax. I knew something wasn’t right. I questioned it at the hospital when she broke her arm. Even the fucking doctor said her injuries weren’t consistent with her story, but she lied through her fucking teeth. She stuck with that bullshit story about falling down the stairs.” His voice thickens, frustration evident in his tone. I startle when he slams his fist down on the desk. “How am I supposed to help her when she won’t fucking be honest with me? How am I supposed to protect her? I can’t go in swinging because I have no fucking proof. It’s like she’s protecting him. I don’t get it.”
“I wish I knew, man. Those bruises...they couldn’t have been anything else. It’s gotta be him. Have the girls said anything?”
“Nah. They see her less than I do, I think. Let me call them down here though. They need to be involved in this. Maybe we can come up with some kinda plan or something to get Madelyn the fuck away from that asshole.”
Less than ten minutes pass when Camille and Presley stroll through the door. They stiffen when they walk in, feeling the tension in the room.
“What’s going on, Holden?” Cami asks, eyes flitting back and forth between the two of us.
Presley leans on the edge of the desk, silent as usual.
“Have y’all seen Mads lately?”
A look passes between the girls and it becomes painfully obvious that they know something we don’t.
“Talk to me, Camille.” Holden demands.
She hesitates, like she’s having an internal battle with herself.
Presley apparently doesn’t have the same apprehension. She comes right out with it.
“David is abusing Madelyn.”
Cami cuts her a glare.
“Don’t look at me like that, Cami. Someone needed to say something. I won’t keep this shit a secret.”
“Do promises mean nothing to you, Pres?”
“I didn’t promise shit. You did.”
“Stop!”
Holden’s voice cuts through their bickering and the small room goes silent. He looks at Presley, then turns his gaze to Camille. If looks could kill, she’d drop where she stands.
“You mean to tell me...that our sister is being abused...and you were going to keep it a fucking secret? What the hell is wrong with you, Camille?”
She doesn’t respond but tears well in her eyes.
Presley jumps in to explain.
“We forced her into a spa day at the salon. She’d been avoiding us for a while and we got sick of it, so we got Grams involved. Anyway. One mention of changing her hair and she went into a full-blown panic attack. We knew something was wrong because she’s never had a panic attack. We finally got her to talk to us, and she didn’t go into detail, but she did tell us that he’s been hitting her since right after they got married.”
The room fucking explodes. Holden and I both spring from our seats. His fist goes through a wall. We’re yelling. The girls are trying to calm us down. It’s complete and utter chaos.
Quiet returns when the door opens and Noah’s head peeks through the crack.
“Sorry to intrude, but the entire bar can hear you yelling back here.”
“Fuck, sorry. We’ll keep it down.”
Noah nods, but before backing out he looks at all of us and asks, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, man. Just some family shit.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
Once he’s gone, Holden and I sit back down. I drop my head in my hands, tugging at my hair. I don’t know what the fuck to do about any of this. I’m the last person that Madelyn wants trying to help her. She barely acknowledges my existence at this point. In the back of my mind, I know I should bow out and let her family handle this. I should. But I won’t.
No one is saying anything.
Suddenly, Holden is out of his chair again, keys in hand.
“Let’s go, Jax.”
The look he shoots me. The gleam in his eyes. Oh, fuck yeah.
“Holden…where are you going?” Cami asks.
“To protect my family.”
Presley inserts herself between him and the door.
“Don’t let your emotions rule you, Holden. You can’t just storm in there and start throwing punches…”
“The hell I can’t! That’s my baby sister, Presley. That’s your sister. You want me to just stand by and let this shit happen? Fuck that!”
His body is visibly vibrating with anger. Hands shaking. Jaw clenched. He’s barely holding it together and I’m not faring much better.
Cami reaches out to touch his arm. “You’re only going to make it worse. This is exactly what Madelyn didn’t want. Storming over there isn’t the way to handle this.”
He shoots her a glare. “And what? Would you rather me sit by and do nothing? Go about my day while some asshole is beating my baby sister? Promise her I won’t tell anyone like you did? What the fuck do you want me to do, Camille? Tell me.”
She flinches, his words cutting deep.
Presley comes to her defense. “Don’t be an asshole or we’re leaving. Sit down and listen before you go off half-cocked and make Mads push us all away again.”
Sitting down is the last thing he wants to do. I get it. I was right behind him on the way out that door, but the girls are probably right.
“Let’s hear them out, man.”
He looks at me, takes a deep breath, and nods his head. “Okay.”
Presley is the calmest of any of us, so Camille nods for her to start.
“We don’t like this any more than you do, trust me. What you were about to do? That’s why Madelyn won’t tell you. Why she made us promise not to tell you. In her mind...she’s protecting you.”
“How the—”
“Let me finish.” She waits for him to settle, then continues. “Madelyn’s worried you’ll end up hurt, or in jail. She doesn’t want that. But all that aside...her head is all screwed up. For whatever reason...she thinks she deserves what he’s doing. We didn’t get much out of her because like you, Camille got pissed and started yelling. Madelyn pulled into herself when that happened. She insisted she can handle things and that it’s not that bad. Obviously, she’s full of shit, but it’s a fucked-up situation and has to be handled delicately. You can’t just rush in and pull her out of there.”
Holden interrupts again. “I sure as hell can. I will. I won’t leave her there with that motherfucker. Over my dead body.”
“I hate it, Holden. I hate it, but she has to want to leave him. There’s no other way. I don’t know what he’s doing to her. I don’t know how deep the abuse is, but the fact that she thinks she deserves it says enough. It’s a decision only she can make because if she’s not ready...she’ll keep going back to him.”
“My take on the little she did tell us...she’s using his abuse as a punishment for something.” Cami adds. “I can’t see Madelyn ever doing anything that would make her think she deserves this type of punishment, but it’s not something for us to understand. As much as it sucks, all we can do is be there for her. Give her unconditional love and support. Make her see that she doesn’t have to take this shit. That she deserves better. Hope and pray that she sees the truth and decides to leave him. If not...she’ll pull away and we might lose her for good this time.”
Her eyes turn to me when she speaks those last words. We’re all thinking about when Madelyn left town. I wasn’t the only one who lost her for those two years.
“I fucking hate what you’re saying, but deep down I know you’re right. This is an impossible situation. It hurts like hell to know she’s dealing with this shit on her own. I’m supposed to protect y’all from shit like this.”
Knowing that Madelyn is being abused and there’s absolutely nothing we can do fucking hurts. It’s a soul-deep pain that will eat away at all of us the more time goes by. Unlike her siblings, I’m useless. I can’t be there for her the way they can. She won’t let me near her. It kills me to know that the woman I love is being hurt by the man she chose over me.
“Maybe we should just go to the police,” I suggest.
“I thought about that, too. But it wouldn’t do any good. Unless she’s ready to admit the truth and leave him, going to the police may do more harm than good. Why do you think we didn’t?”
“There’s got to be something more we can do.”
Solemnly, she shakes her head. “We wait.”
I’ve never hated two words more.
I may not be able to do anything about it right now without endangering Madelyn, but one day...one day David will get what’s coming to him. I’ll make sure of it.