Chapter Two
Adryan
The call came through just as he was about to leave. An MVC—a motor vehicle crash—had been called in, so he dumped his drink and jumped into the ambulance as his partner, Abigail, drove away. Hitting the lights, Adryan checked the details as they were relayed to him.
‘Car off the road. Single occupant. Male. He’s being cut out as we speak. Police secured the scene prior to fire arriving.’
‘We’ll be there in five.’ Abigail’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as she maneuvered around a vehicle that had pulled to the side. ‘Injuries?’
‘Possible fracture to the right arm. Head injury. In and out of consciousness. Stabilized for now.’
‘Three minutes out.’
‘ID found. Madden Price. Thirty-two.’
‘Price?’ Abigail glanced at him, but Adryan was slow to answer. Madden Price was in town? Of course he was. It was his father’s funeral Adryan missed due to work. He would have returned for that if nothing else.
‘Yeah.’ Adryan licked his lips. He remembered Madden better than he wanted to. Adryan had been friends with Madden’s older brother, Michael. They’d both been on the same football team at school and were close growing up. Not so much now, but things happened. Like Madden being back in Troham.
‘Here.’
Adryan immediately jumped into action and ran around the back of the ambulance, throwing the doors open to grab what they’d need.
Jogging to the car, he waited until the firefighters had cut enough, then stepped in to assess and stabilize Madden before he was moved to a stretcher.
Then he reassessed as Madden was moved closer to the ambulance.
Checking his arms, Adryan felt the potential break and noted it down.
The laceration on Madden’s forehead wasn’t as bad as it appeared, but it would require stitches.
His pupils confirmed the concussion Adryan suspected after seeing the head injury.
Once he finished, Abigail and Adryan moved the stretcher onto the ambulance and Adryan hopped in the back as she went to the front.
They took off and Adryan flashed his light into Madden’s eyes to check his pupils. Madden’s eyes fluttered, then opened, his hand moving to push the light away.
‘You’re in good hands. I’ll take care of you, alright?’ Adryan smiled down at Madden.
‘Adryan?’ Madden asked, his voice rough.
‘Hey, Madden.’ Madden’s eyes closed and when they didn’t open, Adryan checked his pulse and blood pressure, noting both were within the normal range.
Adryan paused to look at Madden. He had his hair shaved at the sides but longer on top and Adryan could already see bruises developing along his forehead and down the side of the face where they disappeared under his stubble. His light green eyes appeared briefly, then disappeared again.
‘Madden?’
Madden’s eyes opened, narrowed. Glaring up at Adryan, he muttered, ‘had to be you, didn’t it?’
‘Nice to see you too, Madden.’
‘What’s nice? I’m stuck here now. My car’s fucked, my arm too, which means I can’t leave this shithole for now.’
‘I need to check your blood pressure.’ Adryan ignored Madden’s outburst and did his job.
‘I’m fine.’ Madden moved his arm away, then cried out, his pale skin going white. He grimaced, baring his teeth, gently cradling his arm.
‘Please be careful. You’ve suffered a potential fracture.’
‘You think I don’t know that?’ Madden spat.
‘I can feel it. How are you a paramedic? Did your football career disappear, so you were left with no choice but this? I feel sorry for the people who live here.’ Madden laughed, the sound harsh and brittle.
‘No, the poor bastards who have you turn up to help them. That’s who I should feel sorry for. ’
Adryan ignored Madden’s outburst and kept working, checking Madden’s vitals and assessing his wounds. The boy he’d known growing up had all but disappeared to be replaced by someone who hated Troham and its residents.
‘Are we there yet, and why haven’t you given me any of the good stuff? You think I want to remember any of this? I buried my old man and had to deal with Michael. Now this. Could this day get any worse? Oh, it did. You appeared.’
Madden tried to move, groaned, pain lacing the sound. Adryan reached out to check Madden’s head, but Madden dodged his hand, a move he regretted. ‘Madden. This is my job. I need to assess you.’
‘Fine. Go ahead. You can’t make me feel any worse than I do.’
‘Thank you.’ Adryan had faced worse patients, but it was strange dealing with Madden like this, especially considering his behavior. He could remain professional. When you learned to dodge punches and avoid sliding in vomit, a few harsh words were nothing.
Madden’s eyes fluttered closed and Adryan completed his assessment, then lifted Madden’s eyelid to check his pupils. Madden moaned, trying to turn away from the light. ‘I need to check your eyes.’
When he didn’t respond, Adryan went through his checks again, then lifted his head when Abigail told him they had arrived at the hospital. The ambulance slowed, then stopped, and Adryan was out within a minute, telling the hospital staff about Madden’s condition.
Once the handover had been completed, he went back to the ambulance and began to clean up, ready to go home after a long shift.
‘So, that’s Madden?’ Abigail murmured, as she began to restock the items they’d used.
Adryan shrugged. ‘Yeah. I guess he’d come back for his old man’s funeral.’
‘Good-looking guy.’
Adryan arched an eyebrow at her and carried on cleaning the ambulance. ‘Can’t say I noticed.’
‘How could you not notice? Guy is hot as hell.’ Abigail fanned her face, causing Adryan to roll his eyes at her. ‘I might have to go in and check how he is.’
‘Abi,’ Adryan groaned.
She flashed a grin at him, then hopped off the back of the ambulance. ‘We’re done here and I’m ready to go home. Any plans?’
‘Other than sleeping? Not right now.’
‘You need to get laid.’
‘I’ll get right on that. I’ll even note it in my diary. ‘Abi told me I need to get laid.’’’
Abi flipped him off, laughed and walked away. ‘See you later!’
Grinning, Adryan scanned the ambulance, noted everything was in place, then handed the keys over to the next shift.
After a quick chat and catch-up, he went to his locker and grabbed his bag.
Strolling across the parking lot, Adryan pulled the hood of his coat over his head when the heavens opened.
Drops hit the ground, and Adryan jogged to his black Ford parked in the corner.
Clicking the fob, he jumped in just before the rain became a downpour.
Driving home, windshield wipers at full speed, Adryan thought about Madden.
Seeing him again after all those years had been a surprise.
He’d assumed Madden wouldn’t have come back for the funeral.
His relationship with his brother, Michael, had become bitter, resentful before he’d left.
They could barely have a civilized conversation, and whenever they managed to be in the same room, it didn’t end well.
Madden’s relationship with his father, John, was worse, if that was possible. After Madden had come out, John rarely had a kind word to say to him. No wonder Madden had left as soon as he could. If Adryan had been in Madden’s position, then he might have made a similar decision.
Reaching home, Adryan parked, grabbed his bag and rushed out of the car, jogging to the apartment block where he lived.
The modern building had a spacious foyer and Adryan stopped at his box to check for mail.
Once he’d grabbed the envelopes, he ran up the three flights of stairs to the top floor where his apartment was.
Going inside, he dropped his mail on a small table and kicked the door shut. The first thing he desperately needed was a shower, which of course had him thinking about Madden.
Madden had been eighteen when he’d left Troham for college and hadn’t been back since.
Once he had gone, that was it. Adryan knew he’d received a scholarship.
Madden had taken it and run. That was the last Adryan had seen of him.
He’d heard plenty over the years from Michael, more so after the accident that ended Michael’s football career.
Seeing him today, even injured and covered in dirt and blood, had Adryan remembering the first time he’d noticed Madden as more than Michael’s younger brother.
They’d been arguing over something trivial and Michael had pushed Madden.
Being taller and wider, Michael usually won their fights, but something in Madden had snapped that day and he’d swung his fist, connecting with Michael’s jaw and landing Michael on his ass.
Madden had stormed out of the house and Adryan had run after him while Shane had dealt with Michael. Grabbing his arm, Adryan had yanked Madden back, then found himself staring into green eyes that flashed with anger. Madden had pushed Adryan away and run off, leaving Adryan to stare after him.
Things had deteriorated further between Michael and Madden, then Michael’s accident had ended his dreams. John had let Michael know how much of a disappointment he was, so Madden had borne the brunt of Michael’s anger.
Getting out of the shower, Adryan ran over to his phone, picking it up to answer the call, dripping water all over the floor.
‘Hello.’
Going back into the bathroom, he grabbed a towel.
‘Ry. Shit. Where are you?’
‘Home. Got stuck on a callout, so only just finished. How was it?’
Shane sighed heavily. ‘Michael got drunk. Insulted everyone, including Madden, who threw a glass of wine in his face then left.’
No wonder Madden had been the way he was with Adryan. He’d wanted to get the hell away and ended up crashing his car instead. Now he would be stuck in Troham for at least a few days. It had to be hell for him knowing he wouldn’t be able to leave immediately.
‘How’s Michael?’
‘Drunk and leaving Susan to pick up the pieces, so nothing new. I’m just leaving now. Couldn’t let Susan clean up the mess alone and deal with the kids.’ Adryan heard movement down the line, then Shane exhaled again. ‘He’s drinking more.’
‘I know, but if he isn’t willing to do anything about it, there isn’t much we can do either. We can only be there for him.’
‘I’ve gotta go. Catch up later, yeah?’
‘Yeah.’ Adryan hung up and dropped his phone on the table. Using the towel, he dried his hair and body, then threw it in the laundry basket. Pulling sweats and a T-shirt on, he headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab a beer.
Madden. The boy he knew was now a man and Adryan had found it hard to look away from him.
The soft face had disappeared, revealing a man with sharp cheekbones, full lips, and a strong jaw.
If Adryan had found Madden attractive when he was younger, then the adult Madden had blown Adryan’s mind.
Not that he was going to do anything about it.
Madden wouldn’t be interested. He was someone who reminded Madden about his past and what he’d been forced to deal with growing up.
The only thing Madden wanted was to get away from Troham and never come back.
Adryan knew that without having to be told. And he didn’t blame him.
As a kid, he’d laughed at Michael’s jokes about Madden.
Laughed when he’d pushed him around and called him a fairy after Madden had come out.
Laughed when Michael had messed with Madden’s things, hiding them or destroying them.
Looking back, he saw Michael for the jealous bully he was, but then? Then he’d laughed right along with him.
When Adryan had realized he was gay, he’d kept it to himself.
He’d seen how Michael had treated Madden and hadn’t wanted to lose his friend.
When he had come clean, their friendship had changed.
Shane hadn’t been bothered by it, but Michael had.
They weren’t as close now and that did sadden Adryan, but there were only so many times you could try with someone before you gave up.
They talked, met up occasionally, but that was about it.
And now Madden was here, and Adryan knew life was going to change.