CH 6 -#ohshit
#ohshit
Madison
When I woke up, I gasped because I didn’t know where I was. Then I saw Luke. He was stretched out across the foot of what was apparently his king-size bed with his long-lashed hazel eyes on me, a bottle of Gatorade in his hand, no shirt on, only blue jeans.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Hi.”
“How are you feeling after last night?”
I frowned. “What happened and what am I doing here?”
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Us dancing to ‘Hold My Halo.’”
“We did do that.”
“Going by the expression on your face, we did a lot more that I can’t remember.”
“We did.”
“Care to share?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes,” I said, sitting up and leaning against Luke’s headboard, my heart racing.
“We kissed twice on the dance floor, then we left. After I carried you to my truck, I got you off with my hand, standing beside the open passenger-side door. You wanted me to. You actually told me inside Midnight Rodeo to take you somewhere we could be alone. Then you told me that you wanted me to fuck you.”
“Oh shit, Luke, I am so sorry. I had way too much whiskey. That’s why I said what I did. I am so embarrassed,” I said, burying my face in my hands.
“Madison, look at me.”
I dropped my hands. “I feel like crying.”
“Please don’t. I don’t regret a thing about last night with you.”
“I do. Is my car here?”
“It is now. I wouldn’t let you drive because of how intoxicated you were.”
“How did my car get here?”
“Hayden.”
“My parents have to be worried sick about me not coming home last night.”
“They know where you are. I called your dad and told him I ran into you at the dance hall and that you’d had quite a bit to drink.
Then I asked him if he and your mom would be all right with you sleeping at my place.
I didn’t think it was a good idea for you to go home in the state you were in, especially because of Bella. Your dad agreed.”
“God, did he sound angry?”
“Nope. He laughed and said that you hadn’t pulled a good one since you were in college and were due one.”
“I won’t ever pull one again. I can guarantee you that.”
“Are you feeling nauseous at all?”
“A little.”
“Sip on this.” Luke handed me the bottle of Gatorade and pointed at his nightstand. “Take that Advil too.”
Once I had, I looked back at the shirtless cowboy with a cowboy on a bucking horse tattooed in black on the right side of his muscular chest, then ran my eyes down his six-pack abs and happy trail of brown hair below his navel and back up. “Th-thank you,” I stammered.
“You’re welcome. I sure wish you could remember our two kisses and what I did for you beside my truck. I’ll never forget it.”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I can’t.”
“Alright. Will I see you later today?”
I searched Luke’s eyes, seeing how into me he was. I was into him, too, but this couldn’t go any further between us. It had to stop now because it was a dead-end situation. It was also a conflict of interest, since my parents employed Luke.
“No,” I finally said.
“Tomorrow then?”
“No. This isn’t happening between us.”
Luke sat up. “Why not?”
“You know all the reasons why.”
“I don’t. Madison, listen. Let’s start over, alright? I like you a hell of a lot. We’ll take it slow, though.”
“This door is officially closed.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
I threw back the covers and got out of bed. I was still dressed in what I had on last night, except for my boots. They were sitting on the floor beside the nightstand. After putting them back on, I glanced around, then looked at Luke.
“Where’s my purse?”
“On the table by my front door.”
“Are my car keys in it?”
“They’re sitting beside it.”
I nodded and started leaving the bedroom, but didn’t get far. Luke had gotten up and grabbed my hand, stopping me.
“Madison, talk to me,” he said.
“There’s nothing more to talk about.”
“Yes, there is. I understand you’re embarrassed about what happened between us, but we’re both adults. What we did is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Ty was the first man ever to touch me intimately. You’re the second. As a woman, I am ashamed that I can’t remember you putting your hand in my panties and making me cum. It’s all my fault, too. I lost control of myself last night by drinking too much.”
“I still view you in the same bright light I’ve viewed you in since I met you. Nothing will ever change that.”
“Time will.”
“Don’t leave yet. Please keep talking to me,” Luke said, reaching for my face and holding it in his warm hand.
“No.”
I walked away, leaving him in his bedroom. Going down his hallway, I looked around, trying to figure out if I’d gone the right way since I wasn’t familiar with his cabin. When I saw the front door, I hurried to it, grabbing my purse and keys on the way out.
As soon as I got into my car, I noticed a small circle of barbed wire on my dashboard, along with a folded piece of paper. I opened it, immediately getting choked up because of what was written on it:
Here’s a country girl halo for you.
-Luke
I put what he’d left for me in my glovebox, then headed to my parents’ ranch house.
On the way, I had to pull over to the side of the road to throw up.
I knew it was a combination of all I drank last night, my nerves, humiliation, and wishing deep down inside that I could start over with Luke. He was such an incredible man.