Beyond Broken(30)

He didn't say anything and left his thought unfinished. So Maddie didn't waste any more of her time. She walked towards her car and didn't look back. Then she zoomed out of the parking lot, not able to get away fast enough.





TWELVE





On Sunday, the day after Caleb had called her desperate and irresponsible-which she still thought about more than she probably should-Maddie dreaded seeing him again. In her mind, she told herself she'd play it cool, act like his words hadn't affected her … even though he'd seen her cry after he said them.

Caleb, it seemed, had the same plan. She went into the office that day-thankfully with no further remarks from Jones, although he'd glowered at her as she passed him-and nodded a greeting to him. Then she took her seat and got to work, trying to do her best to ignore that he existed.

Immature, perhaps, but necessary for her dignity.

Their only interaction that day was when, surprisingly, Caleb asked if she was hungry because he was running out to pick up lunch. If that was his form of an apology, he seriously sucked at it. Naturally, she'd declined, even though she had been a little hungry.

So, Caleb left, giving her a good half hour of alone time, which she used to clear her head and try to recompose herself. By the time he returned, she'd been studiously working, barely glancing up when he entered with his delicious looking sandwiches and chips, damn him.

When Maddie left that afternoon, she'd been proud. She wouldn't let him get into her head; she'd be strong and she'd finish her work and then never look back. She could do it.



       
         
       
        

The next couple days passed in a similar fashion, although she had to come in the evening on both Monday and Tuesday due to classes and study sessions. They worked in relative silence. Maddie, however, occasionally had questions which meant she'd have to speak to him. But otherwise, it was like they were complete strangers to one another … although that was still technically true. They didn't know each other. Not intimately, at least.

And whenever Maddie thought back to that Saturday afternoon, when she threw herself at him, she'd cringe and flush, feeling like her stomach was tying itself into knots. She hated that Caleb held that image of her in his mind. She hadn't even known where that throw-caution-to-the-wind woman had come from, but it certainly hadn't felt like her.

Now she knew better.

Maddie liked their routine. It suited her just fine, although on occasion, she'd glance up to find Caleb's eyes on her before he jerked his gaze away. Whenever she did discover that, her stomach would flutter, but she convinced herself that she didn't care. He could look at her if he wanted, but nothing would ever come out of it.

If Caleb wanted to lie to himself, then she could lie to herself. It only seemed like a fair trade.

When Maddie stepped into the garage on Wednesday evening, she smiled when she saw Brian and Peter. The older man was telling him yet another story about his wife-who Maddie secretly knew he adored no matter how much he moaned and complained about her-and the teenager was laughing, something Maddie rarely ever saw, especially when she came around. He was slowly getting used to her presence though. He barely blushed now when he saw her, so Maddie figured that was progress.

"I come bearing cookies," she announced proudly to the two of them, presenting them with a plate she'd wrapped up. She'd had a study session with a few of her classmates, so she baked some cookies the night before for fuel. She made sure to double the batch so she could bring some into the garage.

"Like an angel from heaven," Brian declared, stepping over to snatch one off the plate as soon as she uncovered them. Maddie laughed when he wolfed it down in two bites, already reaching out for another.

Peter hesitated as he stood from his chair, perpetually shy, but she smiled when he said, "Thanks," and took one for himself.

Maddie noticed an open notebook at Peter's feet and a stubby pencil and eraser shavings lying next to it. But what fascinated her most was the beautiful sketch of a tree.

"Is that yours, Peter?" she asked, nodding down to the notebook. "I didn't know you could draw."

The teenager didn't say anything, although his blush was back in full force as he hunched over to retrieve his notebook from the ground. 

"Can I see it?" she asked eagerly.

"Yeah, show her your drawings, Peter. I've never seen anyone who could draw like him," Brian added, snatching one more cookie before returning to the car he was working on.

Peter, although a little reluctantly, handed her his notebook and then immediately came to stand over her shoulder as she peered more closely down at the tree.