CHAPTER TWO
1823 Words
Soon enough, they were filing into the luxurious building which was Archer’s family home, and the scent of freshly baked cookies greeted the very second they stepped into the house fully. Madeline couldn’t help but drag in a lung full of the mouth-watering scent, it smelt of vanilla and coconuts, and she was already wondering what it would taste like. She found herself loosening up gradually as an elderly woman with bright eyes and a warm smile stepped out of a corner, she could tell she was responsible for the sweet aroma from the mittens she had on, and for some reason she felt her heart flood with warmth just by staring at her.
“Welcome back”. She greeted them and they all responded in their own way. Her gaze settled on Archer and she smiled fondly at him. “You brought your friends”.
He smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, hope you don’t mind?”. He said. “I told them you were making cookies”.
The elderly woman chuckled and shook her head.
“Of course not, there are always enough cookies to go round”. She replied. “Come on”.
A warm smile curved Madeline’s lips as they followed her further into the house, she ushered them into the living room and made sure they were all comfortable before excusing herself briefly. It felt so homey here, though the house was big and fancy it had this homey touch to it, a sort of warmth and cordiality which seemed extremely new to Madeline, the house seemed alive and soulful and she found herself completely relaxed now.
So were the others, they seemed used to the place already and they all settled down languidly. Roxy was seated beside Archer on a two-sitter, they talked softly and casually and it was obvious that Roxy was even more taken with him, her cheeks were all flushed and her eyes were bright.
“You have siblings?”. She was saying.
And he nodded.
“I do. Two younger ones, they’re a pain in the ass”. He replied and she chuckled.
Madeline smiled, she lowered he gaze to her hands which were on her lap and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be part of a family, to have a mum, a dad, siblings, she was sure it would have been lovely.
“See Mads? It’s not so bad, is it?”. Alison asked her.
She chuckled and shook her head.
“No, no”. she said.
She had been nervous early cause she didn’t entirely trust them, they didn’t seem like the best of company for her, but it was fine now since they had just stopped by at a homey place which she found very comforting.
“Yeah”. She replied.
Roxy’s gaze flickered to hers and she gave her a bright smile.
“See Mads, I told you it was a good idea to hang out”. She said to her.
And Madeline nodded once more.
It wasn’t long before the elderly lady returned baring a tray of freshly baked cookies, and the others begun cheering enthusiastically as she set it down on the center table.
“Yeah! That’s the stuff”. The guys cheered and all Madeline could do was smile.
"Orange juice coming right up". She announced and they cheered even more.
Smiling, she turned around and walked away in the direction she had come from.
"Trust me, Mads, these are the best cookies there are!". Madison told her. "You'll keep coming back for more".
Madeline smiled and nodded. She couldn't wait to try them out.
~~
Madeline wasn’t sure how long she had been there, all she knew was that she had been having fun, they had had cookies and freshly squeezed orange juice while talking casually about one thing or another. She was quiet most times because she wasn’t exactly sure what to say, it was difficult to keep up with their banters and all but it was fine, she found the whole thing comforting, just sitting there with a group of people her age made her feel normal, made her feel young and alive, and she was sure that she’d hang with them more.
“Our time at Chateau De Versailles was wonderful, of course we posted all about it; it boosted our followers on i********:”. Madison was saying.
Shawn rolled his eyes as did the other guys, it seemed they had heard the story countless times and they were just about tired of hearing it.
“God, let’s not talk about our time at Disneyland, it was absolutely ah-may-zing!”. Alison added.
Madeline listened as the others narrated how they had spent their last break, the twins had been on tour in France , Roxy had so gladly told them she had been in Amsterdam and they were actually interested in listening to her for that short moment.
“Where did you go, Mads?”. Madison asked her.
Her eyes widened slightly as everyone’s attention settled on her. She didn’t want to think about where she had been and all she had gone through in the last year, she didn't want her mind traveling back to all the pain and darkness so she just smiled and shook her head.
“I…didn’t go anywhere”. She answered quietly. And never before had she found herself wishing that she actually had a story to tell, that she was a part of something….luxurious.
“Oh that’s fine”. Alison said waving her hand. They didn’t think much of it, if she hadn’t gone for a vacation then it was simply because she didn’t want to go, period. “I hope you can come with us to Italy next break though, we’re all going”. She said.
“Really?”. Roxy asked enthusiastically. “I’ve always wanted to visit Italy!”.
“Well, here’s an excuse”. Archer said and she smiled widely.
Madeline cleared her throat quietly. She didn’t know what to say, it wasn’t like she could just decide that she was going to Italy during the next break.
“You’re coming with us, right Mads?”. They pressed on.
She chuckled quietly.
“I…I don’t know, we’ll see”. She said.
She was glad they didn’t press on; perhaps they didn’t feel the need to. But she truly wanted to go with them, she didn’t want to miss out on any more fun and adventures, she made a mental note to ask Alvise about it when she got back. But she couldn't help but think.....would they still want to hang with her if they truly knew her, if they knew how her life had been before all this.
from being in an orphanage to getting kidnapped and made to work as a worthless doll, to being saved but tormented all over again. She shuddered at the thought of it all, it was too dark to think about, too dark.
Speaking of when she got back…..
Her eyes widened slightly as she realized that it was late already, she reached into her pocket at once and pulled out her phone, the first thing she noticed was the time; 10:04pm followed by the missed calls notification from Alvise, she hadn’t heard the phone ring because she had silenced it during classes. She jerked up at once and everyone turned to look at her once more.
“It’s so late”. She said. “I..I should get back”.
“Relax Mads, it’s just past ten”. Roxy said.
She shook her head.
“I should get going”. She said. “Thanks for having me”.
The last part was directed at Archer, and all he did was smile and nodded once.
“Want me to drop you off?”. Shawn asked her.
She shook her head.
“It’s alright, I’ll call my driver”. She replied.
She hurriedly said her goodnight and headed out, and soon enough she was standing outside dialing Alvise’s number. On getting outside, she had decided to call Alvise instead of the driver, she owed him that much after all, she knew she seemed silly, she had just gotten into college and she was already staying out late. He picked up on the very first dial.
“Madeline”. He said. He sounded calm, like always.
But of course she knew he wasn’t exactly calm, he had after all told her not to stay out late and here she was.
“Hi”. She said quietly. “Could…could you come and get me?”.
“Yeah. Where are you? Are you alright?”. He asked her.
“I am. I’m sorry I stayed out late”. She replied quietly. “I lost tract of time”.
She heard him blow of a breath from the other side.
“It’s fine. Texts me the address, I’ll come get you shortly”. He said.
And a faint smile curved her lips.
“Alright”. She said, “Thanks”.
Saying nothing more, he disconnected the call and she begun typing in the address quickly, and once she sent it to him she knew it wouldn't be long before he got here.
And so she stood there underneath the halo a street lamp while the stars softly twinkled in the dark and enchanting sky of the night. And though the street was empty and quiet, she found she wasn't bothered at all, wasn't scared or unsettled, and she still had faint remnants of her smile from having had a day well spent.
She wasn't sure how long she stood there, but soon enough, the bright headlights of a sleek black car came into view and she squinted her eyes to get them to adjust to the lights. She smiled as the door opened and Alvise stepped out looking perfect like always, his grey eyes appeared silver from where she stood and it was difficult to not stare into them.
She made her way to him, her faint smile still in place.
"I lost track of time, I'm sorry". She said once she got to him.
he had said it was alright but she truly just wanted to clear this up once and for all.
He nodded.
"Just try to pick up your phone when you stay out late, alright?". he asked her.
She nodded.
"I will, I promise". She said.
Saying nothing more, he reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face causing her to lean into his touch. It had only been some hours and she had missed him so very much.
"Let's get you home". He said.
And she nodded once more.
- Writer
