Chapter Two

The throbbing pain registers before I can even open my eyes. At first I think it is my whole body protesting and pounding in a relentless throb from my head to my feet, but I peel my eyes open and focus on exactly where it is radiating from. My head and my right ankle grab my attention, and I start to recall last night in a string of unorganized memories.

This is my first hang over, and I quickly vow that it will be my last. While I have never experienced a pounding in my head as bad as this, I am pretty sure I am not supposed to be hearing it. Perhaps I am hallucinating but I can hear a pounding that is originating outside of my skull. Throwing the covers back, I quickly sit up and perch on the side of my bed waiting for the rolling to stop.

My ankle looks horrible, swollen and slightly bruised. I hobble to my bedroom door and try to get to the knocking at the end of the hall. In a cadence of ouches and thumps from my feeble attempts at bracing myself up against the wall, I slowly manage to pull open the front door. Just as quickly I want to slam it shut.

"Hello, you must be Maddy?" asks a young man carrying a small black bag. He looks from my eyes down to my ankle and a smile crosses his lips. I can't even imagine what a wreck I must look like. I still have on my dress from last night, my hair is a matted mess, and I am pretty sure I must have make-up smeared everywhere.

"Yes, I am Madeline. Who are you?" I stumble for a second and he grabs onto my arm to keep me from falling out of the door. When I make an ass of myself I go all out.

"I'm Rob, a trainer for the team and someone out there just called in a favor for you. Heard you might need a little help with that ankle today." He tips his chin in the direction of the living room and looks past my shoulder as if to ask if I am going to invite him in.

"I am not on any team and no one owes me any favors. Thanks for going to the trouble of coming over but I am afraid there has been a mistake." I pull my arm away from Rob's grip and he cocks his head to the side while letting out a small chuckle.

"Now I know there is no mistake. He told me you were stubborn. The favor that was owed is mine, Maddy, you just happen to be the lucky recipient of my services. I have been waiting for three years to make things even between Jackson and me; this is my opportunity. Now, if I could please just come in and check out that ankle then I will be happily on my way. Practice starts in about ten minutes so no worries about me sticking around long enough to kill you, I just wouldn't have the time."

Jackson sent a trainer to my house. With that, my hopes that he had left here and got himself so drunk he would forget how he had to carry a sloppy, giggling invalid back to her apartment are dashed. "By all means Rob, please come in. I can't get in the way of a man and his debts," I say, making a grand gesture with my arm to invite him inside. Rob grabs my arm and wraps it around his shoulder to help me walk over to the couch.

After looking at my ankle he concludes that it is probably not broken but badly sprained. Rob wraps it and it immediately feels better, although it is nowhere near a miracle healing and I am dying to take some Motrin. With his favor paid in full, Rob packs up his bag and makes his way to the front door.

"You know why it has taken me three years to pay this debt off, Maddy?" Rob asks as he steps out onto my doorstep.

"It's Madeline, " I correct. "It must be because you are a very busy man." With that Rob laughs and shakes his head no.

"Jackson has never had anyone he has cared enough about to call in his favor. I have to admit that while I was excited to be able to call us even, my curiosity about you was more intense than any feeling of relief. Have a good day, Madeline." He stresses the entirety of my name as if to prove a point.

"Wait, Rob, could you please tell Jackson thank you for me. I am not sure when I will see him again or I would thank him myself."

"If I had to put money on it I would say that you will be seeing him again real soon." With a wink and a bounce in his step, Rob leaves my apartment. I stand there for a minute wondering where I would put my money. Last night was intense, but today is a new day. There will be no more rescuing this damsel in distress, the knights from fairytales don't go after girls who lock themselves up and throw away their own key.

I decide that a shower is clearly out of the question thanks to my ankle wrap and begin to run myself a hot bath. I strip out of my dress from last night and smile as I uncover the small lacy panties which must have allowed Jackson to get an eye full. The thought of Jackson causes heat to rush over me and I slowly lower the panties to the floor, relishing in the way the silky lace traces over the path Jackson's hands had taken the night before.

I slide into the hot water and allow my thoughts to float back to last night and the heat from Jackson's body against mine. He had worried I would regret it this morning, and in part he was correct. I feel myself becoming aroused with the thought of his warm, rough skin trailing up my thigh and beneath my skirt. My body aches as I remember the low, husky voice that whispered in my ear causing goose bumps to pebble my skin. His voice brought every peak of my body to attention and caused a craving for more contact. My regret is that I have now had a taste of what wanting--no needing-- a man can be like and I fear I will never get to experience that again.

After a long bath I swallow down some Motrin and throw on a pair of my favorite Hudson jeans and a snug vintage t-shirt. I am meeting Abby at the coffee shop on campus to catch up on what happened with her and her boyfriend after they left the bar. Abby has been dating Kyle for three years now and, while they seem joined at the hip, they both plan to move back home when they graduate. That wouldn't be a problem if she weren't from California or he weren't from Florida. These next few months have heartbreak written all over them.

The small coffee shop is crowded with students spending their Sunday studying for finals while keeping a steady supply of caffeine within reach. I see Abby in the corner and I'm grateful she has managed to snag us a small booth. I wave to let her know I see her as I make my way to the line that now stretches to the door. Eyeing the pastries, I wince at the thought of food and decide coffee will have to do until my stomach recovers from being bathed in cheap champagne.

More and more students enter the small shop and the line condenses to allow them access to the rear. I brush up against the tiny woman in front of me and give her a small smile and say I am sorry, as she turns forward to allow a little more room for students to pass us and meet up with their friends at the front of the line. It is heating up quickly in here and I roll my hair into a tight twist and hold it off of my neck, as I blow out a breath aimed at my forehead in the hopes of lowering my temperature a tad.

"How's that ankle, Rookie?" my eyes close as the vibration of his voice bounces off every cell in my body. My traitorous body tips my head to the side as if to offer my neck up to the source of that low, commanding voice. A quick movement in the line as a student enters the coffee shop causes our bodies to collide like dominoes as the line absorbs the new patron. I give another tight smile to the lady in front of me as I note how awkward my relationship with her is becoming.

"I've got you," Jackson whispers as he pulls back on my hips to dislodge me from my new friend's side.

"My hero," I say, batting my eyelashes in his direction and we both laugh as our familiar story unfolds again. "My ankle is well taken care of, Jackson. Thanks for calling in that favor for me. How was practice?" My heart is pounding in my chest and I hope that he takes the flush on my cheeks as a simple matter of temperature in this shop and not that I can't control my reaction to him.

"Not a problem. I would, however, like to point out that in the world of favors you are now in debt to me. I will give you some time to let that set in." He grins at me and then puts his hands on my shoulders to steer me forward as our line moves up infinitesimally. "I'm sure some sort of arrangement can be worked out."

"Surely," I reply sarcastically even though the thought of working anything out with him causes fire to race through me.

"Practice was good. We watched some films of the team we are playing this weekend. We have a great team this year. Have you ever been to a game?"

"No, I don't really have much free time. Isn't the season almost over?" We move up again, slowly inching to the front of the line.

"We have a few more games before the end of the season. This week we are going to kill them but we will play it safe so that we don't have any injured players when we take on State at the end of the season. Please tell me you have at least attended a pep rally on the practice field." More movement from the back of the line causes Jackson to press up against me and I can feel his hard muscles connecting with my back. I should shy away from this contact but instead I lean into it, allowing the front of his body to mold with my back. My arms are growing tired from holding my hair off of my neck so I let it fall across my shoulder and I shake my arms out.

"Never been to one, my social calendar is a bitch. I imagine I am missing out on bouncing cheerleaders and shouting football players?" I'm teasing him and I turn my head to meet his gaze with a small smile and he quickly looks away when I have caught him staring at me. We both shoot our gazes back to the front of the shop and pretend to read the menu. I look over to the small booth to see if Abby is paying attention to me but she is staring at her phone.

"Last night was amazing, Rookie, I haven't stopped thinking about you since I left." He whispers in my ear as the overwhelmed girl working at the counter calls me up to order. I stand for a minute dazed by his confession and trying to gather a thought to place my order. Words fall from my mouth and I am hoping I am speaking her language because I feel like I am swimming in warmth and about to pass out from the hammering that is taking place in my chest.

I move over to the corner to wait for my order to be called and pretend to be interested in the nutritional content of their food items while I wait for my name. I reach out to grab my coffee but Jackson scoops it up first. "I can see you are still nursing that ankle Rookie, I will carry it over to your table so you don't spill it all over yourself." I nod my head in thanks and remain speechless as he places his hand on my lower back as I guide him to the booth where Abby is sitting. Her jaw is on the floor as she watches Jackson follow me over carrying my coffee. She manages to snap out of it and in the process shut her mouth right before I take my seat in the booth next to her.

"Abby, this is Jackson. Jackson this is my roommate Abby." Jackson sets down my coffee and shakes her hand over the table. Nothing is said as she just stares at him over her bagel. I give her a small kick under the table and she turns to me then seems to shake it off and look back to Jackson with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Jackson. You're having a great season this year." Of course Abby knows him, I am probably the only person on campus who hasn't seen a game.

"Thank you, Abby. Take good care of my Rookie here." The barista loudly calls his name over the crowd. "Sounds like my order is ready. It was great meeting you Abby, and Maddy, it's always a pleasure." With that Jackson turns around and makes a grand exit. Only it isn't like in the fairytales or movies we know because as he leaves he grabs the two cups of coffee awaiting him on the counter. Not one cup for him to drink alone-two cups; one for Prince Charming and the other for his Cinderella. For the briefest of moments before Abby returns my earlier kick under the table, I want to be his Cinderella.

"Spill it. Don't try to tell me that was your first meeting." Abby is staring into my eyes as she turns her whole body to face mine. "Damn Madeline, three years of watching you sit by as life flew past and all along you have had a little bit of bad girl in there. Let her out, I want to meet her."

"It's nothing Abby. I ran into him last night on my way home. He climbed my trellis and we watched the stars."

"Please tell me that is a euphemism." She closes her eyes then takes a big breath and we both break down into fits of giggles as the other customers watch us try to get our shit together again.

"Not a euphemism. God Abby, I have a boyfriend." I cover my face with both hands and try to figure out if I am telling her that fact or trying to remind myself.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Greg. That boy should have climbed your trellis months ago. Whatever you are thinking, Sweetheart, please do it. Don't let your family stop you from having a little fun. "

"Enough about me, Abby, how did last night go? Did you guys get any closer to a compromise?" My heart hurts for her and Kyle. I feel guilty that a little part of me wishes Greg and I came from different states, that I didn't have to be committed to him because everyone would understand we both had other commitments to our family that would have to come over our own relationship. We don't; we literally live five miles from each other. Abby starts to talk again and I can't help but to focus out the front window of the shop as she catches me up on their never-ending debate about their living situation.

Jackson is outside, talking to another man that looks about his age. I am completely captivated by Jackson, conversations around me fade out and I watch every movement of his body. The way his bicep is flexed as he holds up the coffee, the beautiful way he smiles as he talks and the way his eyes gaze over in my direction. I'm totally caught. Jackson's eyes meet mine and he grins in my direction. Quickly I focus back on Abby who has apparently stopped talking to watch me watch Jackson.

"Sorry," I offer and quickly take a sip of my coffee.

"Madeline, why did he call you Rookie?" I follow her line of vision back to Jackson.

"I was using my skills to launch my belongings onto the roof." We are both staring at him now but he is only looking at me.

"Shit. I knew it. You were drunk weren't you? I told Kyle we needed to make sure you got home ok."

"I wasn't that drunk, Abby, at least not on alcohol. I had freedom. I was out from under the family rule and I wanted to have a little fun. You guys aren't my babysitters and while I appreciate you worrying about me-trust me when I say that my family has that covered." Jackson climbs into his truck and leaves the parking lot. I want to run outside and scream for him to stop, to feel what it feels like to be free and sharing the same air as him.

"Your father can't keep you locked up under his rule forever. Promise me you'll follow your heart, Madeline."

"Right now my heart is showing no loyalty to the king my friend, and that could be very dangerous." We finish our coffees and make our way back to the apartment. We both have class this afternoon and I need to get a nap in before I sit through another dry lecture.