the Officer and his Beauty

Chaper 7

Madisons pov

Two days I had been here.

Mrs. Jameson brought me clothes and a toothbrush so that I could cover basic hygiene.

I stood in the small yard, staring at the clearing behind the house. It was so small that I was still sleeping on the couch, and Nate and I were not speaking. Or he was, but I wasn’t.

He was acting insane and snapping at me from nowhere, then he came rushing back when he was the one to leave me and said that he couldn’t be with me like I had even asked him…. I slightly growled when I thought about that; he was stupid—the stupidest guy in the whole world.

“Enjoying the weather? It's quite hot for this time of year….” I turned and saw Mrs. Jameson come out. It was still early in the day, and she was having a cup of tea in her hand that she gave me, not even asking. She knew what I wanted; she had been in the kitchen all those years, so she probably knew better than me.

“Yes.” I wasn’t interested in speaking to her or her stupid grandson, who I saw taking off and ignoring me just as much as I was him when he went off to run or whatever he was doing, working out. i***t.

“Well, it is going to be hot this summer, I can tell; that’s good for tourism, not so much for the farmers….” I just made a face. What did I care about that? I was here, stuck in a small home, and avoided the same guy who made me relax and get tense at the same time. It was exhausting!

“I guess.” My voice was bored, and I sipped some tea, not wanting to talk more, and she didn’t push it; finally, she wasn’t trying to talk about the freaking weather or crops.

“I spoke to your father.” I snapped my head. What?! He talked to her and not me!? That was just some bull! I was just about to start yelling at her when she raised her hand like she wouldn’t take it anymore. I stopped mid-air, not even knowing why. I had never seen Mrs. Jameson as an authority figure, the opposite. She was sweet and didn’t argue; that was what I liked about her.

“He doesn’t know when he will be back, so he has asked me to take you in; since you are of age, the government can’t really care for you; he wants you to behave and listen to me.” why did she sound so damn smug when she said that? I was listening, to her, to Nate, even when he had obviously split personalities that needed some freaking therapy!

“I know that you are used to getting everything served, Madison, but here, under my roof, you will help and find a job, but the most important rule is to stay away from my grandson.” I made a slight choking noise when I was drinking tea. Mrs Jameson turned and looked at me thoughtfully as if she wanted me to understand that this was the one thing she wanted me to follow; I knew the look from my dad.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Mrs Jameson…? “I made a confused face that she smirked back at like she thought I was funny for even trying, slightly annoyed; he didn’t even want me, so why was she even on my case!?

“Oh, don’t play stupid with me, I saw the way you look at him, and I know most girls around here do, but he is a good boy, better than most his age, and I don’t want you or any other girl out there corrupting him….” I didn’t understand the darkness in her otherwise peaceful eyes. Had someone hurt Nate? Why did that make me upset?

“I’m not playing anything; stay away from Nate. Got it.” I sounded so cold when she smiled back. She didn’t look like she wanted to rip my head off just a second ago, like a sweet old lady who didn’t threaten people.

“Good. Just follow my rules, and then you and I will get along just fine.” I highly doubted that this was the way she was behaving when she wasn’t working for me; a real b***h, just pretending to be sweet.

I didn’t say anything when we both saw Nate coming back; he had been running like he did every day, making my heart beat harder when our eyes met for precisely one second before he looked away. Smiling at his Nana as he called her, what a stupid name! I stared at him when he had the guts to come toward us, seeing that he had avoided me for two days, the same as me.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were up already…” he smiled at Mrs. Jameson, who kissed his sweaty face and didn’t seem to mind that he was dripping down on her when he bent over like the good boy he was. She was right; it was warm outside.

“Yes, I was just talking to Madison about her stay here with us…. some rules, but I don’t have to tell you, Nate; I know you are a good boy….” I almost laughed when he looked like he was suffering from how she spoke to him; he really was just eight years old in her eyes; I could see that now. So stupid.

“Alright…. Well, I will hit the shower and then off to the lumberyard. See you at dinner, Nana…. Madison…” he said my name last, and I smiled sarcastically at him, not even caring if the old woman saw me; he looked so stupid… all sweaty and hot…. His muscular torso and arms just gleamed…

I coughed and looked at the sky instead of the sizzling guy who would shower…. Oh boy… I didn’t need more lessons today from Mrs. Jameson, who looked at me suspiciously like she could read my mind; I bet she could.

“Remember Madison, stay away….” She didn’t say anything more when I didn’t answer. I watched her return inside the house, probably to cook poor, defenseless Nate breakfast. She called me spoiled? She did more for him than a whole team of people when I wasn’t exiled.

I sighed and picked up my phone again; it was filled with crap this day. All about my dad and what he did; apparently, he had done something terrible, made the government breathing down his neck…. God! I wished he wouldn’t have trusted the old crow to care for me if he had gotten caught!

I made a face and felt my stomach starting to growl. I was hungry again, but let’s be honest since I got here, they didn’t keep the vegan diet, and I didn’t want to eat meat, leaving me with the great option of cereal or canned soup.

I walked inside slowly; Mrs. Jameson was already in the kitchen when I strolled over and took a bowl and the cereal package. When she turned her head and frowned at me like I did something wrong.

“That’s Nate's favorite; you can take the ones in the back, Madison.” She didn’t even wait when I just stared at her; wow, she really was a b***h when I put the packing back, and my hand found some all-Bran that was out of date in the past two years… and I was getting food poisoning, fantastic.

I just sat down at the table with the bowl and stared at it; I would starve to death. I never thought that was how I would die, seeing that I never ate that much, but after being here for two days, I was starting to get that most of the things in the kitchen were for Nate. Spoiled bastard.

I looked up when he walked into the kitchen. The smell of him being newly showered hit me hard. I took a deep breath and held it. I didn’t want Mrs. Jameson to see me; she was kissing his cheek again like she didn’t just do that twenty minutes ago when he looked uncomfortable again when he knew I was watching them. Nana’s boy.

I stared into my cereal again, or all brands, when I heard the chair scrape on the tile floor, the only place in this house that didn’t have a rug.

I didn’t look up to see him. No, he was not getting my attention when I heard the big plate being served. I finally looked up from my phone, which I had been pretending to stare at when the even stronger smell of the big pile of meat hit me hard. My stomach made a growl, forcing me to take a spoon of the old all-bran. Yuk!

“You want some?” I switched my eyes to the big guy; he had a gentle smile, and his eyes were soft like he was trying to win me over when I didn’t even know If I wanted to see him anymore... that stupid handsome face…. I sneered when he seemed to give up and just started to dig in, not saying a word more to Mrs. Jameson or me, who was cleaning up in the kitchen.

I was still chewing on my first spoonful when he was done, and he just got up and didn’t say a word. Why did that hurt inside of me? I was being ridiculous when my eyes followed his towering body, which was already over the counter, and he gave his Nana the plate he didn’t need to wash up; no, that was my job!?

“Alright, ladies, I’m off and will see you tonight!” Surprised, he smiled at Mrs. Jameson and kissed his cheek again; it was getting seriously ridiculous!

“Madison, I’m off too. Since your father can’t pay me anymore, I want you to clean up when I go out and work just like the rest of us normal people; you got that? Oh, the kitchen and the living room, and vacuum Nate's room, but don’t touch his stuff; he doesn’t like that!”

Mrs Jameson had a commanding tone when I just nodded, and she gave me the slightest smile, or if it was one, I didn’t know.

I just threw the all-bran down the trash when she left and stared at the sink; this was some bull! What the hell had she been doing when she was standing over here? She wasn’t cleaning that Nate believed, no.

She probably had her eyes on us, so I didn’t flirt with him! She would have died from a heart attack if she knew how he looked at me that first night like he wanted to do so much more than just say hello to me… that old hag.

I filled the sink and cursed when I cleaned the plates; this was disgusting! Why couldn’t she just get a dishwasher like a normal person?!

I was wiping off the bench when my phone was pinging, and I just stopped. That better not be another person who wanted to know what happened from my followers or friends. I didn’t want to talk about it.

I rinsed my hand and looked at it, raising my eyebrows; who was this? Nate? I stared at the message on IG; yes, that was him. The profile picture was right, and he looked just as handsome in it as he was in real life. Dammit.

“Hey, I was wondering if you could pick up my bag and bring it to me; I forgot my lunch.” I just frowned at that; what the hell was I to him, some goddam maid and a delivery service?! I was just about to type no back, big capital letters, when I changed my mind; if I did that, he would tell Mrs. Jameson, and then she would give me more crap than she already did.

“K.” I sent it back and put it on the table again, I wasn’t done yet, and I knew that old hag would kick me out if I didn't do what she wanted me to…. I sighed and walked over to the vacuum cleaner. I hated my life.