Read Online Waiting for Midnight by Samantha Chase - Free Book Online
Authors: Samantha Chase
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things. I knew I should have said something sooner but…”
Maddie held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t…okay? Just…don’t go there.”
“Where?” he asked, frowning.
She looked up at him sadly, “I don’t want you making up some kind of excuse. I know why you didn’t say anything sooner – you were just having fun. It was me who thought it was turning into something more.” She sighed. “I guess with the holidays and everything, I got caught up in it all.”
“Yeah. I kind of did too,” he said lowly. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, Maddie…”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. Really. I think you should go.”
Part of her really expected him to argue. But he didn’t. Without moving, she waited until she heard the front door close before she even allowed herself to breathe.
Wow, she thought. Just…wow. While she knew Noah was right, she had known from the get-go he didn’t really do relationships, Maddie had seriously thought he was changing. The surly, grouchy man she met a year ago, was in no way, shape or form the same man she had been sleeping with.
Sleeping with.
That was basically all their relationship was. At least to Noah. It was like a kick in the gut. Tugging her robe tightly around her, she walked out of the bedroom and immediately went and checked the lock on the front door and then bolted it. Her heart squeezed painfully when she found the bottle of wine sitting on her coffee table.
They’d never even gotten around to having dinner.
Dessert had been an on-going event for hours.
Sadly, she picked up the bottle and carried it to the kitchen. For a few minutes, she simply went through the motions of cleaning up before turning out all the lights and walking back to her bedroom. If she had a guest room, she would have opted to sleep in there. Unfortunately, she was stuck sleeping in the bed she and Noah had recently vacated.
It was too late to go through the hassle of stripping the bed and changing the sheets. She was mentally and physically exhausted. So for tonight, she’d have to deal with it. “Don’t be an idiot,” she mumbled. “It’s just a bed. You slept in it for years before you met him and you’ll sleep in it for years now that he’s gone.”
Padding to her bathroom, she changed into a pair of pajamas before washing her face and brushing her teeth. She felt numb. It wasn’t until she climbed back into the bed and turned out the light that she finally allowed herself to cry.
****
“You know you’re more than welcome to come and have Christmas dinner here,” Kiera said.
Maddie nodded. “I know.”
“I’m serious,” Kiera said more firmly. “You’ve been distant and vague for over a week now. Christmas is three days away and you haven’t given me a firm answer.”
“You said it was an open invitation,” Maddie said with a shrug. “That it was more of an open house, buffet sort of thing. I didn’t think you needed a yes or no answer.”
“Normally I’d say I didn’t, but I’m worried about you. I really want you to come and be with me and the family. You know they’d love to see you.”
The thought made Maddie smile. Kiera’s family had always welcomed her with open arms. She’d lost count of how many holidays she had spent with them over the years. “I really do appreciate the invite, but I think I’m just going to stay at home. I’m lousy company.”
“Maddie…”
She shook her head. “I can’t, okay? I know you think I need to be out and socializing, but I’m not ready to.”
“Okay, I can respect that. But do you think it’s really the best idea for you to be sitting at home with Noah so close by?”
There was the familiar sting of tears but she willed them away. “He hasn’t been home in a while. Pretty much since he walked out of my apartment. For all I know he’s moved out.”
Kiera looked at her with a
Maddie held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t…okay? Just…don’t go there.”
“Where?” he asked, frowning.
She looked up at him sadly, “I don’t want you making up some kind of excuse. I know why you didn’t say anything sooner – you were just having fun. It was me who thought it was turning into something more.” She sighed. “I guess with the holidays and everything, I got caught up in it all.”
“Yeah. I kind of did too,” he said lowly. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, Maddie…”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. Really. I think you should go.”
Part of her really expected him to argue. But he didn’t. Without moving, she waited until she heard the front door close before she even allowed herself to breathe.
Wow, she thought. Just…wow. While she knew Noah was right, she had known from the get-go he didn’t really do relationships, Maddie had seriously thought he was changing. The surly, grouchy man she met a year ago, was in no way, shape or form the same man she had been sleeping with.
Sleeping with.
That was basically all their relationship was. At least to Noah. It was like a kick in the gut. Tugging her robe tightly around her, she walked out of the bedroom and immediately went and checked the lock on the front door and then bolted it. Her heart squeezed painfully when she found the bottle of wine sitting on her coffee table.
They’d never even gotten around to having dinner.
Dessert had been an on-going event for hours.
Sadly, she picked up the bottle and carried it to the kitchen. For a few minutes, she simply went through the motions of cleaning up before turning out all the lights and walking back to her bedroom. If she had a guest room, she would have opted to sleep in there. Unfortunately, she was stuck sleeping in the bed she and Noah had recently vacated.
It was too late to go through the hassle of stripping the bed and changing the sheets. She was mentally and physically exhausted. So for tonight, she’d have to deal with it. “Don’t be an idiot,” she mumbled. “It’s just a bed. You slept in it for years before you met him and you’ll sleep in it for years now that he’s gone.”
Padding to her bathroom, she changed into a pair of pajamas before washing her face and brushing her teeth. She felt numb. It wasn’t until she climbed back into the bed and turned out the light that she finally allowed herself to cry.
****
“You know you’re more than welcome to come and have Christmas dinner here,” Kiera said.
Maddie nodded. “I know.”
“I’m serious,” Kiera said more firmly. “You’ve been distant and vague for over a week now. Christmas is three days away and you haven’t given me a firm answer.”
“You said it was an open invitation,” Maddie said with a shrug. “That it was more of an open house, buffet sort of thing. I didn’t think you needed a yes or no answer.”
“Normally I’d say I didn’t, but I’m worried about you. I really want you to come and be with me and the family. You know they’d love to see you.”
The thought made Maddie smile. Kiera’s family had always welcomed her with open arms. She’d lost count of how many holidays she had spent with them over the years. “I really do appreciate the invite, but I think I’m just going to stay at home. I’m lousy company.”
“Maddie…”
She shook her head. “I can’t, okay? I know you think I need to be out and socializing, but I’m not ready to.”
“Okay, I can respect that. But do you think it’s really the best idea for you to be sitting at home with Noah so close by?”
There was the familiar sting of tears but she willed them away. “He hasn’t been home in a while. Pretty much since he walked out of my apartment. For all I know he’s moved out.”
Kiera looked at her with a
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