Fake Tales

Chapter 12- The Aftermath

Chapter 12- The Aftermath

"Mel!" He shouted down the hallway after her retreating form, when she didn't stop, he turned to me: "What is wrong with you Maddy?" Dom asked me with a disappointed look on his face. The look I hated the most from people, especially from Dom.

"I was trying to help you Dom. You weren't going to sort it out and you know it. This has all been blown way out of proportion." I mustered the remainder of my courage that had hidden so conveniently when Mel had shouted at me.

"Don't even try and spin it that way. You were thinking of yourself when you did what you did. And now look what you've done" I flinched at Dom's words, knowing they were partly true.

"Please Dom..." I begged losing all of my dignity. I didn't care- I wasn't going to lose two best friends in one night. He had to forgive me. I reached and touched his arm comfortingly. He shook it off in disgust.

"You really outdid yourself this time, I never thought you could be so selfish. Just leave me alone Madeline" I flinched again, knowing he was completely serious. Dom left without another word, ignoring my pathetic cries of protest. My knees gave way and my body crumpled to a heap on the floor. I didn't realize I was crying until the sleeves of my blazer had darkened, soaked by the salty tears. His last words hurt like a slap to the face.

They wouldn't go away, they echoed relentlessly through my mind. It was a night of firsts: I'd never felt so wretched before and I had never seen Mel so angry with me. For a moment, when she was shouting at me, I glimpsed something of what she'd been like just after Greg. The look in her eyes had wracked me with guilt, but I still didn't understand. Whatever was happening between her and Dom, it was serious and I was no closer to finding out than I was before.

I sat there in silence for a while, calming myself along to the beat of the music. No one had come to find me, no Dean, no Lily, no Joe- it was then that I realized Dom must have told them what happened. What an achievement Maddy, losing all of your friends in one night, yeah really good going. Vaguely, I registered strong arms lifting me up and taking me outside.

The unknown pair of arms set me down on the bench in the garden, my guess was Dean. Mostly because Joe was in no fit state to carry me anywhere.

"Are you okay Maddy?" Tom's voice was concerned. He sounded so gentle and caring that my heart broke a little all over again. My eyes widened in surprise and I looked up at him and smiled in gratitude.

"No, but thank you for helping me" I sniffled and Tom gave me a heartbreaking smile.

"Anytime Maddy, you know that. Do you want to talk about it?" He prompted and I knew he would get it out of me sometime. Just not tonight.

"Not right now." He intertwined our fingers and for once I didn't protest. I liked the comforting pressure of his fingers and the smile that made my heart beat slightly faster in my chest. In fact, I liked too many things about Tom Winter. Too many things to count.

"Oh shit!" I covered my face with my hands. "Don't look at me, I must look hideous!" I cried out in mortification. He gave the rich, throaty chuckle that I knew too well.

"Only you would be worried about that now" He cradled my face in his hands and looked into my eyes intently. "You are beautiful, no matter what. Today, tomorrow, 10 years from now. You are stunning" He said sincerely, and I wanted to believe him. But Dom's harsh words were still raw and painful in my mind. I blushed and shook my head at him.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up Tom, but don't flatter me: I don't deserve it." I assured him. He frowned, but didn't protest. In the state I was in, I had momentarily forgotten everything. The contents of Greg's laptop, Tom's mysterious phone call. Everything that was holding me back. For a moment, I had come close to trusting him completely, and that was foolish, even for me. So, instantly my guard went up again, Tom's possible ulterior motive had pulled me back to reality.