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- Aug 7, 2021
V I C I O U S S E C R E T S
S T R E N G T H I S W H A T W E G A I N F R O M T H E M A D N E S S W E S U R V I V E
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C H A M P I O N S • K.H.S & ANDIE CASE
0 : 39 —— ♡ ——————— 3 : 19
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S T R E N G T H I S W H A T W E G A I N F R O M T H E M A D N E S S W E S U R V I V E
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C H A M P I O N S • K.H.S & ANDIE CASE
0 : 39 —— ♡ ——————— 3 : 19
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Madeline McKenzie had just finished unpacking all the boxes in the bedroom. It had taken hours—days really—to get through it all. Her clothes were now neatly organized in the small walk-in closet, her bedside table drawer only held essentials, their bedsheets were stored in the closet by the corner, and all the stuff her fiancé needed to go through she'd stacked by his side of the bed. It was still surreal to think about the fact that this house was theirs. They'd bought it six weeks ago but hadn't gotten a chance to move in until a few days ago. Maddie had made it clear to Pete and both their families that no one was to set foot in their house until at least half of the boxes were gone. She did not want anyone to see the mess or all the crap she owned. The neighbors welcoming them to the neighborhood had been embarrassing enough. The moving company had helped them carry all the stuff inside, so at least the furniture was in the right place, but the boxes. . . They were fucking everywhere. And Maddie was about to go crazy. For almost three days she'd unpacked box after box after box and yet the number of boxes didn't seem to decrease. It was almost impossible to walk through the living room without squeezing through boxes or climbing over them. And the hallway still had stacks of boxes that were supposed to go into the kitchen or upstairs. Maddie didn't want to admit it, but she'd lost control. At this point, she just worked her way through one box at a time, not really knowing what the next box would contain.
Pete had to go on a last-minute business trip right after they arrived, but he called a few times a day to check in on her. Maddie still had two weeks left of her summer vacation, so she was planning on spending every single moment unpacking boxes until there were no more boxes to unpack. If it weren't for all the empty boxes in the garage, one wouldn't know exactly how many boxes she had unloaded already. And yet, there was so many left. Maddie made her way downstairs and stopped by the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before starting on the boxes in the living room. Thankfully, those were mostly filled with decorations and didn't take long to unload. She'd already emptied five boxes when she heard someone at the door. For a brief moment, she half assumed it was Pete, since they didn't ring the doorbell, but then she remembered that he wasn't coming home before tomorrow—
Maybe he came home a day early to surprise her?
"I'm in here!" she called from the living room, turning her head toward the opening leading out to the hallway. With the expectation of seeing her fiancé her face had lit up, but her smile faded quickly as another man came into view. It took her a good few seconds to recognize him. At first, she didn't believe what she saw. He was so big—so tall. She hadn't really changed much in the past five years, but he certainly had. He was no longer a teenager, that much was obvious. Maddie blinked at him, her eyes roaming over his body from head to toe. He had definitely gained some weight, but she had a feeling it was pure muscle hiding underneath his clothes. His facial features were more determined and there was only a hint of the boy she used to babysit there. She made no effort to move away from the fireplace, suddenly grateful for all the boxes between them. Her pulse increased just by looking at him. Did he even remember her? She cleared her throat as she put down the vase she'd been holding. "Well, you've certainly grown," she said matter of factly, meeting his gaze with a faint smile. He was practically family, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to see him. They hadn't exactly been the greatest of friends back in the day, but then again, she had been his babysitter. Who in their right mind liked the person who called the shots and who ratted them out to their parents if they didn't behave? She'd done it several times too. It might have been a long time ago, but she still remembered it as if it was yesterday. They'd spent a lot of time together, but she had never gotten to know him—not really. All she knew was that he had a habit of getting into trouble. Or causing trouble. She had been hired to keep him away from all of that, and Maddie liked to believe that she'd done a good job. Perhaps one day he would thank her for it.
"Did Pete tell you to come check on me? Because I've already told him several times that I'm fine." She picked up two tealight holders and placed them over the fireplace. When she opened her mouth again, her tone was bitter. "I don't need a babysitter." But neither did he at the age of fifteen, but he had gotten one anyway. Besides, it was typical of Pete to have someone check on her when he was away. She just hadn't expected to see his little brother just yet. Especially not like this. But there he was—in the flesh—standing in the entryway to her new living room. He was harmless— r i g h t ? She had absolutely nothing to be afraid of and yet her heart was pumping in her chest as if he was a fucking burglar.
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