Free Until You Believe Me by Lindsey Woods Page B

going to need to know he has to earn your trust."

    "Mom, I'm fine. He is fine. We haven't quite gotten to the part where I need to scare him off with my instability and my dramatic past. I'm not willing to let anything screw this up. Especially not things that are over and done with."

    "I believe you I just worry. I worry about it happening again, I worry about you not being able to handle something good for you. It's so hard to see your daughter suffer and not be able to fix an ounce of it."

    "Well it's just as hard to see your mother deal with bullshit and not be able to fix it too." I narrowed my eyes at her and it seemed to get the point across.

    We ate our supper speaking on easier and lighter subjects. I realized how much my mother truly enjoyed her life. She loved being out and about and be seen and see others. I hoped that one day I would be that happy being me that I could share it with everyone else.

    When I dropped her off at home she looked at me with the most motherly eyes I had ever seen. "Madison, if it gets down to it, let him love you. You deserve it. If he deserves your love, love him back. You are good enough and you deserve only perfection. If he is what you say he is, promise me you'll let him show you."

    Her soft voice was slightly betrayed by the huskiness of impending tears. My mother never talked about guys or love or relationships. Due to the previous happenings in our lives it was kind of a taboo topic. To hear her be this frank and open and honest made me believe her. She wasn't nagging, she wasn't trying to win this argument, she just wanted the best.

    I surprised her by hugging her. "Thank you mom, I promise. I'm in a good place. I might talk to him about it soon." I meant it. I felt that Connor had taken such a leap of faith with his dad and I that I owed him something.

    "Love you, drive safely home."

    "Bye Mom."

    I sped off from her house and only ten minutes into my drive my phone rang. I pulse perked up seeing that it was Connor.

    "Are you settled in for the night?" I answered.

    "Madison, you're voice is like heaven right now. I'm settled. Curled up in bed after a very long day."

    His voice was slight groggy and deeper than usual. "You sound tired. They didn't work you too hard tonight did they?"

    He gave a small chuckle. "Just boring meeting after boring meeting. I had to all but sell my soul to the devil to get this job, but we'll know in a few weeks. There was quite the competition there. Now I know why I enjoy job sites. No stuffy board rooms or stuffy suits or stuffy guys. And to think, one more day of it." He yawned on the other end of the phone.

    "You in a suit? That I would quite like to see. I only get dirty T-Shirt and ripped jeans." I took a deep breath before I said the next three words. It was a step and my mom felt I needed to take baby steps. "I miss you." I held my breath, letting the words out into the world, waiting for the fallout from it.

    "That's music to my ears. I miss you too baby. Thank you, I needed that." His voice was gravelly and utterly sexy.

    "It's very true. My day wasn't the same without seeing you."

    "Have you been drinking." Connor asked without humor.

    "No! Why would I be?" I was taken aback by the bizarre question.

    "That is the most feeling I've gotten out of you ever. Despite my random non- macho emotional outbursts, you've always had a poker face. I'm shocked and loving it Madison." I could hear his smile and knew he was picking at me good naturedly, though he was correct.

    "Well that should just show you that you need to come home because I'm losing my mind, talking all crazy even." I laughed hearing his chuckle.

    "Tomorrow baby, so soon. I'm beyond overjoyed to think of coming home to you."

    That was a thought. Connor coming home to me. Not just coming home, not just seeing me. But me being there as a part of his home. That reached down and awakened my giddy 14 year old self.

    I just sat there feeling content and happy. Only a