This is the final chapter in the story of Maddison and Liam. As always, I maintain this is a romance albeit not perhaps in the traditional sense. If that offended your perceptions then I apologise but this is the story I wanted to write.
As always constructive criticism is welcome however, I will moderate and delete spiteful comments that are made simply because the story or the way the characters behave doesn't agree with your views.
Remember this is just a story.
Enjoy.
CHECK OUT GIRL -- part 7
Standing outside the flat Maddison hesitated, wiping the tears from her eyes.
She knew he would be inside but it had been months since she had last seen Liam, outside his flat kissing a blonde girl.
'
How would he feel about her just turning up on his doorstep, unannounced, after all this time?'
'Would he be alone?'
'Would he even want to speak to her now?'
A myriad of thoughts ran through her mind as she took a deep breath and knocked, stepping back and waiting.
There was nothing so she knocked again, that was when she heard his voice from inside the apartment.
"I'm coming... keep your hair on."
The door opened and he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her.
"Maddison...."
The look Liam gave his ex-girlfriend was one of complete and utter shock as she stood sobbing in front of him.
"I... I... I'm s..s..sorry Liam.... I... I didn't know w... w... where else.... to go."
With his mouth slightly open he gazed, nonplussed at her, hardly believing she was really there.
It wasn't the fact that, despite her red ringed eyes and her weeping, she still looked as beautiful as ever to him.
Nor was it the two suitcases that stood at her feet.
It was quite simply that Maddison Clarke was clearly very, very pregnant.
"Maddi, what's up, what's wrong?" he shook himself out of his stupor and pulled her against him, his heart thumping faster as he held her in his arms.
"My.... my parent's... they.... they threw me out." she clung to him and sobbed into his chest, "I... I don't know.... where... else to... to go."
As he held her all the feelings that he had spent months subduing and putting out of his mind surged to the surface, tying his stomach in knots and sending his pulse rate soaring as he struggled, unsuccessfully, to force them back down.
Gently he ushered her into the flat and, collecting her bags, he told her to take a seat while he made some tea. Letting her have a few minutes to compose herself and giving him an opportunity to collect his own scattered thoughts.
She was still quietly crying when he came back with the drinks a few minutes later, although now the desperate sobbing had been replaced by a quiet sniffling.
"I'm sorry Liam... I... I... just need a place to sleep... I'll find somewhere else tomorrow and get out of your hair. I promise."
"What about your boyfriend. Won't he put you up." he asked a little more acerbically than he intended as he handed her a steaming mug.
She gave him a puzzled expression as she took her tea "Boyfriend? What... who do you mean... I'm not seeing anyone."
"The guy outside the supermarket. I saw you with him a couple of months after we...." he let the sentence trail off realising he had already said more than he wanted to.
Pausing for a moment she thought back to who it might be.
"Oh, that was James?" she gave a short laugh, "The guy who gave me his phone number at the airport. I had just started going out with him."
"Yeah him. Won't he take responsibility for his..." he waved his hand at her pronounced baby bump.
Maddison looked at him in wide-eyed surprise "He's not the father. In fact, as soon as I told him I was pregnant he disappeared off into the sunset."
"Oh right." embarrassed by his incorrect assumption Liam stared down at his tea.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Liam wondering just who the father of her baby was but not wanting to ask the question that was foremost in his mind.
"Why did you come looking for me?" she suddenly asked.
"I err... I... umm... I... I just wanted to explain... I'd sorted myself out and I....."
"Oh, I see." She gazed at him questioningly as if she wanted to ask more but didn't know how.
"Thanks for letting me stay." she said softly, finally speaking again after another brief period of silence, "I really didn't know where else to go."
Liam couldn't help but smile at her "You can stay here as long as you need Maddi. I...."
"Honestly, I can look for somewhere tomorrow, I don't want to be a nuisance to you and your girlfriend."
"I mean it Madd's. You can stay as long you want, it's great to see you again." He avoided the girlfriend comment stopping himself before he said to much.
Getting up he collected the empty mugs as she looked at him curiously.
"Are you really sure." She gazed up at him from under slightly lowered lashes, "I don't want to put you out or anything."
Grinning inanely, he felt like telling her she could never do that "Yeah, I'm sure."
"Do you mind if I go to bed then? I'm absolutely exhausted and I have to go to work tomorrow."
It was still early and Liam desperately wanted to talk to her but he guessed that after the trauma of the last few hours she wouldn't be in the right frame of mind.
"No of course not."
"Perhaps I can pay you rent or something?" Maddi eyed him sheepishly.
"Let's talk about that tomorrow."
Depositing her bags in the spare bedroom he waited until her door was closed, then took himself off to his own room.
He knew sleep wouldn't come easily that night as he lay on his bed with so many unbidden thoughts filling his mind.
'Seeing her again he knew without a doubt he was still in love with her.'
'Why did he still feel this way about her when she had so obviously moved on?'
'Why had her parents suddenly thrown her out?'
And more than anything
'Who was the father?'.
Everything churned around in his head as he lay there staring up at the ceiling and it was well past midnight before sleep finally claimed him.
~~~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~~
Waking the next morning to the sun streaming in through the blinds he realised he must have drifted off, fully clothed, while he had been laying on the bed.
Stretching he yawned and checked his watch, quickly jumping up when he realised that he would be late for work if he didn't hurry.
Flinging open the bedroom door Liam stopped as he was met by the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
"Morning sleepy." A smiling Maddison greeted him, handing him a steaming mug.
She looked radiant and refreshed after a night's rest and, dressed in one of his old t-shirts that showed off her long legs, he felt more than his heart rate rise when he looked at her.
"Err..... Morning." he finally managed to croak an answer as he headed for the bathroom, taking his coffee with him.
Ten minutes later he re-appeared, shaved and showered and, after quickly getting dressed, he came back into the kitchen and dropped his empty mug into the sink.
"I umm.... have to go..... to err.... to work." Pulling on his jacket, he informed her as he got ready to head out.
"Me too in a minute." Sitting at the table she gazed back up at him with the eyes that he had never forgotten, sending his heart rate soaring again.
"Oh right." He looked around and getting the spare set of keys from the drawer he gave them to her, "You better have these back, you'll need them to get in."
"Liam." the tone in her voice made him pause half-way to the door, "I thought.... maybe I could cook tonight... to say thank you."
She looked at him nervously, just being this close to him gave her butterflies in her stomach.
"If you want that is." Her voice was hesitant as she continued, "I can get some stuff at work."
"Err... yeah... sure... that would be great. I'll see you about six." He threw back over his shoulder as he left.
Getting any work done proved to be almost impossible for him. All he could focus on throughout the day was Maddison and the way her sudden reappearance in his life had brought all his feelings for her surging back.
There had obviously been someone special after him, judging by the fact she had got herself pregnant by them. She had clearly moved on from him, it had been hard to take back then and he knew it was going to be even more difficult now.
Walking in to his flat at the end of the day he was wondering what the evening would bring when he was welcomed by delicious aroma of food.
"Hi." Maddi's cheerful voice greeted him from the kitchen area, "It'll be another half hour if you want to take a shower or change."
"Hi." he barely managed to stop himself kissing her, "It smells wonderful."
Maddi giggled and his stomach twisted into a knot. She wasn't his anymore, he had to remember this was just a convenient place for her to stay.
"I hope you say that after you've tasted it." she laughed as he went to get cleaned up.
Taking his time in the shower he tried to get a grip on his feelings. He loved her and now she was back in his life, even in a minor way, he could no longer try to deny it. But every smile, giggle or laugh was like a knife slicing into his heart all over again.
Putting the thoughts to the back of his mind he finished cleaning up and after getting dressed he re-entered the living area and dropped into a chair as Maddison put a plate in front of him.
"I hope you like it." She said nervously.
"If it tastes anything like it smells I'm sure I will."
He didn't need to pretend it was absolutely delicious.
They finished every morsel and after they were done Liam insisted she went and sat down while he made coffee for the both of them.
