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Madison sat down and pulled her coffee out of her purse with a smirk. She had to hide it as she entered since the arena liked to make as much money off of the game-goers as they could. The prices at the snack bar were absurd, and the quality was horrible. She had refused to buy anything from there since she had started skating at the rink a few weeks ago.
Her visit to her grandparents was planned to be a long one. She needed the break desperately. Her apartment back in New York was lonely in winter, and her internship at the advertising agency was useless. They weren't in need of any help and told her that she could take a few months off and come back in summer when business usually picked up.
Florida seemed like the best idea. She packed up some of her stuff, called her parents back home in Ohio, and boarded a plane two hours later. If Florida didn't clear her mind, nothing would.
Taking a sip of the hot liquid, she sighed and took in the atmosphere around her. The game had pulled in a good crowd. She noted that few seats were left empty and the people seemed excited and enthusiastic.
She had gone home after first seeing Dan and pondered whether or not she wanted to go and see him sing at the game.
Usually, she would go to the hockey games during her stays in Florida. She enjoyed the sport, and appreciated the skating and athleticism involved.
But tonight, she could have cared less about the game. She was there to see the opening act.
Suddenly, the bright, overhead lights providing the bright view of the rink, dimmed and Madison inhaled deeply. She took off her angora mittens and placed her coffee below her feet. She stood as the first notes of the National Anthem began to string through the massive speakers.
Madison's golden eyes flew to the center of the rink where she stared intently at the man who had caused her so much pain in the past. She watched as his friends, looking a bit nervous, began to sing. Her face, unconsciously, broke out into a huge smile as he stepped forward and sang with a power and force that warmed her. She stood in awe as some young girls seated behind her began to scream his name.
Madison held her right hand over her heart as he continued to sing. Even if it were not tradition to hold the hand against the heart, she felt as though she would have done so. Hearing his voice, and seeing his dreams come true caused her to feel intensely happy for him. She wanted so badly to be angry at him, but it just wasn't so.
She smiled once again when she heard some parents demanding that their daughters stop screaming at the guys, and respect the song.
"You do not scream during the National Anthem, Christy!" She heard a woman direct toward her daughter.
"This is not a concert, girls!" Their mother spoke.
"I understand that you like them, but behave!" Their father added.
Madison stifled a giggle as she listened, and then her eyes returned to Dan as the last strings of the song flowed through her. She gasped when Dan's eyes landed on hers. She swore that he looked right into her heart. She glanced around her nervously hoping that she would see someone else interacting with him. She avoided the stare for a few seconds and then looked once again.
Sure enough, he was staring directly at her as he finished the song.
Applause broke out around her, and she slowly reacted. Raising her hands, she began to clap and chanced a smile in his direction. She saw Ashley smile at her, and Dan winked. She remained standing as they bowed once and then walked off of the ice, following a trail of carpet material laid out for them.
"They were so good! I knew that they would be great!" A girl exclaimed behind her.
Madison silently agreed, and tried to concentrate as the announcer brought the home, hockey team onto the ice to introduce them. She could not stop envisioning Dan, and the passion that he held in his eyes as he sang.
It was the same passion that he had held in his eyes for her. She knew that he had realized he had been so wrong in accusing her of cheating on him. Regardless of his beliefs, he had thrown what they had away so easily that it convinced her that what they had was nothing to begin with. If he was willing to give it up without a second thought, then it was worthless.
She refused to believe that he had loved her as she had loved him, because she'd been hurt in the past, and she knew she couldn't bare to go through it again. It was better to remain by herself. She would not let herself down. She would not turn her back on herself. And that was exactly what he had done.
**
"Where are you going, sweetheart?" Elsa Mitchell asked as she watched her beautiful, young granddaughter tie her laces and grab her purse.
"Oh, hi grandma," Madison said with a smile when she noticed Elsa's presence at the doorway of the spare bedroom.
"I was going to go skate again," Madison answered.
"Oh, I see," Elsa replied with a smile.
"Will the boy be there?" Elsa questioned with a smirk.
"What boy, grandma?" Madison asked in confusion.
"The one that has you smiling lately," Elsa replied knowingly.
"No grandma. He won't be there. And, I'm not smiling any more than usual. In fact, there's no boy," Madison stated defiantly.
"Of course, dear," Elsa spoke with a grin.
She walked to Madison and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"Well I thought that I would let you know that he called for you a few minutes ago when you were in the shower," Elsa said.
Madison's eyes widened in fear. She did not know hot to react to that. Did Dan want to see her again? What did he want? What was she supposed to think?
"What did he want?" Madison asked.
"Well, he said that he'd like you to meet him at the park at noon if you'd like to. If not, he'll understand that you're busy," Elsa spoke before waving her hand and leaving the room.
Madison stared after her in wonderment.
'Okay Dan. Let's see what you're up to,' She whispered to herself as she grabbed a sweatshirt and headed out the door. If she was going to meet him at noon, she only had ten minutes to get to the park.
**
"How did you get my number?" She spoke as she approached him from behind as he sat on a bench.
"Oh, hi. I called your mom. She seemed happy to hear from me. She was more than willing to give it to me," He explained.
"What makes you think that I wanted you to call. If I had wanted that, I would have given you the number myself. And, I don't appreciate you going behind my back with my mother either," she spoke harshly. She was too afraid that he would do it again.
He would somehow worm his way into her heart and she would be left vulnerable again.
"Madison, I know that I hurt you. You have every right to hate me, but I made the biggest mistake of my life when I accused you of ruining us. I was wrong, so wrong, and I've lived with that every day since then," he said.
"You made your decision when you believed him over me. You threw what we had away like it was nothing," she spat back getting angry.
"I know," Dan whispered feeling that familiar ache in his heart deepen.
"Todd was always reeking havoc. He hated you having a serious relationship because it interfered with his plans to always go to parties, hook up, and have another friend to do it with," She yelled referring to the guy who had told Dan that she was cheating.
"I know that too. I haven't spoken with Todd for two years," Dan offered.
"You broke me, Dan," she whispered losing her strength to yell.
Dan's head fell in defeat at her words. He truly had blown the chance of a lifetime.
"I gave you my heart, and that was scary for me, and then you threw it to the wind," she blurted.
"I just need you to know that I live in regret of what I did to you, to us, every day," He spoke before turning around and walking away from her.
The leaves from the trees surrounding the park flew around his feet as they shuffled across the grass. Madison allowed the tears to finally fall from her eyes as she watched him get into his car and drive away.
She refused to cry in front of him. She was stronger than that.
She couldn't deny the fact that he had made her anger and resentment ease, but she wasn't ready to completely forgive. She never wanted to be someone who held a grudge, but her confidence had been lost, and if it would return, it would be a slow and gradual process. If he wasn't willing to stand by her through it, then so be it.
**
"You can't expect her to instantly forgive and forget," Ashley said to Dan as they ate their pizza in the kitchen.
"I know. It's just that I can't stand knowing that she's only three hours away from me," Dan said.
The guys had left and returned to their place in Orlando. Dan's visit with her in the park had taken place twenty minutes before their return. Now, he sat in the kitchen, sulking, bearing his soul to Ashley hoping that some of the pain would ease up.
"What do you think I should do? It's like seeing her opened up this feeling inside of me. I can't stop thinking about her, and it's driving me crazy. I need her," he finished.
"This will all work out, Dan," Ashley said encouragingly before leaving the room.
'Yeah, I hope so,' Dan muttered before taking another bite of pizza.
**
"Madison, why don't you go see him?" Elsa asked as she sat watching her granddaughter pick at her eggs.
"Grandma, there is no him to see," Madison defended weakly.
She knew that her grandma loved her and wanted her happy, but she had a tendency to meddle.
"Honey, listen to me. I know what it's like to be confused about how you feel, but I've seen how you've been the past couple days, and it's like a part of you is missing. In fact, you've been hurting for a while, and I think that the answer to your happiness is in your hands," Elsa completed.
"Oh grams. What do you mean by that?" Madison asked with a sigh.
"I mean that the key to your fulfillment is in here," Elsa said as she pointed to Madison's heart.
"Forgive him," Elsa said quietly.
"Grandma, how do you know all of this?"
"I know what it's like to be hurt by a man, and I know that you have been, but the way to make the pain go away is to forgive," she explained.
"I know," Madison answered.
"But you haven't," Elsa debated.
"Yes, I have. I've forgiven him for hurting me. I'm just not ready to be his friend again," she stated.
"No, darling. If you have forgiven him, then you would see that the reason you're so miserable is because you want and need him. See, your heart is already willing to accept him again, but your mind is not. You're holding back. Let your heart lead you instead of your fears," Elsa finished.
Madison stared intently at her grandmother. For the first time since that day, she sensed herself letting go of the resent and misbelief. She felt herself, for the first time, allowing herself to need him.
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