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     "Hi, I need to please speak with Dan," she spoke with all of the courage that she possessed in her body.

    "No problem! Wait a minute, okay?" The guy asked on the other end of the line.

    "Sure. Thanks," she answered.

    "Dan! Phone for you!" She heard the guy scream as she held the shiny, blue receiver to her ear.

    She had finally decided to call him. She couldn't let the rest of her vacation, in Florida, go by knowing that things were unresolved and bitter between them. She debated whether or not to call his family and ask for his new number, and the deciding factor had been her grandmother's conversation with her.

    "Hi, it's Dan. Who's this?" She heard him speak.

    "Dan..." She began, not quite knowing what to say.

    She hadn't thought that far in advance. Part of her was hoping that he wouldn't be home, so that she could hang up, know that she gave it a try, and go on with her normal life.

    "Yeah, wait a minute...is that you Maddy?" He whispered when her voice shot through him.

    "I need to see you Dan," She blurted before she could talk herself out of it.

    'Let your heart lead you,' she thought silently. She was amazed at how good it was to have said those words.

    "I can be there in three hours," he answered immediately.

    "No, no. I don't want you to do that. It's almost dark anyway. Tomorrow," she finished.

    "When?" He asked eagerly.

    He had no idea what had prompted her to call, but he wasn't about to argue. Since seeing her, he had been miserable. Ashley had tried cheering him up, Trevor set him up on a blind date, Erik took him out clubbing, Jacob even tried flying his best friend from Ohio out, but none of it had gone over too well with Dan. He just wanted to be alone. He wanted to live with the guilt because he deserved it.

    He had no idea how severe his unresolved issues with Madison were. The number one issue being that he still loved her, and he always would.

    "I was thinking I could drive out early tomorrow morning," She stated after a minute of silence.

    "Well, we have rehearsals tomorrow, so if you would like to come visit us there, then we could go out after that, that would be great," he answered.

    "Perfect," she responded.

    "Are you sure you'll be okay making that drive alone? Do you know how to get down here?" He asked.

    She laughed lightly and smiled.

    "I'll be okay Dan. I'm a big girl," she answered.

    "Okay, let me give you directions to the house and the studio," he answered as he read off directions, and she wrote them down.

    "I'll see you around 11 at rehearsal then," she stated.

    "Great. And, Maddy?"

    "Hmm?" She responded.

    "Thank you for calling," He replied.

    She closed her eyes and smiled once again.

    Her grandma was right; she was smiling more now.

    "No problem," she whispered before placing the phone on the hook.

    Now, it would all depend on what tomorrow was like. If she couldn't get over her resentment, she would have to forget about him. Hopefully, she'd be able to look into his eyes, and know that all that lied there was truth.

**

    Madison pulled on her stretch, dark jeans and sighed as she pulled on a black, turtle neck sweater. The Florida weather had turned rainy as it usually did during those few winter months. The daily, afternoon thunderstorms arrived early that day blasting through the house at 7:00 AM.

    She walked into the bathroom and blow-dried her silky strands before applying some concealer, powder, and blush. Once she was done she applied her lipstick and sprayed on some perfume.

    "Grandma!"

    "What dear? Keep it down your grandpa is still sleeping," Elsa replied when she heard Madison bounding down the stairs.

    Madison smiled as she looked at Elsa in the kitchen.

    "I'm leaving for the day. I'm going to visit someone a few hours away, and it may be pretty late before I get back. I don't want you to worry about me. I'll have my cell phone if you want to call, and I'll check in if anything changes," Madison said before dropping a kiss on Elsa's cheek.

    "Okay, honey. Have fun, and please tell Dan I said hello," Elsa replied with a smile as she expertly cracked an egg and let the yolk drop into the frying pan, creating a sizzle.

    Madison whirled around to face her grandma at that last remark.

    "Grandma! Do you and my mother discuss everything regarding my personal life!" Madison said in an exasperated tone, referring to Elsa's knowledge of exactly where she was going.

    "I didn't even tell you I was going to see Dan," Madison explained.

    "Never underestimate me, Maddy," Elsa said before waving to her.

    "Now go. I'm sure he's excited to see you," she finished.

    "Oh for crying out loud. God forbid I ever decide to get married. I pity my poor husband already. He'll be hounded by the likes of my mother and grandma," Madison joked loudly as she headed toward the front door.

    "Don't forget your grandpa. He's pretty good at investigative work," Elsa joked before she heard Madison giggle and close the door.

**

    Madison walked into the large building with her purse and smiled at the man who greeted her.

    "Can I help you?" He asked.

    "Yes. My name's Madison Mitchell. I'm here to see Dan Miller," she answered.

    "Oh right! Dan told me you would be coming. The guys are in studio B. Go down that hall, and it's the first door on your left. Go right in," the man directed.

    Madison nodded and thanked him before walking down the hall.

    She opened the wood door to the studio and smiled when she saw Dan and Erik lying on the floor.

    "Dude! I can't dance anymore. My legs are going to fall off. When I was little, I called them dead legs. Well, they aren't just dead, they're six feet under," Erik yelled to everyone in the room.

    "You're weak boy," Jacob responded from his spot on the floor.

    "Hi guys," Madison spoke scaring the guys.

    They were completely unaware of her presence.

    "Oh hi! You must be Madison," Ashley said with a smile as he stood and shook her hand.

    "Yeah," she replied.

    "It's really nice to meet all of you. I'm a really big fan of all of you," she stated looking at each one of them until her eyes came to rest on Dan's. He was standing near Jacob.

    "Thanks," all the guys said before groaning when their dance instructor came back into the room.

    She watched as Dan said something to the director and then began making his way toward her.

    He was in some black track pants and a white T-shirt. She sucked in a breath at how amazing his chiseled chest looked when he stood in front of her.

    "Come with me for a minute?" He asked her.

    "Sure," she replied not really knowing what to expect from him.

    Dan took her right hand and led her out of the door she had entered. He headed further down the hall until he pulled her into a small room that appeared to be a lounge of some kind. They walked in and shut the door behind them.

    Dan turned after closing the door and looked at her.

    'She looks so amazing,' he thought to himself as he took in her casual, yet classy appearance.

    "What did you need to tell me before practice was over?" She asked curiously.

    Dan closed the distance between them and stood almost touching her.

    Madison's eyes widened in fear and her breath caught in her throat.

    'What the hell is he trying to do?' she thought angrily.

    "Dan, what do you want?" She asked again.

    Dan stared at her for a minute and bit his lip in concentration.

    "Just this," he whispered before he pressed his lips to hers with much pressure.

    Madison gasped at the pressure that he applied in the kiss. It was as though he was breathing life through her lips. She fought his affection for a few seconds before feeling her body flooded with familiar and new emotions all at once. This was NOT what she remembered kissing him to be.

    His kissed never made her feel as thought he world was dropping out from beneath her. He never made her dizzy before. She was scared, confuses, and most of all loving everything that he was doing to her.

    "Dan," she moaned against his lips before opening her lips to him and meeting his tongue with her own.

    "God Madison. I need you so much," he rasped out against her lips.

    "I'm so sorry I hurt you then, baby. I swear to you I'll never do it again," he whispered as he stepped forward pushing her towards a bare wall. She backed up until her back was pressed against the wall, leaving her no way to escape his passion.

    Dan took advantage of her weakness and tilted her chin up with is hand. He then attacked her neck with his lips. He moved the soft material of her turtleneck sweater down her neck with his thumbs and then licked her.

    Madison gasped when his tongue and lips kissed a trail down her neck, and then as he sucked lightly on the base of her throat.

    Madison couldn't stand being without his lips. She reached her hands up and cupped his neck guiding his head back up and to hers. She hungrily attached her lips to his and sighed when he stroked her tongue with his own. She ran her hands down his back and then played with the incredibly soft hairs at the back of his neck.

    Dan felt as though his world was complete as she stood there pressing her body as close to him as she could possibly get. It was as if she wanted their bodies to be one entirely.

    "Dan..." She gasped as she reluctantly tore her lips away from his and stared at him intently.

    "What is it, Maddy?" He asked her lovingly before being drawn back to her neck.

    "I think you...you, ugh, Dan you should go back to rehearsal," she finished.

    "Yeah. You're right," he agreed.

    "Okay. I'll go back with you. We'll talk after it's over," she replied straightening out her clothes.

    "I should get back," he repeated before pressing her body back against the wall and kissing her passionately.

    Madison laughed and gave up.

    As he trailed his hands up and under her sweater, she thought one thing.

    'Maybe the only person who could heal her was the one who had caused all of the pain in the first place.'

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