Maddy Holt

“Six years.” There was no point in lying. He hadn’t come back for funerals or changes, or anything that meant being a responsible adult. Why? Because he honestly couldn’t face the sadness that came with losing people. It was easier to pretend it wasn’t there if he didn’t have to come back and see it all over his family’s faces. His charm was on his side as well as his flighty personality to where no one seemed to hold it against him and the guilt was only slight and easily ignored on his part. “I like how you twist things to benefit you. Admirable quality. Just like Belize all over again.” He took a generous drink as she spoke like she was completely innocent. He very much doubted that. She was trying to settle down in a safe haven. Someone with his wanderlust only settled when they were running from something. It did make him curious though. “I’ve been the trouble my fair share of times, I’ll admit that freely. But when I’m here I’m an uncle and an angel. You understand the need to be good for family, surely.”

“Been a way a long time, Hastings,” She said quietly, a hint of jealously in her voice as she spoke. After having lost someone herself, the last thing she wanted to do was have to stick around to witness more people she cared about die in front of her very eyed. She missed being on the run, she missed the carefree selfishness she used to possess. Sure, it had been lonely always on the run never staying in one place long enough to get attached. But, not getting attached meant she didn’t have to get hurt again, and if her heart was protected then maybe the loneliness wouldn’t be so bad. “I’m not twisting things. I just see the world different than you , Pretty Boy,” Maddy said with a little laugh, taking another sip of her drink. All Maddy ever did was run. She was good at it. Never stopping too long to even let her feet rest. When she had come to Hollow Grove, she had never expected to stay long, but the life took hold. The naive reckless free spirit fell for not one, but two different people. Both who were gone now. Stopping running got her no where. She was still the broken girl with the free spirit and an ability to be the life of the party with a drop of a hat. Just a little more broken than she was before. “An angel? Now that I’d love to see,” She smiled up at him, shaking her head back and forth curiously. “I don’t really have much family left, but, sure, I do what I can for the one I’ve got.”

Kitty smiled softly and shrugged. “I’m just being honest,” she said. She giggled. “Anyone can bake,” she said, with another little shrug. “It’s one of my favorite things to do, though. Maybe that makes a difference.”

“Well, I like your honesty,” She said with a little shrug and a smile. “Not like you do they can’t.”

“Eh,” Dash shrugged his shoulders. “Just honest.” He said taking a seat in the chair next to her bed. “Yeah, enjoy that burger.” He pointed out smugly as he watched her take a few bites. “Oh, you got another pizza guy huh? Does that mean I’m off the hook?” He teased her with a smirk now.

“Either way I appreciate the compliment. It’s like your the little brother I never I knew I wanted, but am grateful to have,” She said giving him a huge happy smile back as she took a bite out of her burger. “I shall, thank you!” She beamed up at him as she took another bite. “I do. He works at Dominos and everything,” She teased back. 

“I vaguely recall you heavily implying that you were my dear, do you not remember that?” Catherine asked, shaking her head softly as Maddy went on. She understood why the younger woman was doing it, the loss was probably more than she knew what to do deal with but Catherine still wondered if this was really the right way to grieve. “I am sorry about her you know, she was very bold and unapologetic and I liked that.” 

“Pretty sure saying that I need to stop because if I don’t I’ll have a problem, is different than actually having one, but that’s just me,” She said with a little shrug. Tensing slightly as Cath apologized for Alex. “She really was,” She said quietly, feeling a short pain in her chest at the thought.

“Then you know where to find me.” If she was going to drink herself into a stupor, she might as well do it with the best alcohol she’d find around here. “Don’t get used to it.” He scoffed, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “I think you’ve missed the golden age of piracy, Madeline. Not quite what it used to be.”

The corner of her lips tilting upwards into a playful smile as she gave him a little nudge. “Found you,” She said teasingly. Before, her expression soften as she told him, “Maybe so, but from where I’m sitting, you’ve always managed to be better than my expectations.”

“No I suppose not, but then again I am sort of a stranger to parties.” Margaret chuckled softly as she looked down at her drink. “We could always dance? No talking required with that.” she suggested with a smile. 

“Well I’m honored to take your party virginity then,” Maddy teased, giving her a smile. “I am a fan of dancing. Lead the way?”

Taking the flask back, Lola took as sip from it herself before giving the other woman a nod. “Good, because if there’s cops or angry doctors involved I don’t know you.”

Maddy let out a laugh, shaking her head at that. “Fine. But, when I call you using my one phone call I will expect you to break into my house, grab the bail money under my mattress and come get me.”

Following the actions of Maddy, Margaret raised her own glass. Gently clinking it against hers. “Cheers.” Margaret nodded with a smile before taking a sip. “So what brings you out tonight?” 

“Cheers,” She clinked her glass against the fellow blondes before giving her a little shrug. “Just trying to distract myself I guess? Cope? Not exactly uplifting party talk. Is it?”

“Super gorgeous,” Kitty countered, with a giggle. She gave a little laugh. “Please, you’re totally out of my league,” she joked. “I might as well not try to prove anything. You probably have way better offers than little old me.”

“You’re sweet,” Maddy smiled over at the brunette, shaking her head at that. “Not true. If anything you’re out of mine. I mean have you tried one of your baked goods? It’s like heaven in each little bite?”

Sierra chuckled but nodded.  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” she told her.  Sierra placed her hands on Maddy’s sides while they swayed.  “It’s nice, actually.”

“Nothing at all,” Maddy said softly, resting her head lightly against Sierra’s shoulder as they swayed to the beat. “And the company isn’t half bad either,” Maddy told her smiling up at her.

“I don’t want anyone else to die because of me,” Alex said tearfully as she shook her head and she couldn’t lose Maddy. There was so little family that she had in this life and she’d only just begun to reclaim that time she’d lost with them. “I don’t want to,” Alex cried. “I don’t know what to do Maddy, I don’t know how to protect the people I love, I can’t stop him and he won’t stop. I don’t know what to do.” She said wiping at her eyes before wrapping her arms around her cousin in a tight hug. “I’m so scared.” She confessed.

“I know, Lex. But, you can’t let the people who have already passed die in vein either. You’re alive. You’re alive. You’re breathing. So, you get up every morning with your heart still beating and you savor what time that we have. If he comes, we’ll face him and if he wins, then at least I’ll get to go down knowing that I had the best family a girl could ever ask for,” Maddy told her, pulling her into her arms tightly as she gave Alex a great big hug. “I know you are. But, I’m here. So, lean on me. It might not be much but we still have each other.”

Ezra smiled a little. “You should try because you can,” he said gently. “That’s the point. Because you can. Just because it didn’t work out the first time doesn’t mean it never will. If this is really what you want, then that’s fine, because it’s your life and you should live it however you want to live it. But if you’re choosing this because you think you don’t deserve more, or if you’re afraid of getting hurt again…Maddy, you deserve more than to live in fear.” He gave a little shrug. “Whoever is disappointed in you can fuck off,” he said, more blunt than his usual language. “They have no right to judge you about anything, and that’s really all they’re doing. And for the record, ‘slut’ is a stupid word. Men never get called sluts for doing the same thing.”

“That’s sweet, Ez. But, don’t you get it? This- this version of me, the version who has sex and loves to dance the night away? That’s the version no one ever seems to think is good enough and, honestly, I’m kind of sick of it. I don’t want to try to be better. I don’t want to work my ass off trying to have a white picket fence and settle down because that is what’s expected of me. I tried so hard to be someone people could be proud of and maybe I earned their respect, maybe I became that good upstanding citizen, but I stopped having fun somewhere along the way and I don’t see the point anymore in trying so hard to be good just so that someone will finally notice me and want me. Why put in all that effort to be someone I’m not when the outcome is just going to result the same way? If I’m going to end up heartbroken at the end of the day than fine. But, I want to end up being heartbroken as me. I’m a party girl. I’m naive and stupidly optimistic and throw myself at anyone who will give me the time of day. And maybe Slut’s a stupid word, but I’d rather be a Sweet Little Unforgettable Thing than someone’s expectations of what a perfect woman should be.”

“I just can’t believe you misled me like that,” Anya joked, smirking over at her. She gave a little laugh. “I’m…99? 100? I just had my birthday, but I can’t remember which it is now.”

“Oops?” She let out a playful laugh, smiling over at her. “You did? Aww. Happy Birthday!” She exclaimed happily.

There was a hint of sadness that didn’t take a rocket scientist to identify. Though he trusted Maddy’s motives about as far as he could throw a rhino, he understood that need to run and travel and explore. It was something he could no longer do if he wanted to stay alive and even thinking about it being over killed his spirit. Was it really a life worth living if he was dead inside? Pulling his attention back to the conversation at hand he shook his head and held up a finger in protest. “False. I’m not a visitor I am literally a resident as I have a residence here in town. That makes me more of a local than you.” He took a drink and grinned at her next words. “Wow, aren’t you cocky! A pretty girl? Well let me tell you, a pretty face often hides a myriad of trouble. I know from many occasions of personal experience. So I’ll keep my guard up, thank you very much.”

“And when’s the last time you’ve been here, Mr. Local?” Maddy teased, taking a sip from her own drink. “So you think I’m pretty then?” She asked, glancing up at him with a little smile. Maddy didn’t mean to be cocky, but her looks had been something she got commented on fairly frequently. Everyone always seemed to see her pretty smile, but rarely did anyone ever attempt to look beneath. Once upon a time, she used to like it that way. She could be whoever she wanted, the beautiful newcomer passing by, and she used to think if no one ever truly saw you, it would make it harder to get hurt. But, now she didn’t know what to believe. “And who says I’m trying to let your guard down?” She countered, giving him a knowing look. She had her heart chipped away at by many a handsome smile as his and she wasn’t exactly in the market to have it break again. “This is just a drink, right? And, by the way, you scream trouble way more than I do.”

Kitty’s eyes widened a little as she spoke. “Really?” she said, blinking. “But you’re gorgeous. They must be blind or something.” She gave a little laugh. “No, but it’s different. At least it feels different. Like you have to prove something – to prove that they really should like you.”

“Oh please. I’m only mildly gorgeous,” She teased, giving Kitty a little smile as she spoke. “But, thank you. You not trying to prove anything to me because you know that I already like you?” She teased, but knowing exactly what she meant.