A/N: Welcome to the 7th chapter! How do you think the story is coming along? Don't hesitate to drop your thoughts in the comment section. I'd love to hear what you think of the chapter and the characters. 

| dedicated to TahliePurvis for being one hell of a brilliant author | 

HAPPY READING!

It was definitely an unusual day. For one it was Monday and I was in no rush, I was smiling and I did not in the least feel grumpy, agitated or moody.

Grabbing my bag and swinging it over my shoulder I left my room to find Riley and Finn eating pancakes in the kitchen.

"Fancy," I sang, taking a sniff of the aroma that filled up the kitchen. "You cooked breakfast."

"Of course I did. You can't be living off cereal every morning and Riley wanted pancakes. He actually begged for them—"

"He's lying, Mum!" Riley exclaimed, shooting me an innocent look before glaring at his father. "I'm okay with cereal."

I tried my best to ignore the small jolt inside my body. I had always loved how Riley, at such a tender young age, knew how financially unstable I was and was always considerate before asking everything. He had never complained but it still hurt to know that he yearned for things that I couldn't yet provide him.

"Are you?" I asked, plopping down on the stool and laying my bag on the kitchen counter, "because I'm not and I'm craving pancakes!"

Grinning, Riley turned to his plate and dug back into his stack of pancakes that was layered with cream and strawberries which I was sure Finn had bought because those ingredients weren't in the fridge. Looking at Finn, I smiled and mouthed, 'Thank You.'

He nodded and turned back to the stove. After having a rather jovial breakfast—in the sense that it was Monday and yet I wasn't feeling like smashing anything that was in my hand against a hard surface—I grabbed my bag and turned to Riley. "Come on, baby, get your stuff and get in the car. We'll have to skip out on the Golden Quaff today otherwise Mummy will be late," I said.

"Oh, that's okay," Finn said, "I'll take him to school today. I wanted to talk to his teachers before I go back to London."

I looked up and found Finn's eyes already trained on me, his eyes showing that he meant everything that transpired between us and that last night truly wasn't a dream. I smiled softly at him, my heart feeling lighter with the fact that Finn wasn't about broken promises this time.

"Okay," I said, grabbing my keys off the counter and looping them around my index finger. "I think I might go see someone before class then."

"What?" Riley exclaimed, looking between his father and I. "Is there something I'm missing? It's Monday and you're not moody, Mum. And then Dad says he can take me to school and you don't even blow your top off—you didn't even give him a set of instructions or lecture him or—"

"We worked things out, Rye," Finn said, putting a hand on our son's shoulder.

"Really?" His eyes sparkled, looking from his father and back to me. "You and Dad got back together?"

"Oh no, Rye," I chuckled, hoping to God that neither he nor Finn heard the nervousness lacing through my voice. "Daddy and I talked last night and I agreed not to be a crazy mother anymore."

Riley looked from his father back to me for the umpteenth time. Looking at me suspiciously he said, "But you've always been a crazy mother."

I tried not to laugh at that. He looked so serious. "Okay, the truth is," I said, dropping down to my knees so that I was at eye level with him, "I'm still going to be overprotective when it comes to you. I always will be. You're my little boy. But Dad's your father and I can't keep him from you. You love your father don't you, Rye?"

He nodded and I could tell that he couldn't quite grasp the change I had, for once, permitted.

"Now you get to spend more time with him," I said. "You and Dad love watching football and maybe, one day when you join your school's football team you can bring Dad along and Mummy won't blow her top off because he's there." I paused, knowing that there was so much I needed to say to him but wasn't too certain that he'd understand where this was coming from and for what reason. "Riley, I know that Dad doesn't hang around much but it's because of me. Now, Dad's going to be around much more and you're going to have the father you deserve."

"I don't get it, Mum," Riley said.

"Something about what you said to me last night got to me. Finn's old enough to be responsible and take care of you. It took me a while to realise that it's been so for a while now and I was hell-bent on keeping things the way they were that I hadn't realised that Dad deserves to be around you as much as I am around you."

"So Dad's moving in?" Riley questioned and I could tell by the expression on his face that he still hadn't wrapped his head around any of this information.

"No, but you'll be spending the weekends with Dad unless something comes up!" I chirped, raising my eyebrows and giving my son a huge grin. "Now go get your school bag. Dad needs to drop you off, talk to your teachers and head back to London."

Riley blinked, before he nodded and ran out of the kitchen in search of his school bag. I stood up and looked at Finn to find him staring at me. His blue eyes shone with appreciation and shock.

"You never told me about this weekend arrangement," he said, his voice soft and questioning. He rounded the bend of the kitchen counter and stood before me, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"I thought over it last night and there wasn't really time to get back to you and..." I didn't know how to complete that sentence but I knew Finn understood. Doing this, taking the next big step with him, was probably one of the hardest things I've done and that's coming from a woman who still remembers the pain from when she went into labour.

He opened his arms up and I threaded my own around his waist. I felt his arms embrace me and I sunk into the warmth of his hug, staying in the comfort. I felt his head weigh down upon mine but funnily enough it actually felt good, comforting even. I pulled back and smiled up at him.

"I should get going," I whispered, my voice low and sounding dazed.

"Okay," he replied with a smile. He bent down, pressed his lips briefly onto my forehead and for those few seconds my eyes fell close on their own accord and my heart thrummed a familiar song. Pulling back he said, more jovially to clear out the heavy emotion that hung above, "Tell Bruce I'd like to see him some day and if he breaks your heart...well, let us say that I'll be breaking more than one of his organs."

"Ever so chivalrous," I commented, amused by his light-hearted threat. "Have a great day and call me when you reach home safely."

"I will. Don't snog Bruce too long! You have classes to attend to and a degree to get!" he called out as I headed out of the kitchen, swinging the door open.

I couldn't stop smiling as I made my way to Bruce's place where an underdressed male greeted my eyes.

* * * * *

"Did it occur to you to throw a shirt on, or even your vest, before you opened the door?" I asked as my eyes travelled his bare torso. He was wearing black socks and trousers with his belt not buckled up.

"Madilyn," he exclaimed, startled to see me.

"Good morning, sunshine," I greeted as I stepped in and breathed in relief. "My God, its freezing cold outside."

"It is December," he pointed out.

"You're not dressed," I stated, mimicking his pointed tone.

"Your observatory skills astound me," he exclaimed exaggeratingly with a shocked expression masking those handsome features of his. Chuckling, he said, "Give me a few minutes and I'll get dressed."

"Hmm," I said, tilting my head to the side and surveying the view of Bruce Vela before me. "I don't know. Half naked Bruce is a wonderful sight."

"Well," he said playfully, "if I'm going to be half naked then it's only fair that you are too."

"Would you like me to take my top off?"

I didn't miss how his chocolate brown eyes darkened at my teasing suggestion. "Your trousers too," he pleaded. "As the owner of this household I must ensure that all of my guests are comfortable and you wouldn't be that comfortable with your trousers on, would you?"

Giggling at his humorous personality I waved him off and said, "Get dressed. I know where the living room is and you have work and I have classes so I'll make this quick."

"I'll be right back," he assured before disappearing up the stairs.

I found the living room with a little difficulty. Last night when I had come here my mind wasn't clear and neither was it when I left. After the talk with Finn though, everything seemed crystal clear. I was holding back from Bruce who I immensely liked. Things between us were progressing fast but something about the pace made me feel excited. And not only did Bruce offer comfort, he was perfect for me in almost every aspect. He understood when I didn't want to talk about a topic—especially the ones including Riley—and would steer the conversation away from it. I knew he wanted to know more and other than the time at the restaurant when we went for lunch where he outwardly came and stated it, he never said a word about me being more open and less closed up in the sense that I had my walls up every second of every day. Thinking about Bruce began to make me feel warm as I sunk into the softness of the couch.

Oh my goodness, where did he purchase these couches from? They are absolutely heaven and how on earth did I not notice how amazing these couches were last night was beyond me.

"Looks like someone is happy," came that deep, gravy smooth voice that lately seemed to tickle my fancy.

I opened to find Bruce, fully dressed in a striped shirt, shoes, a blazer and black trousers—his belt buckled this time. I pouted. "I miss half naked Bruce," I said and he chuckled, approaching me and settling next to me on the couch. I was flirting with him as I always was but I wasn't lying about missing his half nakedness. I couldn't deny that Bruce was insanely attractive, especially with his Mexican heritage, and the sight of him certainly warmed my body in the way that it hadn't been for a while.

"So, what's this visit about?" he asked.

"I told you I'd sort things out as soon as I could and I did."

His expression changed. He looked so serious all of a sudden and his deep stare on me threw me off momentarily. "And?"

"And we need to talk. I need to tell you a few things if we're going to do this."

I could tell by the way his lips were pressed together that he was trying to supress a triumphant smile. "Okay," he said at last. "Go ahead."

I took in a deep breath. I hadn't really thought this over before I came here and now I struggled to find a place to start with. Settling for my pregnancy, I began. "When I was pregnant I was overridden by emotion and impulsive decisions. I chose to go away from home and build a new life for me and my child. My parents were furious that I was stupid, not careful and got pregnant before I got married—before I finished university. University wasn't like sixth form and sixth form was stressing with its damn A Levels. I still remember it like it was yesterday."

He furrowed his eyebrows in concern. I could tell that my side comments which were humorous no longer side-tracked him or bothered him. "Did you run away from home, Madilyn?"

For a moment I was stunned by his straightforwardness. I realised that it was I who had said something to make him come to that conclusion. Looking away, I replied, "No, I didn't. I just needed a new surrounding and environment. I felt like I was going crazy."

He was quiet for a few moments and I silently berated myself for sounding like I had run off. I convinced myself in those few seconds that he could tell I was lying but when I felt a protective hand wrap around my knee and give it a supportive squeeze, I knew I was beginning to work myself up over nothing.

"Maybe you should have stayed with your parents," Bruce proposed and if the man in front of me was Finn then I'd have given him the death glare but Bruce, unlike Finn, didn't know the history I shared with my parents and for the time being I didn't deem it worthy of bringing it up.

"I could have, yes. But I didn't and I can't go back in time and change things. I actually don't want to go back in time and change anything. Yes, the entire experience was painful—both physically and emotionally—but when I saw the outcome I became hell bent on dedicating my life to make my son happy. To be honest I wanted him to be like me and nothing like my parents. Instead he turned out more like Finn. I mean, appearance wise he looks a lot like me and he's got his father's eyes but personality wise I have to admit that there's a stark resemblance to the personality of Finn and his son."

"Is that why you hate Finn and always afraid that I'd be another him?"

His question threw me off track and I took a couple of seconds to gather myself. "Uh, no. I don't hate Finn. I'm sorry if I mislead you to believe that. It's just...Finn and I have complicated history. He wasn't my first love but he was the love that I thought would last forever, that I'd get married to and have children with. Technically I did check off one on that list—I did have his child."

"Madilyn," Bruce said softly and my amused smile dropped. Here I was trying to have a serious conversation just as Bruce was and I was already trying to lighten up the atmosphere which wasn't yet damp with any emotions.

"Sorry," I apologised looking down at my hands. "Look, Finn's caused me a lot of heartbreak. Including last Christmas when we all went to my parents place to celebrate as we do annually; I suppose its custom. He made a million promises and I was slightly intoxicated, so was he, and we uh, slept together. I woke up to find his phone buzzing off. I'm a light sleeper and any slight noise puts me off. So I woke up and found texts from another woman and...I blew it. He said that he meant what happened last night but if he had known then he would have broken up with her before he came. That's not what you tell a woman who wakes up to find another woman, who is in an official relationship with him, all over him."

I felt a finger under my chin. It pulled my face up so that I was looking directly into Bruce's warm chocolate eyes. "I get it, more than I did before, why you're so hesitant to trust. But I'm not Finn, sweetheart. I can't promise not to hurt you just like you can't promise not to hurt me but there's a considerable difference between him and I."

"I know," I said softly, my voice thick as I took his hand in mine and smiled. The truth was that I didn't know.

"What happens now?" Bruce asked.

"I talked things over with Finn last night. I agreed that I'd been too harsh on him and we came to an agreement to let him be more of a father to our son. He gets Riley on weekends and I have my son during the weekdays. And...I'm all yours."

"God," he breathed, his brown eyes visibly darkening, "you have no idea how much I wanted to hear that."

Placing a hand on his chest and nearing my face to his so that our noses almost brushed against each other, our breaths mingled together, I said, "What are you waiting for, Mystery Man?"

Lips consumed mine in an instant and warmth flourished through my body. I grabbed the lapels of his black blazer, momentarily weak in the knees and in need of support. I breathed him in, the fragrance of a fresh start, and let my lips get carried in the heat with his. One of his hands found the back of my head and when it tugged at my blonde hair, I gave out a little moan, pleasure brimming up within me, as his other hand travelled over the trouser material on my thigh. His touch was warm and intoxicating and I found myself yearning more. Slipping my hands past the lapels of his blazer, I slithered them up to his hair, grabbing a fistful in both hands before I felt his tongue slide out and graze over the seam of my lips. Parting them with obedience, I was met with an absolute thrilling shiver caused by the instant effect of his tongue dancing with my own.

Kissing was always a messy task and I undoubtedly knew that we looked like we were sucking each other's face but it felt immensely good. His hand glided over my thigh before it travelled higher, grabbed my hip and tugged my towards him. I landed in his lap with a yelp. Giggling, I looked at him with hooded eyes.

"So chivalrous," I whispered sarcastically.

"You have a strange infatuation with that word," he whispered back huskily, looking up with me with his darkened eyes.

"What can I say?" I said drawing closer to him so that my lips brushed against his. "I like chivalrous men."

With that he tugged me forward, placed his lips upon mine and for the next few minutes we got lost in blissful heat that shrouded us and crept into our hearts, making us feel warm in the cold weather.

"You've got impeccable timing," he whispered onto my lips, drawing away to catch his breath. "It's Monday, the start of the week, and if I'm late my boss will kill me."

"Don't worry," I said, dropping my head a notch and brushing my lips against his. His groan was satisfactory to my ears. "I stole all his guns and everything he uses to kill his employees."

His breathy laugh warmed my face. "I really have to go to work," he said.

I raised my eyebrows, dropped my head a little and asked him, "What's stopping you?"

His hand was at the back of my head in a heartbeat while his other was at the base of my back. He flipped me over and before I could even process what he was doing, his lips were on mine in a harsh, needy kiss—a kiss so deep that I felt it rattle through my bones. He pulled away abruptly, jumping a few metres away from me, taking a step at a time to keep his distance.

"I'm serious, Madilyn," he said, breathing deep and hard, waving a hand in front of him to keep me at a distance. "I have to go to work."

I bit down on my lip, trying to hold in my laugh and fully satisfied that I had aroused a man before he was going to work. I noticed his eyes drift down to my lips at my small movement and in an instant, he jumped over the coffee table, cupped my face within his palms, leaned over me, said, "Fuck it," and breathed a deep kiss upon my lips all in five seconds.

"Bruce," I giggled, swatting him away.

He grabbed my wrists and put his lips upon mine, his kisses becoming slower and more passionate. My hands slithered into his hair and after getting lost into the heat for a few minutes I remembered where exactly I was and what I was supposed to be doing. What I was supposed to be doing was heading towards my classes, not kissing a man who I had become infatuated with.

"Bruce!" I giggled again, pushing him away. "You have work."

"Work can wait," he murmured, burying his face in the crook of my neck, his lips grazing over my collarbone. I involuntarily shuddered at the pleasure that shot down me. The thing he was doing with his tongue against my collarbone certainly wasn't helping me and I quickly crossed my legs as I tried my best to supress the amount of euphoria that blasted through my body and shot down between my legs.

"I have classes," I argued, but only half-heartedly as I tilted my head to the side and allowed him better access.

This finally got him to stop and he pulled back, his eyes glazed. Sitting on the coffee table he looked at me with the expression of awe. I would have laughed if my heart had not been beating rapidly as it was being seized by blissful joy.

"You're going to drive me crazy," he said, a little breathlessly.

"That was the plan," I replied with a wink.

We sat there for a few seconds, silly teenage-like smiles hanging off our lips, before he said, "At this rate I'm never going to work."

Chuckling, I drew closer and sat up straighter on the couch. Taking Bruce's hands into mine, I said softly, "There's something I want to ask you."

"And what is that?"

I threaded my fingers with his and felt the planes of his hands, soft and warm. I hesitated, not certain what I was even thinking about proposing this to Bruce, but when he gave my hand a small tug, I gave in and asked, "Would you like to spend Christmas with me?"

"Oh yeah, baby," he replied in an instant, his eyes lighting up.

"I don't spend Christmas alone though," I said, my voice holding trepidation because I didn't know how I was going to lay all of this on him when we only just got together.

"Of course," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "You have Riley, and Noah, and I'm guessing Finn too since he is Riley's father and has taken a keen interest on Riley."

"Other than the obvious people who I spend Christmas with, I spend it with other people too."

"Family?" he raised his eyebrows as a crestfallen expression took over his features.

"Yes," I replied, biting down on my lip with anticipation. He went quiet for a while and that certainly wasn't helping my nerves—or the fact that he was now running late for work.

His thumb brushed over the side of my hand, the action so small and so large at the same time. Looking up at me, he smiled softly and by the way his chocolate brown eyes held guilt and the way he carried that smile I knew what his answer was before he gave me one.

"We just kissed," he said, easing into the answer. "We just became a thing—a couple—and you're asking me if I want to meet your parents. That's—"

"I didn't ask you to meet my parents," I rushed in, my face now flushed with embarrassment, "I asked you if you wanted to spend Christmas with me and it's not my fault that I am always at my parents' house during Christmas."

"Of course, it's not your fault. Not at all," he said, his brown eyes lighting up at my embarrassment. "There's something about you that makes me want to jump to decisions. There's something about you that makes me feel like being impulsive, maybe irrational too, and I can't help this feeling. I met you a little over two weeks ago. I had an instant crush on you and all of this seems to be moving fast. It's not that I don't like it or you—I probably came off desperate anyway—"

I cut Bruce off by squeezing his hand and giving him a soft smile. "It's okay, sweetheart. I get it. I feel it too. I know it's going too fast and I thought it was the lack of my dating experience that made me feel so but apparently not. I am glad because that means I'm not the only one who wants to be impulsive with you. I'm not the only one who feels consumed by affection, by...so much emotion. You're not afraid of meeting my parents. You just feel that if you meet them now it would speed things up way faster and the rate at which we're going is what scares you. You think we'll crash and burn."

An undecipherable emotion flickered through his eyes. "How is it that I've known you for such little time but you seem to know me so well?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, willing myself to say the words that kept rotating in my mind ever since last night. "Bruce, I don't care if this sounds cheesy or cliché because it's the truth and the truth is that I feel like I've known you my whole life," I whispered, my breath catching in my throat as I waited for his reply, anticipation building within me.

"Madilyn, I don't care if this sounds cheesy or cliché because it's the truth," he said, copying my words and staring deep into my eyes, his gaze so piercing that I was now holding my breath for a whole other reason. "And the truth is that I feel like I've been looking for you my whole life."

I leaned in and he automatically came forward, his lips meeting mine halfway. His lips brushed against mine in a gentle kiss and I closed my eyes in satisfaction, releasing a content sigh. "We should really get out of here," I said, my voice low and soft with my eyes still closed.

"If you're thinking about the bedroom then I'm all for it. Tell me you're wearing laced panties," he said heartily, his voice still husky.

"You're out of luck, mister," I said, opening my eyes and smiling. "I'm not wearing any laced knickers."

"But?"

"But the bedroom seems like a very appealing area which I would certainly love to visit," I said, my voice light and humorous but my eyes hooded with need.

"This weekend perhaps," he proposed.

"That's a promise," I replied and leaned in, sealing the deal with a sweet kiss.

He got up and began to adjust his clothing. Resisting the urge to grab his tie and pull him towards me into endless kisses, I got up myself and fixed my clothing so it didn't look like I had been snogging someone. However, with how flustered my expression looked I had an idea what people would think when they saw me at the university. Reminding myself that it didn't matter what other people thought when I finally found my happiness, when I finally found someone, I smiled to myself and picked my bag that had dropped onto the floor in the midst of everything that had happened in the last few minutes.

"My boss is officially going to kill me," Bruce said as he made his way to the door.

"He wouldn't," I commented, playfulness underlying my voice as I followed him through his house and to the front door. "If he killed you then I'd come after him and nobody wants Madilyn Adair to be after them."

"God, where on earth did you come from?" Bruce asked after letting out a hearty, pleased laugh.

"I didn't originate from earth. I came from heaven," I said as I stepped out of the house and turned to him.

"You did," he said, closing the door behind him. There was no hint of playfulness or amusement as he glanced at me briefly and it was probably stupid but my heart skipped a beat. Bruce was undoubtedly a romantic who was cheesy in a lot of aspects but the way he said it, the sincerity behind his words, made my heart do things it hadn't since my teenage days with Finn.

"Good day, Madilyn," he said, leaning down for a brief but equally breathless kiss.

"Good day to you, too, Bruce," I whispered back as he retreated and walked towards his car.

I couldn't help but think, as I stood by his driveway and watched his car reverse out of the garage before driving off, that even after getting what I yearned after so long there was still something missing.