Chapter 13: Chapter 13

It only took a few minutes for Dylan to find Madison's house. He asked some residents until someone gave him directions to the Lopezes' residence. He was fidgeting when he parked his car in front of a small house only to find that Madison or anyone of her family was not home. Dylan learned from the neighbors that Madison and her family left at noon. It was nearly six in the evening, so he decided to wait inside his car for a while.

A taxi stopped in front of the house. As soon as Madison alighted from the vehicle, Dylan abruptly got off his car. The presence of a CEO's son in the suburbs widened Madison's eyes. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

With a stammering voice, Madison asked, "Sir... Sir Dylan?" As if taking Madison's confusion as a cue to introduce himself, Dylan approached the Lopez family.

He broke the silence with a polite greeting. "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Lopez." He exchanged handshakes with Ruth and glanced at Madison's sisters with a smile to show them respect. He found the girls as pretty as Madison. "And hello there, beautiful ladies," he added. The girls remained standing on the street, so he voluntarily took the grocery bags to carry them inside their house. Seeing Madison's sisters nudging one another with a silly smile on their lips, Dylan knew that he had made a good impression.

Madison instructed, "I'll go inside later, Mom. Sir Dylan and I have something to talk about for a while." She took the grocery bags from Dylan's hands and handed them back to her sisters, making Dylan feel unwelcome.

She greeted him with a questioning look as soon as her family entered the house. "Sir Dylan, what are you doing here? And how did you find out where I live?"

It was easier to respond to the second question, so Dylan admitted, "Mom gave me your address. I..." He was about to explain when Madison suddenly pulled him over.

Madison interjected, "Let's not talk here. I don't want our neighbors to mistake us as couples." Dylan let Madison lead him to a lake. His eyes turned to her hand clasping his. Oddly enough, he liked the touch of her hand. He shook his head with a silly smile at the thought.

"What do you mean they might mistake us as couples? Is that what you think they might think if they see us together?" Dylan asked when they reached a tree house.

"To be clear, I'm not accusing them. It's just that gossiping is a way of life here. I should know because my family has been their topic every time," Madison clarified with annoyance. For somebody who was too lazy to go out, Dylan was surprised at the difference between the people around him and Madison. Residents in the city did not mind one another as they were busy operating their businesses.

Madison seemed so annoyed that she seemed to have forgotten to let go of Dylan's hand. She was sitting on the wooden chair while Dylan stood before her. But holding her hand still felt comfortable. Dylan bit his lip to hide his smile. Nobody, not even Scarlett, had ever made him act this silly before. It was crazy to let himself admire and enjoy everything about Madison.

Noticing Dylan staring at their intertwined hands, Madison quickly withdrew her hand. Her face flushed red in embarrassment. She tried to hide it by bowing her head. Dylan then secretly smiled, admiring Madison looking even prettier in his eyes.

The reason he traveled to the suburbs flashed into Dylan's mind. He cleared his throat and knelt on the ground. "I'm here to apologize, Madison. I regret everything I said. I didn't mean to insult you. I hope you'll forgive me," he asked.

The fact that he traveled to the suburb was enough for Madison to believe him. But she could no longer take Dylan's surprises. She stood up and lifted him by his arm.

"Sir Dylan! I'm not a god!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. She looked him in the eye and added, "You don't have to do that. I didn't leave because I'm mad at you. I already forgave you when I left, Sir Dylan. If anything, I think I owe you a thank you for what happened." She gave him an understanding smile and patted the wood next to her, motioning for him to sit beside her.

What Madison said impressed Dylan. He was sure that if he made a mistake to someone else, they would ask him for favors in exchange for their forgiveness. His mother was right. It would be challenging to find someone else to replace Madison. It made him like the young woman even more.

Dylan frowned at himself. 'Did I say I like her?' he asked inwardly. He glanced at Madison while she was staring at the quiet lake. The wind blew some strands of her hair, making the sunset glow on her blue eyes. It was a picturesque view, and Dylan knew he liked Madison indeed. 'Now I know why I got mad,' he thought. 'I was jealous, wasn't I?'

Madison spoke again. "I mean, if it weren't for what happened, it would've probably taken me long before I saw my family again. I couldn't wait to see them, so I told Ma'am Laurene about my resignation. But she disapproved and allowed me a one-week vacation instead. I insisted, but she won." She chuckled and glanced at Dylan as if telling him she was grateful nevertheless.

"What?!" Suddenly, Dylan felt betrayed. "She tricked me!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Madison turned to him, seeking an explanation.

"I mean, Mom knows you're going home, too. Am I correct?" Dylan clarified, to which Madison nodded. Knowing about the truth annoyed him. It was evident that his mother disliked Scarlett. Laurene disapproved of Dylan's relationship with Scarlett because the young woman could be possessive sometimes. Scarlett also disrespected Laurene, so the two did not talk much.

But Dylan was still grateful to his mother at the same time. Going to Madison's place was not a waste of time. Dylan noted to thank Laurene for it when he returned.

"It's getting late, Sir," Madison said, catching Dylan's attention. "You must be tired of driving all the way here. You can stay with us tonight," she suggested.

But a night was too short for Dylan's plan. "Honestly, Madison, I told Mom I'll return to the city with you. I'm saying I'd like to stay here with you while you're on vacation if you don't mind," he said.

His intention made Madison dumbfounded.

She only stared at him, so he asked again. "Is that... okay with you?"

Madison blinked. She worriedly said, "Are you sure you want to stay here, Sir Dylan? I mean, of course, you are welcome here. But you know life here is different from that in the city. We only have two beds and a sofa for the five of us. The rooms are not air-conditioned. The gas station is a few meters away from here. We..."

Dylan cut in. "Hey, it's okay. I want to experience what it's like to live in the suburbs. Who knows? I might enjoy it and plan another vacation here next time."

His words did not sound convincing. Madison looked at him intently as though she was looking for a trace of uncertainty. "Sir Dylan," she called and repeated, "Are you sure?"

Dylan nodded twice. With a shy smile, Madison replied, "Alright, stay in my room throughout, Sir. I'll sleep with Mom and my siblings in the other room. Please bear with us and our small house."

"Madison, I don't mind at all," Dylan reassured. 'As long as I'm with you,' he wanted to add. Instead, he said, "By the way, thank you for forgiving, Madison. You have no idea how relieved I am. Now I can finally sleep knowing you're no longer mad at me. We're cool now, aren't we?"

Madison nodded with a smile. She shifted her gaze to the lake while Dylan kept his eyes on her. He had never been attracted to a woman like this before.

The surroundings were getting dark, so Madison invited Dylan to walk back home.

Dylan's mind wandered to the moment Madison held his hand earlier. It was tempting to hold her hand as they walked in silence. As their steps reached the house, awkwardness surfaced in Dylan's chest. The house was made of bricks. The area was as wide as his room. They had a small shop and a wooden chair in front of it that seemed meant for lounging.

The small living room with one sofa and a wooden table greeted him when he followed Madison inside. On the side was a space divided into two rooms. The house might be small, but the neatness and cleanliness looked pleasing to the eyes.

"Mom, we're back!" Madison shouted. Her sisters, who were in the kitchen, immediately peeked at Dylan and Madison.

One of them, who seemed to be the youngest, asked, "Hey, Maddy! Did you go to the lake?"

Madison nodded and asked, "Where's Mom?"

"She's at Mrs. Adeline's backyard. She said she'll be back in a minute."

"Alright," Madison replied with a nod. "Finish what you're doing. Don't play around, okay? You might burn down the house." The three did not seem to hear her command. They looked at her as though they were expecting something.

When Madison motioned for Dylan to sit and wait on the sofa, her sisters called her attention, nagging her.

"What is it?" Madison asked.

One of the three ladies pouted and whispered, "In case you forgot, you haven't introduced us to your handsome visitor. You really are selfish, Madds." Dylan chuckled at the complaint and caught Madison glaring at her sisters. Scratching the nape of her neck, her sister replied, "Alright, alright! We can wait until Mom comes back."

When her sisters shifted their attention to what they were doing, Madison apologized in embarrassment. "Please bear with my sisters, Sir Dylan. They look silly, but rest assured that they're no trouble."

Dylan did not mind. "It's okay, Madeline," he said, all smiles.

"I almost forgot. I should fix your room. Stay here for a moment, Sir Dylan. It won't take me long," Madison said, leaving Dylan alone in the living room.

Dylan got what he wanted again. He was indeed staying with Madison as planned. His eyes followed her direction. Anticipating the next days he would be spending with her, Dylan confidently thought, 'I'll make the most out of this vacation, Madeline. I'll make you fall in love with me before it ends.'