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had known that Madison was going to be upset, but this was bad. Even for
her. He gritted his teeth, “I love Claudia.” As he used a dish towel to wipe
the jelly off his face, he kept his gaze away from Madison. “She is going to
Germany to finish her studies and when she comes home we will get married.”
    Madison shook her head as he walked away. She ran in front
of him and gasped when she saw how much she was hurting him. “But Alex,” she
whispered. She reached up and touched his face. “The moon phases...”
    “Grandfather has already said that he would aid us anyway he
can.” He stepped around Madison and continued to go to the stairs. “During the
full moon, either I’ll fly to her or she’ll come home to me.”
    She pressed her lips together to keep from crying out. “So
you have everything planned out,” she whispered.
    “No, not everything,” Alex replied. “But we have most of
it.” He turned his Madison and ignored the tears sliding down his cheeks. “I
love her Madison. And I can’t just stand here and let you insult her.”
    A cold hand closed over Madison’s heart. Ever since she gave
birth to the twins, Alex called her Mom. To hear her name from his lips again
cut her to the core. “Alex, please, don’t …”
    “You know,” he cut in. He shook his head and took a shaky
breath, “I knew you would be pissed. But I didn’t think you’d be like this.”
    “I don’t want you to be hurt,” Madison cried. She grabbed
the sides of his face and made him look into her eyes. “I don’t want to see you
suffer like I am….”
    “So you treat me like Tina treated you?” he asked. When she
gasped he stepped back and let her hands fall. “You haven’t tossed me out, but
I can’t stay here. Not if you feel that way about Claudia.”
    Madison watched silently as Alex walked to the stairs. The
phone started ringing in the living room. Madison chose to ignore it. She
wasn’t going to talk to anyone. Not with what Alex just said.
    When she was only a child, Tina and James sent her to New York.
Every time they were supposed to come to visit with her, they would think of
some excuse not to. Then only a few short years ago Tina called her a monster.
    Now here she was giving another child that had it just as
rough, just as vicious of a title.
    It didn’t matter if it was Monster or Whore. Both titles
could rip a person’s heart out.
    Alex had a duffle bag over his shoulder when he returned. He
stared at Madison for a long moment. The look on her face made him want to
apologize. She had taken him into her family and quickly became the one person
he knew would always look out for him.
    Madison taught him to stand up for what he believed in, and
if there was one thing Alex believed in, it was his relationship with Claudia.
    A sad smile crossed Madison’s face as she looked into his
eyes. “You look like you don’t know if you want me to apologize, or give you
more reasons to leave,” she said before turning and going back to the kitchen.
She wiped her eyes and gestured to the bag on his shoulder. “Do you want me to
send the rest of your things? Or are you coming back to get it later?”
    Alex paused a moment at Madison’s resigned mood change. If
she was coming down from her anger, there was still a chance he could salvage
their relationship. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked carefully.
    More tears slid down her face as she looked out of the back
window. “No,” she answered honestly. “But if you’re anything like me, it
wouldn’t matter what I said. You’d still be out of the door.”
    “Like you would be with Tina?”
    She nodded. “Like I would with Tina,” she echoed.
    Alex walked over to Madison and wrapped his arms around her.
“I love her, Mom. And I don’t want you to make me choose between you two.”
    Madison smiled and turned to look at him. “I know. I’m
sorry.” She wiped her eyes. “But in my own defense, I don’t think there are any
women in the world