“Yeah, fucker,” I grinned and hugged her.  “God, I am going to miss you.”

She hugged me hard and then pulled away.  “I know. Me too.  Maybe I could come and visit soon,” she said.

I shook my head.  “I don’t think you should, honey.  From what J and Scott have told me it is pretty messed up at the moment.  I don’t want you getting mixed up in all of that.”

“Fuck that.  I can’t leave my best girl alone when she needs me.  I am sure that J and his boys can look out for both of us.”

I laughed out loud.  “You’ve got no clue but I do love you. Now, get your ass off the bed and help me carry my stuff out of here.”

We carried my bag out to the living room and ran into Blake who had just walked through the front door.  He pulled me into a hug and we stayed like that for a moment.  It would be tough leaving him as I had come to depend upon him over the last two years.  He was my voice of reason when my level of crazy hit epic proportions, and he was the steady influence in my life.

“You know where I am if you need me, baby girl,” he murmured in my ear and then let me go.

My eyes met his and I smiled at him, “Absolutely.  You’d better keep your phone close all the time because I’m sure I’ll be calling you often.  I’ll need you to talk some sense into me when I lose my shit. Okay?”

He nodded and grabbed my hand and squeezed it.  “I mean it, Maddy, if you need me, I am there.”

A phone started ringing and I looked around to catch J staring intently at Blake and I.  He was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, and I had not heard him come in.  It was his phone ringing but he wasn’t rushing to answer it.

“Are you going to get that?” I snapped.

He scowled at me and stabbed at his phone to answer it.  “What?” he barked into it and walked back into the kitchen, away from us.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Blake and Serena.  “Are Rowan and Faith able to come and say goodbye?” I asked Blake.

“No, they are busy, but I think they will both give you a call later on,” Blake answered.  He jerked his head towards J, and asked, “What was that all about?”

I shrugged.  “I have no idea.” And I really didn’t.  J could be a moody bastard and I figured he was just in one of his moods, especially because of what was happening with Nix and the club.

“Are you sure you want him to take you back home?  I could drive you,” he offered.

“No, I’ll go with J,” I said quickly and Blake raised his eyebrows at me.

Shit.  That was pretty eager of me.  Fuck, this wasn’t good.  I needed to keep my distance from J.

“No, maybe you could drive me,” I changed my mind and looked to Blake who was nodding in agreement.

“Madison is with me,” J growled, and I turned around to find him almost right behind me.  He caught me by surprise and I stumbled back a little, and his hand shot out to catch me from falling.  His arm snaked around my waist and he held me firmly.  I looked up at him as he stepped closer to me; our breath mingled and I felt my stomach clench with that feeling of anticipation that I hadn’t known since we broke up.  “You’ll ride with me, it’s safer,” he ordered.

“I think Madison can make her own mind up,” Blake retorted.

J tore his eyes from mine to glare at Blake.  “Did you not fucking hear me the first time?  She rides with me.”

“You’re joking aren’t you?” Blake snorted, “Madison is a grown woman and can make her own decisions.”

“Do I look like I am fucking joking?” J challenged Blake, and I realised it was time to cut in before this got out of hand.  Blake was still being polite, probably for my sake, but if push came to shove, Blake wouldn’t hesitate to take J on.

I laid a hand on J’s chest and said to Blake, “It’s okay, I’ll ride with J.  He’s right.  With Nix off their radar it will be safer for me to stick with him.”

Blake and J continued glaring at each other, and I pushed on J’s chest and pulled myself out of his hold.  “Are we going?” I asked him, impatiently.

He looked away from Blake to me and nodded.  “Yeah, I’ll get our stuff and meet you outside.”  With that, he gathered up our belongings and headed out to his bike, shooting Blake one last glare before he left.

“Like I said, moody,” Serena stated and looped her arm through mine as we followed him out.  She turned her head to me with a wicked glint, “I bet he’s fucking intense in bed, right?”

“Oh my god!  We are not going there,” I shook my head in exasperation.  Serena had a one track mind most days and today was no exception.

She laughed and I couldn’t help but join her; she really was the sunshine in my life.

***

I grabbed Blake and Serena in a group hug.  “I’ll call you once we are there.  Will be in about four or five hours.”

J was waiting for me on his bike and I could sense his impatience so I finished my goodbyes and climbed on behind him.  Apart from the other night, it had been years since I’d been on the back of a bike and it felt good.  I had missed it.  Wrapping my arms around J’s waist, I tried to wipe away the thoughts of just how good it felt to be on his bike.  He pulled my hands so that I was holding him tighter and pleasure shot through my body at his touch.  I wondered if he felt it too, but quickly dismissed that thought because, let’s be honest, he was the one who had ended it all those years ago.