I Hear You

I Hear You Kay Mitchell Copyright Copyright © 2023 by Kay Mitchell All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Names. places, locations, characters and incidences are all either a product of Author's imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locations is entirely coincidental. Contents A Note Dedication Prologue 1. Madison 2. Henderson 3. Madison 4. Henderson 5. Madison 6. Henderson 7. Madison 8. Henderson 9. Madison 10. Henderson 11. Madison 12. Henderson 13. Madison 14. Henderson 15. Madison 16. Henderson 17. Madison 18. Henderson 19. Madison 20. Henderson 21. Madison 22. Henderson 23. Madison 24. Henderson 25. Madison 26. Henderson 27. Madison 28. Henderson 29. Madison 30. Henderson 31. Madison 32. Henderson 33. Madison 34. Henderson 35. Madison 36. Henderson Afterword Acknowledgments About Author Content Warnings A Note This book is a spicy romance that deals with some subject matter that readers may not want to engage in. Content and trigger warnings can be found on author's website and on the very last page of this book. www.kaymitchell.com Dedication To anyone who ever felt like they weren't worthy of giving or receiving love. You are. Prologue Three Years Ago To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: September 5 21:27 Subject: New Poem… The Sparrow Ender, It’s the middle of the night and I just finished writing this. I couldn’t wait to share it with you. It’s just a free verse, but I think this is the first time I’m really proud of one of my poems. Like, really proud. This is the first time I feel… connected to something I’ve written. Like I’ve written it just for myself and those that are truly meant to read it. Not for anyone and everyone. The Sparrow When all the world is filled with pain And you feel like living isn’t worth it Like it’s hard to take the first day’s breath When you’re trying to find an ounce of gain You’ll look to someone you love Someone you long for and ache for To give you the same sense of belonging That others seek from above When you find it you hold on to it greedily But at the same time you cradle it As if it’s a delicate sparrow Hold it too tightly you’ll hurt it easily Instead you let the sparrow fly free And hope that if it’s destiny Your sparrow will stay Even when there’s no guarantee Your BFF, Mads Chapter one MadisonI am not running away from my past. I am running toward my future. This mantra has been playing on repeat in my head for the last hour. There’s a pit in my stomach the size of an avocado and I spent half the morning dry heaving. The seat creaks as I move around in it, trying to get comfortable, when I realize I’ve sat in gum. Great, these are new pants. Well, new to me anyway. They’re from a second-hand store. I hadn’t spent money on clothes in a really long time, but last week I finally decided to treat myself. This new adventure deserves new pants, is what I told myself. Unconvincingly reasoning with myself isn’t something I shy away from when necessary.The restaurant where I worked let me pick up extra shifts so I could tuck away some cash. It wasn’t much after the expenses of moving across the country. Even with the extra shifts, flying, as opposed to taking the bus, wasn’t an option. Now I’m suffering in the heat, with gum on my new pants.I dig around in my backpack for a napkin, and start trying to pry off the gum. Most of it comes off onto the napkin and it’s at least not sticky anymore. My shirt should be long enough to hide the stain when I stand up. I need to avoid drawing attention to myself as the new girl. Being the normal, average girl would be ideal. My desire to have an ordinary college experience is ardent. Enjoy my classes, study, and maybe make a few friends–that’s the current agenda.The gum isn’t even the most irritating thing right now; it’s unbearably hot on this bus. The air conditioning stopped working a couple hundred miles ago. Even with all the windows open as far as they’ll go, the smell of everyone's body odor is getting stronger. A toddler a few rows back is hating the heat more than I am. His mom has him stripped down to just his diaper, but he’s still fussing. At this point, I’m just thankful the seats on the bus aren’t sold out and I’m alone in this row. Otherwise, I’d be stuck rubbing against someone's sticky arms. Instead, I have the entire seat next to me to prop my leg up on and use my backpack on it as a barrier between me and everyone else.The map on my phone says there are only two hundred and forty miles to go. Two hundred and forty miles until I become just another face in the crowd at Pinehurst College. Where no one knows me, where no one knows my past, where no one will look at me with pity or judgment. Two hundred and forty miles until I can sleep in an actual bed, even if it is a crappy dorm room twin mattress. It will still be an upgrade from the couches I’ve been surfing and damn near luxury compared to sleeping sitting up, with one eye open, in the mall parking lot alcove. I open my email app and re-read the acceptance letter for the last time. Just to make sure it wasn’t a fever dream and I’m not wasting my time on this hot, smelly bus. To: [email protected]: [email protected]: January 18 09:15Subject: Application DecisionDear Madison Cartwright, It is with great pleasure that we would like to inform