If I Never Knew You (If I Never Knew You Series) Read online

  IF I NEVER KNEW YOU

  by

  Aubrey Bailey

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  To Know You is To Love You. 1st Edition Copyright © Aubrey Bailey Publishing 2013. All Rights Reserved.

  Cover Art and Design by Humble Nations

  Book Formating Services Provided by Brad Wilson KBG Authors Ecosystem

  This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is for a reviewer who may quote brief passages in the review. This publication is presented to you for informational purposes only and is not a substitution for any professional advice.

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  MY MOM ALWAYS said that everyone has a story to tell. Mine isn't exactly a fairy tale-like the ones you would find in a bedtime story or a movie-but it is one worth telling.

  My name is Madison Summers. I'm eighteen and, unlike most other high school graduates, I'm helping my mom financially, as she has a house and my sixteen-year-old brother, Andy, to take care of. My parents are divorced and even though my dad sends support checks, he only calls every three months or so. It's like he all but abandoned us. Andy believes our dad will come back home soon, just like he keeps saying in his letters from different places around the country. Usually only little kids believe those things, though.

  I work different shifts as a server at a local restaurant, the Wayside. Most of the patrons are really nice and don't cause any trouble, but sometimes I have to deal with the early morning drunks. Due to my busy schedule with lots of overtime, I don't see much of my mother or brother. Any free time I have to myself, I try to catch up on my sleep.

  My brother tries to help out, but he's usually busy with school or hanging out with his best friend, Orion. Interestingly, my brother's best friend is older than I am. Apparently, Orion is twenty, which leads me to wonder why he's hanging out with a sixteen-year-old. I've never met the guy, but I bet he's some kind of immature weirdo. Either that or he's as big of a video game freak as my brother. Who can tell the difference these days, though? All I know is he's in a band that my brother wants to join.

  Anyways, one thing my mom always said I had going for me was that I was beautiful. I have her blonde hair that reaches my mid-back and her blue-grey eyes. Andy, however, says that mine look colder and harder than mom's. I suppose they would look that way with what I've gone through this past year.

  I have a boyfriend, Damian Spencer, who half the time I don't even know why I'm with. He tends to be controlling and manipulative, which my brother hates, but what can I do? My boyfriend may be a "bad boy", but he's handsome, he makes me laugh, and we usually have fun on our dates. What more could a girl my age want from a guy? Except, sometimes his controlling nature becomes...violent.

  This is my story.

  CHAPTER ONE

  "ANDY, WILL YOU please come on! You're gonna be late for school!" I banged on my brother's bedroom door. My mother was already at her cleaning job, which she did from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. "Turn off that music and come out!" Finally, the door opened.

  "But the song just started, Madison." Andy whined, standing in front of me in jeans and a t-shirt that was only half on. "It's Orion's band, so you should want to hear it too."

  "I don't care if it's the Queen of England's band. You can't be late for school again. You know what the principal warned you about," I said.

  "That reminds me: Mom has to sign that permission form so I can go on the field trip," Andy mentioned.

  "If you're allowed to go," I wondered, more to myself than him.

  I walked into his room, stepping over the dirty clothes, and shut off his stereo.

  "Okay, I'm coming," Andy said." Just give me a minute."

  I waited for him downstairs in my work uniform, a blue retro-style dress and white running shoes. My apron was in my bag, along with my pad of paper and pencil. My hair was up in a ponytail, and I had on my usual work makeup of lipstick, eyeliner and mascara.

  "You finally ready?" I asked as Andy came down the stairs.

  Andy nodded and grabbed his backpack. We went outside and down the street to the bus stop. "Are you working a double shift?" he asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Does Damian know that?" Andy asked, even though it was none of his business. But then again, kid brothers are like that.

  I looked at him.

  "Yes, he does," I said. "So you don't need to worry, Mom!" I replied sarcastically.

  "Why do you date him, Madison?" Andy asked. "You know better than I do how wrong he is for you." I didn't answer him, mainly because a) he was right, and b) we had gone over this before.

  "Andy, when you're older you will understand about love," I reassured him. Putting my hands on his shoulders, I announced, "I have some good news, though."

  "You're getting a really big promotion so that you can dump him," Andy suggested, looking hopeful.

  "Um, no," I said. "I wish sometimes I could." Andy frowned. "But Damian is going to be out of town for a few weeks."

  "So, he'll quit with his non-stop calling?" Andy asked. I raised my eyebrows. "Right, I know he won't." I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry and repeatedly say that I was sorry when I saw the look on Andy's face. I'm just glad he doesn't know the full extent of Damian's feelings towards me.

  "We might need to trim your hair again soon," I observed. "It grows faster than mine." I can do Andy's hair myself, but cutting my own hair, especially at the back, is kind of tricky.

  Andy smiled at me and I smiled back as the bus came to a stop in front of us. Damian had gotten all of us bus passes. Sounds nice, right? But it wasn't really, as his generosity demands prices from me.

  "What time are you going to work until?" Andy asked as we sat down.

  "Eleven," I replied. Being together on the bus was one of the few times I got to see him and I was glad we both had to stay on the bus for some time. "You can visit at lunch again, if you want." The high school was only about a ten minute walk from where I worked. Actually it was more like twenty-five, but Andy liked to run, so whenever he decides to visit at lunchtime, he runs.

  "I'll see what I can do," Andy teased. I rolled my eyes at him. There was a big smile on his face. Andy loved coming to the restaurant, and the girls I worked with loved seeing him there. One of the cooks was even willing to make his favorite meal-a Megaburger, spicy fries and banana milkshake-whenever Andy came in. When the boss found o
ut, she was willing to pay for it, too. She thought Andy was the cutest thing in the world because of his puppy dog face, which made most of the girls fall in love with him the first time they met him.

  "Want me to tell Jen what time to expect you?" I asked. Jen was the cook.

  "Please do," Andy said in appreciation. I nodded before Andy looked out the front window and quickly pulled the rope to signal the bus driver that he was ready to disembark.

  The bus stopped and Andy gave me a quick hug before getting off. I waited a bit before pulling the rope again. The next stop was mine. I could technically get to work before Andy got to school, because the school was a good seven to ten minute walk from the bus stop (a four minute run if Andy wasn't still somewhat asleep). The restaurant was right next to the road and the bus stopped right in front of it.

  I got off the bus, walked through the parking lot, and into the restaurant. Saying hello to a few of the regular costumers before going into the back, I put my bag down and took off my jacket.

  "Hey Madison, you've got Sections C and E today," Jen told me, as I came over to the kitchen while tying my apron around my waist. Jen was really a nice person to be around. She was a full-figured gal in her mid-twenties, with red hair and green eyes. Her demeanor was friendly and protective, and she acted a lot like a big sister or mother to me.

  "I already clocked you in, so don't worry," Jen whispered, winking. I smiled at her.

  "Madison, there you are. I saw you come in, so I put a customer in one of your sections," Vanessa, the hostess, said as she came into the kitchen.

  "Okay, thanks for telling me. Well, I'd better get to work."

  "Have fun," Jen said.

  I shook my head and followed Vanessa out front. She returned to her podium and I found the customer she had spoken about. My first thought was that-because of his tattooed arms, black jeans, and black leather jacket-he was some kind of punk guy; one of those guys you never would have imagined to be awake at this time. I forced a smile on my face, like usual.

  "Good morning. What can I get for you?" The punk rocker looked up at me. He had light brown curly hair, which was slightly longer than Andy's. His eyes were dark brown, and I had to admit-he was sort of cute.

  "Just a minute, please." He looked at the menu and I waited patiently. "It's still early; I'll just have a coffee, black.

  "Alrighty, I'll be back in a minute." I smiled genuinely this time and retreated back to the kitchen.

  "He's so cute!" Jen said.

  "Jen!" I implored her.

  "Oh, not for me, princess."

  "I'm dating someone, remember?" I reminded Jen, who just gave me a look. I shrugged my shoulders and got the guy his drink, after which I took his order.

  After a while, I had a few more customers and the restaurant quickly became quite full. I got to talk to the first guy whenever I stopped by his table. When I brought him his check and he paid, he told me that he'd be back later, as long as I gave him a big smile, and I did, because he was so nice.

  "So how much did he tip you?" Jen asked.

  "Five bucks," I said, still not really believing it.

  "He likes you," Jen reasoned. I just nodded, but felt a little uncomfortable.

  I made sure to tell Jen when Andy was due to arrive and when I did, the biggest smile crossed her face. Like I said, she loves my brother.

  CHAPTER TWO

  "MADISON, YOUR BROTHER is here!" one of the other servers informed me, which took me by surprise, considering the time of day. Unless Andy skipped some classes, or something similar to that, he shouldn't be here by now.

  "He's here already?" Jen asked. She looked at me and I just shrugged as I looked out front to find Andy sitting at the same table the punk guy was at earlier that day. Someone else was with him, but I couldn't tell who it was because I only saw the back of his head. "Hey!" Jen got my attention and handed me a banana milkshake. "Tell him his food will be right there."

  "Uh, okay," I said. I went out front and over to the table. "Hey, bro, you're here early." I put the shake in front of him.

  "Yeah, Orion drove me!" Andy explained. I blinked and looked at his companion. Sure enough, it was the same guy from this morning.

  "How's it goin'," Orion greeted me, in the same laid-back tone he had that morning. "I told you I would be back," he boasted.

  "So, you're Orion," I asked, "as in my brother's best friend-the guy he idolizes?"

  "Madison!" Andy whined.

  "That would be me," Orion replied with a laugh.

  "I don't idolize you!" Andy protested, looking embarrassed.

  "That is true, he doesn't," Orion corrected me. "He's good company, however."

  I shook my head, trying to process the situation.

  "Jen says your burger and fries will be done in a minute," I told Andy, tearing my eyes off Orion for a moment.

  "That's okay, we have time; I can wait a while," Andy said. "Tell Jen I say 'hi and thanks', okay?"

  "Will do. Orion, do you want anything before I go back there?" I asked, looking back at Andy's awfully cute friend.

  "Yeah, I'll have a root beer and I think I'll try the Wayside club sandwich, toasted on whole wheat," Orion said. This triple decker club was named after our restaurant, the Wayside, and was our most popular lunch order.

  I nodded, went to the back, told Jen Andy's message, got Orion's drink, told Jen what Orion wanted, then got myself a strawberry milkshake before putting my jacket on-I was going on my lunch break and since I was going to be sitting out front, I had to wear my jacket over my uniform.

  Jen came with me so that she could give Andy his lunch herself. I put Orion's club sandwich in front of him, then sat in the other seat at the table.

  "So, Andy, why are you here so early?" I probed.

  Andy looked sheepish, but replied, "During my free period, I called Orion and he said that he was coming over here, so I decided to skip Chemistry. You both know how much Chemistry and I don't mix, just like it didn't for you. Orion picked me up at the school and here we are."

  I looked back and forth at Andy and Orion, wondering how long they had been friends and how they got to know each other. So I asked Orion these questions and he told me that they met about two months ago at a jam session in Carson's house, who was the bassist in the band. A good friend of Andy, Selena, is Carson's sister. She invited Andy over for this jam session, as she knew how much Andy was interested in being in a rock band. I only really found out about Orion about a week ago, when Andy was blaring one of his songs.

  "Want a French fry, Madison?" Andy asked me.

  "No, thanks anyway, kid," I said.

  "It ain't gonna hurt you," Orion teased. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

  "You know, Orion, Madison will normally eat just about anything," Andy informed Orion, which irritated me.

  "Andy!" I shot at my brother and turned to Orion. "Yeah, doesn't really matter what I do, I don't ever get much bigger," I said, more to cover up my embarrassment than anything else.

  "And if she does, she just dances it off," Andy said. "Oh yeah, another thing-you should hear her sing; she's amazing!"

  "Let me remind you that I only sing in the shower, Andrew," I countered.

  "Alright, let's get you a shower then," Orion said, smirking. I was so glad that Damian wasn't there at that moment, because I knew Orion would be dead within seconds with his obvious attempts at flirting.

  "Uh huh, how about we don't...and say we didn't?" I suggested. Orion just smiled. I looked at Andy. "I've got to get back to work, kiddo. I'll see you tonight. Better find out what you missed in Chemistry. Mom would be so mad if she found out you skipped class!"

  "Didn't you start working at this morning?" Orion asked me.

  "Yes," I said. "Why?"

  "Well, wouldn't the normal quitting time be after lunch? That's still considered the afternoon is it not?"

  "I'm working a double shift today," I said. "Times are...tough...so I do double shifts whenever I can." I got up and to
ok the glasses and plates. "See you later, Andy."

  "Bye," Andy said. I started walking to the back of the restaurant. "Hey, you have a girlfriend. What were you doing, coming on to my sister?" I couldn't help but smile as I heard Andy's whispered objection to Orion's behavior.

  Technically, my second shift started an hour before my first shift ended. My manager assured me that I'd still be getting paid for sixteen hours, not just fifteen. He did ask me why I willingly took so much work all the time. I explained to him that my mother was trying to keep us in our family home, despite the fact that she was a single mom and could only find part-time work for now. As her eldest child, I felt an obligation to help out my mom, at least until Andy was on his own. My boss, Bruce, was a great guy, and I appreciated his concern.

  "Madison, please go home!" Maggie, one of the second shift girls said. "You're so close to falling asleep, it's not even funny. And you have to be here tomorrow at seven! That's barely six hours of sleep, if you go home at eleven!" It was almost ten o'clock now.

  "Don't worry," I reassured Maggie.

  "I swear if I see you tomorrow after three, I'm gonna kick your ass!" she warned me playfully.

  "My shift is over at three-thirty," I reminded her.

  "Okay, fine. If I see you after that and you're still working-I'll escort you out the door," Maggie said. "For tonight, please go home early. I'll clock you out at eleven, but make sure you just go home."

  "She's right," Emma, one of the other girls said. "You're here like all the time. No wonder most of the regulars know you. Go home, Madison. Spend some time with your mom and Andy."