Chapter 7: Her Knight in Shining Armor

Madeleine sat in her math class looking over the test on her desk. She had been so distracted with research over the weekend and with thoughts of Christian that she hadn't really studied for it. Her heart beat faster as she tried to focus on the formulas and the problems.

She had to pass her tests in this course, or she would have to take the course again and she loathed math. Madeleine hated the test and wanted nothing to do with it. She just wanted to put down random numbers to end it.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she poked her calculator. Madeleine knew that she should have studied. Math was her worst subject, but she had been blinded by a man with golden hair.

Madeleine grabbed her bangs in her fist as she chewed on her pencil. She needed to focus and to remember what she had previously learned in class. What had her instructor taught? She had a knack for hearing the material and having it go right back out of her head like it had never been heard.

She sighed and began to focus on the numbers in front of her. Madeleine peered at the clock and watched as the second hand slowly ticked its way around the face. She had about twenty minutes left, and it was approaching fast.

The room was filled with the sounds of pencils clicking and scratching along the paper. Sounds of fingertips and pencil tops on calculator buttons echoed around her and filled the room. Slowly, one by one, chairs moved along the ground and the sounds of papers being turned in filled her ears.

Madeleine became obsessed with the sounds of the room as she stopped focusing on the math test.

"Five minutes!" Her instructor suddenly called out and her voice was like a car racing up behind her.

She began to panic as she quickly scribbled numbers down, half paying attention to what the problems actually said. Madeleine pushed her chair from the desk and walked up to turn it in. She kept her eyes down as she nodded and left to the door.

She was ashamed that she couldn't focus hard enough to finish the test. That she didn't know the answers or know how to answer them. Ashamed that she had forgotten everything that she had been taught.

Madeleine tried to put that behind her as she returned to the solace of the library. She always felt like she was at home there. It felt warm and inviting. She would always study or run her fingertips along the shelves of books.

Her favorite books to look at were the oldest ones. The ones with cloth binding or leather. Pages that were super thin and felt as though they were as fragile as butterfly wings.

There was nothing like novels that were that old. She slowly made her way to the oldest books within her college and began to pull some from the shelves that appeared interesting.

Most people did find her odd, especially when she brought her knitting supplies. Sometimes she would sit and knit scarves or blankets in a chair, while people walked by to stare at her weird. It was like she was a sideshow act and she tried to ignore it. Most men would stare at her like that, but she didn't mind.

She enjoyed it. Why should anyone else get in the way of something she truly loved to do?

Madeleine found an old copy of Hamlet and took the old book to a table. She sat down and spread her school stuff out. Madeleine set the book in front of her and ran her fingers along the embossed cover. The gold leafing stood out among the cloth binding. She gently opened the book and began to read the play.

It had been years since she had read it. It wasn't a play that she normally enjoyed reading, but something about it called out to her.

She sighed as she continued to read it until she had to go to her Marketing class. Marketing was even less exciting for her, but it was necessary for what she wanted to do. If she wanted to run her own clothing brand, then she needed to know the marketing side to it.

Madeleine shut the book and grabbed her belongings. She walked back to put the book away. She missed Christian still and she didn't understand why. She barely knew him. Nothing about her emotions made sense to her. Why was her heart pulled so strongly towards a stranger? And a dead stranger no less.

She made her way out of the library and to her next class. They were supposed to be given a project and she wasn't excited for it at all.

---

Madeleine dropped her bags inside of her apartment and walked into her kitchen. She grabbed a glass and her bottle of Pinot Noir. It had been a long day and she really needed something to take the edge off.

She poured the wine into the glass and leaned her back against her counter with an arm crossed over her chest. She pressed the edge of her glass to her lips as she thought.

It had been over a week since she had seen Christian. She was beginning to think that he was gone for good. She took a long sip from the glass and closed her eyes with a deep hum.

Her phone made a trilling sound and she looked down to see a notification from her dating app. She had installed it because her best friend, Theresa, had told her to.

Theresa had a kind heart and was a heavy partier, but she also had a very loving boyfriend. She wanted that life for Madeleine, but she didn't know if she needed that right now. Right now, Christian consumed her thoughts more than anything else.

Madeleine flicked the screen with her thumb and clicked the notification. A man with dark hair and blue eyes appeared on her screen. His jawline was chiseled, and she couldn't deny that he wasn't attractive.

The only message that was left was a time and place for dinner. It also told her to dress in her best gown. She rolled her eyes and chose to accept anyway. Madeleine figured that it would distract her for a day at least.

She then settled down on her couch and began to text her best friend.

[Madeleine]

Well, your app suggestion worked. I have a date. Tomorrow night at the restaurant down by the college.

She set her phone down beside her hips and relaxed into the cushions of the couch as she took a long sip from her glass again. Madeleine grabbed the ring from around her neck and peered at it. If ever a knight in shining armor was coming to save her... she hoped it was then.

[Theresa]

Good for you, girl!

You need a little break!

Madeleine finished her glass and softly laughed as she dropped the ring. She began to text her best friend back as she poured another glass of wine for herself.

[Madeleine]

I suppose you're right.

I'll let you know how it goes.

If you get a help me text from a bathroom...

you know why.

[Theresa]

Of course, girl.

I got you.

[Madeleine]

Thanks.

Madeleine stood up from the couch and set the empty wine glass beside the sink. She walked to her bedroom, turning off the lights as she went.

She got ready for bed and laid down to sleep after she plugged her phone in.