“It does,” he grinned. “I happen to play the drums.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “You’re not just telling me that so that I’ll think you’re cool, are you?”
He laughed, ducking his head so that the brim of the baseball cap hid his face. “Not at all. Scoot over.”
I slid away from him and he leaned over, plucking drumsticks from his back pocket and hit them against the bleachers—creating a beat. “Believe me now?” He quirked a brow.
“I believe you.”
He continued to drum, spinning one of the sticks around his fingers in a fancy trick. “I can keep going if you don’t believe me,” he grinned boyishly.
“I said I believed you,” I laughed.
He smiled, and the drumming ceased. “Ah, that’s what I wanted.”
“What?” I asked confused.
“To hear your laugh. It’s beautiful, just like you.”
“You’re full of all kinds of cheesy lines,” I laughed.
“Cheesy?” He faked that he was offended. Removing the baseball cap he said, “Most girls eat that stuff up.”
“I’m not most girls,” I stated. I wasn’t like most people my age and I was fine with that. I was happy to be a free spirit like my mom.
“I’m beginning to see that.” He smiled, closing the space between us so that our legs touched.
I hadn’t even wanted to come to the stupid fair, and I’d been pissed at Sadie for abandoning me, but sitting here with Maddox made me glad I had come. Even if he was a bit cocky, I liked him for some reason.
Looking out at the dark sky, I frowned. “I better call for a taxi,” I mumbled. Since apparently Sadie had left I had no choice. She was getting a mouthful later.
“Taxi?” Maddox’s eyebrows furrowed together and he looked at me with a perplexed expression. “Why would you call for a taxi?”
“Uh…” Now it was my turn to look at him weird. “Because I need to go home. It’s getting late.”
“I can take you home,” he offered.
“No, that’s not necessary.” I waved away his concern.
“Don’t be silly,” he stood up. “I’m heading that way anyway. We’ll go together.”
“I don’t know,” I frowned.
I might like Maddox, but I didn’t know him. Getting in a car alone with him could be dangerous.
“Come on,” he coaxed, “I’ll find my brother and we’ll head out. What do you think?”
Brother? So we wouldn’t be alone. I guessed that made it better. “Yeah, sure.”
“Great,” he grinned. “Here, let me help you,” he held a hand out to me.
“Uh…”
“It’s just my hand and these steps can be shaky, plus it’s getting dark. Just let me help you,” he pleaded.
He was right and I was being stupid. He just…he made me nervous.
I placed my hand in his and he helped me off the bleachers. There’d still been enough light when we climbed up them that I hadn’t had a problem, but now I was glad for the security his hand provided.
When we were on solid ground again he released my hand. For some reason I missed the feel of it.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket, texting his brother I assumed. A few seconds later his phone vibrated with a response.
“He says he’s at the entrance.”
“Cool,” I said for lack of anything else to say.
“So, you said you were seventeen?” When I nodded, he added, “Does that mean this is your last summer before you’re a senior?”
“It is,” I nodded.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do after school?”
“No,” I admitted, wincing. “Are you in college or working?” I asked, tilting my head back to look up at him.
“...I guess you could say I’m working.”
“You guess?” I questioned, confused.
“It’s complicated,” he shrugged.
I wondered exactly what he meant by complicated, but I didn’t think he was likely to answer if I asked.
“I see him,” Maddox pointed up ahead.
I squinted, not sure if I was seeing right.
“Uh…” I paused, looking from his brother to him. What the actual fuck? Were they clones or something? I guessed the more plausible explanation would be that they were twins, but a Maddox clone sounded a hell of a lot cooler.
We stopped in front of his brother and Maddox introduced us. “Emma, this is my twin brother Mathias.”
“Hi, nice to meet you,” I smiled.
“Whatever.” Mathias rolled his eyes, and strolled off towards the parking lot.
“Sorry,” Maddox frowned. “He doesn’t like people…or animals…or living.”
I laughed. “Is there anything he likes?”
“Sex.”
“Of course,” I sighed. I should’ve known that would be his reply.
“Just ignore him. It’s what I do,” he shrugged, and we followed after his brother.
Mathias stopped in front of a gray Nissan sports car I’d never seen before. “What kind of car is that?” I asked, pointing. It looked futuristic, like it could take flight to outer space or something.
“Nissan GT-R,” Maddox answered, “isn’t she gorgeous?”
What was it with guys and cars? Honestly.
“Looks nice to me,” I shrugged. In my humble opinion a car was a car and nothing more.
Maddox looked at me like my simple statement was downright murderous. “Nice? Nice? This car,” he reached out and lovingly stroked the hood of the car, “is what dreams are made of.”
“If you say so.”
“Can we get in the fucking car?” Mathias asked, sticking a cigarette between his lips and lighting the tip.
“No smoking in the car,” Maddox warned with a raised finger.
“Fucking killjoy,” Mathias rolled his eyes, tossed the cigarette on the ground, and opened the car door. I was surprised when he slid the seat forward and climbed in the back.
“Milady,” Maddox extended his hand towards the car, “get in.”
I gave him a smile and got in the car. Even though I wasn’t that tall I had to practically sit on the ground to get in the low vehicle. Who the hell wanted a car like this? Well, obviously Maddox.
He started the car and caressed the steering wheel, making a sound that could only be described as a moan. “Do you hear that purr?”
Was it too late to run away?
“You’re scaring the poor girl,” Mathias said from the backseat. “Shut up and drive or I will light a cigarette in here and good luck ever getting the scent out of the leather.”
“Asshole,” Maddox groaned, turning on the headlights and speeding out of the parking lot.
“Whoa,” I grabbed onto the door.
“Sorry,” Maddox gave me a sheepish smile. “I should’ve warned you about the power she has.”
I’d never been in a car like this before. I drove an old 1972 Volkswagen Beetle that didn’t start half the time, and it sounded like the engine was going to go up in flames anytime I actually drove it. This one sounded nothing like that. Maddox was right, it did purr.
Since Mathias was in the car we didn’t really talk. Maddox turned on the radio and let that fill the silence.
When we got close to Winchester I started giving him directions, leading him to the simple brick one-story house that I called home.
To someone else it might’ve seemed like a dump, but I loved it.
My mom and I did our best to keep it up and decent looking. The front windows had white shutters and flower boxes overflowing with purple petunias. The grass was freshly mowed and green, instead of brown like the other houses on the street.
“Thanks for the ride,” I reached for the door.
“Wait!” His warm hand wrapped around my arm and I turned back to look at him. “I don’t have your phone number.”
“Oh, right,” I mumbled, rattling off the numbers so he could enter them into his phone.
“I’ll call you.”
“Call?”
“Yeah, call. Is that a problem?” A single dark brow rose.
“No, not at all,” I stammered nervously, “I just assumed you’d text.”
He chuckled. “If I text you I wouldn’t be able to hear your voice and that would be a damn shame. Texting is so impersonal.”
“Oh,” was all I said.
I’d never met a guy like Maddox before and I hadn’t decided yet if that was a good or bad thing.
“I’ll see you soon,” I smiled at him. “Nice meeting you Mathias.”
I heard a grunt in reply from the back of the car. Mathias was clearly a guy of few words. Besides their looks the twins were clearly polar opposites.
I was surprised when I closed the car door and heard another one close.
I looked over the top of the car and saw Maddox.
“What are you doing?” I asked, perplexed.
“Giving you a proper goodnight,” he shrugged. “Did you really think I’d just drive off without knowing you got inside okay?”
“I-I don’t know,” I stuttered. Maddox had left me flustered.
We walked up the pathway together and stopped outside the front door while I fumbled for my house key. Once I got the door opened I expected him to leave, but he didn’t.
Instead, he lowered his head and whispered, “Thank you for making tonight worth remembering. Goodnight, Emma.” He pressed his lips to my cheek and walked away, leaving me standing there flabbergasted.
I forced myself to move and stepped into the house.
I leaned my back against the closed door, my mouth parted with surprise. I raised my shaking fingers to press them against my cheek and closed my eyes. A part of me was convinced that tonight had been a dream and I’d wake up in the morning and find that Maddox didn’t exist. And that, surprisingly, left me feeling heartbroken.
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