Maddie: You love me.
I went to respond and had no idea what to say. She was kidding. I knew she was teasing. She’d just said the same thing to Trent. Brazen flirtatiousness was totally Maddie’s brand of humor. It didn’t mean anything. Even if I could have come up with the right response, I’d paused for too long. She followed up with “JK” and then a winky face.
Right. Got it. Message received. She was only kidding and I was the idiot for not being able to take a joke.
Maddie: Kate’s mom agreed to let us host the party at her house. Do you want to be in charge of food?
I stared at the phone in horror. Did I want to be in charge of food? Had she lost her mind? I shook my head and turned my attention to my phone.
Me: What exactly gave you the impression that I enjoy party planning?
Maddie: Don’t think of it as party planning. Think of it as people wrangling.
I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.
Me: What makes you think I like people?
I glanced over when Maddie didn’t answer immediately. She had her lips pursed in an adorably contemplative expression as she stared at my text. Finally, I got this reply.
Maddie: You can’t dislike ALL people.
Me: Most.
Maddie: What about me?
She couldn’t be serious. Obviously she was joking. No one had more confidence than Maddie, and no one was more loveable. When I looked over though she was staring intently at the screen in the front of the room and I could have sworn her cheeks were turning pink.
Me: It’s impossible not to like you.
I looked over and watched Maddie read the text, my ribcage tightening weirdly at the sight of her smile when she glanced over at me.
Maddie: I don’t know. I’ve heard it said that I might be a little pushy sometimes.
I let out a little snort of laughter that I knew she heard because she started to laugh too. But then she bit her lip and I watched her start to text and then pause and then start again and then stop.
The great, confident Maddie was debating what to say.
That alone put me on edge. I might have had a reputation for struggling to find words. But Maddie?
That was when I knew.
I knew exactly where her mind had gone.
Maddie: Not everything people say about me is true.
I stared at her profile, trying to read what was going on behind those big, guileless brown eyes of hers. All I saw were her now-rosy cheeks. Her blush highlighted the spattering of freckles across the tops of her cheekbones, and for a moment there she looked so vulnerable. Just like that night in the truck.
I gripped the edge of my desk so hard my knuckles turned white. It was the only thing I could do to keep from storming out of here to find that lowlife jerk who’d made her cry. It was the only thing I could do to keep from reaching out and pulling her into my arms. Where she belonged.
I shook my head. That was idiotic. One night of crying in my arms didn’t make her mine. It didn’t make us anything more than what we were—friends. If you could even call it that.
Me: Like I said, most people are stupid.
Maddie: You didn’t say that.
Me: It was implied.
There was a pause and when I looked over I caught her staring at me with an odd look. Then she pressed her lips and ducked her head.
Maddie: How much did you hear?
I didn’t pretend not to understand.
Me: Not much.
Maddie: What does that mean?
I looked over and she was frowning at me.
Me: He was an idiot.
Maddie: Agreed.
I felt her gaze on me but I didn’t look back. If I saw tears in her eyes again, I’d lose it. I’d be the first to admit that I’d developed a weak spot for this girl. Who wouldn’t? She was kind and thoughtful and unbelievably sweet. But watching her cry?
Well, now I knew what my Kryptonite was, and it was absolutely Maddie’s tears.
Maddie: But then again, you think everyone is an idiot.
Me: Not all people, just most.
Maddie: Right. Just like you don’t like “most people.”
I smiled reluctantly at her use of quotes.
Maddie: But you do like me.
Me: You’re trying my patience.
Maddie: Just admit that you love me.
Her teasing kept up for the remainder of the class. I didn’t mind. Just so long as she didn’t cry again.
Truth be told, I hadn’t heard much of what that guy had said, but I’d seen more than enough. I saw that he upset her and that was more than enough for me to know that the dude needed to learn a lesson.
For a minute there I thought about telling her how the rest of the night played out. For me it was easier to talk to her via text and maybe this was the moment.
But I didn’t. Why? Mostly because I didn’t want to ruin her good mood, but also…
Yeah, okay, maybe I was also a little bit of a coward. She’d be pissed and I knew it. Maddie had made it very clear that she didn’t want me to go back there and…well, I never had been good at following instructions.
Just before the bell rang she did what she’d threatened to do.
Maddie: About that party for Kate and Levi…
I glanced over at her and was met with the wide-eyed look of a zealot.
Me: Was the whole Halloween planning topic just a ruse to make a small party with Kate and Levi not seem so bad?
Maddie beamed and I knew I was right. Compared to planning a costume party, hanging out with her small circle of friends didn’t seem all that bad. I stood by the fact that most people were morons. Maddie was not most people.
Maddie: So, what do you think?
Me: I think you’re an evil genius.
Chapter Three
Ox
Considering everything we’d been through this week, I supposed I should be grateful that now she was once more standing by the lockers badgering me about throwing a party for her friends based solely on the fact that they’d fallen in love.
We’d stopped by her locker to drop off her books and once she was done we headed toward the exit side by side.
She was like a dog with a bone about this whole Levi and Kate celebration. I was pretty sure if we threw them any sort of event it should be a pity party. Seriously, when was the last time a high school romance lasted more than a couple weeks? This couldn’t end well, and when it ended I’d have to kick the crap out of Levi.
I didn’t mind the guy, overall. He was annoying, sure, but he wasn’t a total prick like most of the guys in this school. It was just that Kate was nice. Honestly nice. Like, Maddie-level nice. And you don’t mess with nice girls.
She apparently took my silence to be one of agreement because she was already planning the “small celebration,” which now consisted of just me and her, along with the happy couple.
Goodie.
Just what I needed, to be dragged into another group hang. I could say no. I glanced down at the top of her head as she walked along beside me, deftly navigating the crowds as though she wasn’t a miniature human who could be stepped on at any moment.
She tilted her head back so she could look up at me and those big brown eyes met mine. “So?” she asked. “What do you say? Can you make it tomorrow night?”
I could say no, I reminded myself.
She widened her eyes expectantly and bit her lip as if she was just so eager to hear my response.
Who was I fooling? I couldn’t say no.
“Sure,” I said. Why? Because I was an idiot. I’d now spend my Saturday night watching two people happily in love while this girl talked my ear off. I let out a sigh.
“Are you smiling?” Maddie stopped short in front of me and I frowned down at her.
“What?”
Her eyes grew so wide I thought she might be having some sort of seizure. Then she started bouncing up and down as she smacked my chest. “You did,” she said, all
breathless with excitement. “You totally smiled.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She nodded, grinning from ear to ear as she latched onto my arm and started dragging me toward the exit with newfound enthusiasm. “I knew you were into this party idea,” she said.
I made a noise that was supposed to be a protest but just kind of sounded like a huff of resignation as I listened to her talk about the cake she was going to make.
That’s right. She was baking them a cake. Like it was their birthday or something. I shook my head at her but she didn’t seem to notice, she was too busy talking and walking…and then she was stopping on the sidewalk in front of the school.
She stopped so suddenly I almost dragged her along with me as I stumbled to a halt. Some people walking behind us grumbled at our sudden stop in the middle of the walkway but I didn’t pay attention to them. I was too busy staring down at Maddie.
She’d gone pale. Her smile faded fast as she stared off into the distance. I followed her stare and found that she wasn’t looking off into the distance, she was staring at the parking lot. More specifically, she was staring at the group of guys who were standing near my truck in the parking lot.
Oh.
She whipped her head around to look up at me, dropping my arm so she could better face me.
Oh crap.
“What is he doing here?” she hissed.
I had to assume she meant the drunk guy from the other week. I wished I had a good answer but I was honestly wondering the same thing. I mean, it wasn’t like I’d given him my name, or anything, when I’d gone back to scare some respect into him.
But, come to think of it, I probably did stand out…and he’d clearly known Maddie. Figuring out where I went to school and what truck I drove wouldn’t have been too difficult, not even for a little punk like him.
The punk in question wore a smirk that made my hands ball into fists. He flinched only a little but it gave me a surge of satisfaction.
He and his friends headed toward me and I met them halfway. Even if there were four of them, I’d never been one to back down from a fight—for better or worse. I would’ve beat the crap out of him that night if he hadn’t been so drunk and looked so freakin’ scared at the sight of me.
But he didn’t look scared now. He looked smug. Probably because he thought he had the upper hand with all his friends surrounding him. Moron brought the fight to my yard, though. I might not have had friends, but I had teammates. Teammates who’d come running as soon as they saw trouble.
Bring it, punk.
If I took one step in his direction he’d run screaming like a little girl. The only problem was, Maddie hadn’t left my side. She wasn’t clinging to my arm anymore but she was still attached at my hip like she was my sidekick or something. When I came to a stop so did she.
“Hey, babe,” one of the guys said.
I stared at the stranger. It wasn’t the drunk idiot who’d spoken, it was one of his friends. A taller, leaner, less idiotic looking one standing nearby. He wasn’t smirking like his friend but he still looked way too cocky for his own good…and he was staring at my girl.
I mean, Maddie. Not my girl, just my friend. The friend who had gone from chatty and happy to quiet and…oh hell, was she scared? I couldn’t tell. I kept glancing down at her but I couldn’t see the look in her eyes. All I could see was that she was pale and not smiling and staring back at the guy who’d spoken like she knew him.
The guy who’d called her babe.
Adrenaline rushed through me so hard and fierce it took everything in me not to leap across the space that separated us and tackle this new guy. Maddie’s voice stopped me. “Alex, what are you doing here?”
Alex. I hated Alex.
Anger was good, it kept me from fussing over the girl at my side. But I was still worried about her.
Alex gave her a cocky grin—one that did not adequately reflect the fact that he would have to deal with me in the very near future. “That’s all the love I get, babe?” He opened his arms wide. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
His friends smirked and laughed, like this kid’s arrogant little performance was hysterical.
I took a step in his direction, a growl coming from deep down in my throat as the rage built up inside. I stopped short of throwing a punch. I think a little part of me was waiting for Maddie to speak up—to say something witty and clever, or maybe something scathing to put this jerk in his place.
When she didn’t so much as make a peep, I looked down in concern. She was white. Shaken.
Oh crap. Please tell me she’s not going to cry again.
I turned back to glare at Alex—he was the one to blame. I didn’t know how or why, but he would pay.
“Whoa, whoa,” Alex said with a grin. He held his hands up palms out. “Me and Mads here are old friends, aren’t we, babe?”
She didn’t respond. I couldn’t risk a look down or I might do something crazy, like throw her over my shoulder and take her as far away from here as I could. Somewhere safe. Somewhere I could take care of her.
The smug jerk winked at her.
Or, maybe I’d just knock the guy out and call it a day.
Relief washed over me when Maddie spoke, but it was followed just as quickly by concern by the way her voice was strained. “I said, what are you doing here?”
That brought Alex’s attention back to me and he eyed me with way more confidence than his small stature warranted. “Is this your new boyfriend, babe?”
Out of some weird instinct, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She didn’t lean against me but she didn’t shrug me off, either.
“What are you smirking at, King Kong?” one of the guys called to me. Was I smirking? Maybe. I made no effort to stop because it seemed to annoy the crap out of them. Especially Alex.
I felt her shrug under my shoulder. “I figured it was time for an upgrade.”
Alex’s smirk turned to a nasty sneer. “I was never your boyfriend, babe. I thought you figured that out by now.”
I felt the blow on her behalf. Don’t ask me how because she didn’t flinch, she didn’t back away, but I felt it.
I didn’t know what was going on here but that little turd had just hurt Maddie.
Alex turned to me. “Besides, we’re not here for you, Maddie. We’re here to let your boyfriend know that if he messes with one of us, he messes with all of us.”
If I wasn’t so worried about Maddie I might have laughed. What was this some old-fashioned turf war? I’d read The Outsiders ten times when I was a kid and this interaction reminded me way too much of a scene from that book.
I had to resist the urge to call him Pony Boy. The joke would only have gone over his head, anyhow.
Any hint of amusement vanished when I felt Maddie turning beneath my arm. I didn’t have to look down to know she was glaring at me. I could feel her sharp gaze on the side of my face and it wasn’t pleasant.
So maybe I hadn’t listened to her when she’d told me not to go back there, but I hadn’t had a choice. My rage had taken over. I’d turned the truck around and headed back toward campus because that was the direction of my neighborhood. But then…well, somehow my house slid by on the left and the next thing I knew I was back at the house party and everyone inside parted like the sea as I stormed in and sought out the little weasel who was cowering behind his friends right now.
“Ox messed with your friend?” But she wasn’t asking Pony Boy. She was asking me.
I couldn’t bring myself to look down because I knew without a doubt that she was royally pissed at me and this was so not the time for explanations or apologies. Besides, all four of them were eyeing me and it was just a matter of time before someone threw the first punch. I couldn’t afford to be distracted.
“Maddie,” I said quietly. “Go back inside.”
Alex grinned. He might not have known exactly what was going on here either but he could probably tell that I was currently the one in the doghouse.
Crap.
Had she actually dated this guy? I would have thought she’d have better taste.
“Yeah, babe,” Alex said, seeming to delight in taunting us both with the endearment. “Go back inside like a good little girl. We’ve got to teach your new boytoy here a lesson.”
Maddie didn’t listen. To either of us. Of course she didn’t. Rather than back away or turn tail and flee she took two steps forward until she was standing between me and Alex.
Something close to panic set in seeing cute little Maddie standing there in the middle of trouble. If someone made the wrong move, if a fight broke out—she’d get hurt. Hell, she could get trampled.
“Maddie,” I growled.
“No.” She shot me a quick look that was filled with fire. Then she turned back to Alex. “Ox only messed with your friend because your friend messed with me.”
Damn. The girl’s voice carried and she had everyone in the parking lot stopping to stare. I felt only mildly ridiculous that the school’s most beloved elf was coming to my defense to save me from a fight.
Alex glanced over his shoulder at the drunken moron from the other night but he was giving Maddie an incredulous sneer. “In your dreams, babe.”
His friends all chuckled, including Alex.
Maddie drew in a deep breath and once again I had the urge to pick her up and carry her far away from here. “He was getting handsy and wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she continued, seemingly talking just to Alex now.
Alex arched his brows. “Awfully full of yourself these days, aren’t you, babe?”
That set his friends off on another gigglefest.
“You know him,” she said, pointing to the idiot in question. “And you know me. Despite whatever lies you’ve been spreading about me, you know very well that I don’t cheat.” She glanced back at me. “And even if I did, do you really think I’d be so stupid as to mess around with another guy while my boyfriend was there?”
The Perfect Score (Kissing the Enemy Book 3) Page 4