fury on Maddox’s face. “You can tell them to fuck off, thanks.”
“Good morning to you, too,” Mr. Hokinson said before his steps faded away.
“Maddox–” I started.
“No, Lila,” he growled.
He climbed off the bed and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. I flinched at that and stood where I was, waiting for him to calm down.
Ten minutes later, he was standing in front of me again. Arms crossed, he leveled me with a warning. “Stay out of this.”
“What happened yesterday?” I shot back.
He surprised me by answering. “Bad day.”
I took a step forward, reaching out to him. “Maddox…”
In a moment of renewed anger, his chest vibrated with another threatening growl. His jaw clenched, and I wondered how it didn’t crack under the pressure. “I called my father to tell him about my final marks.”
Oh no. No, I didn’t like where this was going.
“He hung up on me because he was too busy. When he came home, I mustered up the courage and told him. You know what he said?”
I shook my head. I’m sorry.
His lips curled up into a snarl as he mimicked his father’s voice. “Who did you bribe for those marks, Maddox?”
Hot, nasty fury coursed through my body. For Maddox. He continued, spitting out the words like they burnt him from the inside.
“He doesn’t believe in me. Father dearest probably thinks I fucked my way through my teachers to pass my exams. So, you see? Lila, it doesn’t matter. If I get into Harvard on my own or if I passed my semester. None of this fucking matter!”
My heartbeat pounded in my chest. “Yes, it does.”
“No,” he hissed.
I stalked over to where he was standing and cupped his cheeks. “Look at me! It does matter, Maddox.”
He tried to jerk away from me, but I didn’t let go. “I don’t care what your dad says, but you worked your ass off for this. I saw it with my own eyes. You should be proud of yourself. And if you can’t believe it, then let me tell you. I am so proud of you. Got it?”
His lips thinned into a straight line, his eyes going distant. “Lila–”
“I’m proud of you,” I whispered, rubbing my thumb over his clenching jaw, the muscle relaxing under my touch.
His eyes squeezed close. “Fuuuuck,” he muttered under his breath.
I let out a small laugh, hoping it would rub off on Maddox. “Well, Poodle. That’s one way to put it.”
His eyes snapped opened, clear as the sky, and he grasped my hand, pulling me toward the door.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
There was a renewed urgency in his voice when he spoke. “Breakfast. Let’s go.”
Well shit…
“Um, can I brush my teeth first?”
Fifteen minutes later, we were sitting at the table with his parents. It was my first time meeting them, and his father barely gave me a once over before going back to his tablet. His mother sent me a tentative smile before avoiding eye contact. She munched on her toast while an awkward silence fell upon us.
“We didn’t know you had someone over, Maddox.”
His father’s voice was deep and uninviting. There was a harsh coldness to it. Mr. Coulter gave me an unappreciative glance, and I frowned. Did he…?
Holy shit, he thought I was Maddox’s fuck buddy or last night’s conquest.
And he probably though Maddox brought me to the table just for the sake of causing a ruckus. Well, that explained one thing. Maddox got his assholish ways from his father.
I cleared my throat. “My apologies, we haven’t met before. I’m Maddox’s friend.”
“Friend?” His father gave me a dismissive flick of his hand.
“Brad,” his wife warned in a low voice. The tension in the air was palpable, so thick someone could choke on it. My throat went dry, and I tried to swallow several times.
“What’s your name?” Mrs. Coulter seemed to be more… approachable. The lack of judgement in her eyes had me relaxing, a tad bit.
“Lila. Lila Garcia.”
She gave me a half-smile. “You can call me Savannah. How did you and my son meet?”
I took a small bite of my toast. I had been hungry before, although I was not anymore. My stomach twisted with knots, and I knew I couldn’t have more than a few bites. “Maddox and I met in Berkshire Academy.”
His father’s head snapped up, and he speared me with a look. “Berkshire, you said? I don’t recognize your last name. Who are your parents?”
He thought I was one of them… the wealthy and the corrupted. After all, Berkshire