I wasn’t going to fix what I had with Maddox to suit these guys. Maybe that was the issue in all my past relationships, but I wasn’t willing to change anything between Maddox and I.
My stomach twisted at the thought of losing Maddox. The mere idea of being without him made me sick.
We were best friends; no one and nothing was going to change that.
Not Landon… and none of those girls Maddox messed around with.
“Lila!” Maddox called out from the bathroom.
I settled back into the couch and stuffed a handful of sweet caramelized popcorn into my mouth.
“What?” I responded, before taking a sip of my energy drink. I was a bit tipsy from all the red wine I had tonight with Riley. She was passed out in our apartment, and I had come over to our neighbors’ place to bring him dinner.
Colton and his new conquest had disappeared when Maddox came home.
Maddox walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped low around his waist, bare chest and his v-line teasing me. You see, I’ve seen Maddox half naked many times over the years. But each time, my mouth watered at the sight of his wide, muscled chest and washboard abs and that nipple piercing. He had gotten it one night when he was out partying with his football team. They had been pissed drunk and they went into a tattoo and piercing shop. The rest was history.
I never considered a nipple piercing sexy, but on Maddox? Puuurfect. Yes, I just purred.
I was his best friend, but I wasn’t blind, and I had a pussy, which meant that I appreciated the male species. A lot. Including my best friend.
Was I drooling? I wiped the corner of my mouth just in case.
Maddox huffed and gave me a look that bordered between comical and exasperation. “Did you get in my phone and change your name to My Main Chick?”
Oh.
I had been a bit drunk when I did THAT a few nights ago. And then I had been too lazy to change it back.
I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Well, yeah. Because I am your main chick. All the other girls are just your side chicks.”
Maddox opened his mouth and then shut it, falling silent. He blinked and then just shook his head.
I gave him a cheesy smile. Maybe I was more than just tipsy.
“It’s okay, though. You can fuck around with them. At the end of the day, you come back home to me. And I know I’m better,” I muttered around another mouthful of popcorn, sending him my best smile.
He growled and the sensitive area between my legs clenched. Shit, this was bad.
Abort mission, abort mission.
Maddox ran his fingers though his wet hair, exhaling sharply. “For fuck’s sake, woman! My only side chicks are your other personalities. And there are like twenty-five of them.”
I paused midchew. Ouuh-kaay.
He showed me his hand, ticking off each list with his fingers. “Grumpy Lila. Lazy Lila. Pouty Lila. Funny Lila. Lila when she’s sleep-deprived. Sugar high Lila, like right now. On her period Lila. Normal Lila.”
My mouth opened then closed. My lips parted again, trying to say something. When I found nothing to say, quite speechless, I stuffed another fist of popcorn in my mouth and chewed in mock aggression.
“Do you want me to go on?” He paused, giving me a blank look as if daring me to argue with his claims.
I had no legit argument, and I had lost this round.
“Whatever,” I mumbled. “Go shower. You stink.”
“You're impossible.” Maddox shook his head with a slight curl of his lips. He walked back into the bathroom.
“You love me,” I yelled loud enough for him to hear even with the door separating us.
“YOU ARE A PAIN IN MY ASS.”
“You still love me, though,” I whispered, once I heard the shower turn on, with the silliest grin on my face. I knew he did because if he didn’t… we wouldn’t have lasted this long as a friend.
29
Maddox
As I walked out of my class, my phone pinged with a message. It was from Bianca. R u coming over tonight?
Did I want to? No. I’d rather be home with Lila, watching some stupid Korean series with her, which most of the time were cliché and too cheesy for my taste. Riley was obsessed with anything Korean: K-POP and K-Dramas. She made Lila watch one of the shows once and then…BAM, Lila was now a K-Drama obsessed, too. We were currently watching some period/historical drama called