“Was he pissed?”
“He didn't message me, didn’t call me either. Didn’t even talk to me. He handled everything behind my back and without talking to me. I only knew he did it after I was released, and Colton came to pick me up.”
Oh. So, his father hadn’t even bothered to speak to him, to ask what happened, why it happened or how his son was even doing. Fuck him.
I snuggled deeper into his embrace and slid my hand into his, the one on my hip. I squeezed his fingers. “I'm sorry.”
He expelled a long breath. “I’m not. He deserved every fucking punch I threw at him. I think I broke his nose. Nobody makes my Lila cry. No one. I won’t fucking allow it.” He slurred his words a bit. Yeah, he was definitely a little drunk.
My eyes filled with tears. I didn’t peg myself to be an emotional person, but Maddox made me feel so many things at once.
Sorrow… fear… anguish… hopelessness…
My heart thudded in my chest
“Maddox?”
“Um, yeah?”
“I love you,” I whispered.
His arm flexed around my hips. “I know.” His hold tightened around me in the slightest bit. His lips feathered over my forehead in a whisper of a kiss, before he placed his cheek on top of my head again. “I love you, too.”
It wasn’t the first time we had said those words to each other but my heart danced in my chest. Without lifting my head, I brought my hand up, showing him my pinky.
“Friends?”
Maddox hooked his pinky around mine, and I could feel his smile without even having to look at him.
“Friends,” he said.
My eyes closed, and I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
In the morning, I woke up to an empty bed. For a brief moment, I wondered if it was all a dream, and Maddox hadn’t come home. But when I breathed in, I caught the familiar, musky scent that he left behind. My body still tingled from where he had touched me.
After quickly freshening up, I walked out of the bedroom to find Maddox sitting at the kitchen table, staring out the window. The morning sunshine shone through the glass, and Maddox looked beautiful sitting there. He was shirtless, with only his grey sweatpants on. It was the perfect sight...but my chest tightened at the look on his face.
My wounded warrior.
He had a black eye, and his lips were cut and swollen. His ribs were turning into an ugly shade of purple and green.
“Want some coffee?” I asked, hoping to get him to talk and lighten up his mood. Last night was hell for all of us. I needed to make sure he was okay.
But his next words were not what I expected.
“Am I a disappointment?”
I flinched. “What!? Maddox, what are you–”
My next words caught in my throat when I saw the expression on his face. Utterly defeated, a look that could only be described as heartbroken. Like a beaten puppy, whimpering silently as it suffered.
My heart caved inside my chest at that look, and I walked over to him, kneeling between his legs. He spread his thighs wider, encasing me against his body.
“Why is it that whatever I do is never enough?” he said, his words choked.
“Maddox,” I whispered.
I saw the phone in his hand and finally put two and two together. Grabbing the phone from him, he didn't stop me, I searched through his messages. The most recent message, two hours ago, was from his father.
You keep disappointing me over and over again. I can’t believe I almost thought you had finally been redeemed from your messy ways. This is the last time I will bail you out from things you fuck up.
Oh Maddox. My poor, sweet Maddox.
“I'm sorry,” I breathed, looking down. This was all my fault. Why did I ever let Landon in my life?
I grabbed his hands, holding onto him, letting him know he wasn’t alone. It was then I noticed his knuckles were bruised, and there was some dried blood left on it.
Shit. That was from last night. He didn’t clean himself up.
I got up and quickly and went to get to first aid kit to clean his wounds. His knuckles were slightly swollen, but thankfully, not broken. I attentively cleaned his bloodied knuckles, wincing as I brushed the antiseptic wipes over the broken skin. Maddox showed no outward emotion. He was silent until I finished with his left hand and grabbed his right hand to do the same task.
I kept my movements slow and careful as I cleaned his wounds and wrapped a bandage around his hands. He probably didn’t need them, but the bandages would keep them clean, so there would be no infection.
His eyes raked over my face before his gaze slid away–looking bleak and distant, lost.
“I got into Harvard. I worked for it. I worked so fucking hard that I was able to keep my full scholarship for three years. I’m on top in my football career. Why is it not enough? Everything I do... it’s never enough. I always, somehow...end up lacking somewhere. Always somehow disappointing him. It’s never enough, Lila.”