My body slumped forward, and my ears rung loud, my chest caving in as I tried to breathe. My heartbeat slowed and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
My vision blurred, and I didn’t see the punch coming.
I only felt it.
My jaw cracked, and I fell back, my head hitting the ground.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Fucking breathe.
The world slowed.
I blinked. Once. Twice.
Silence replaced the ringing in my ears as the world went black.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lila
“You’re late, Mr. Coulter.”
My head snapped up at Mrs. Levi’s voice and Maddox’s name. Everyone seemed to have the same train of thought since we all looked up at the same time as Maddox walked into the classroom. Contrary to his usual swagger and smirk, he was brooding and quiet.
Except that wasn’t what caught my attention.
No, it was the fact that his beautiful face was messed up.
His left eye appeared swollen and that side of his face was heavily bruised. He had a band-aid on his eyebrow, and there was a cut on the corner of his full lips. It looked painful, and even I winced at the sight of him like this. Instead of a man bun, his curly hair was left loose, and I had a feeling he was hiding behind them.
People talked; Berkshire’s hallways were never without rumors. There was always something going on. A new break-up, a new student, a bully, someone caught cheating. There was always some kind of drama.
Yesterday, when Maddox didn’t show up at school, we heard there was a fight between Leighton and Berkshire boys. They said Maddox landed in the hospital with a slight concussion.
I had brushed off the rumors and thought it was a peaceful day – finally.
But now, seeing Maddox like this…
He didn’t spare me a glance, and took his seat at the back of the classroom. I waited for the warmth that would always accompany his burning stare, but I felt… nothing.
Glancing over my shoulder, I took a peek. Maddox stared down at his notebook, a frozen statue in time. He didn’t stare back, didn’t tease, and unlike the last few weeks, the playful Maddox disappeared. In his place was a bitter, sulking boy.
I turned away and looked at my own paper. Why did I care? I shouldn’t be bothered by his change of attitude. He was having a shitty day, so what? Everyone had bad days. Hell, I knew the exact meaning of shitty days.
When the bell rang, I didn’t move from the chair. I couldn’t bring myself to, even though I should have gotten up and walked away. Like always.
Instead, I found myself waiting.
Maddox walked past me, without a word or a fleeting look. He didn’t bump into me, didn’t pull my hair, didn’t throw me one of his annoying smirks. Nothing.
I blinked, confused at my own mixed feelings.
I didn’t care; I shouldn’t care.
Any other decent person would have ignored Maddox and moved on – probably be thankful for another peaceful day.
Me?
I found myself following him.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
Maybe it was the fact that I was ready for him today. The last few weeks, Maddox had been a constant pain in my ass and as much as I hated to admit it, I’d grown used to him being a jerk. The verbal sparring and the pranks became a part of my daily routine, and somehow, I found myself disappointed that Maddox wasn’t in the same mood.
“You’re dumb,” I muttered to myself as I followed behind Maddox, only a few steps away. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Turn back. Walk away. Now.
You see, there are two sides to Lila. The indifferent side of her and the intrigued Lila – I was currently the latter.
Something about Maddox was different today, something that intrigued me. I had always liked puzzles, and Maddox Coulter was a very difficult puzzle.
Maddox stopped by his locker, and he carelessly stuffed his books in there. His irritation was apparent, and he wasn’t even trying to mask it. No wonder everyone was keeping their distance from him. The students stared, but quickly scrambled away, when he directed his scowls at them.
I should have kept my distance, too. Ignored him and walked away.
But apparently, I liked to play with fire and to push my boundaries. Maddox and I were playing tug-of-war. It was an everyday battle between us.
Stopping a mere foot from him, I leaned my shoulder against the locker next to Maddox. “Is it shark week?” I remarked with a grin.
He didn’t spare me a glance, but his lips had thinned into a hard line, his jaw tensed. Maddox’s blue eyes darkened, but he otherwise ignored me. The scowl on his face was intimidating, and it only made me want to push his buttons. “Did your period attack you today?”
He blew out a breath before slamming his locker shut. His knuckles were red and bruised. The wounds on Maddox only made him appear more brutal… and slightly broken.