I opened my mouth to say thank you, but I couldn’t find the words. Maddox looked over my shoulder and gave me a small smile. “The bus is here.”
I nodded, still stupidly silent. Say something, damnit. Anything.
His hands were shoved in his pockets as he watched me climb into the bus. I settled in the back, like always. Maddox was still watching me.
I pressed my palm against the window, and he grinned, boyish and sexy.
Thank you, I mouthed as the bus drove away.
***
The next morning, as I stepped out of the house, Maddox and his car were there waiting. He rolled down his window and beckoned me over.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “Stalker much, Coulter?”
He handed me a brown paper bag. “Good morning to you, too, Sweet Cheeks. You look better today. No bruises, I see.”
My bruises, which I had successfully been able to hide from my grandparents, were covered with makeup. I shrugged and took whatever Maddox was offering me. “Makeup did the trick.”
I peeked inside the bag. Mint. Chocolate. Muffin. Oh my God!
“You–”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
I let out a laugh. “Seriously, what are you doing?”
“I thought you said we were friends.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “We are.”
“So, I’m getting you breakfast. You and Riley tend to share lunch, right?”
I couldn’t decide if this was sweet or dorky, neither of which suited Maddox Coulter. I gave his SUV a once over. “I’m not getting in your car if you’re trying to bribe me with my favorite muffin. For all I know, you could be a kidnapper or an axe murderer.”
Maddox winked. “I’d make a sexy axe murderer, admit it.”
I rolled my eyes, for the umpteenth time, and took a bite of my mint chocolate muffin. “My bus is here,” I muttered around a mouthful. I bent down, so we were eye-level and gave him a smirk of my own. “You can follow me to school. Like you followed me home yesterday. You need to improve your stalking skills, Coulter.”
The look on his face was comical. Busted, Poodle.
I winked and sashayed away.
We rode to Berkshire separately, although it didn’t quite feel like it. The muffin he gave me kept me company. I tried to devour it slowly, but mint chocolate was my one and only weakness.
Maddox was waiting for me at the gate when I stepped off the bus. He hoisted his bag on one shoulder and gripped my hand. Surprised, I looked down at our interlocked fingers as he pulled me into the building. Wh-what?
“What are you doing?” I asked with caution.
“Holding your hand.”
His hand was warm and strong. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but I didn’t pull away. “Why?”
His eyes briefly met mine before he went back to staring everyone else down. “Because I need the world to know they can’t mess with what’s mine.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to rebut him. I didn’t need a savior, didn’t need to cower behind Maddox’s back because I could handle all the haters on my own. Yesterday, I let my claws out and I was no longer worried about using them.
But when I saw the look on his face, hard and serious–I swallowed the words.
Something in his eyes told me he wasn’t going to budge on this matter.
I didn’t know why I kept silent and let him hold my hand. It bugged me why I did it, but then I pushed the feeling down.
We marched through the halls, and the students stepped out of our way, like the ocean parting in half for us to walk through.
I bit my tongue, held my chin high and kept my hand in Maddox’s. His grip was firm, but comforting. I expected the whispers to follow us but was met with…nothing.
By lunch time, I couldn’t bite my tongue any longer. The day went on just like this morning. The other students avoided eye-contact, no one glared or sneered at me and no one dared to approach me. Even Riley found it odd.
When Maddox reached for my fries, I slapped his hand away and leveled him with a look. “Did you do something? Did you threaten people? They’re acting weird.”
Riley gave me a grunt of agreement.
Maddox took a bite of his sandwich, simultaneously throwing an arm around the back my chair, before glancing around the cafeteria to give his kingdom a once over. “I think you were threatening enough for both of us.”
“Huh?”
“Bethany’s nose is not broken, but you did a number on her. Gossip travels fast.”
“They’re scared of me?”
“They’re scared of us,” he amended.
I picked at my fries, no longer hungry. “Am I going to get in trouble… for hurting Bethany?”
Colton pushed back against his chair, rocking on the two back legs. “No, you won’t. We took care of that already.”
My eyes snapped to Maddox, frowning. “So, you did threaten someone.”