Size Matters (Chaos and Carnage MC 1)
He waited for her. She didn’t take long to change out of her work clothes and into her workout ones. She’d also pulled on a hat.
She locked the door to her apartment, pocketed the key, and stopped when she caught sight of him.
“Are you following me around?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“At least you’re not lying about it.”
“I’ve already lied to you enough times. I’m not going to do it anymore.”
Maddie started to laugh.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked.
“No, I just, I can’t help but laugh at all of this.” She pointed at him then herself. “I bet you don’t even remember, or do you just force a girl to make a promise and then not keep it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She shrugged. “You promised me you wouldn’t lie to me. You told me not to lie to you, and I didn’t, but now, you openly admit to lying to me and you’re following me around like it’s okay.”
“Maddie, please.”
“I don’t know what you want from me,” she said.
“I want the chance to talk. To make things right.”
She looked past his shoulder. “I have an appointment.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“‘Look, some guy is going to want … that. It’s not me. I’m sorry. I’ve found out what I really want. No guy wants a fat chick, ever.’ Those are the words, you said to me, Bull.”
“They were all lies,” he said.
“Lies or not, I can’t get them out of my head. Between my mom—” She stopped. “No, between Delia and everyone else in the world, do you think I can keep pretending they’re not true?”
He stepped toward her, cupping her face.
There was still a Band-Aid on her cheek. She had to have stitches, and they would be coming out soon. She’d have a small scar as a memory.
He loved this woman. Scars and all.
Sinking his fingers into her hair, he tugged back the strands and kissed her hard. Maddie accepted the kiss for all of five seconds before she pushed him away.
He expected that. Knew deep down that he deserved to be pushed away. Maddie deserved so much more than him.
“No,” she said.
“Maddie, please.”
“You think I don’t want to? You think I don’t … you hurt me, Bull. I didn’t even see it coming. I … I don’t know if I can trust you.” She swiped at the tears threatening to spill over.
“Tell me how I can earn your trust.”
“I don’t know. I need to make this appointment.” She moved around him.
He hated letting her go, and he wasn’t going to admit defeat.
Spinning on his heel, he followed her to the gym. Just seeing the sign made him sneer, but he stepped up to the building and walked right inside.
Jase, the man he’d never met personally, was on the reception desk. He didn’t like him on sight. There was nothing wrong with the man at all. Bull thought about Dylan’s background check. It explained why the man kept to himself.
“How can I help you?” Jase asked.
“It looks like I’m joining the gym.”
Jase checked out his leather cut and the two just knew.
“Are you sure you want to check out my gym?”
Bull pulled out his wallet. “How much?”
“Monthly or annually?”
“Just get me signed up so I can use this place whenever I want to,” Bull said.
He watched as Jase visibly swallowed.
“You and Maddie go running in the mornings,” Bull said.
“Yes, we do.”
“What time?” Bull asked.
“Six.”
“Where do you meet?”
“Her place. I mean, I go and see her at her place and then we run together.”
He made this man nervous. Bull was more than happy with that. “I’m going to be joining you.”
“We run every day,” Jase said.
“Not a problem. Where will you be training Maddie today?” Bull asked, throwing down a couple of extra twenties.
“I don’t want your money.”
“Let’s get something straight. Maddie is mine. She will always be mine. You want to come between us, you just see what happens.”
“I don’t,” Jase said. “I don’t want to come between anything. I promise. Maddie likes to swim. She’ll be in the pool.”
“Good, and you won’t be needed today,” Bull said.
“I’m her personal trainer.”
Bull glared at him, waiting for him to argue, but Jase must have known what was good for him because he backed off.
“Good. Now, where are those swimming trunks I’m going to need?”
He was going to earn Maddie’s trust one way or another. There was no backing down. He loved her. There were no lies there.
He wanted her badly.
Too much time had already been wasted, and he wasn’t going to waste another second.
Chapter Twenty-One
Maddie completed her stretches just as she saw Bull enter the pool. No one else was in the pool today, and she couldn’t think of a quick exit.
She stood and waited as he came toward her.
“You haven’t hurt Jase, have you?”
“Nope. He’s dealing with my application, and we both realized it would be better if I was here instead of him.”