Chapter 12

Maddox

Jason waltzes into the kitchen and gasps. “Are you making homemade chocolates?” I’m wearing a pink apron and mixing brown stuff-what else would I be making?! There are forms on the table!

“Dude, are you blind? Because it ain’t fucking dog shit I’m melting and mixing on the stove.” Jason slowly blinks, and I wonder if he is hungover or has an itchy eye or something. “Are they… For a girl?” I continue stirring. “Uh, yes? I’m sure as hell not giving these to you or anyone else on the football team.”

“Huh,” Jason smiles like the dumb, tall idiot he is. “I’m happy for you. You and Michelle are finally dating-it was about damn time.” I almost choke and spit out the water I’m drinking. “Dating?! We ain’t dating! We are friends.”

“Wait. You’re making homemade chocolates for a friend… Who is a girl… And you’re not dating?” “Yes, and yes,” I shake my head at Jason. I don’t understand his deal or why he is staring at me. “When did you become such a detective? I read that girls love to receive gifts, and homemade chocolate was on the top of that list. Nothing weird is happening here.”

Honestly, I’m trying to turn a new leaf with Michelle. That’s why I’m making these dumb chocolates for her.

Jason says something in Spanish and shakes his head at me like I’m the crazy one.

“Yes, chocolates are an excellent gift WHEN you are dating the other person! You don’t make homemade chocolate for just a friend unless baking is your hobby, which it’s not!” I lift my nose into the air, determined to ignore my best friend’s unreasonable opinions. “I’m sure friends can enjoy homemade chocolates too.”

“No, Michelle is going to get the wrong idea, but sure…” Jason sighs heavily at me. “Give her the chocolates and see what happens.”

“You know what?!” I snap at him. “I will! And Michelle is going to love these chocolates!” “Ah, because you’re so good at baking.” “Damn right I am.”

Jason snorts. “Talk about an ego.”

“Are you seriously dating that skittish girl?”

There is a gasp on the other side of the weight room. “Daniels is dating someone?”

“I heard he made her homemade chocolates.”

“Daniels? No way! I can’t imagine him buying gifts or baking! Are you shitting me right now?”

“No, I’m serious. I heard it from a reliable source.”

Fucking Jason

The gossip starts among my teammates as I lift over three hundred pounds above my head. I haven’t seen Michelle yet, and things are already getting out of hand. “That poor girl,” someone is laughing. “She doesn’t know that Daniels is a cold blooded bastard yet!”

she likes him-girls are into douchebags. You glare at them, and they immediately want

an ugly motherfucker.” The idiots belt out laughter inside the gym while I grunt and puff out a breath of air. Sweat covers my upper lip, chest, back, and entire face. My lungs are burning, and my

discuss girls with great tits and asses. I try to focus and mentally block out my teammates to keep pushing and wheezing. “So her name is

What the fuck?

heavy weight I’m bench pressing, I attempt to raise my head to see who said that.

about the other

Silence falls.

hear

Four.

Three.

Two

One.

hits the rack with a clatter, and I exhale while blinking up at the ceiling. I lay motionless, wishing the room’s fan

my phone. “It’s been pinging non-stop for the last few minutes.” I lift myself up from the bench,

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

messages. There are plenty of those from Michelle, which is odd. She usually isn’t brave enough to start

No, it is weird. Michelle: Can I ask a favor of you? Michelle: I

take advantage of you! I don’t even expect to sleep in your bed or anything! My friends are just having this party, and someone I don’t like is coming here since

Michelle: Maddox?

Forget I asked! Everything is taken care

narrow my eyes at the last

has found another place to stay.

call her, and she answers in the first

“Hi…”

bark. I’m not going to play any games, and her

“Maddox, it’s fine,”

“Where. Are. You.”

gulps. “At the

in an hour. Where are you going

think I hear her

so you know, I don’t live alone; I have a mutt named

about the linebacker

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