Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
She made a face at me. “He’s an asshole.”
I shrugged and continued with my dinner, shoving a spoonful into my mouth.
“You don’t care… if he breaks up with you?” she asked slowly.
“I’m not in love with him if that’s what you’re asking,” I said around a mouthful.
It was true, I didn’t love Landon. He was nice, and I liked him.
But that was it.
“Maddox–”
I cut her off. “He doesn’t know and you won’t tell him.” I leveled Riley with a hard look, and she leaned back against her chair, looking only a bit intimidated. “If he finds out Landon is ghosting me or if he thinks I’m hurt over this, which I’m not honestly, he’s going to kill Landon.”
Riley cocked her head to the side, thoughtfully. “Didn’t you… um, spend the night over at Maddox’s last night?”
“We fell asleep while binge watching Friends,” I amended. I woke up in his bed in the morning; he carried me to bed after I had fallen sleep, and I had been all cozy against his pillows and his blankets while Maddox slept on the couch.
“Do you think maybe the issue is Maddox? Not that I’m saying he is, but you know how all your exes were sensitive about him. Maybe Landon is too?”
She raised a good point.
Maddox loathed every guy I dated.
Consequently, they hated him, too. And none of them were too happy of my relationship with Maddox. They didn’t like that we were that close. They didn’t approve of Maddox having access to my apartment. He could come and go freely and vice versa. They didn’t like that I attended all of Maddox’s football games and some of his practices.
It was a lot to juggle, and granted, yes, it made sense why they didn’t approve of Maddox’s relationship with me.
But none of them came close to what or who Maddox was to me.
I wasn’t going to fix what I had with Maddox to suit these guys. Maybe that was the issue in all my past relationships, but I wasn’t willing to change anything between Maddox and I.
My stomach twisted at the thought of losing Maddox. The mere idea of being without him made me sick.
We were best friends; no one and nothing was going to change that.
Not Landon… and none of those girls Maddox fucked around with.
***
“Lila!” Maddox called out from the bathroom.
I settled back into the couch and stuffed a handful of sweet caramelized popcorn into my mouth.
“What?” I responded, before taking a sip of my energy drink. I was a bit tipsy from all the red wine I had tonight with Riley. She was passed out in our apartment, and I had come over to our neighbors’ place to bring him dinner.
Colton and his fuck buddy had disappeared when Maddox came home.
Maddox walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped low around his waist, bare chest and his v-line teasing me. You see, I’ve seen Maddox half naked many times over the years. But each time, my mouth watered at the sight of his wide, muscled chest and washboard abs and that nipple piercing. He had gotten it one night when he was out partying with his football team. They had been pissed drunk and they went into a tattoo and piercing shop. The rest was history.
I never considered a nipple piercing sexy, but on Maddox? Puuurfect. Yes, I just purred.
I was his best friend, but I wasn’t blind, and I had a pussy, which meant that I appreciated the male species. A lot. Including my best friend.
Was I drooling? I wiped the corner of my mouth just in case.
Maddox huffed and gave me a look that bordered between comical and exasperation. “Did you get in my phone and change your name to My Main Chick?”
Oh.
I had been a bit drunk when I did THAT a few nights ago. And then I had been too lazy to change it back.
I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Well, yeah. Because I am your main chick. All the other girls are just your side chicks.”
Maddox opened his mouth and then shut it, falling silent. He blinked and then just shook his head.
I gave him a cheesy smile. Fuck, maybe I was more than just tipsy.
“It’s okay, though. You can fuck around with them. At the end of the day, you come back home to me. And I know I’m better,” I muttered around another mouthful of popcorn, sending him my best smile.
He growled and the sensitive area between my legs clenched. Shit, this was bad.
Abort mission, abort mission.
Maddox ran his fingers though his wet hair, exhaling sharply. “For fuck’s sake, woman! My only side chicks are your other personalities. And there are like twenty-five of them.”
I paused midchew. Ouuh-kaay.
He showed me his hand, ticking off each list with his fingers. “Grumpy Lila. Lazy Lila. Pouty Lila. Funny Lila. Lila when she’s sleep-deprived. Sugar high Lila, like right now. On her period Lila. Normal Lila.”