Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

KAYDEN

M addox and I made out slowly, kissing for ages. Not caring about morning breath, our lips swollen, our lungs in desperate need of air. There was no class to get to, no game to prepare for, no student event to sit in on. And hey, Coach wanted everyone on the team to get in a light workout. We figured this would count.

I thought maybe Maddox would want to be alone after all that talk about his piece of shit father. But he held on to me tightly, and didn't let go.

My phone chimed, and Maddox and I reluctantly separated. I reached down and grabbed my bag, searching for my phone. When I saw the reminders piling up, I sighed.

"Shit. I forgot my meds last night."

I yanked out my pill case.

"I'll get you a glass of water," Maddox offered and slid out of bed.

I watched him strut to the bathroom and yes, he was strutting, whether or not he was aware of it. Between his taut body, his tats, and that high, sweet ass of his, I was all but drooling.

By the time I plucked my pills out, Maddox had returned holding two glasses of water.

Screwing around in the dark was one thing. But seeing his body now had my heart hammering against my ribcage.

He passed me a glass, and I popped my meds, then gratefully gulped down the water. I watched as Maddox did the same, mesmerized by the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. It brought me back to the locker room and that wicked blow job. Then I noticed he'd put his silver earring back in. Just when I thought he couldn't get any hotter.

"You're staring," he snarked.

"You're gorgeous."

He looked down, pieces of his dark hair sliding over his eyes.

"Stop."

"It's the truth."

"Kay," he growled.

"Yes, baby?"

Maddox's head shot up, and I noticed the goosebumps all over his skin.

"Wanna go workout?" he asked.

That was… not what I was expecting him to say.

"Food first."

"Naturally. But not the caf." Maddox got up. "Their eggs are crap."

"The All-Day Breakfast Diner. Best omelets around," I paused. "Do you want me to text Dane and Jackson and see if they want to join us? Maybe Jace too?"

Maddox nodded, finished his water, then took my empty glass. I quickly group texted the guys, then headed for the bathroom. After washing up, we got dressed and headed into town. It was snowing hard, and the air had a bite to it. I pulled my beanie down to cover my ears and glanced at Maddox, who didn't seem as bothered by the cold as me. He didn't wear a hat, but he'd layered a puffer coat over his leather jacket. Only Maddox could make wearing two jackets look cool.

"Aren't you freezing?" I asked him. "I'm so fucking cold."

"Are you forgetting where I come from?" he chuckled. "And you've got a parka, gloves, and a hat on. What else do you need?"

"Shared bodily warmth." I waggled my eyebrows.

"You're such a horndog, Kay."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Not while we're out in public. If anyone overhears?—"

"They won't," I assured him. "And remember our story. You, me, and a hot girl named Summer."

"Summer? Where did that come from?"

"Don't know," I replied. "Oh, wait. It's a girl from back home. I kind of had a thing for her my last year of high school. Summer Smith. Big blue eyes, long dark hair. She's so cute. And she works part time at the ice cream café in town. Her mom owns the shop. I used to stop in every weekend. I probably gained ten pounds alone that year."

Maddox stopped walking, and I stopped rambling.

"I don't want to hear anymore, Kay."

Jealous Mad was so fucking hot.

"I said she's cute. That's all," I replied, chuckling. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to control this possessive side in public? What if a hot girl—or guy—starts flirting with me?"

"Don't even."

I laughed harder.

"Summer," Maddox grumbled and started walking again. "I don't like it."

"Hey, Maddox isn't exactly a common name either," I snarked back.

I was getting better at it, thanks to my favorite tutor.

"I wasn't talking about her name," he replied with a sigh. "Did you see her when you went back home for Christmas?"

"Um, I mean, I stopped in at the café on Saturday with my brothers and sister. And she was working. But I barely noticed her."

"But she's the one you thought of for this fake threesome we've supposedly had?" Maddox bit out.

"Okay, pick another name."

"Why? When you've already set your sights on Summer ," Maddox snapped.

"Aw, is this our first fight?" I quipped.

Maddox bit his lower lip and stared up at me.

"Did you take any edibles this morning?" he asked.

"Nope, just my regular meds."

"Just checking."

I grinned at him, and he rolled his eyes. He was so adorably jealous that I wanted to pull him into my arms and kiss him, but yeah, now was not the time.

When we finally strolled up to the All-Day Breakfast, Jace, Dane, and Jackson were already there, sitting at a booth at the back. Jace sat across from Dane and Jackson, but when he spotted us, he slipped out of the bench and moved beside them. I slid into Jace's empty spot, Maddox following. It was snug fit, but I had no complaints.

"What did you guys get up to last night? Any good parties?" I asked.

"Nope," Jace replied. "I was wiped after practice. Ate dinner and fell asleep watching a movie on my laptop."

"Me and Jackson were the same," Dane replied. "What about you two?"

Thank fuck my cheeks were already reddened from the cold.

"Same."

"Except Kay here ate most of my dinner," Maddox added.

"You should've ordered a bigger pizza."

"Is there a bigger one than extra-large?" he quipped.

"Party size, duh." I smiled at him.

When I turned to face my friends, the guys were staring, first at me, then at Maddox. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Dane replied quickly. "You both seem like you're in really good moods. And for Maddox, that's saying a lot."

Maddox offered his favorite finger in response and Dane laughed it off.

"Carbs, sleep, and a day off," I replied. "It's the trifecta of a perfect day."

Sex was in there too. Holy shit, was it ever. I replayed the night in my head, one dirty image after another, and I started to sweat. Dane smirked at me and this time it was my turn to roll my eyes. Until I turned to Maddox. The way he was looking at me, like I was on the menu instead of breakfast, made my heart take off like a hungry player after the puck.

"It's freezing outside, but it's hot as hell in here," Jackson announced.

"I second that," Jace quipped.

"Where's Maddie?" I asked, changing the subject, searching for our usual waitress. "Have you guys ordered yet?"

"Nope," Dane replied. "But I think we've all worked up an appetite."

I snorted at that. Me and Maddox sure as hell did. There was silence around the table. I coughed into my fist, trying to clear my throat.

"Um, so, what are you guys up to after this?" I asked.

Before my friends could reply, Maddie appeared to take our orders. OJ all around, four-egg omelets, and hash browns for everyone but Jace, who chose scrambled egg whites and toast. Thankfully, I didn't have to get my phone out to read the menu here. I knew everything by heart.

"Gym, then studying. You?" Jace asked.

"Same."

"So, you gonna tell us what's really going on here?" Jace pointed between me and Maddox. "Not that you need to say anything, but what the fuck?"

"Nothing's going on," Maddox whispered. "Nothing that concerns anyone but me and Kay."

"Look," Jace leaned forward. "I don't care who you fuck around with, okay? I'm bi, so I'm cool. But what about the team finding out?"

"Why should they care?" I asked.

"What if you two have a fight and the tension bleeds into the game? What then?" he asked.

"It's not gonna happen," I argued.

"Everyone says that, and then— bam —it happens," Jace countered. "Trust me. You think you know someone because you're fucking them and then they turn around and stab you in the back."

What? I wanted to ask Jace about his comment, since it sounded like he'd had a really bad personal experience. Unfortunately, Maddie arrived at that exact moment to deliver our breakfast. She quickly dropped off the plates and left us alone again.

"That's not going to happen. And worrying that maybe, sometime down the line, there might be a problem?" I scoffed. "Come on."

"At least tell Coach. Better you do it than he finds out from someone else," Jace replied.

"I've already suggested that," Dane added.

I was getting anxious, a knot forming where my stomach usually was. Maddox reached underneath the table and squeezed my thigh. Turning to him, I was about to ask the question when I already recognized his answer.

"We should tell him," Maddox announced. "Let's do it."

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely."

"What if he suspends us? Or worse?" I asked.

"For fucking? There's nothing in the rule book that says what we're doing is wrong. We're not violating any code of conduct," Maddox turned to Dane. "That I know of."

Dane shrugged.

"And even if there is a rule, it's too late. We've already broken it," Maddox added. "And you know how I feel about other people's rules."

"Just Coach?" I asked.

Maddox nodded.

I paused, thinking about it. Could I be as fearless as Mad? I hesitated. Not because I was afraid of Coach's backlash, but because I wanted to protect Maddox. Thinking about everything he'd told me this morning, everything he'd been through with his dad, it made me want to shield him from all the bad stuff. Would Coach go ballistic? I had no way of knowing. Then again, maybe this was the best plan. Coach hadn't freaked out on Dane.

I glanced at Maddox again, and I knew what I wanted to do.

"Okay, I'm in. We'll do it tomorrow," I replied. "After we crush Langston."

Maddox nodded. "Now that that's sorted, can we eat our freaking breakfast? After all, we've got a game to prepare for."

Damn right, we did.