Page 109 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

It wasn’t like when she was dressed up to a party, or the high heels she took out for the quinceañera. She was college Maddie, and I adored her for it.

Her eyes pinned on me. I asked, “Wanna play?”

Maddie scoffed. “What’s going on, Z?”

I stepped back, rubbing my hand on my face. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“You’re avoiding me. In sixteen years you never done that.”

“So maybe it’s overdue?” I joked, but of course, she wasn’t in the mood.

Maddie stepped closer, and I stepped back. Once more she did, and my reaction was the same. Her mouth closed in a thin line. I was making it worse. But she was so damn pretty. Smelled so good. How could I stand close and not touch her?

“Zeek King, you’re pissing me off.”

“Sorry ma’am.”

Her eye roll was out of this planet. Next, she pounced on me, not giving me a chance to retract. In a blink of an eye, she was just there. Poking me on the chest, face craning up to look at me.

“What the hell is going on? We had sex, Zeek. Fuck you!”

She was small but carried a powerful punch. Those little jams of her fingers were going to leave a bruise. I took her finger with my hand and tried to stop the assault.

“I’m well aware, Maddie. I’m actually having flashbacks.”

Truth. It was one thing for me to convince my brain to never touch Maddie. Another thing was my body’s reaction. Especially when we slept in the same room. It didn’t matter if I did a good job avoiding her, my body reacted to hers. I knew when she arrived in the bedroom; I ached to have her close.

How the hell did I manage before? She dated plenty and I survived. But now, even thinking about her with someone else made me want to murder someone.

How the fuck had that happened?

And that was why I had to stay away and keep my hands to myself. I was too confused. I wasn’t responsible for my actions anymore.

But Maddie pushed. Got in my face, poked my chest, and not even my little reply was enough to make her keep her distance.

“And you thought pumping and dumping your best friend was a good idea?” She went for the kill.

“I didn’t…”

“Oh, but you did. You fucked me and never called me back. Best friends edition.”

I turned my face from her, balling my hands into a fist. I never wanted to bolt as much as I did right then.

“We needed space to think things through.”

“You know that’s bullshit, Z.”

I snapped like a rubber band to my wrist. I was unhinged when I flashed my eyes back to her, stalking the few steps between us. It was my turn to mess with her personal space.

“I can’t think when we are together, Maddie.”

“I never asked you to think.” It comes quickly out of her mouth.

My hands went to her. Suddenly they are everywhere. On her face, tipping her head up and bringing her lips to mine. On her waist, bringing her close, wanting to venture under the t-shirt. Like the first time I kissed her, and all the other times before, I couldn’t help myself. One taste of her tongue and I was a fucking goner.

It was pure chemistry, no way to deny it. My body begged to be close to her, and every time I got a chance, everything clicked. It was perfect. Even a skeptic like me heard the whispers of destiny while we kissed.

She was the ultimate girl next door.

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