Page 27 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

With all Peter’s sins, I truly believe his dick was of the least of importance. I knew the list by heart, plus the part where Aisha told us he was selfish in bed was worse than any size. Still, I said nothing. I was always careful when talking about him. I didn’t want her to think I wasn’t a fan, or he wasn’t welcome over, especially now that she lived with me. That was one of Peter’s sins, too. He made me lie to Maddie.

The game kept going, and Maddie shuffled on my lap enough times for me to know something was bothering her. I poked her leg. I wanted her attention, but she just moved out of my reach, so I did it again and again until the only way she could escape was to drop on the floor.

“Maybe you can give me tips.” Came out of her mouth as she leaned to Jason.

I chuckled and grabbed her waist to position her back to me. This whole moving around was getting uncomfortable. Maddie let me manhandle her to the back of my chest, her eyes trained on Jay as our other two friends protested.

“Why him?” Aisha wanted to know.

Maddie shrugged. “Because you said quiet confidence.”

Nick scoffed. “Jason is anything but quiet.”

“Excuse me?” Jason lowered his cards.

“He never talks about sex, though.” Maddie argued. “And he’s very considerate, so it makes me think he lets the girls finish first, right Jay?” She turned around to Jay. All eyes were on him, as he smirked and bobbed his head. “Twice..”

Maddie nodded and pointed to Jay like he made her point.

Aisha folded her arms over her chest. “Whatever. I meant Zeek, when I talked about quiet confidence.”

“Z?”

Her friend turned her gaze from Maddie to me with a knowing smile. Aisha was smarter than any of us. Her words were threads she used to sew us together. I wondered what she was getting at.

Maddie stopped and looked around the table. Leaning back to me, she pressed my hand on her mid-section. “So everyone at this table is good at sex but me?” Maddie asked.

“You’re fine.” Pressed Aisha.

“You don’t know that. If there aren’t any sparks, I have to assume it might be on me too.”

“Were you crappy before him?” Nick entertained.

Maddie lifted a shoulder, my chin grazed on the skin of it. “I never had sex with one person for so long. Pete and I are way past the learning each other phase, so it should be fantastic.”

“It never was?” Jason asked.

“It was ok.”

Aisha tsked. “And you stayed with the man for a year with ok sex? I can’t believe you, girl.”

“A relationship is more than that,” she said with her hand coming to my cheek as she stroked it like I was a cat. “But when other things aren’t as good, sex is usually the glue that holds people together.”

Everyone nodded, and I gulped. I was going to let them lead the talk, but no one was going to ask the questions I was interested in.

“What did he say tonight, Maddie?” I needed to know what happened after I left. Why, in the space of a couple of hours, Maddie’s relationship was doomed?

Her hand stilled for a second, like my interest confused her. But soon her rhythm was back. The cards were forgotten as the bottle of whiskey made rounds.

“We had sex in the bathroom, and I couldn’t stop thinking how hot that was and how boring it was at the same time.”

I felt the chill down my spine, my teeth gritted as I told myself not to imagine asshole Peter fucking Maddie in the bathroom. He didn’t deserve shit, especially after his little tantrum. I had half a second to swallow what she said, and I tried to concentrate on the two things I’d learned with that revelation. One, it was Pete’s fault the sex wasn’t good. Two, Maddie liked to do it in public spaces.

Her fingertips were warm and soft, making a pattern on my two-day scruff. I closed my eyes, tired.

“You need to dump his ass,” Aisha said again with the swing of the whiskey. She passed the bottle to Maddie, who took a sip and surprised me by saying, “I know.”

After that, she let go of me, sat up, and left my lap. “I’m going to bed.” Everyone nodded. Maddie took Aisha by the hand, saying they were sharing her bed -my bed- today. We said goodnight. Maddie turned and gave me a kiss on my head before she left the kitchen.

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