Page 45 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

“I mean… even… if you… you’re stupid en… en… enough to think…”

I stopped. Maybe he was about to die. It would be so Jason to goddamn die to make a stupid point. Sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. With a curse and a prayer I turned around, rubbing my head. Jason stopped too, hands on his knees, folded like paper. He took his shirt off and was using it to clean his face off. I was annoyed. What was so hard to understand? Annoyed people wanted to be left alone.

I walked back to Jason’s pathetic form. “You need to start doing some kind of cardio. This is ridiculous.”

He scowled. “I do enough.”

I arched an eyebrow. Whatever he did, it wasn’t enough. “I will write down a routine for you, once a week should do it.”

“Never mind that!” He cut me off, getting up at his full height. “Can we fucking talk about the matter at hand?”

“And what that would be?”

“Zaddie.”

I rolled my eyes and turned to start running, but Jason was pushing before I could even step forward. “That was a hell of a kiss, King”

“Yes.” I blinked.

“Like…thekiss.”

Oh Jesus. “It was a challenge. Would you run after Aisha if she was the one who kissed Maddie?”

“I would if they kissed for five minutes and then acted like nothing happened. Actually, forget it. Aisha is woman enough to face things head on.”

“Don’t start, Jason, I swear to god…”

“What?” He opened his arms, exasperated. “You will shut down and act like a moody motherfucker for a week? Newsflash asshole, you’re doing it right now.”

“I’m not a moody anything,” I said with the rest of sanity I had. “You’re trying to drag shit that has no…”

“Bullshit.. I was there when you guys were kissing. That wasn’t a challenge kiss.”

“Should we braid each other’s hair and talk about it some more?”

Jason scoffed. “Sexist bullshit to get rid of me? Mature.”

See? Jason was too goddamn involved in his own feelings.

“I’m willing to try anything to get to you to shut up.”

“It’s ok you’re freaking out, King.” He ignored everything I said. “You’ve been best friends with Maddie since forever and then one kiss changed it all.”

I rubbed my face, wishing I could rub the skin off. “Nothing changed. It was a challenge. I thought you were the one who wanted to win? I won for you. You’re fucking welcome, by the way.”

I started walking back home; he wasn’t going to let me get away and suddenly I was too tired to keep running.

“I’m happy we won.” He fell into step with me. “I’m also happy you and Maddie finally kissed.”

“Why? Were you waiting for it?”

“I think we were all waiting on some level.”

I groaned. “It was part of--”

“It was a five-minute kiss like no one was watching.”

“Were you timing us or some shit? I wasn’t aware we needed to make it quick.” I swallowed and hoped Jason didn’t notice the lump in my throat every time the scene flashed through my mind. Which was every second of the last week.

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