Page 48 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

“You think people will hate you if you go out with me? Because they will side with Maddie?”

She bit her lip. “It sounds dumb, I know. I’m not saying I wouldn’t go out with you because of that…” She laughed. “I’m not saying this properly. What I mean that if there is a Zaddie I don’t want to get in the middle of it. I like Maddie, but she’s a little intimidating, you know?”

I nodded even though I didn’t completely understand how the five-foot nothing of Maddie was intimidating.

“So…” She started again, now back looking straight at me. “If you’re interested in a straight shooter, who can’t bake or crochet, I’d love to take you out.”

“You’re going to take me out?” I smiled.

“Oh yes, I can’t bake, but I can fix cars, Zeek. And I have a good one to take you out around town.” She winked, playing. “You’ll love it.”

Her smirk was in place. I did like straight shooters, and I liked cars too. So it was easy to say yes to Cathy.

We shared another coffee, and I left straight after. Her presence calmed me. Cathy was the only person who wasn’t pressing me to live a love story with my best friend. It was a welcoming change.

It turned back to shit the second that I parked in front of the house.

My teeth gritted when I saw Peter on my front porch. For a second, I thought they were getting back together, but by the time the car was parked, I heard the shrieks of a fight. Maddie’s body language told me everything I needed to know. She held herself protectively, her arms over her stomach, a crease between her brow.

I opened my door and hopped out. “You’re a fucking liar, Maddie!” the asshole of the year shouted.

“You’re crazy!” Maddie replied. “Go away! We are over, anyway. What difference does it make?”

I circled the house, and my steps caught their attention. The disdain for me showed in Peter’s face straight away. “Oh, now look who is here.”

“Leave Z out of it!” roared Maddie.

Maddie never roared. My body on alert, straight away, coming to her side. “What’s happening here?”

“Peter was leaving,” she said decisively.

“You want me gone, Maddie? After all you made me go through? So I just step aside and leave you two alone? You’re a fucking cheater. I should’ve known from day one!”

“What?” What was that jackass saying?

“Don’t mind him, Z.” Spat Maddie. “Just go inside and I’ll handle Peter.”

I said, “The hell you will.” At the same time, Peter started laughing like a maniac.

“Why can’t he be here for this? He’s the other half of it all. Fuck you, King. You pretended to be such a good friend. I never fell for it. I knew you wanted to fuck her… I just wasn’t aware she was letting you.”

Rage swept over me. “What the hell are you talking about, Adamson-Burton?” Using his last name as an insult brought happiness to my heart. It was a year overdue.

“I’m talking about the fact she’s a fucking whore.”

The claim was delivered right there on my porch. I lost it. I had a list of reasons why I wanted to punch his stupid preppy face. The sweater wearing golf playing asshat was begging to have an intimate conversation with my fist. Of all those reasons, though, calling Maddie Mendoza a whore took the cake.

In one second, I was beside Maddie, and in another, I was on top of Peter. My hand closed on his collar as I towered over him. “What the hell did you just say?” I asked again, because I must have been dreaming. There was no way the asshole came over to our house to call Maddie names.

He had to be suicidal. Or really stupid. I was betting on the latter.

“I know you were fucking behind my back.” He spat. “I saw the picture.”

“The picture of a challenge after we broke up?” Maddie shouted from behind. “Are you for real?”

“I knew you wanted to fuck her, King. I could fucking see it. And I played nice, I…”

I shook him, “Played nice? We are friends! No one fucked behind your back, you lunatic!”

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