Page 47 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

“I just wanted to help.”

And right on time, I felt like a dickhead. Lashing out at Jason was bad. But I’d been on the verge of screaming for a week. I couldn’t hold it anymore. It was him or my pillow. But it couldn’t be the pillow when few inches away slept Maddie every night.

“I know.” I bobbed my head. I should’ve said I was sorry. I should’ve explained myself. But again, the words never made it through my lips. “Just… Don’t.”

“Zaddie?”

I had the last period off, and since things were feeling less than welcoming at home, I decided to have a cup of coffee and stay on campus doing a bunch of nothing. I refused to end up running or going to the gym one more time; it was getting ridiculous.

But I couldn’t escape. Zaddie was everywhere.

Annoyed, ready to snap, I looked up from my phone just in time to find a smiling red-head looking at me with her mouth curved in a smirk. Cathy.

“Don’t believe in everything that trends on twitter.”

She chuckled. “The campus is on fire. It’s the biggest news since…” she frowned and then shook her head, giving up. “I can’t think of one celebrity couple.”

“Jennifer and Brad?” I helped. I heard about them before, right? It sounded right.

“Oh yes, you and Maddie are bigger than that, though. Can I sit?”

I made space for her to sit on the bench with me. With everything that was going on, I forgot to worry about Cathy. We never went out on a date, yet it was looming after the library. And… right after, I kissed another person and became half of the most beloved couple on campus. Jesus, I was surprised she was smiling.

“So… are you in love with your best friend, Zeek?”

I reeled back, the uncomfortable laugh escaped me. “What?”

Cathy lifted a shoulder, unapologetic. “I like to shoot straight, Zeek. I think you’re an attractive guy and I thought we got along nicely. But I will not be the ugly step-sister and fuck up Cinderella and Prince Charming. You get me?”

“I don’t think you can be ugly, Cathy.” Truth, and also a great way to avoid the question. Cathy wasn’t the girl to leave questions unanswered.

“It’s an easy question. Is Zaddie a thing?”

I groaned, wanting to pull my hair out of my head. “No, Zaddie isn’t a thing. It was just a challenge, Cathy. The fact that it got so out of control is unbelievable.”

She nodded. “There were plenty of people kissing their best friends. But no one was worth mentioning. I’m surprised they don’t have pins for Team Zaddie.”

“Stop, don’t give them any ideas. They’re just obsessed because we’re close.” Since we started at Statham University, people tried to define me and Maddie. We were straight and too close to be just friends. I lost count of how many times I had to promise that Maddie and I weren’t a thing. I thought we were over that since it was our last year and Maddie was with Peter for so long. But apparently, the kiss brought us back to square one. Actually, it was worse than it ever was.

“I can see that.” She agreed. “But the thing here is that Maddie… hm, she’s cute.”

I blinked. “Yes?”

Cathy rolled her eyes. “I mean, I love her. She’s the sweetest…”

I narrowed my eyes.

Cathy continued, “Maddie is…a cupcake baking, crochet making, curls and freckles kind of girl.”

Yes, Maddie was all of those things. She also had perfect calligraphy, was a stamp collector, and had those useless wax things to seal a letter. Because Maddie was prepared to have a love story with a soldier during World War II. But I didn’t say any of that to Cathy.

“She’s cute.” She tried again.

Was I dumb? My best friend was a woman and I pretty much thought I understood everything there was to understand about women. But suddenly Cathy was talking in codes.

Was she trying to make me see I liked Maddie? Was that why she was telling me Maddie was cute? Maybe Cathy knew very little about men, because there were other parts of Maddie that would convince me better than the crochet. You had to like Maddie despite that.

She shook her head, drawing a breath. “She’s the main girl in a romantic comedy. Everyone loves her, me included. But I know I don’t want to be the person who steals the boy. I will come out as the villain. Not that I have a fan club going.” She rubbed her temple laughing at herself. “I mean, ask Barlowe.”

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