Page 53 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

She was so tiny. It was easy to take her wherever I wanted. With a step back, she left me, but just for a second. Maddie held my hand and twirled around, and then she landed back to me. Her back to my chest. Her hands went up in the air as her hips followed the beat. When her arms lowered, my mouth landed on her naked shoulder, where I planted a kiss.

Maddie’s hand reached my head from the side and dipped her fingernails into my hair. I saw stars. A zing went up my spine and I almost groaned. I was painfully hard and she could feel it digging into her back.

Maddie carefully turned; the music forgotten in the background. The taste of her skin was on the tip of my tongue, like not a day went by since I sucked on her lips. Those gigantic chocolate-colored eyes were zoomed on me. My hand gripped tightly on her waist and a beat went by. Maddie’s tongue lapped her lower lip and I felt it like she was licking me. I went closer.It’s just instinct, I justified. I was just having a very vivid flashback, and it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Just plain biology.

The orange scent was my home. Deliciously mixed with something sweet that was all Maddie, it made my heart hammer inside my chest.

Her hand scratched my neck. What was happening?

Confused, confused, confused.

I was supposed to be the one who listened about the guys she humped on dancefloors. I wasn’t the guy she humped. She wasn’t used to being the one I craved.

We breathed in together, and I kissed her temple. A long kiss. I did not hurry. I wanted to be close to her, and I knew she needed to be close to me, too.

It was just how it always been. We were Maddie and Zeek, after all.

She held onto me like she wanted to say something, but her words were well locked inside. My eyes traced her perfect features, trying to understand my feelings. I gulped, wondering if the words we had to say to each other would ever see the light of day.

Eventually, we let each other go. Looking over my shoulder, Maddie chuckled. I turned my head to catch a group of teenagers watching us and giggling.

“Carolina’s friends like you.” Maddie taunted. “They think I’m the luckiest girl in town.”

I turned to her with a smile. “You’re very lucky, Maddie Mendoza. I put up with you every day.”

“Put up with me? I’m amazing.”

“You transformed my house into a crochet sanctuary. You bring people named Adamson-Burton III to my doorstep. And still, I wouldn’t have any other way.”

She laughed openly, tipping her head back. I tugged her arm to go back to our table. I needed water and to get away from teenager’s fantasies.

We were stopped on our way to the table. The woman was short as Maddie but looked smaller because of Maddie’s heels. She had a head of white hair in a tight bun on the back of her neck, golden skin a shade darker than Maddie’s, but the intense brown eyes were the same.

She grabbed my hand and then Maddie’s. We stopped laughing, confused about what was happening. The woman squeezed our hands as she shook her head, showering us with a loving, motherly gaze.

“Finally.”

Abuelita was #TeamZaddie.

Iwas eating an apple leaning back on the kitchen counter when I heard Jason spit a curse on the top of his voice. He was playing FIFA against Nick in the living room, but the cursing seemed to be triggered by something else rather than a video game.

Maddie was elbow deep into a bread dough, kneading with all her might, with a dust of flour on the top of her button nose. Like me, she stopped mid-action, wondering what could cause Jay’s distress.

I smiled. I knew just the thing.

The car roared in front of the house, powerful, and Jason let another oath out. “What have you done?” Maddie accused.

I shrugged, trying not to incriminate myself. I should have warned him, but I doubted he would be less of a pain in the ass if he knew in advance. The front door banged on its hinges, and I knew Jason went outside. Maddie pursed her lips, abandoned her dough to make a place by the window. I followed her right when Nick arrived in the kitchen.

“This was a bad idea, King.” Nick declared.

I shrugged, turning my gaze to the scene unfolding in the front yard. Cathy was getting out of the car. It was unbelievable, like she promised. Plus, she looked gorgeous. Skinny jeans hugging her mile long legs, skintight white tank top and a bold leather jacket. Boots, and her red hair in perfect loose curls. For no good reason, a beautiful woman with an awesome car infuriated Jason.

She crossed her arms over her chest, chin up, and said something we couldn’t hear. I knew it was sarcastic. Cathy had that smirk on her lips that seemed to exist just to taunt Jay.

“She wanted to pick me up for our date. I thought… Why not?” I informed them.

Nick laughed, Maddie gasped.

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