Page 41 of Mr. Irrelevant
“Wait,” he says, his gravelly voice causing me to pull back. I scan his features, noticing how exhausted he looks, even though the pillow creases along his cheeks tell me that he slept on the way home. There’s still heat behind his eyes as his hands settle on my hips, the unmistakable press of his erection against my aching center a clear sign that I’m not the only one in need of a release.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, attempting to regulate my labored breaths while I wait for his reply.
He clears his throat, his gaze flitting around the room for a moment before finally returning to mine. “Something happened at the game yesterday…with Deacon.” I stiffen immediately, worry filling my expression as he runs his hands up and down my thighs in a soothing gesture. “I took care of it, but I don’t want us having any secrets, so I need to tell you everything.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, nervous energy buzzing through me because Iknewsomething had gone down. I’m glad Maddox kept his eyes forward onthe field, but the vagueness in his words has my mind going in every direction at once. “Okay.”
“First of all,” he begins, “I just want you to know that I’d never go looking for trouble without a good reason. But I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you, consequences be damned. I would burn this entire world to the ground if it meant removing any threats from your path, Liv. I’ll never let you down.”
My stomach twists with anxiety, and my mouth goes dry as I imagine the absolute worst things my mind can conjure. “You’re scaring me,” I whisper, voice quivering with worry.
He smiles softly. “Don’t be scared. I promise it’s going to be fine.” Leaning forward, he brushes his lips against mine, settling back into the cushions before he continues. “During the first half, Deacon was fucking with me—attempting to get in my head. I don’t know if he was trying to get me to fight him again or if he just wanted to break my concentration, but I was succeeding at blocking it out until he said he had an old iPad of yours.”
I freeze for a moment, everything he just said rolling around in my brain before it all falls into place. The way Deacon broke up with me so brutally, moving my friend into his house days later. I was too embarrassed to go back and get the things I left behind, so I called them a loss, assuming he’d get rid of them eventually. To be honest, I completely forgot about the iPad, since I had upgraded shortly before everything went down. But it all rushes back to me in this moment as I realize what I’ve inadvertently done.
“Fuck,” I gasp. “I’m so sorry.” Panic grips at my throat, my eyes filling with tears as I stare blankly at him. I’ve changed my password several times since the breakup, but I always opt to stay logged in on all my devices because it’s such a hassle to do it one by one. My complacency has put us both at risk, giving Deacon access to every piece of information that’s stored in my cloud. Videos of Maddox humiliating and degrading me, even though it was all consensual, could be brought to light, making him look like he hurts women when that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s never done anything to me that I didn’t vehemently want, but that won’t matter to the court of public opinion. His reputation will be ruined, and his career will be over. All because I made a stupid mistake. “They’re going to think you…” I choke out, unable to finish the sentence. “I have to fix it.” I shake my head rapidly, fear squeezing my lungs so tightly, I can barely breathe.
“Shhh. Calm down, baby. It’s okay,” he says softly, garnering my attention with two hands cupping my cheeks. My vision blurs, drops of moisture overflowing from my eyes as he quickly brushes them away. He shakes his head, a warm, reassuring smile melting across his face. “The guys and I paid him a visit last night. Your iPad is safe and sound in my bag. It’s all yours to do whatever you want with, and you don’t have to worry about him talking. Thanks to Theo, we have enough dirt on your ex to keep him quiet until the end of time.”
I furrow my brows as confusion washes over me, sucking in a small sniffle. It feels like I just wentthrough about fifty emotions in under a minute, and to be honest, I’m not sure my brain has computed everything he just said. My mouth opens and closes several times, no actual words coming out, but Maddox just chuckles, his gentle expression wrapping around me like a comfy blanket.
“I’ll always keep you safe,” he promises. “I’d fucking die before I ever let anyone hurt you.” His words are heavy with emotion, and I believe them with every piece of myself. So much so that I don’t ask for more details. I don’t want to know exactly what went down, or what Theo had that was so incriminating it bought Deacon’s silence. I trust that whatever he did was for us, and that I don’t have to worry about anything else.
“I love you so much,” I whisper, dropping my forehead to his. He breathes me in, his fingers digging into my hips through the thin fabric that covers them. I close the space between us, dragging my tongue along his lower lip until he opens, granting me access to lick and taste as I please. The kiss is slow and deliberate, a silent vow to one another that nothing will ever break us. We’re impenetrable—our bond too strong for any outside forces to ever tear apart.
“You’re everything to me. I love you.” I swallow each proclamation like I’m starving and it’s the only sustenance for miles, surrendering to his touch as he slides me back and forth over his hardening erection. As it often does with us, the emotional moment blooms into so much more, heavy breaths filling the air around us as sparks of electricity pass between our writhingbodies. I moan, every nerve ending on high alert, suddenly desperate to feel the weight of his cock inside me.
“Maddox, I need you.” The plea falls from my lips in a rush, but before he can even answer, I feel a vibration buzz against my thigh. He tries to ignore it, deepening the kiss, but it continues steadily, indicating that it’s a phone call rather than a text.
“Wait,” I force out, pulling back. My chest heaves, lips tingling and swollen as I push a cautious hand to his chest. “What if it’s important?” He tosses his head back in frustration, lifting just enough to fish his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants, a sobered expression falling over his face as soon as he sees the caller ID.
“Fuck,” he says quietly, clearing his throat as he answers. “Hello?” I watch as his face goes ashen, a rough swallow working its way past his Adam’s apple as he gives one-word responses of understanding before finally ending the call. I sit there, eyes wide and waiting for an explanation, which he gives immediately.
“Your dad wants to see me in his office at two o’clock.”
No sooner are the words out of his mouth than my phone vibrates against the table beside us. I reach over, picking it up, my blood running cold as I read the text that’s flashing across the screen.
“Me, too.”
FORTY
LIVVY
My feet feellike two lead weights strapped to my body as I make my way down the hall toward my dad’s office. The text I received a couple of hours ago had absolutely no details, so I’m not exactly sure what I’m walking into. If I had to guess, we’re either about to have our relationship outed, or someone got wind of the guys’ little field trip last night, and I’m going to be a deciding factor in their punishment. Either way, I’d rather beanywhereelse.
Maddox and I left his house in separate cars, figuring it would be safer to show up a few minutes apart, just in case. I won’t lie if we’re asked what’s going on between us, but I’m also not about to offer any unsolicited information. With any luck, we’re here for something completely separate from either of those things, and we can return to our private little bubble unscathed.
Way to be delusional, Olivia.
I bypass the reception area, approaching the heavy wooden door as anxious energy pricks at my skin from the inside. My blood feels like ice in my veins, yet I’m sweating in places I wasn’t even aware I could sweat from as I reach for the doorknob and push my way inside. Any semblance of hope I had that this was just a run-of-the-mill Football Operations meeting dies the second I see that my father is all alone in the room. As general manager, Tony is always present to discuss team-related issues, so his absence tells me this is a personal matter.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, attempting to stop my voice from shaking with nerves. Playing it cool, I walk over to the chair in the corner, plopping down and getting comfortable like I always do. Time feels like it’s crawling by, the second hand on the clock behind his desk ticking so loudly, I swear it’s rattling the entire wall. But I try my best to keep my composure, giving him the realest smile I can muster. “What’s up?”
He looks up from the paperwork he’s reading, pulling the glasses off his face as his lips press into a flat line. “I’d rather wait for Dane,” he replies, his tone giving absolutely nothing away, even though I know damn well why I’m here now. My gaze lowers, and I nod my head, ready to lay all my cards on the table as soon as Maddox arrives.
Just like we planned, he steps through the door five minutes after me. The reality of what’s going on hits him the same way it did me when he sees that it’s just the three of us. The last time we were here together,after his first run-in with Deacon, there was another body in the room—one I’m assuming my dad wants to involve once we come clean. Knowing we’re busted, he walks past the vacant chair in the center of the room and takes the seat right next to me. I sit up straight, unable to stop my body from going rigid at the proximity, since we’ve made it a point to keep our distance in front of others up until now. But he doesn’t seem to care, keeping his posture strong and head high as he finally greets my father.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Grant,” he says, confidence radiating from his large frame. I inhale deeply, doing my best to channel his energy as the scent of sandalwood fills my lungs and takes the edge off. I feel like I’m under a microscope, heart pounding so hard that I think it may actually beat out of my chest. My dad nods tightly, the leather of his chair creaking beneath him as he leans back.
