15. Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Ivy
I would protest, but at this point what good would it do? Maddox deposits me on the kitchen counter, then snags a bandana from a small drawer. I watch him pull open the top door to the fridge, removing a handful of ice cubes before he wraps them up in the cloth.
“Here.” He motions his hand for me to lift my foot.
I do, bracing my hands under my knee to keep it steady. His skilled hands remove my sandal, unhooking the clasp with ease. It spikes an irrational pang of jealousy. I’m sure he’s removed countless sandals off of women from the neighboring three counties. He cups my heel and places the ice on the portion of my ankle that already looks bruised. I ignore the way his hands feel on my skin. The way he pretends to care. He doesn’t. He was very clear on that the last time we were in a room alone together, so I don’t really understand the reason for these theatrics.
“Thanks. I can take it from here.” I clear my throat.
He ignores me. The opposite hand bracing on the countertop as he glances up at me.
“I’m sorry about the big house.”
I blink as the unexpected lump in my throat forms. I didn’t want this Maddox. The one in the white hat. The one who swoops in and wipes my tears. The one who makes everything better. No. I wanted the scowl. The rejection. It was easier to hate him that way. It was easier to be angry than hurt, and right now, I’m fragile. My world has been turned upside down in a matter of days, and now I’m sitting on his counter while he tends to my injury like some cowboy savior. Two days ago, he was the man who I vowed to never even speak to again if I didn’t have to. But here we are, a breath apart, and he wants to act like he didn’t use me and dispose me in the same breath all those years ago.
“Yeah, me too.” Sliding his hand away; I maneuver myself down from the counter. “Thanks for the ice.”
He steps back, his eyes still holding onto my every move. I can tell by his posture that he’s not ready to cut this conversation short, but I am.
“Look Ivy, about what happened...” he starts, but I hold up a hand.
“Maddox, we don’t have to hash out the past.” I shrug a shoulder, doing my absolute best to give the illusion that what I’m saying is the God’s honest truth.
“And if I want to?” He lifts a brow.
“There would be no point.” I swipe my sandal from the counter. “What happened, happened. It’s been years. Honestly, I haven’t thought much about that night in a long time. I’ve been kind of busy.”
He crosses his arms, the tic in his sharp jaw visible.
“It’s not like I’m here for long anyway. We don’t need to waste any time making things weird. I’ve moved on. So did you.”
After my speech, I lift my chin, trying to control my breathing. If it wasn’t for my pride I would fall flat on this dirty floor and cry.
He takes a slow step, his boots dragging across the wood, making the only sound in the cabin besides the warning bells going off inside of my head. His arms stay crossed, his eyes zeroed in on mine, as the final step brings him to stand directly in front of me. I hold my breath, my neck tilting back a fraction as he peers down at me. When he leans in, I inhale as his scent hits me with vengeance. His warmth fans across the junction of my shoulder, where my neck is bare from the spaghetti strap of my dress.
“You’re a bad liar, Goldie.” I squeeze my eyes shut, as he brushes past me, and I don’t open them until I hear the click of his bedroom door.