Chapter 17
seventeen
Maddox
I knock on Easton’s front door, and it swings open to reveal his mom. “Hey, Mrs. Winters.” I step inside and give her a hug.
“He’ll be right down,” she says, her attention sweeping over me. “Don’t you look nice. What are you boys up to tonight?”
I follow her into their kitchen but hesitate.
What do I say? I’m not sure what Mrs. Winters knows about me and East. It’s only been two days since everything happened back at my apartment.
We haven’t had a chance to talk yet since I’ve had classes and he’s been busy with Shane, who just left this morning.
Also, technically, East doesn’t even know what tonight is.
I just told him to dress nice; no jeans.
A thunderous sound rumbles through the house. I fight a smile, and Mrs. Winters lets out a woe-is-me sigh. That would be Easton coming down the stairs. Or a herd of elephants. Same thing.
Mr. Winters calls for Mrs. Winters, and she excuses herself right as Easton turns the corner of the hallway and steps into the kitchen.
He halts in his tracks, body swaying as it tries to catch up with his feet. His gaze rakes over me, and he bites his lip. His throat ripples, and his gaze finally lands back on mine. “Wow.”
I’m not ashamed to admit I puff out my chest a little at the complete awe in that one word.
It zings through me, dances through my veins.
Because Easton thinks I look good. Not in a friendly, you clean up nice, dude way.
No, the way he’s looking at me tells me I look edible, and now I’m thinking maybe instead of dinner we should feast on each other instead.
I shake my head. No. I want to do this right. I step up to him, and he tugs playfully at the scarf resting loosely around my neck. “Like what you see, East?”
He nods enthusiastically, drawing a chuckle from me.
“I like this,” he whispers, trailing a hand down my chest to rest on my stomach. “The turtleneck and scarf, and those fucking suit pants that are indecently tight.”
I grin. I thought he would. We haven’t had much time learning this new side of us, but I’ve discovered East really likes my ass and thighs. I paired my black cable-knit turtleneck with a camel scarf and black skinny-fit suit pants cuffed at the ankle.
“You clean up pretty nice yourself.” I step back and rest against the kitchen island countertop, finally taking him in.
He’s wearing a burgundy V-neck sweater with a white button-up underneath, the collar peeking out of the neckline.
I groan as my gaze falls to his light beige boot-cut dress pants.
He looks like a wet dream—like a sexy billionaire.
But, like, the kind you find in romance movies or books.
Not the actual skeevy, asshole billionaires who exist in real life.
Easton’s hands fall to either side of me on the countertop, caging me in. He presses a soft kiss to my lips, and I melt. My heart. My brain. My body.
“Are you going to finally tell me why you wanted us both all dressed up?” he says against my lips.
I press another kiss to his lips, still a bit in shock this is real life.
“I want to take you on a date, East.” I push gently on his chest, and he draws back.
“I made dinner reservations. This isn’t something I’ve ever experienced with you.
There’s the Maddy and East we were before, and there’s the Maddy and East we’re going to be.
There’s a difference. I want to show you that difference. ”
“The difference is, in this version, I get spoiled,” he says thoughtfully. “I think I like that.” He shoots me a lopsided smile, and it hits me right in the heart, a perfect pitch.
I roll my eyes, but there’s no heat behind it. “Please. You were spoiled before too. This will just be a classier spoiled. I’m going to wine and dine you, East.”
He leans forward, chest bumping up against mine, lips a breath away. “And sixty-nine me?” He bounces his eyebrows, and I choke back a laugh.
A throat clears, and we jump apart. Mrs. Winters is leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, a single eyebrow lifted in question. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear any of that, but, um, this looks like a new development.”
Easton looks back at me and smiles. “Yeah, Maddy’s taking me out on a date, Mom.”
Oh. Warmth floods my chest. I don’t think anything could have prepared me for how it would feel: Easton acknowledging us. Not as Maddy and East best friends, but as what I hope he’ll say yes to tonight. Maddy and East. Boyfriends.
“All right, you boys have fun. Be safe. Text me when you get there and when you leave.”
Easton sighs. “Mooooom, we’re adults.” He grabs my hand and tugs me toward the door.
Mrs. Winters’s voice trails after us. “Nope,” she says. “I birthed you. That gives me full rights to worry over you for the rest of your life.”
Easton quickly busses his mom on the cheek, promising he’ll text, and then we’re heading out the door.
But not before his mom calls out from the open front door, “Just because neither of you can get pregnant doesn’t mean you don’t have to use condoms!” For the whole fucking neighborhood to hear.
Easton’s wide-eyed gaze meets my identical one. “Oh my god,” he mouths.
I burst into laughter, and we slide into my old-ass hatchback Subaru.
Time for our date. Not going to lie, I’m pretty happy with how it’s starting.
“What the hell are Harry Cot Vurts?” Easton looks up at me from his menu at the steakhouse we’re dining at.
The lights are low, the flame of the candle on our table dancing shadows over the black tablecloth.
We’re at a small two-person table in a discreet corner of the restaurant against a wall of windows.
It’s pitch black out there now. I’d made reservations for seven because of what I have planned for after.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated, so my plans should go off without a hitch.
I’d requested something private when I made the reservation.
It’s not like two men can’t go to dinner with each other without it meaning more—Easton reaches across the table and absently takes my hand in his, his gaze back to studying his menu.
I swallow hard. Yeah, I kind of figured it would appear like we weren’t just friends.
I’m not sure Easton’s thought too much about what that means.
So, I tried to take precautions until we have that discussion.
“It’s pronounced air-ih-co vair,” I say, laughter lacing my words. “They’re green beans.”
He makes a thoughtful hum. “Fancy-ass green beans.”
My laugh breaks free. “Yes. Delicious fancy-ass green beans. Those and their balsamic-glazed Brussel sprouts are phenomenal.” Sides are served family-style here. I liked that touch, makes the meal feel more intimate, a little less formal—for being at a formal restaurant.
I end up getting a rib-eye. East gets their blackened-grilled chicken, and I was able to convince him to get the fancy-ass green beans. He wanted steamed broccoli. Um, absolutely fucking not.
“You don’t go to a restaurant like this and substitute delicious buttery goodness with steamed vegetables.”
He lifts his red wine. “Hey, I was just trying to make up for the fact that I’m drinking. I’ve completely revamped my diet since I started in the minors. My body is a temple, Maddy.”
My lids lower, and I bite my lip. “Yeah, it is,” I say roughly. “One I’d gladly worship.”
A blush covers Easton’s cheekbones. “Ohhh. Yeah. That sounds, uh…yeah. Wow.”
The organ in my chest sighs. He’s so adorable.
“So, new diet?” I take pity on his flustered state and change the subject. “I noticed you haven’t touched the bread.” Which is a shame, because when you smear some of the roasted garlic on it, it’s orgasmic.
He swirls his wine, and his cheek moves where I know he’s biting on it.
A nervous habit of his. “I really want to make it to the big-time, Maddy.” Vulnerability shines at me in his light-blue eyes.
He’s going to make it though, no matter how scared he is that he won’t.
He has what it takes. I know it down to the marrow of my bones.
“To do that, I need to put everything into it. I need to fuel my body right, train it right. I worked with a sports nutritionist to come up with a diet plan. Clean eating. Making sure my body has the nutrients it needs for the strain I put it under. I’ve already noticed a big difference.
Actually, more so since I’ve been home and… cheating on it a bit.”
“A lot has changed since you left, I see.” I don’t mean for the words to come out sad, but there’s no missing the regret woven into them.
Silence falls over our table. The waiter returns with our entrees and sides, and I glance away.
I’ve missed so much. These changes. His new friends.
I even missed his games. I refused to look him up.
To watch. When I’d found out from Alvarez that East had been called up to High-A for the playoffs, I’d nearly crumbled.
Elation had hit me, and the next second devastation had barreled forward, stealing it away.
Because East hadn’t shared that news with me.
It was news of his I didn’t deserve to know or be a part of.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, eyes locked on my steak.
“Hey,” he says softly, dragging my stare back to his.
“Don’t dwell, Maddy. I’m not going to lie and say it wasn’t awful for me.
I know you felt exactly how I did, too. Somehow, those were the two worst and best months of my life.
I was handed my dream, but it felt like the sacrifice for getting that was you.
Like I couldn’t have both.” He clears the emotion from his throat.
“But I don’t hold anything against you, okay? I need you to know that.”
I try to send him a smile, but my lips are too stiff. “I still wish I could have thought of a better way to deal with it.”
He shrugs. “I’m not sure there was an alternative.
I mean, I was with Shelby at the time, on top of everything.
If you had told me outright…I don’t know how I would have reacted.
I’d probably have changed how I acted around you.
I’ve always been so physical with you. God, Maddy.
It must have killed you.” Pain furrows his brow.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. Knowing you held this inside, and I definitely made it harder for you—fuck, I feel like the biggest ass. ”
I shake my head. “Me problem. You can’t control how other people feel, East. I knew I needed to have you in my life, in any capacity. So, I was determined to get over you.”
He chews thoughtfully on a bite of chicken, then swallows. “You know… I think it was actually great.”
My eyebrows fly up. “Um…what?”
He grins. “So, when I was sitting outside your apartment, Shane said something… And now that I think about it, I think this is exactly how everything was supposed to happen. He said that sometimes you need the right moment to snap everything into focus, something that gives you clarity. Maybe I would have gotten there eventually, but I think it took losing you those two months to realize how I truly felt about you.” He reaches for me, and I immediately put my hand in his.
He squeezes. “As the great Yogi Berra once said, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.
’ This was what I needed to show me where I needed to go. So, I could find my way home to you.”
My throat tightens, and a burn builds behind my eyes. I hate that that’s what it took, but I can never regret it ended with us here. I force out a watery laugh. “That was a fantastic Yogi-ism drop. I thought they weren’t supposed to make any sense, but that one feels perfect.”
That lopsided smile resurfaces. “I mean, most of them don’t. But that one…yeah, I get what he was saying there.”
“Touché,” I murmur and cut off another bite of steak. “So, does this diet of yours allow for dessert?”
His smile disappears, and he looks so much like a kicked puppy that I have to resist pulling him over to me to comfort him. “No,” he says wistfully.
I glance up at him beneath my lashes. “I might have an alternative in mind that would be diet approved.”
He perks up, eyes brightening. “Oh, yeah?”
I hide my smile behind the back of my hand. “It’s not food, East.”
His brows pinch. “Oh?” Then they shoot up. “Ohhh.” He shifts in his seat. “Maybe we should hurry up and get through the main course then.”
I think that’s a great idea. I can’t wait for what I have planned next.