19. Maddox #2
“Wow, Maddox!” Chey cocks an eyebrow. Then she smiles, flashing a row of perfect teeth. God, she’s gorgeous. I don’t even have to be into girls to know that. Her eyes flicker to Killian, then back to me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at a party before.”
“Wanted to surprise someone,” I say slowly, staring at Killian. He tilts his head, blinking, but the wide smile he has on doesn’t falter. “I see you’ve already got a date, though. Don’t mind me.”
“Oh.” Killian’s smile finally falls as he steps away from Chey. Beside me, I see the awkward way Rhys grimaces.
And Chey? She lets out a laugh. A laugh.
Raising a hand and shaking his head rapidly, Killian says, “We’re not here together.”
“It’s fine. Just wanted to let you know I was here. I’ll head off now, so—”
“Maddox,” Chey says, her face lit up in a way that only fuels my irritation. “Kill here was trying to get me to brainstorm where to take you out.”
I stare between them. “What?”
She giggles and nods, brushing a hand over her mouth. “He can’t stop talking about you. It’s been ten minutes and he hasn’t shut up at all. Then he begged me to help him come up with date ideas.”
My cheeks flush. “Oh god.”
“I’m going to go now.” She steps away and quickly puts distance between us. “Have fun, guys.”
She gives Killian a nod before walking away backwards, then she winks at me. Winks. This entire thing makes my head spin, but I can’t even settle my thoughts because, wow, I really did that. Just walked up to Killian and showed my jealous side.
And, from the goofy smile that spreads across his face, Killian doesn’t think it’s off-putting. “You were jealous,” he sing-songs. “Maddox Roussel, you like me. You like like me. And you’re not afraid to show it. ”
Heat creeps down my neck. No use denying it, though. “Against my better judgment, unfortunately.” I let out an exhale. “Shit. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me… I just know you’ve fooled around with her a lot, and I thought you two were flirting. I mean you were both so close, and—”
“Breathe, baby.” Killian kisses my cheek, cutting me off and making me glower at him. “You’re good.”
“I’m so sorry,” I grumble.
“You’re good,” he says again. “Sorry. I guess we were standing kind of close now that you say it, though it’s only because it’s so loud in here. Wasn’t even thinking about it. I was distracted because we were talking about you.”
Killian places his cup on the counter and puts an arm around my waist, pulling me close. I protest when he presses his face against my hair, though I quickly sag in his hold.
“Stop,” I whine. “Caleb might see us.”
“And, so? I stayed away at first because he told me to, but at this point, he’ll just have to get over it.”
I don’t have a smart answer to that, though it does tell me that I was right when I assumed he wouldn’t mind my best friend finding out.
“Hey! Morgan!” someone suddenly yells from the hallway. A guy pops his head into the doorway and gestures behind him. “Come quick. Your guys are a fucking mess.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Rhys mumbles.
He excuses himself from us, leaving me alone with Killian, who doesn’t even attempt to be subtle about how he wants to put his hands all over me. He tugs me close, and I lean my face against his chest as he snickers and rambles about how my jealousy is hot and how he’s very glad I showed up.
“You’re ridiculous,” I mumble, though I let him hold me, my hands clutching at the bottom of his jacket.
He smells good—a mixture of his cologne and mint shaving cream, and I’m absolutely done for because being in his arms like this settles something in me.
It feels as if we’re in our very own world .
We stay that way for a while, and I take too long to realize that he’s swaying me a bit, as if we’re slow-dancing.
It’s not even to the beat of the music, which is a metal rock song I don’t know the name of.
No, he’s slowly swaying as if a ballad’s playing, and it’s so downright ridiculous that it makes me smile.
Killian rubs the small of my back. His breath warm against my ear, he murmurs, “I’m glad you’re here.” And before I can answer, he adds, “You’re a menace, by the way, texting me all that while I was out. I almost got a hard-on in front of all these people.”
I snort. “You started it.”
Our little bubble unfortunately shatters too soon when Rhys rushes back to the kitchen. This time, he yanks the door to the backyard open. Apparently, he circled around the house the entire time he was gone. He yells, “Schultz! Help me out. Some of our juniors are causing trouble.”
“It’s fucking freezing out there!” Killian yells back, but even I know he’s going to concede. “Ugh… Maddox, sorry, give me a moment?”
“Yeah, of course,” I say.
I don’t know what it says about me that when he leans down, I automatically meet him halfway for a quick kiss.
Shit.
I really do like like him.
Whatever’s happening in the back must be bad since Rhys had to get Killian to come with him.
Some people in the kitchen appear to hear about it, a good number of them scurrying off to get a look.
I can hear muffled chanting of fight, fight, fight and I roll my eyes because of how childish the entire thing is.
Hypocritical of me, really, because I had walked up to Killian and Chey ready to make a scene.
It’s taking a while for Killian to come back, and the noise from outside only gets louder.
Knowing that fighting can get the hockey team into trouble, I really, really hope that whatever’s going on simmers down.
I’m frowning at the door that leads to the backyard, distracted enough that I don’t notice someone approach me from behind.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn.
And come face-to-face with the last person I want to see.
Viktor Ulrich stares down at me, frowning, and my heart drops to my stomach. “First time I’ve ever run into you at one of these parties.”
Fuck. My throat closes up, and my hands instantly become clammy. It’s been years and this guy still brings out my fight-or-flight response. It turns out he was the person I thought I heard earlier.
He tilts his head. “What? Too stuck-up to even say hi?”
“Hi,” I bite out.
Viktor lets out a dry laugh and shakes his head. “Christ, Maddox, I was actually being friendly when I walked up to you. What’s wrong with you?”
“Sorry,” I say, voice too weak for my liking. “Just… didn’t think I’d see you here.”
“Fucking same. You here with someone?”
I hesitate and avert my eyes. “I’m with Killian.”
“Schultz…?”
“Yeah, and some other guys on the hockey team. Cale—”
Viktor snorts. “Shit, you’re making your way through the entire roster again, I see. Didn’t get your fill back in high school?”
I gnash my teeth, giving Viktor a look that, judging from his sneer, he doesn’t like.
“Stop saying shit like that,” I say.
“What?” He lets out a loud, ugly laugh. “It’s true. Remember how you threw yourself at me?”
I snap my mouth shut. Ice seeps through every vein in my body. It’s not the first time he’s said it, and it’s a stark reminder of what’s happened in the past.
I get horrible flashbacks of what happened—Viktor forcing his mouth against mine, me pushing him away, his temper flaring because of it.
How pissed off he was when I did that, and how things easily devolved.
The way he started shoving me everywhere, whispering the most vile words to me when nobody was around, how he smashed my phone and glasses and spread shitty rumors about me.
How it made everyone else back off… how I had spiraled because of the isolation.
I think of Caleb, who didn’t find out until it was too late, and how he charged into the locker room and broke Viktor’s nose. How Viktor continued to harass me even after that.
And when I think of all that, I know I need to stand up for myself, even if it’s been years in the making.
“Fuck off, Viktor,” I grumble.
He barks a laugh. “Me, fuck off? You’re the one who ruined everything for me. Lost a scholarship because of you, remember?”
“You’re the asshole who wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“Yeah, because who do you think you are, coming on to me? Like hell I’d let that pass.”
I glare at him. “You kissed me , you delusional fuck.”
His jaw drops and there’s something in his expression that I recognize—it’s a mixture of disgust, shame, and anger. I’ve spent a lot of time playing back our interactions throughout the years, and I realize now that these are all emotions he directs at himself. Even if he hasn’t realized that.
I pity Viktor, in a way. He’s a bigger coward than I am.
“What the fuck did you say? Come here, you little shit.”
“Leave me alone,” I say, my voice getting louder, and I ignore the way the people around us are starting to look.
He suddenly steps toward me, getting all up in my space. Despite fighting to put up a strong front, I immediately tense up because the last time he was this close to me, he threatened to do things to me that would cause even my parents to no longer recognize me.
“Say that again and see what happens,” he hisses.
Viktor fists the front of my jacket and yanks me closer.
My heartbeat pounds in my ears and my skin crawls when his breath, which reeks of cheap beer, hits my face.
“You’ve got some guts. Don’t think you’re safe just because the years have passed.
Remember how I said I’d bash your face in if I saw you again? ”
I inhale sharply, and again, go cold all over.
Viktor’s sneer widens. The cruelty in his eyes makes me want to throw up.
He enjoys this. He’s always loved the power he has over me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the door that leads to the backyard open.
People come in, adding to the small audience we already have.
This would be my cue to flee, but I’m too frightened to move.
“Maddox?” Killian asks.
Shit .
He’s standing by the door. I look at him, horrified, just as Viktor’s grip on me tightens.
I’m not sure what Killian sees, but it only takes a few seconds for his wide-eyed expression to crumple. His brows furrow and he scowls, the tendons on his neck tightening as his entire posture goes stiff.
His glare snapping to me, Viktor grits out, “Back off.”
“You back off,” I mumble.
I’m still shaking, though. I can’t stop it.
Hands fisted to his side, Killian takes quick strides toward us. Viktor lets go of me, pushing me away, and I stumble backwards and knock over a stool behind me. With the way Killian’s coming for us, I expect him to go straight for Viktor. He looks as if he’s going to punch him.
Instead, he reaches for me. He grips my elbow and pulls me, wrapping me in his hold. I suck in a breath, making a weak attempt to get away, but he only holds the back of my neck and presses my face against his chest.
I immediately relax against him, my eyes fluttering closed. He smells good and he’s so, so warm.
He feels safe.
This is sorcery, is what it is.
Killian’s chest vibrates against me when he mumbles, “The fuck are you doing putting your hands on him?”
“Nothing,” Viktor says, his voice pinched. “Old friends catching up is all. ”
I try to turn to get a look at Viktor but Killian’s hold on my neck tightens, keeping me in place. He grunts out, “I’m going to rip you apart, Ulrich, I swear to god.”
I freeze. Killian’s a peacekeeper. Despite his sport being violent at times, I’ve never seen him fight.
On the contrary, the couple of times I’ve seen a fight almost break out on the ice, he’s always the first one to pull people apart.
A few months ago, when Caleb was about to drive his fist into a player on the other team, Killian was the one who had stopped him.
He doesn’t fight. I know this.
Yet he’s ready to fight Viktor for me.
He’d get in trouble.
“Killian,” I murmur, pushing away from his chest. His grip on me loosens and he meets my gaze.
The anger in his expression melts away and he gives me a wide grin.
The sudden change hits me like whiplash.
“It’s nothing,” I say. “Just a tiny disagreement. I’m going to go, though. I’m over this party.”
“I’ll drive you home,” he says.
I shake my head. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“But—”
“Stop it, it really is nothing,” I say, harsher than necessary—but I need him to not fight someone in front of all these people. I twist out of his hold, trying to ignore the way my chest tightens when he lets me.
I don’t look at Ulrich. I refuse to.
All I glimpse is the baffled look Killian gives me as I turn away and leave.