20. Killian
Killian
C ommon sense tells me to go after him, but instead I turn to Ulrich and shove him roughly against the counter.
“The fuck’s your problem!?” he yells.
“Why does Maddox keep running away every time you’re around? The hell did you even say to him?”
“I didn’t say a thing!” he spits.
Oh, god. Rage fuels me, but I don’t know what to do now. Just when I’m about to let go of him, the door opens and my teammates come in. Both Ulrich and I turn our heads to them, and Ulrich goes rigid right when he meets Caleb’s startled expression.
In an instant, Caleb’s expression darkens. I’ve never seen him this angry before, and it only takes a few strides for him to reach us—he even shoves a guy aside, not caring when he protests. He looks absolutely murderous, and that’s when my mind finally catches up.
Shit. Shit. I think he’s going to kill him.
“Caleb, no!” I let go of Ulrich to block Caleb’s way. Wincing, Ulrich backs off, hands raised.
“Thought I fucking told you not to show your face ever again unless you want another broken nose?” Caleb yells. He’s strong, and I struggle to keep him back, and I’m nervous he’ll hit me instead. The guy’s blind with fury .
“I didn’t even know until recently that you moved back to town, asshole!” Ulrich yells.
Jeez. Only a goddamn idiot would argue with Caleb when he’s in this state.
“Get lost, Ulrich,” I hiss, and Ulrich scowls but he has enough sense to listen—especially when he realizes that there are at least five guys from the hockey team and our juniors are still pumped up from getting their silly fight outside stopped.
Rhys looks panicked all over again and Nick’s just concerned about Caleb, trying to pull him back by the sleeve and talking to him in a low voice.
Caleb only calms down once Ulrich is gone, and I finally let go of him. He’s quiet for a while, rapidly looking around the room.
“Where’s Maddox? And why do you have beef with Ulrich too?” Caleb’s eyebrows crunch together and he frowns, then his eyes widen.
I can practically hear the gears turning in his head as he pieces it all together. Caleb’s expression shifts from bewilderment to realization. His mouth drops open, probably when he’s made sense of all the clues.
Caleb hisses, “Wait… no way. Are you the one Maddox has been seeing? Is that why you had your hands on the shithead?”
My shoulders slump. I knew Caleb would find out eventually, but this is the worst possible way. I didn’t even know Maddox had mentioned seeing someone, and because of the circumstances, I can’t be happy about it. “Yeah,” I mumble. “Are you angry?”
Caleb runs a hand through his hair and grits his teeth. “I—no. I mean, kind of blindsided here, but—fuck. If that’s what Madd wants, then… shit. It’s whatever. He said he’s happy, so—” He snaps his mouth shut, cutting off his rambling.
“What…?” I ask, startled.
He ignores that. “Where the hell’s Maddox?”
“I-I don’t know what Ulrich said to him, but he left before I could stop him. Caleb, what happened between those two?”
Caleb shoves me aside and quickly makes his way out, and I rush after him. With my breath lodged in my throat, we weave through the crowd of college students. Behind us, Rhys and Nick are on our tails. The cold air rushes through my lungs when we step outside the house.
Maddox’s small frame is out on the curb, huddled over as he types into his phone.
“Madd!” Caleb calls.
Maddox turns to us, and his expression falters when he sees all of us out here. Eyes wide, he opens his mouth to say something, and then shuts it again. His fingers shake against his phone when Caleb grabs him by the shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” Caleb says. “I didn’t know that asshole was still in town. Did he say something to you? He must have, right? That’s why Schultz was ready to pummel him?”
“I—what?” Maddox’s eyes flicker to me, and I grimace. His eyes harden and he squares his shoulders, shaking Caleb’s hands off him. “Why are you all so agitated? Relax. It’s not a big deal.”
Caleb groans. “Come on, not this again. I told you that if that guy ever gives you trouble again, then—”
“I’m calling an Uber and heading home. I’m fine,” he insists, though there’s nothing in his body language that says he’s fine. No. Maddox is breaking apart, and it causes an ache deep within me.
I clear my throat. “I’ll drive you home.”
Maddox grits his teeth, and for a moment, I think he’s going to push us all away again.
“Can I?” I ask, voice cautious.
He’s quiet for a very long time. We all are.
I fix my stare on Maddox. “Please let me drive you home.”
“No,” Maddox mumbles. He glares at his phone, poking around in his Uber app.
Sighing, I pinch the bridge of my nose. Another tense moment passes, and I’m about to try again when—
“Madd,” Caleb says. “Give me your phone.”
“What do you want—”
Caleb grabs it from him. Maddox scowls, his face getting redder, but Caleb ignores that and jabs at his screen. He exits the Uber app and shoves the phone back in Maddox’s hands. “Quit being difficult. Schultz already said he’ll take you back.”
Ah?
My jaw drops. I swiftly look around, wondering if I’m in some kind of alternate reality. Nick’s mouth curves into a slight smile and Rhys turns away, covering his mouth. Maddox is the only one who seems as shocked as me, staring at Caleb with wide eyes.
“Go,” Caleb demands.
Maddox’s glare snaps to the ground. He takes in a deep breath. “Fine,” he murmurs, almost too soft to be heard.
My heart jumps. It takes everything in me not to smile.
Maddox is quiet as I lead him to my car, which is parked a street away. His ears and cheeks are still red, and I can’t tell if it’s because of the cold weather or his anger. When he pulls my car door open too aggressively, I realize it’s definitely the latter.
I get into the driver’s seat, watching him. Maddox buckles his seatbelt in jerky movements and hisses under his breath. Then he folds his arms and glares out into the empty street.
Turning the heat on, I don’t actually drive off. Instead, I let the silence linger between us until he loses his patience and turns to me with a furious look.
“Thought you were going to drive me home?” he snaps.
“I wanted to talk first.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Maddox unbuckles his seatbelt again and makes a move to get out, but I’m faster. I grab his arm and pull him, gripping his jaw and holding him steady.
“Maddox, please,” I plead. “I just want to know what’s going on.”
“Why!?” Despite the hardness in his voice, his lower lip wobbles. “This is so fucking humiliating.”
“No… no. You’re all right.” I kiss him on the lips, surprised when he lets me. His shoulders slacken, but he’s still breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. “Listen… um. Come here. Can I hold you?”
“How…?”
“Get on my lap, baby. Please.”
He looks at me uncertainly, clearly debating it. I keep my hand steady on his jaw and see the moment his resolve breaks. He averts his eyes and nods.
We move awkwardly, but we make it work—Maddox crawls over the center console as I move my seat back, giving us both more space.
Maddox lets me help him, lets me move his legs around until he’s seated on my lap and straddling me.
His small frame fits perfectly against mine.
It’s as if we were made for each other, and if he weren’t breaking apart because of tonight, I would have told him that. I wonder if it would make him smile.
I cup his neck and pull him against me, and Maddox willingly lets it happen.
He makes a disgruntled sound when his glasses hit my chin and are knocked askew.
Maddox removes and folds them, and I take them from him to put them on the center console.
He blinks at me for a moment, his eyes seeming more wide and dazed when not behind his frames.
The amber hues of his eyes are more prominent, and I love it.
This time, I don’t need to be the one to initiate contact.
Maddox takes it upon himself, leaning forward and burying his face in my neck.
The anger that’s been quietly simmering in me since we walked away from the house calms down, and I put my arms around him and embrace him as tightly as I can.
He seems to settle as well, relaxing in my hold, and I rub his back and listen to his breathing even out.
I love the intimacy and finding comfort with him in my arms like this. I never want to let him go. And even if I know he can hold his own, I also know I’d hurt anyone who got in his way.
And that’s why I need to find out what tonight was about.
I press my lips against his temple and listen to the soft sound he makes. “Please tell me what’s going on with you and Ulrich.”
He’s quiet for a while, his fingers gently clawing the front of my jacket. The silence stretches, and I wait. I’d wait forever for him, and I hope he knows that. Maddox lets out a soft breath, and then murmurs, “He made high school very difficult for me.”
“Is he the one you said bullied you? ”
“Yeah… um. He was a tutee in my senior year. A few of the guys on the hockey team found it difficult to balance playing and their studies, and I was the go-to person to help them out. One guy I was tutoring was really hot, and we flirted. He said he was straight but wasn’t so sure and we ended up making out.
It happened with one of the other guys, too.
It was high school. You know how it is with all the experimenting. ”
Even if it happened years ago, my jealousy almost makes me grunt in disapproval, and I stop myself. It’s not the right time.
“Viktor asked me for help, too, and I tutored him. He seemed nice, or so I thought. His personality’s always been strong, but I thought little of it… Then one night, he tried to kiss me, and it was completely out of nowhere.”
I freeze. “He forced himself on you?”
I’m going to kill him. I fucking swear to god.