Chapter 30 Maddox
CHAPTER THIRTY
maddox
Finally laying it all on the table and telling Annalise that I am still in love with her has me on cloud nine. Even though she didn’t say it back, the fact that she wants to give us a chance is more than enough for me.
My cheeks hurt from all the smiling I’ve been doing, because for the first time in years, I am genuinely happy.
Given how we left things and how she reacted when she saw me again, I thought the chances of us ever getting back together were slim to none.
But now we can finally move forward and create new, beautiful memories together.
“Damn.” I sigh at my reflection in the mirror. I’ve spent the last thirty minutes trying to style my hair, and it is not agreeing with me.
Tonight is the night of our date, and I’ve been a fucking nervous wreck all week long.
The other day, I spent hours at the mall trying to find a new cologne and an outfit to wear.
Because I couldn’t decide what I wanted, I ended up leaving with five new pairs of pants, seven different shirts, two jackets, and four bottles of cologne.
I’ve taken her on countless dates before, but this one is different. It’s the start of a new chapter for us, and everything has to be perfect.
Even though she wants to give us a chance again, I know she isn’t on the same level as I am. She’s still in a fragile state, and I’m worried I’ll say or do something to scare her off. Living in a world without her was unbearable, and I won’t be able to survive if I lose her again.
“Wish me luck, Tsuki.” Crouching down, I ruffle her soft fur and kiss the top of her head before slipping out the door.
My heart pounds loudly in my ears and my stomach twists in knots as I approach Annalise’s apartment. Raising my hand, I rap my knuckles against her door. I inhale and exhale, attempting to calm my jitters while I wait for her.
I have no problem playing basketball in front of 20,000 people, but this? All of my confidence has flown out the window. I’m just as nervous as I was when I was fifteen, trying to impress the girl I’ve been in love with since third grade.
Annalise swings open the door and all the air leaves my lungs as I take her in. “Hey, Dimples,” she says, smiling brightly.
Fuck, she looks incredible.
Her chestnut-brown hair is half-up and those luscious lips are covered in a soft pink gloss, making them more inviting.
The outfit she’s wearing makes me want to cancel all my plans and take her right here and now. She’s in a pair of flared jeans that hug her deliciously thick thighs and plump ass, and a green halter top that looks perfect against her tan skin.
Since she’s not wearing a bra, I’m able to see the outline of her pierced nipples through her top. Thinking about the last time I had them in my mouth sends a rush of need straight to my cock. It doesn’t help that the longer I stare at them, the harder they become.
“You’re drooling,” she teases.
My eyes lift to hers and she’s wearing an amused look on her face. “I can’t help myself,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck and offering her a half-smile. “You look sexi-ful.”
What?
Blush creeps across my cheeks. The date hasn’t even started and I’m already acting a fool.
Annalise chuckles softly. “You look pretty sexi-ful yourself.”
“These are for you.” I bring my arm from behind my back and hand her the bouquet of fresh flowers that I carefully picked out. It's an arrangement of orchids, peonies, baby's breath, and roses—her favorite.
Her entire face lights up as she takes the bouquet from me and inhales deeply. “Maddox, these are so beautiful. Thank you. I can’t wait for our date.” She pushes up on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on my lips, settling my nerves.
Lively music pulsates through the air and colorful lights from the carnival rides surround us as I pull into the vacant parking lot. I step out of my car and round to the passenger side, opening the door for Annalise while extending my hand to her.
She takes it with a smile and I guide her toward the entrance, where a cheerful carnival worker greets us, letting us through with a wave. Under normal circumstances the carnival would’ve been filled with people, especially on a Saturday night in spring.
“You rented the whole carnival for us?” she asks, her sapphire and emerald eyes sparkling as she turns to look at me.
“Yeah. I remember how much you used to love going.”
A few moments of silence pass, and suddenly the whole idea feels silly. I haven’t been around Annalise in years. She’s probably grown out of that by now.
I rub my palms, slicked with cold sweat, on my jeans and swallow down the lump in my throat. “If you’re not, uh, into it anymore, we can, uh, do something else.”
“Are you kidding me?” Pure joy radiates on her face and she throws her hands up, gesturing around us. “We have the whole place to ourselves and don’t have to wait in any lines. This is perfect.”
“The perfect date for the perfect girl.” Leaning forward, I drop a quick kiss to her lips.
Taking my hand, she pulls me toward the attractions and stops in front of the one I was hoping to avoid—Terror Train. It’s one of those rides where you go down this creepy tunnel and shit pops out at you.
Using the back of my hand, I wipe away the beads of sweat that trickle down my temple. “D-d-do we have to go on this one?” I ask, my voice trembling.
“We’re going on all of them!”
Reluctantly, I follow her as she dashes inside and slides into the front seat.
The train lurches forward and I grip the bar in front of me, my knuckles turning white.
Chills race down my spine as we enter the dark, ominous tunnel.
My eyes dart to Annalise and she’s just sitting there, as calm as can be, with her hands folded in her lap.
It’s as though we’re going through some magical fairy garden instead.
We turn a corner and a woman with long black hair and no eyes pops out, shrieking at the top of her lungs.
“AHHH!” I scream, wrapping my arms around Annalise. She cackles, clearly entertained by my fear.
After what feels like an hour, the ride comes to a stop and I rush toward the exit like my life depends on it.
“I should’ve told the workers to shut this ride down for the night,” I say, shaking my head.
Annalise clutches her stomach while laughter rumbles through her. “You are such a big baby.”
“You’re made different. I can’t believe you didn’t even flinch.”
She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “It wasn’t even that bad.”
Annalise walks over to look at the screen displaying the photos taken during the ride. She points to one where I’m mid-scream, my eyes wide with fear. “Oh, we have to get this one,” she says, turning to the attendant. “Could you please print this for me?”
The attendant nods and presses the print button on her screen. The photo ejects and she hands it over. With a smile, Annalise takes the picture and places it inside her purse.
“Wanna go again?” she asks. A playful smile teases her lips.
“Absolutely not,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s my turn to choose.” Taking her hand, I lead her toward the game booths and stop in front of Hoop Shoot.
There’s something about carnival hoops that make them more challenging to shoot at than a regular basketball hoop. The worker tosses the ball to me and I stand behind the line.
“Since you’re an NBA player, shooting from there would be too easy,” he says, rubbing his chin.
“You’re right, Sam.” I nod, looking at his name tag. “There would be no fun in that.” I start walking backward and he motions for me to continue.
“Keep going… Keep going… There you go!” He gives me the okay sign with his hand, signaling for me to stop. “Three shots in and you get the prize. You get four tries.”
I dribble the ball and begin to plan my move.
“You got this, Dimples!” Annalise cheers me on, and I immediately get a boost of confidence.
I release the ball and watch as it arcs through the air. It sinks through the net and Annalise jumps with excitement.
A smile eases across my face as I reminisce on the days when she would cheer me on at my games. Hopefully, one of these days, she’ll be sitting courtside and wearing my jersey.
The next shot goes in easily. The last one isn't as smooth, but it finds its way through the net. I jog over to Annalise and wrap my arms around her waist. She giggles as I pepper her with kisses.
“I should’ve made you do that with your eyes closed,” Sam says, flashing me a toothy grin.
“I bet he would’ve made those, too,” Annalise says.
Sam crouches down and pulls out a teddy bear, handing it to Annalise. “Here’s your prize.”
The bear is wearing a red Dragon’s jersey with the number 24 stitched on it. And instead of my last name on the back, it says Maddy.
“Aw, Maddy Bear. This is so adorable!” She squeals, holding the teddy bear tightly to her chest.
“He can keep you company when I’m traveling for games,” I say.
“I’ll have him next to me while I’m watching you play on TV.”
I break into a wide grin. The mere thought of her watching me while I’m on the road makes me swell with pride.
“I can’t believe I used to call you Maddy Bear.” She laughs, shaking her head. “We were so cringey.”
“We were,” I say with a smile. “But in the cutest way.” I nudge her shoulder and press a quick kiss to her cheek.
We spend the rest of the night playing games in the booths, riding rides, and stuffing our faces with funnel cake and other carnival foods.
I lead her toward the Ferris wheel—our favorite spot—to end the night. They’ve updated it since the last time I was here. It’s bigger and features an enclosed cabin with spacious seats.
The door slides open and we step inside.
I pull Annalise close to me, threading my fingers through hers.
“Tonight has been incredible,” she says, resting her head on my shoulder. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you had a good time. I was worried that you would hate it and regret giving me a chance.”
She turns her body toward me, glancing up. “I could never hate anything you plan for me. You always know what I like. I was expecting you to take me to a fancy dinner, but this”—she gestures around us—“beats fancy. Is that why you’ve been so nervous tonight?”
I nod, chuckling softly. “Yeah. I’m pretty pathetic, aren’t I?”
“I think it’s adorable, seeing you get all flustered.” She presses a kiss to my cheek. “Reminds me of how you were when we first started dating.”
The Ferris wheel comes to a stop at the top and I lean forward, tilting her chin. “How about we recreate our first kiss?”
My mouth swoops down to capture hers, and sparks ignite within me. No matter how many times we kiss, it always feels like divine ecstasy when our lips touch.
She fists my hair, bringing me closer to her and deepening the kiss. My hand slides up her thigh as I pull her bottom lip between my teeth.
I feel myself growing hard from the sounds she makes as I devour her lips.
Without breaking the kiss, I hoist her onto my lap. The caress of her lips on my mouth and her ass on my cock sets me aflame. My hand moves to her lower back and she grabs it, guiding it to her ass. I give it a squeeze and she moans against my lips.
I pull away from the kiss, locking my eyes with hers as my thumb brushes across her nipple. She parts her lips slightly and her eyes darken with desire.
“You wore this purposely to torture me, didn’t you?” I say as I roll her nipple between my fingers.
“I like the way you look at me. I like seeing how turned on you get,” she whispers as she licks my earlobe, sending goosebumps down my body.
“You always turn me on.” I take her hand and place it on top of my aching bulge. “See what you do to me?”
She swipes her tongue across her bottom lip and strokes me through my jeans. “Damn, you’re so hard.”
I groan in satisfaction at feeling her hand on me instead of my own. I’ve spent the last couple of months fisting my cock in the shower while thinking of her.
My lips recapture hers, more demanding this time. She shifts in my lap so she’s straddling my thighs. Grabbing her ass, I thrust my hips up and press my hardness against her core.
“Maddox…” she moans as she rolls her hips against me. “I need you inside me.”
Fuck. The combination of the friction she’s creating on top of what she just said almost makes me combust right then and there. I have to fight the urge to tear off her clothes and take her inside the Ferris wheel.
“Take me back to your place,” she says, need and hunger swirling in her eyes.