23. Miles #3
I get dressed and walk back into the bedroom, toweling the last of the water from my hair, to find Maddie awake in bed. She looks over at me and smiles as she stretches, her arms reaching above her head with a soft yawn. I can’t help but beam right back at her.
She’s so fucking stunning, even when she just wakes up. I’m convinced she can never look bad.
“Good morning, Princess. How’d you sleep?”
I lay on the bed next to her, holding my arm out for her, inviting her to cuddle up to me. She curls up next to me and molds into my body perfectly, like she was fucking made to be here in this spot.
“I slept pretty good, actually. That was probably the best sleep I’ve had in my life. What is this bed made of? Clouds?”
I chuckle and kiss her forehead. How could one person be this fucking cute? Man, this girl has me whipped.
“Only the finest clouds plucked specifically for you,” I laugh. “You hungry?”
“Starving!”
“C’mon, I’ll make you some breakfast.”
Maddie is eating the waffles I made for her when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I already know who it is before I open the text.
Chase: I’m outside. Can you buzz me in?
“You okay?” Maddie asks, and I look up at her.
She’s staring at me like she knows what's going on, but there’s no way she could. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.
“Yeah, Chase just texted me and said he was here. I’m gonna go outside real quick. Eat your breakfast,” I say, kissing her swiftly and leaving before she can ask more questions.
Buzzing Chase in, I head outside, checking over my shoulder to ensure Maddie isn’t watching me. I watch his car pull into the circle drive before I walk over to it and hop in the passenger seat.
“What’s up, man? How the hell have you been?” he beams, giving me a bro hug and a hard slap on the back before pulling away. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. How long has it been?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It hasn’t been that long.”
I look over at one of the windows that faces us and I feel like I can sense her watching me.
“Hey man, you alright? Why are you so paranoid all of a sudden?”
I turn to look at Chase, my expression filled with annoyance. Why does he have to ask so many fucking questions? Why can’t he be like every other drug dealer out there that just gets straight to the point? Everything has to be a whole ass conversation with him.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My girl’s inside and I just want to hurry and get back to her. So, do you have the stuff or what?”
“Uhh, yeah man, sorry I asked. You know I worry about you sometimes. I just think…maybe you’re taking too much.”
What the fuck? Why does he fucking care? If I knew he was going to start questioning me, I would have called someone else. I don’t need him.
Before I can say anything else, an incoming text appears on the screen of Chase’s car, a soft chime echoing in the space between us. Normally I wouldn’t give a fuck, but the name has me doing a doubletake.
Izzi. My eyes lock onto the little pink heart next to her name.
What the fuck?
I let out a humourless laugh and glare back at Chase.
“So what?” I ask. “You fucking my ex now?”
His eyebrows shoot up, guilt written all over his face. “What? No, man—”
“Sure,” I scoff, my blood practically boiling under my skin. “I knew you were scummy, but I didn’t think you could go this fucking low.”
“Why the fuck do you care anyway? Don’t you have a new girl now? Shouldn’t you be more focused on her?” he snaps, and I glare daggers at him.
His words piss me off even more. This has nothing to do with Izzi. I don’t miss her. I don’t want her. Hell, if she showed up at my front door tomorrow begging for another chance, I’d slam the fucking door in her face without a second thought.
This is about him. Chase is supposed to be my best friend.
There are billions of women on this planet, and somehow he lands on the one person that’s completely off limits?
Whether I’ve moved on or not doesn’t fucking matter.
You don’t go after your best friend’s ex.
It’s one of those unspoken rules you don’t have to explain because everyone with an ounce of loyalty already knows it.
And where the fuck does he get off bringing up Maddie anyway?
“Hey man, why don’t you just mind your business? Stop worrying about what I’m doing and just do what you’re best at.” I throw a roll of cash on his lap and he looks down at it with what I can only describe as disgust.
He grabs the cash, throws it in his center console, grabs a pill bottle and looks back up at me.
I can see the disappointment in his eyes, but I don’t care.
Chase and I grew up together, we’ve known each other since we were kids.
I’m sure neither of us would have pictured ourselves in this position when we got older, but shit happens and we just need to roll with it.
He straightens the look on his face and hands me the pill bottle. I take it from him and go to open the car door when he grabs me by the shoulder and stops me.
“Hey. Just be careful, man.” I look back down at the hand that’s placed on my shoulder and back up at him.
I shrug it off and respond, “Fuck you,” as I slam the door shut behind me.