Chapter 16

Maddox Usually, I can always keep my head cool. During a game that I know, we are losing? No problem. After being tackled by a dude my fellow teammates couldn’t take down on the field? No problem.

But when Jason and the other guys are talking to Michelle? I’m having trouble whisking eggs in peace.

Here I am, trying to impress Michelle, and these assholes are flirting with her to keep her attention on them.

I know what you’re thinking: young jocks don’t want relationships at this point in their lives. But there is where you are wrong. Michelle is excellent at baking and cooking, and all guys here are enormous-

mentioning food is how you speak to our souls.

My nostrils flare when Jason, the idiot, wags his eyebrows my way with a smirk on his lips. He leans closer to Michelle, where she sits on her chair, and my skin boils.

I obviously can’t be in love with her: she isn’t my type, but WHY ARE THEY ALL SO CLOSE TO HER?!

I pour pancake batter into the pan, glaring at Jason. Lionel and Robin are sitting with Michelle too.

Fuck. Their goofy smiles and blushes annoy the hell out of me. Who do they think they are?!

I tell you what they are: bastards for thinking Michelle would date either one of them. She is intelligent, brilliant, and sweet. Adorable. Cute and caring-if these people think I would let them close to her, they are wrong.

Michelle is…

She is…

My cheeks flare for whatever reason, and my heart pounds inside my chest. I’m super confused but luckily manage to flip my pancakes in time not to burn them.

I slept with Michelle, and I liked it.

Does that mean anything?

I’ve had sex before-I’m not a virgin, but it felt different. It wasn’t just about me; it was about her. I wanted to please her, and the way she handled my body?

Fuck.

Thinking about it makes me rock-hard, and suddenly I have to fight an erection while flipping pancakes.

Jesus Christ.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Nothing turns me on more than Michelle’s tiny hands worshipping my muscles. She might look innocent, but she hissed at me when I tried to make her stop twisting my nipples.

Michelle is a tiny Dominatrix.

“Hey, Maddox? Are those pancakes going to be done today?” Jason pats his abs with a pout. The guy is always hungry, which is pretty much all of us.

“Shut up, Jason. These are not for you.”

“Oooooh,” Lionel whistles before jabbing Robin with his arm and sending me a big wink. He is another idiot. Big and romantic. “Are they for your little girlfriend?”

Girlfriend?!

Michelle and I aren’t dating, and she sure as hell isn’t my girlfriend!

My face burns. I’ve never had a girlfriend. Never once have I wanted to get serious with any girl I’ve slept with. I’m not sure how I feel about Michelle, but it’s a waste of time thinking about it.

Michelle wouldn’t date me.

She is pretending we are a couple to get food on her plate, but I bet her type isn’t dumb jocks.

Not saying I’m useless, but possibly not what Michelle Henriksson is looking for in a man.

I’m good in bed. Hell, I’m an excellent quarterback, and my pancakes are tasty. But I’m not… I’m not deep, okay? Neither am I super intelligent. And I bet Michelle’s dream type of guy is someone getting straight A’s without even trying.

I’m not that smart…

“She isn’t my girlfriend, you dumbass,” I glare at Jason and wave my spatula in the air threateningly.

“We are friends. Isn’t that right, Michelle?”

For some reason, Michelle looks up at me with confused eyes and a wavering smile. “F friends?”

“Yeah,” I blink at her. Didn’t she hear me correctly or something? I think I said the sentence loud enough. “That’s what we are, right?”

For a brief second, she simply stares at me. “Yeah… We are… Friends… Just friends…”

Why is she acting so weird?

Her eyes look shiny.

Robin snorts. “Okay, that’s embarrassing because I thought you guys were a couple.”

Lionel lets out a little laugh. “Yeah, I thought so too because I totally know you were having sex yesterday. You were louder than Robin and his dates.”

Yes, plural because Robin is the player on the team. A Casanova. “So, friends with benefits?” Robin offers, whistling lowly. “That sounds interesting… Perhaps I should find myself a friends with benefits type of woman? Someone who knows what I want… Yeah, that sounds like heaven. Tell me, Maddox, was it hard finding someone like Michelle?”

“Yeah, I would like to know that too!” Lionel is beaming at me. “How did you guys meet each and shit?

Tell me all the romantic stuff. I will take notes!”

I roll my eyes. I swear these loons are making things even harder. I’m close to beating up their asses. I didn’t invite Michelle for breakfast to have them make fun of our relationship or lack thereof.

“Romantic stuff?” Robin questions. “Do you do that with a friend with benefits woman? I didn’t think you needed to flirt them up…”

Robin’s stupid conversation is the last straw.

“WE ARE NORMAL FUCKING FRIENDS!” I roar, narrowing my eyes at but jumping idiots. “Is that so hard to understand?” “Oh, but I thought…” Lionel squints at me and points between Michelle and me with blinking eyes. “Are you really not fucking each other?” “Yeah…” Robin hums to himself as he inspects Michelle closer. He is leaning forward in his chair and everything. “I’m asking the same question because Michelle has plenty of hickeys on her neck that weren’t there yesterday.”

“Did someone else give them to you?” Lionel wonders, smiling at Michelle when she looks uncomfortable.

Michelle squirms. “Uhh….”

“Okay, leave her the fuck alone, will you?!” I exclaim. “Michelle isn’t comfortable answering those type of questions.” “Hey, take it easy!” Robin smiles. “We are just messing around: we already know she is your girlfriend, Maddox.”

Something about his tone snaps my last bit of little patience, and anger rises to my chest. I turn around, ready to throw myself at Lionel and Robin’s fucking throats.

“FOR THE LAST TIME, MICHELLE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND, AND SHE WILL NEVER BE MY GIRLFRIEND. DO YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE I DON’T DATE HER TYPE, OKAY? I LIKE BIG BOOBIED WOMEN, NOT THE ONES WITHOUT ANYTHING THERE! MICHELLE IS TOO SHORT, TOO QUIET, AND TOO MUCH OF A NERD AND SCAREDY-CAT TO BE GIRLFRIEND MATERIAL!” ;

As soon as I yell those words, Michelle winces.

Robin, Jason, and Lionel look surprised by my tone too. They slowly lift from their seats to give us some space, only it doesn’t look like Michelle wants to stick around either. I doubt I hurt Michelle, though.

I mean… I’ve messed around with her plenty before, and she has stuck around like glue. This time won’t fucking matter either. Michelle will smile again, and I can mess around with her some more.

Yes, I’m about to head to the table with the pancakes, but Michelle stands up with teary eyes. She forces a smile but looks quite uncomfortable as I step forward. Why?

“Uh… I’m going to… Leave… I have somewhere to be…”

I arch my eyebrow, peering down at her. “But you haven’t even eaten anything yet. Weren’t you starving? The pancakes are ready…”

Her eyes travel to the plate of pancakes, and she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. The look she gives me looks crushed like I somehow destroyed her trust or something.

Or like she expected more of me, and that option hurts my heart even more since I have no clue what I’m doing wrong. Neither do I know how to fix this situation.

“I was, but uh…” Michelle takes a deep breath. I don’t understand her expression at all. She looks sad even though I said nothing that could possibly hurt her. “I have something to take care of, okay?”

As she says those words, I notice big tears in the corner of her eyes, but before I can ask her about them, Michelle heads for the doors. With super speed, She kicks her shoes on and leaves as if she can’t get away from me fast enough.

It’s then I know that I’ve fucked up. I don’t know what I did, but I must fix whatever mistake I made. I can’t hurt Michelle. She is the person that I like hanging out with the most.

Thoughts of football and Michelle Henriksson are the only things that spin around in my head.

I swallow thickly. “Michelle, listen… If this is about me raising my voice and being —”

She doesn’t even listen. Without looking at me, she smashes the door to interrupt me before disappearing into the street. And there I stand, alone like an idiot with my pancake batter. What did I do wrong?!