Chapter 23

Michelle Maddox’s legs are lazily thrown over the table in the library. He is paying the girls checking him out no attention.

My eyes casually travel to the hyenas staring at him out from across the library, and I grimace when they get up from their chairs. They are probably about to head for another stroll.

The two girls have passed our table five times, giggling to each other whenever Maddox would glance up at them.

Too bad for them that the football player probably doesn’t even remember their faces.

Because let’s face it; Maddox can’t even memorize that it’s Norway and not Sweden we are going to hold a presentation about.

“Let me get this straight: you want me to hold most of the presentation and do the talking?”

Maddox’s voice brings my attention to him. Less than a month ago, I was terrified of him, and although his blue eyes are still harsh, I don’t shudder out of fear.

It’s my nerves and the fact that I like him. Having all of his attention, I’m sure, would have the same effect on any girl on campus. He is way too gorgeous to ignore.

“Would you mind?”

Maddox studies my face and then sighs. “I hate presentations, but fine… I do the talking, for your sake,” his intense eyes narrow on mine. “Just so you know, I would never do this for anyone else. In fact, I can’t believe I’m helping you with this stupid Sweden presentation after school hours.”

“Norway.” I correct him.

Nonchalantly, like he doesn’t care, Maddox leans back in his chair and crosses his arms behind his head. “To-may-to, to-mah-to…”

His bulging biceps make me dumb. I stare at them until Maddox arches an eyebrow at me.

“T-They are not the same!” I point out, stumbling on my stupid words and hating myself for Ignoring my question, Maddox tilts his head. “Michelle… Were you just checking me out a second ago?”

Oh, he saw that? “Of course not!” 1 “Good, because… I wouldn’t want my project partner to take advantage of me. Calling me here this late and pretending there is work to be done when in reality, all she wanted was to check me out. It would be highly unprofessional. There are boundaries, Michelle.”

I stare at him, drenched in a nervous sweat, and Maddox blinks back without breaking into any emotion Shit.

Has he figured out that I like him?!

My lips quiver, but before I can say anything, Maddox cracks up and laughs at me. There is a quick flash of white before his eyes turn warmer and less predatory. “I’m fucking with you, Michelle.”

Thank god.

I immediately relax and slump back down in my chair. All my muscles were tense a second ago. I thought Maddox would call me out on the little crush I’ve developed on him.

We continue to study for like an hour. The sun has gone down, and when I reach for the coffee Maddox got me, I glance up to find him silently watching me. A shudder goes through me. Maddox’s piercing blue eyes are set on my lip gloss, and butterflies swarm my chest. He is staring at my mouth, making it harder to breathe. But as having caught himself staring, he looks away. “Can I ask you something?” I flip down my laptop to give him all of my focus. “Ask away.” “What are you hoping to do after college?”

My heart kicks up a notch, and I exhale. “Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t answer that question to anyone who asked, but…”

“But?” “You already know so much about me, so I don’t see the harm in giving you the honest answer:

after college, I hope to get a good enough job to let me move far away from here…” “Here? You mean this city or the state, or the country?” “At least the city.”

“Oh…” his mammoth hand is scratching at his stubble. He hasn’t shaved, but it kind of suits him. “I’m guessing it’s because a lot has happened here?”

I breathe a laugh. There is a jarring feeling in my heart. “You really are intense, you know that, right?

You just ask these personal questions, expecting people to answer them.” “But you and I are close friends, aren’t we?”

His sentence baffles me. I haven’t known Maddox for very long, but he already knows a lot about me. I just didn’t think that mattered to him. That I mattered to him.

My eyes travel to his dreamy blue. I study them and measure their sincerity.

Maddox tilts his head in response, seemingly curious. His smile is uncertain like he doesn’t know why I’m staring at him but is happy to have my attention. “Uh, I guess you know more about me than others…”

Silence, “Michelle, you see me as your friend, right?” The question makes my heart pound. Maddox hurt me when he said I’m not his type and called me a nerd. He did, but I more or less chose to forgive him since he saved me from the Thomas situation, Maddox also let me spend the night at his parent’s summer house, a building I later learned solely belongs to Maddox. Jason told me Maddox is the sole child to