She warned me not to get into any scandals or she’ll fire me.
Maddox
Damn. So I guess we can’t fuck in her office again, huh?
Lol def not.
Maddox
My flight lands soon. Do you want to get some Italian tonight? I’ve been craving the pasta alla Trapanese from Louisa’s. It’s a bit far from my place, so it wouldn’t taste the same once reheated.
You sure it’s a good idea?
Maddox
It’ll be fine. It’s a mom-and-pop shop. I’ve been there before and no one pays me any mind. They just let me eat in peace.
Me
Okay. I’ll see you tonight.
“See? I told you it would be nice and quiet here.” Maddox pops a forkful of creamy pasta in his mouth. “You should learn to trust me more.”
I thought our date would be full of interruptions—people approaching him for pictures or autographs—but, to my surprise, everyone keeps to themselves.
Occasionally I see a few people glance our way, but no one bothers us.
“I’m glad I’m able to fully enjoy my meal.” Twirling myfork, I take another bite of the delicious pasta. “So do you think y’all will be able to sweep Seattle, too?”
The Dragons won the last two games and will advance to the Western Conference Finals if they are able to win the next two—which would allow them more time to recover before the next round.
Maddox clicks his tongue. “I don’t know. We’ve been neck and neck during the last two games, and never really had a big lead.” He tilts his head back and groans. “I wish Chandler hadn’t gotten injured. I hate admitting this, but Lucas isn’t a bad player. It’s just…”
“You don’t trust him?” I add, finishing his thought.
“Yeah. There have been plenty of times when he’s been wide open, but I refuse to pass it to him.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, babe,” I say, my voice soft. “Anyone would act the same if they were in your position.”
He releases a sigh. “I know, but I gotta learn to work with him if I want to win.”
“So, what’s the update on Chandler? Did they ever find out who hit him?”
“Unfortunately not. It’s crazy that there was no camera footage from his accident. It’s a pretty busy street, so you would think there would be.”
I tear off a piece of bread and dip it in the pasta sauce. “Do you think maybe it wasn’t an accident?”
Maddox lifts his brow. “What, like someone purposely hit him?”
I shrug. “Maybe whoever is behind it doesn’t want the Dragons to win. I’m guessing whoever did it probably exposed our relationship too, in hopes that it would throw you off your game and make you lose.”
He lets out a laugh, nearly choking on his food, “Okay, I think you watch wayyy too much TV. Now, I can’t explain whysomeone exposed us, but I highly doubt those two things are correlated. Hit-and-runs are pretty common.”
“I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you,” I say, worry tightening in my chest. “Chandler got lucky, but it could’ve been worse.”
Leaning forward, he kisses me on the cheek. “Nothing’s going to happen to me, Rosie. You and I are both going to live long and healthy lives.”
I offer him a smile but it doesn't reach my eyes. A gnawing unease twists in my gut, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t shake the sense that something awful is looming just out of sight.
