“How was everything?” Our waitress Gianna approaches, setting the check on the table.
“Oh, it was the best pasta I’ve ever had!” I gush. “I will definitely be coming back.”
She gives me a smile. “I’m so glad to hear. Thank you for dining at Louisa’s.”
Maddox leaves a couple of hundred-dollar bills on the table as we exit the restaurant. When we turn the corner to head to the parking garage, paparazzi suddenly appear out of nowhere. The flashes from their cameras blind us as they bombard us with a flurry of questions.
“Maddox, is it true that you two are expecting?”
“What? Where are they getting this from?” I whisper to Maddox.
“Did your parents force you two to break up back then because she didn’t come from a wealthy family?” another reporter asks.
“No, now if you will excuse us…” Wrapping his arm around my waist, Maddox tries to push through, but they continue to crowd us.
“Annalise, are you only with Maddox for his money and fame?”
My fists clench at my side and heat spreads through me likewildfire. I want to grab their cameras and smash them on the ground, but I remember what Veronica said about getting involved in any scandals. I need to protect my image.
“Annalise, did you come up with a plan to win him back when you found out he’s in the NBA?”
“Enough!” Maddox shouts. His booming voice demands authority and they quiet down.
He grabs a microphone from one of them. “And to clear up this false narrative you all keep spreading,Iwas the one who pursuedher. The moment I saw her again, I realized that I’d never stopped loving her, and that I had to win her back. Letting her go was the biggest mistake I ever made.”
His lips swoop down to meet mine, and the moment our lips touch, everything around us disappears. The shouts from the paparazzi and the clicks from their camera fade away in the distance.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
maddox
The videoof me speaking outside the restaurant and kissing Annalise went viral. Everyone around the world is shipping us, and people are calling us the “it couple.”
I’ve even had fans message me to say our love story inspired them and gave them the courage to go after “the one that got away.”
Annalise’s shop has been blowing up, and she’s been working overtime to keep up with orders. With our crazy schedules, we haven’t had much time to go on dates.
But to me, any time I get to spend with her is valuable—even if I’m just helping her pack orders, like I am now.
Building the office for her was one of the best decisions I ever made. I love coming home to her after a long, grueling day of practice. I gave her the code to my house after we got back from Hawaii, and she’s been spending almost every night here since then. Every now and then she’ll go back to her apartment to spend time with Mazikeen.
With her around, my house finally feels like a home.
She passes me a pile of clothes and I carefully place them inside a box and seal it with packing tape.
“That should be the last of it.” She gets up from the floor, rubbing her back. “My whole body hurts. I think I overdid it. Thanks for helping me, Maddox. I’m sure this is the last thing you want to do after coming home from practice.”
Getting up, I place a kiss on her lips. “I don’t mind at all. I love being able to help you. Seeing how much your shop is flourishing makes me so happy. I’ll continue to be your assistant until you open your own physical store and get some official help—which will be soon, at the rate you’re going.”
I wish I could buy her a space for a boutique so she can finally leave Dauntless. But I know that’s something she wants to do on her own, and I have faith that she will make it happen.
She fidgets with the hem of her shirt. “What if people are only buying my clothes because I’m your girlfriend? I’m worried that once we’re no longer a hot topic, they’ll stop.”
“We willalwaysbe a hot topic,” I say, smiling at her. “But you being my girlfriend has nothing to do with the success of your shop. That’s all you. I mean, would you purchase clothes you didn’t like just because they were made by a famous person’s girlfriend?”
She shakes her head, making a face. “Hell no. That would be a waste of money.”
“Exactly.” Taking her hand, I lead her to the bathroom. “Come on. Let’s go take a bath.”
