“Anytime, Monroe.” He gives me a wink before stepping out the door.
Maddox doing what he did today is exactly why it’s so damn hard to hate him.
“Are you excited about your date tonight?” Mazi asks.
She’s sitting on the bathroom counter with a huge grin on her face while I apply my makeup. When I told her I ran into Lucas and that we made plans for dinner, she squealed with excitement and begged me to go shopping with her for an outfit.
She is definitely more enthusiastic about this than I am.
“It’s not a date. We’re just grabbing a bite to catch up.” I shrug and swipe a coat of mascara on my lashes.
“He’s taking you to the best Brazilian steakhouse in the city. It’s a damn date. Plus, he always had a crush on you. I remember he used to follow you around like a puppy dog in high school.”
“Oh, please.” I laugh, rolling my eyes. “He did not have a crush on me.”
“Yes, he did. And so did half the guys at our school. You were just too oblivious to notice.”
I never paid attention to anyone else because I only had eyes for Maddox. I dated a few guys before him, but it never developed into anything serious. He was my first real relationship, and the one I gave my everything to.
When I transferred schools, he was the only person apart from Mazi who was kind to me. Maddox always hung with thepopular crowd, but he was different from the rest of them. He was genuine and always stood up for anyone being bullied. It was one of the things that made me fall for him.
My phone chimes with a text from Lucas stating that he’s here. I pull up the app to let him inside our apartment building.
Slipping into my favorite comfy wedges, I spray on some perfume before heading to our living room to meet Lucas.
I pull open the door and greet him with a smile. “Hey, Lucas!”
“Wow, Annalise,” he says, eyeing me up and down. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, these are for you!” Lucas grins, thrusting a bouquet of carnations into my hands, half of them already wilting.
“Oh, thank you… They’re lovely,” I say, doing my best to keep my smile from slipping.
I wasn’t expecting flowers, but the bouquet he chose feels like an insult—like I’m not worthy enough to get nice flowers.
Maddox’s voice pops up in my head. “Not only did he get you the cheapest bouquet, he gave you the worst-looking one. What a fucking tool.”
“Get out of my head, Kamado,” I mumble.
“What did you say?” Lucas asks.
My cheeks flush with heat. “Oh, I said I need to find a vase for these.”
While I search for a vase in our cupboards, Mazi comes out of the bathroom pretending like she hasn’t been eavesdropping this whole time.
“Hey, Lucas.”
“Hey, Mazikeen,” he says. “Good to see you again. How have you been?”
“I’ve been doing good! My photography business has been taking off lately.”
“That’s amazing! I’ve seen some of your work on Instagram. You’re so talented.”
“Thank you. Well, you two have fun tonight.” Mazi points a finger at me. “And make sure you’re back no later than midnight.”
“Got it, Ms. Rivera!” Lucas says, giving her a salute.
