“No.” He repeated flatly.
“Oh please, BB, it gets so cold and lonely in my bed. I wish I had someone like you to keep me warm all night,” I whimpered out the words in my ultra-annoying Aspen impersonation, before switching back to my normal voice. “I know, Cupcake, and I really want to, but I don’t think your roommate would like that very much. I mean, we might get kind of loud.”
He flicked his gaze up to the ceiling like he was trying to gather his patience, but I could tell he was trying not to smile.
“Like I said, keep dreaming.”
I let out a melodramatic sigh before shrugging my shoulders. “Okay, but just for the record, you are going to love waking up next to me.”
“Don’t you mean Iwouldlove waking up next to you?” He questioned.
“I said what I said,” I assured him, and he scoffed, reaching out to poke a finger into my chest and nudge me back so he could push off from the wall without bumping into me.
“Goodnight, Caelyx. Try not to get mugged on the way home.”
“It would be worth it,” I said quietly, as he carefully twisted the doorknob. He stared at me thoughtfully for a few moments, unblinking, before closing the door in my face.
THE NEXT DAY, Aspen avoided me like I’d contracted the world’s most highly contagious virus. He ignored my texts, wouldn’t make eye contact with me, and showed up to the class we were in together at the very last minute, sitting as far away from me as possible. The moment class was over, he was up from his seat and bounding out of the room like a startled deer.
It was Friday, which meant we were closing together at the café before heading back to my house for movie night with everybody. I didn’t think he’d screw me over by not picking me up like usual, but he seemed incredibly determined to ignore my existence, so I couldn’t exactly be sure.
Once all my classes were over and I was back home, I sat on the couch and racked my brain for what the hell I should do. When Maddox eventually waltzed in the front door, Ren clinging to his heels like an enthusiastic puppy, I realized it was another lucky day for me.
“Mr. Suzuki,” I piped up from the couch and watched both of them turn to face me. “You are exactly the man I’ve been needing to talk to.”
“Me?” Ren asked, surprised.
“If you can spare me the time, Sir,” I said, placing a hand on my chest and giving him my most earnest, pleading expression.
Maddox huffed out a growl, narrowing his eyes at me. “I told you to stop calling him that.”
I’d started calling him that after hearing him dominate Maddox into a whimpering, moaning, begging mess through the bedroom door one too many times. I hadn’t planned on it being a running joke, but Maddox’s pissed off reactions were too funny to let go of. The boy had a temper, but he was more bark than bite. He had the strength to follow through on his threats and kick my ass, I knew, but his heart would never really be in it.
“Um, sure, Caelyx,” Ren said. “I can talk.”
“Thank you, Sir. I’ll keep it brief, I know it’s probably time for Maddox’s daily semen injection and I wouldn’t want to delay that. He gets so cranky when it’s late.”
“Do you seriously think I won’t break you in fucking half?” Maddox asked flatly. “I know where you sleep, asshole.”
Ignoring him, I kept my eyes on Ren. “See? He’s already having withdrawals.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger, Ren winced at the string of curses his boyfriend snapped at me.
“Let’s, um, go into the kitchen,” he suggested, separating us like a weary kindergarten teacher. “Maddy, can you just wait for me?”
“Sure. Whatever,” he responded, flicking his irritated gaze in my direction as Ren sailed past me into the kitchen. I pursed my lips and blew him a kiss, fluttering my eyelashes at him, which he responded to by sticking his middle finger up at me.
Sitting across the table from Ren, I couldn’t help but smirk at the concerned way he glanced back toward the living room before letting out a sigh.
“Why do you have to rile him up like that?” He asked me. “You know he gets upset.”
“Sorry, it’s the only way I know how to communicate my fondness,” I answered honestly. I did like Maddox, and I owed him a lot. I was pretty sure he liked me too, but animosity and snarky remarks just felt right between us.
Ren shook his head a little, running a hand through his shaggy mop of jet black hair.
“Well, so… What did you need to talk about, anyway?”
“I need to know what’s going on with Aspen’s mom,” I said. I didn’t see the need in beating around the bush about it. “I know she’s sick or whatever, but I need the details.”
