He took it, fingers brushing mine in the exchange, and drank without hesitation. He stared at the bottle a moment, brows creasing across his forehead.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he shrugged. “I guess I’m just having a weird moment of déjà vu.”
“How so?”
He ran the pad of his thumb over the bottle’s rim. “The last girl I drank a bottle of gin in bed with while studying ended up falling in love with my brother.”
“Lucky for you, there’s no chance of that happening here.” I grabbed the liquor and took another pull. “I’m assuming she’s the girl you have feelings for, Kaylor?”
He flinched at her name. “In truth, I have no idea how I feel about her. She’s like family to my brothers and me. I care about her.”
“Is it true she was taken?”
His eyes flashed to me, darkening. “How do you—?” He paused before cursing under his breath. “Paisley.”
“I only ask because I saw on the news the other night a girl from Public is missing. And I?—”
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Paisley. Stay out of it,” he warned, cutting me off. “This isn’t something you want to be involved with. These people are dangerous.”
“I’m not a stranger to danger,” I found myself admitting and couldn’t believe the words left my mouth. I had to be careful. I’d never let anyone in before, and yet, Maddox made me believe I could trust him. But I wasn’t willing to risk it. Not yet.
Maddox scoffed as if the idea of me experiencing anything remotely dangerous was preposterous. “If you think sneaking a bottle of liquor into your room is living on the edge, you haven’t been in my world?—”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three gentle raps sounded outside my bedroom door, and I nearly jumped out of my skin, the bottle slipping from my fingers. I caught it at the last second, fumbling as I shoved it behind the pillow. The door opened, leaving me no time to compose myself.
Mom stood in the doorway, one hand on the knob, her expression neutral, but her eyes conveyed so much as she took in the scene. “You must be the lab partner.”
Maddox tensed slightly beside me, his posture shifting.
“Mom,” I said quickly, pushing myself upright. “This is Maddox.”
Her lips curved, and I knew the next thing out of her mouth would embarrass me. “Cute. Well done, Malibu.”
Kill me now.
Maddox grinned.
“Mom,” I groaned. “We’re studying, not dating.”
“Why not do both?” She winked. “I’m going out for the night. I expect you’ll be okay on your own?”
I nodded.
“Don’t wait up,” she said. Then, pointing at the door with two fingers, she added, “And this stays open.”
I rolled my eyes. “Got it.”
“It was nice to meet you, Maddox. Have fun.” She flashed me a smile that made me want to crawl under the bed.
Maddox watched my mom saunter away, his mouth hanging open as he blinked at the now-empty doorway. He waited until the front door opened and closed downstairs and Mom’s Volvo engine cranked over. His gaze slid to me. “That’syour mom?”
The comment I knew was coming. “So help me, God, if you make a remark on her being hot, I’ll make sure you fail bio.”
“Is she single?”
