Page 17 of Obey

“I’ll drive you home,” I say grudgingly. “You can pick up your car in the morning.”

That’s what I’d do for any friend who’s drunk, and subspace is almost the same thing, right?

He turns his head to look at me, blinking a few times. “What? No.” He shakes his head, fumbling with his cock after a moment to get it tucked away. He leaves his belt unfastened, though. “I’ll call…” His brows furrow. “Someone. I’ll call someone.”

I don’t know who he’d call, but I definitely don’t want them to see him like this.

“I’m already here,” I point out. I open my passenger door and grab Maddox, shoving him inside.

He groans but doesn’t move to get out. “Yeah, but I don’t like you. That’s why I punched you in the face.” He lets out a choked sounding laugh. “Fuck, I hate you.”

I scowl at him. “I don’t particularly like you either.” I get into the driver’s side and start up the car. “You suck at making decisions even when you haven’t been worked over. Now tell me where I’m taking you.”

“I don’t want you taking me anywhere,” he says. I can hear him fumbling with his belt. He sighs, resting his head against the car window. “Fuck. I don’t know. I don’t care.”

I wait for another few moments, but he doesn’t say anything. I start driving, and since he doesn’t give me an address, I end up heading back to my own apartment.

“Are you going to run once I park the car?” I ask as I pull into the parking garage.

Maddox lets out a laugh. “I’d totally win a foot-race against you right now,” he informs me. He fumbles for the door handle when the car stops, and I hurry to get it for him before he can face-plant onto the pavement.

I don’t know why I care. I should let him.

He stumbles into my chest, and I reflexively wrap an arm around him.

Maddox lets me hold him up, and I wonder just how fucked up he is right now. Between the scene and the fight and the fuck, I guess he has ample reason to be swimming in his thoughts, but now I’m wondering if he was taking something, too.

“Look, I’ve got… stuff.” I wrack my brain to figure out what I should be giving him. I’ve got drinks, although it’s mostly water or beer. I don’t think he should be having the beer. Obviously I’ve got a robust first aid kit, but I also don’t want to touch the welts some other man left on him. It’ll really set me off.

Shit. None of that should matter. I don’t fucking care about Maddox Gray.

I lead him inside the building anyway, up the elevator and to my apartment. Maddox doesn’t say anything until we’re at my door and I’m fumbling to unlock it.

He moves away from me, leaning heavily against the wall. “Your place, huh?” he asks, his voice still a little slurred still even though his eyes are clearing a little. “Wow. You must really be worried about me.” He laughs again. “Shit, someone might even think you care.”

I let out a disgruntled sound. “You ever learn to just shut up? You’d get farther if you did.”

“Further,” he corrects me with a flash of a smirk.

I flash him an annoyed look. “You’re correcting my grammar now?”

“Yup. You gonna complain, Spoons?”

I give him a look, not understanding what spoons have to do with anything. Shaking my head, I push the door open and manhandle Maddox inside.

“Couch is right there.” I say, pointing. It’s not the most comfortable couch for sleeping if you’re my size, but Maddox is a few inches shorter and will probably fit.

He’ll have to fit, since there’s no way in hell I’m letting him sleep in my bed.

He sways but manages to flop onto it. “Do you have any water? Carl always says I should drink water after a scene.”

I’m not sure if he’s trying to rile me up or not, but I bristle at the mention of that other piss-poor excuse of a dom.

“Yeah, I’ve got water,” I growl, stalking over to the kitchen and grabbing a cup from the cabinet with more aggression than warranted.

Christ, I was going to get him water anyway.

I think this is what Lily called “bitch eating crackers” syndrome. Everything he does pisses me off, even if it’s a innocuous as eating some fucking crackers, or asking for a glass of water.

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