Page 19 of Trouble
6
Lyla
“How was Kayla’s birthday?”
Mom came and sat on the edge of my bed. As soon as I’d got home, I’d raced to my room, eager to try and make sense of the reasons why Maddox was pushing me away. Unfortunately, it seemed Mom had other ideas.
I had to come up with a believable story for her. Telling her exactly what Maddox had done: how he’d brought me to two earth-shattering orgasms, how I’d slept in his arms, then how he’d basically dumped me afterwards, probably wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“It was…” I struggled to come up with something. “Good.”
“Is that all?” Her brow furrowed. “You went all that way, driving for all those hours and it was only ‘good’?”
Frantically, I racked my brain for something to appease her with. “She’s made loads of new friends up there, we started off in her apartment. Honestly, Mom, you should have seen it, it was like something out of those home makeover shows you watch. Then we went to one of the local bars, where they’d laid on a special VIP section for her and had some drinks. It was a late night.” It sounded good, even to my ears.
She reached over and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears. “No wonder you look so tired. Do you want anything?”
Maddox.
I want Maddox.
I heaved a sigh. “No, I’m fine. I’ll grab some food in a little bit, but first I need a shower and then call Ianthe.”
Mom smiled and shook her head as she stood up. “You girls. You’ve spent the last couple of days together and you still have something to talk about.”
Shit, I almost blew my own cover story.
She closed the door behind her and I sank back into the pillows. I couldn’t talk to Ianthe, because she didn’t know about Maddox and me. If there even was a Maddox and me after what he’d said. I didn’t understand it. Why had we waited so long to act on our feelings but then as soon as we did, he’d cast me aside?
Then I remembered the MG. We still had the car and I was determined not to give up on it.
I was determined not to give up on Maddox.
Islipped out of the house early the next morning. I didn’t need a cross-examination from Mom. My last cover story had almost come apart at the seams and I wasn’t sure I had the energy to cook up another one.
Despite crashing out around ten o’clock, I’d woken several times, my dreams peppered with scenarios involving Maddox. Almost all of them ended with him driving me away. When I finally gave up on sleep, I was exhausted before I’d even started the day.
Heading across town to the garage, Cali Cross was eerily quiet. On any other Sunday, I would sleep until late before heading to the diner or the coffee shop with Ianthe. Apart from a few dog walkers, a couple of runners and worshippers, I barely saw anyone on the drive over.
The main front door to the garage was locked, but I could see a light on upstairs which must have meant Maddox was already there. I went to the side and tried the handle and it opened straight away.He was expecting me.
I crept up the backstairs to the apartment and quietly opened the door. Maddox was asleep on the sofa where he’d evidently been the whole night—he was still dressed in yesterday’s clothes.
Trying not to make too much noise, I straddled him, leaned down and kissed him. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” I murmured, as I brushed his hair back from his face.
His eyes flew open and he jerked upright. “Dammit, Lyla, what are you doing?” He rolled me to one side and lurched off the couch.
The minute his feet hit the floor, he was off and running to the bathroom. I could hear him pee followed by water running.
While I waited for him to return, I went to the refrigerator to see if there was anything for breakfast. It had been a while since we’d last stopped for food on the journey home and it wasn’t obvious whether he’d eaten dinner.
“Are you hungry?” I called.
“What do you think?” he replied, gruffly.
“Shall I get us some food?”
“Please, babe. I’m starving.” There was a pause. “My wallet’s on the side. Take some cash from there.”
