Page 92 of Never Started
March 2025
Maverick swings open the first door and steps to the side, gesturing for me to walk in first. Curious, I do.
“Surprise, number one,” he whispers softly in my ear as I pass him by.
The sight I’m met with damn near startles me. There are a bunch of cute pillows on the floor, spread out in a circle, all precisely placed around a cheese fountain and a chocolate fountain. Also around them are various meats, breads, vegetables, and fruits, among other things. The lights are turned down, and candles flicker throughout the space.
“A fondue date!?” I proclaim, feeling myself shelling up but trying like hell not to. Ilovefondue, and Maverick obviously put time and thought into this.Fuck my instincts.
“It’s part of it,” he says, all nonchalant.
“What’s the other part?” My voice goes up an octave as nerves flood my body.
He points to the other end of the room to a giant canvas lying flat on the floor. There are trays of various colors of paints surrounding it—the candles and the soft music that fills the room create the perfect romantic ambiance.
“Mav!” I nearly shout his name with the shock that’s running through me. “I can’t believe you went through all this trouble–”
“Psh!”He scoffs playfully. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, babe. Do you like it?”
“Yeah!” I respond, attempting to sound convincing, but my thoughts are winning.
Here he is, planning this elaborate date to show how much he cares for me, and I’m keeping secrets and feelings from him that are unforgivable.
It’s been a year, and Maverick still doesn’t know that Jett and I kissed. He especially doesn’t know how that kiss proved my feelings for Jett have never died. They still burn as bright as a guiding light.
It’s fucking confusing, and it’s absolutely consuming me.
I spend more time belittling and hating myself for my confused heart than anything else. It hinders a lot between Maverick and me. Where he’s ready to take steps toward our future, like moving in together, I’m finding myself regressing and taking steps backward.
Guilt is a bitch, and she’s eating me alive.
Maverick is a wonderful guy. He helped me to learn how totrust. He showed me that it’s okay to knock down some bricks off my wall and let people in, even if only a little.
He’s the safe bet. The one I know will never hurt me because he doesn’t have the power to. That’s only ever been reserved forone guy, and apparently, he’s still the reigning champion in that department. Unlike Jett, when it comes to Maverick, my only fear is for him… That I will be the one to crush him.
It’s fucking infuriating.
Maverick is perfect. Ishouldwant to move forward with him. I should want to bet on my heart's safety. Hell, any woman would be lucky to have him. Yet, he wantsme. The one person incapable of giving him what he deserves in return.
“Wait a second. Can you please explain why I had to dress like this specifically?” I say, needing to change the subject. I motion to the out-of-character outfit he had me wear, which I have been graciously bitching about since we left.
“Oh, that. Yes... Take it off.”
“I’m sorry, come again?” My eyes widened in surprise.
“Take. It. All. Off,” he says firmly, with a huge smile plastered across his face.
Maverick is never demanding in bed. He knows I like to hold all the control. The fact that he’s trying to turn the tables just because he’s planned a nice date frustrates me. This is out of character for him.
A normal woman would love it. I don’t. Never have, and he knows this.
“No,” I reply firmly in a dry tone, coming out harsher than I intended. Fumbling for words to recover, I say, “Why would I do that here?”
Maverick looks taken aback but not annoyed, almost as if he was expecting my resistance.
“Because I specifically asked Marissa not to leave any paintbrushes. We’ll be painting the canvas... using our bodies.” His voice drops to gravel. “I’ve never been excited to paint, but now I can’t fucking wait, baby.”
I can feel my face fall in surprise, and blood rushes to my cheeks.
