Page 66 of Every Single Wildflower
Fine my ass. She bled right through her damn shirt.
“I told you to stay in the truck," I grit out.
“Yeah, well I wasn’t just going to sit there and let him hit you.”
“And what were you going to do?” I swipe an alcohol wipe over the cut. “I don’t want you around him anymore than I want Laiken around him.”
“You forgot I know him too, Maddox.” She rolls her eyes. “He’s usually a bunch of talk.”
He was. Rhodes had always been mouthy, and it always got him into trouble.
“Can you just do me a favor next time and listen to me?” I ask as I smooth a Toy Story band aide over the cut.
“We’ll see,” she sasses.
Lowering her shirt, I swat her ass before spinning her around. “Just agree.”
“And what do I get for agreeing?” She muses, her eyes dropping to my lips.
I wrap an arm around her waist and press a kiss to her sexy smirk.
She opens for me just as a knock sounds behind the bathroom door. We jolt apart, before Laiken slips in.
“You ok, Ivy?” She asks in concern.
Ivy clears her throat. “Yeah. All good. Maddox patched me up.”
I can see the nervousness in the way her hands fidget.
“Thanks,” she says as she brushes past Laiken.
We’ve been in our bubble for the last few days. It’s clear us being in the open may be a different story.
Chapter forty-nine
Ivy
My heart felt lighter after clearing the air with my dad, but I still felt a twinge of guilt after Laiken almost caught Maddox and me in the bathroom. The way my stomach pitted. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed to be with Maddox, but I felt like if we were going to do this, it needed to start with us being honest. With each other. With Laiken. With Brady. The longer we keep this a secret, the more damage it will do.I should know.
I place the last curl in my hair, then spray some hairspray on the blonde strand. I hated that Dakota’s birthday was in the middle of all of this, and I hated that it was also on a day that was hard for Maddox. It’s the anniversary of his father’s death,and even though it’s been over ten years now, I know the grief doesn’t ever go away.
I feel a pair of hands slide around my waist as I lean in to check my makeup.
“You look beautiful, darlin.” Maddox says against my hair.
I smile. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He’s wearing a teal pearl snap that makes his eyes pop against his tan skin.
“You sure you want to go? I understand if you would rather have a quiet evening.” I watch him through the mirror.
“No. The day doesn’t get any easier. Sitting home alone and overthinking isn’t what dad would want. I’ll have my moment with him when I need to.”
I smile. “You’re a good man, Maddox Sheppard.”
He places a kiss on my neck. “Not good enough for you, Goldie.”
Spinning around I watch him adjust his belt, clasping the buckle he won years ago.
