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I jerk my head back, eyes in front of me. “Why is he like that?”
Maddox plays it off with a shrug and I assume it’s because he doesn’t want to throw his best friend under the bus, but come on now, someone has to. The guy is a maniac. He’s already attacked two men who made passes at me. Maddox might be his friend, but if Ridge’s as obsessed with me as I think he is, it won’t matter how close they are.
“Hey,” I say to Maddox as we’re walking out the front doors of the student center. “How close are you and Ridge anyway?”
“Very.” His tongue clicks on the roof of his mouth and he pauses for a beat before continuing, “I’ve known him for as long as I can remember. We’re in the same chapter of The Society, from the same small town. Then when he was eleven years old, he moved in with me.”
My wide eyes show my surprise. “He did? Why? What happened to his parents?”
I’m being nosey, but I feel like I need these answers. Maybe they’ll help me understand Ridge a little better.
We turn onto the sidewalk, walking leisurely in the direction of Delta Chi. The one and only coffee shop on campus sits in front of the property that is the girls’ sorority house—lucky for them.
Maddox grips the straps of his backpack. “We were neighbors, best friends, practically family. His dad left when he was young. Just disappeared one night, never to be heard from again.”
“That’s so sad. And what about his mom?”
Maddox glances over at me and I can tell he’s unsure if he should be telling me any of this. His fingers stretch and close around his straps and he bites his lip. “I think you need to ask Ridge all this. It’s not really my place to tell.”
“I can respect that,” I tell him. “But can you answer one question?”
“Depends on the question.”
“Has he always been like this? Mysterious and neurotic?”
“Eh.” His head seesaws from side to side. “Yes and no. Ridge wears his heart on his sleeve and I’ll be the first to tell you, his heart is fucking huge. If you’re in his good graces, you’re golden. But anyone who’s not better watch out because he’s a wrecking ball.”
All of what he’s saying is fairly obvious from Ridge’s actions. He’s beat the shit out of two guys in the last five days. A fight with Cade hasn’t been confirmed, but I’d bet money on it.
“Do you think I’m on his bad side now?”
Maddox looks up at the sky and chuckles before bringing his head back down. “Not even a little bit.”
“Wow.” I’m not sure what else to say. “I guess…I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I nudge my shoulder against his, an unsettling feeling consuming my stomach. “Well? You’re practically his brother. Tell me.”
“I really shouldn’t…”
Out of nowhere, something hits Maddox’s shoulder, and when it drops to the ground, I realize it’s a piece of a broken stick. We both skim the area, looking for where it might have come from, but we aren’t even under any trees.
How weird.
Before Maddox can even acknowledge what just happened, he reaches into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls out his phone. One glance at it and he stops walking.
I’m two feet ahead of him when I turn around. His wide eyes stay locked on his phone before they slowly slide up to mine. His mouth falls open and he draws his fingers to his lips.
“Is everything okay? You look concerned.”
“Uh. Yeah,” he stutters. “It’s my dad. Go ahead and I’ll catch up.”
“Okay.” I nod. “I’ve got an hour before my next class so take your time.”
I leave him behind me, walking slowly, in hopes he won’t take long. Just that five-minute conversation gave me so much insight into Ridge’s behavior. Something had to have happened to his mom for him to move in with Maddox’s family at such a young age. I was fortunate enough to have two parents raise me and love me in a warm and happy home. I can’t imagine growing up without them. If I had, I probably wouldn’t be completely sane either. Then again, lately, I’m not even sure Iamsane.
It's been getting better, though. And I’m surprised to find how much I like being in Maddox’s company. It’s a sticky situation with Ridge, but I have no loyalty to him. Maddox does, but that’s his choice to make. Doesn’t matter, though. We’re just friends—if we’re even that.
Who knows, maybe after today, we will be.
