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My gaze flashed to the bathroom door to my right when it creaked open. My mouth parted as heat radiated through my chest and face when Maddox strolled through the open doorway in nothing but a white towel. A white towel that sat dangerously low on his hips. My breath caught in my throat as my gaze traveled over every perfect part of his tatted torso down to the very defined v that led to his... I shook my head. It didn't matter what it led to. I wasn't interested. I would never go down that road again.
"Good, you're up," Maddox said, not bothering to look at me. "Hiring a babysitter is a whole new level of neurotic for Coach." He leaned forward, digging through his suitcase. The muscles in his back flexed as he moved.
"Not a babysitter," I muttered, pulling up my black hoodie. "I'm your tutor." I didn't want him to recognize me.
He twisted to face me, and I froze, my entire body tensing.
"Do you always sleep on your students' hotel room floor?" he asked. Swallowing hard, I shook my head. I started to avert my gaze to prevent him from recognizing me, but he wasn't really looking at me. Maddy was right. Even though his eyes were on me, he didn't see me. He was looking straight through me. My body relaxed. He wouldn't recognize me as long as he didn't see me, which made the job I had to do a little easier even though I didn't want to.
"You missed your session last night," I said. "You were trashed, and I helped you to your room."
"Look." He paused. It took me a minute to realize he was trying to remember if he knew my name.
"Addison," I said, helping him out.
"Addison," he continued. "I'm not really interested in a tutor right now."
"Too bad," I interrupted, my tone laced with annoyance. "You're failing, and your team depends on you, so grow up and don't be late for your next session." I didn't wait for a response; I stormed out of the room without looking back.
When I got to the elevator, I fell forward, grabbing my knees and blowing out a heavy breath as my heart pounded hard against my chest.
A range of emotions punched through me as a tear streamed down my cheek. Trying to slow my racing heart rate, I drew in long, slow breaths, fighting hard to hold back any more tears from escaping. I knew this would be hard, but I hadn't realized how hard. I'd been numb to all my feelings about Maddox for so long that seeing him up close and speaking to him opened the gates to all the suppressed emotions.
I hated Maddox Parker. I hated what he did to me. I hated how he made me feel and then hurt me. I hated that he made me trust him only to destroy that trust. I hated that he broke me even more than I was already broken. Most of all, I hated how my body still reacted to his mere presence.
Standing up, I hit the button for the elevator. I had to push past all of my feelings, setting them aside so that I could do what I needed to do.
It was going to be okay. I wasn't going to give Maddox the option to fire me. I couldn't. I couldn't risk Asher sending out that video to the entire school. I would take control of this situation. If he didn't show up for his next session, I would ensure I brought his session to him.
TWENTY-NINE
MADDOX
Sitting in the campus cafeteria, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, quickly checking the time.
"You coming to Buster's with us tonight?" Andrew asked, slamming his textbook closed.
"I can't." I groaned, dropping my phone to my lap and shoving a hand through my hair. "I'm meeting my new tutor."
"Who is it?" Cody asked, leaning back against his chair. I shrugged. I didn't remember her name.
"Addison," Maddy answered, looking up from her textbook. "She tutors me, too."
"Yeah, me too," Andrew smirked. "She's fucking hot." I couldn't remember if she was or wasn't, but it didn't matter; I wasn't going down that road again. I'd learned my lesson.
"Wait," Cody said. "I thought Coach said she refused to tutor you." My eyes snapped up, meeting his, and my brows furrowed. "Wonder why she changed her mind?"
I wondered why she refused in the first place.
"She refused to tutor me?" I repeated, ensuring I heard him correctly.
"Yeah, she's the best," Cody said. "Coach has asked her several times, and she's said no every time."
I tried to remember her face from that morning in my hotel room but couldn't. I didn't pay that much attention. But if she didn't want to tutor me, I would ensure she didn't.
"Change of plans, man," I said, leaning forward. "I'm going out."
"What?" Maddy snapped, narrowing her eyes on me. "What about tutoring?"
