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I contemplated for a long minute how I wanted to play this. Should I just clear the air? Tell her I knew and apologize, or did I let this game keep going and hope I could win Addison over the same way I won Addy over? I had to play my cards perfectly because if I didn't, she would run, and I'd lose what was probably my last chance.
My heart was pounding; I didn't break eye contact. I had no idea which path was the right one to take. Did I tell her I know and hope for the best, or play this off and try to continue with my plan?
"Maddy told you, didn't she?" Addison muttered, her tone laced with disappointment like she'd been betrayed again.
Problem solved; she'd picked the path for me. There was no going back now.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "Maddy didn't tell me anything." I pushed off the counter. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wanted to avoid the bullshit 'I'm sorry' and excuses for why you did what you did." She groaned. "I just want to tutor you and go home."
Maddy was right; Addy still hated me as much as the day she left. She wanted nothing to do with me; if this weren't her job, she wouldn't be here. Every plan I'd had just went out the window, and I was going to resort to playing dirty. It would be the only chance I had. Blackmail.
"There lies the problem," I muttered, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't want to be tutored."
"I'm going to lose my job." She groaned. "You being able to play is incredibly important to Coach, who happens to be my boss, and if I'm not successful in my job, then you can't play. If you can't play, that affects him, and you see where this is going."
"And what do I get?" I smirked, sliding into the chair next to her.
"You get to pass your freaking classes," she hissed.
"Yeah," I muttered. "I don't care about that."
"Well, maybe you should."
"Maybe," I said. "But I don't. I could go pro now without passing any classes, and Coach knows it."
"What do you want, Maddox?" She sighed, realizing where this was going. She crossed her arms over her chest; her bright green eyes focused on me.
"Another chance," I said, coming out more as a plea than I'd intended. "A real chance to prove I'm not that same douchebag I was in high school. For you to give me a chance to redeem myself."
"Maddox, I have a boyfriend now," she said. I'd forgotten about the boyfriend. I'd deal with that little issue later. "Not only would he not like that, but I'm not the same person I was in high school."
"As friends," I lied. "I just want a chance to be your friend again."
"Why?" She scowled.
Because there hasn't been a day since you left that I haven't thought about you. Because I've missed you every day. Because I was in love with you.But I couldn't say any of that. She wouldn't believe me if I did.
"Because I want the chance to redeem myself," I said. "I fucked up big time and want the chance to fix it."
"And you think blackmailing me will fix it?" She rolled her eyes.
"It's all I got." I shrugged.
Closing her eyes, she blew out an exaggerated breath.
"If I agree," she said, "you'll work hard at everything: school, tutoring, and football? You'll stop playing around and take it all seriously? You'll stop giving Coach problems?"
"I promise," I said, nodding.
"There are ten weeks left of the season," she said. "What happens after that?"
"That's up to you." I smiled. This was working. Ten weeks was plenty of time to change her mind. "If I haven't proven to you that I've changed, I'll walk away and never bother you again."
"Okay." She sighed after several long seconds. "Friends by blackmail." She twisted in her seat back to the books on the table. "Let's get started."
"Okay."
