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"I'm going to run home," Maddy slurred. "I'll shower and change, and I'll be back to help you finish packing. You can crash at my place tonight, and I'll take you to the airport tomorrow."
"Thanks, Maddy."
She left, and I forced myself to shower and change.
When Maddy pushed through the front door, I was sitting at the counter staring at my phone, trying to decide if I should send Maddox a text. A text that left the door open if he ever wanted to come back into my life.
"Oh, thank goodness you made coffee," Maddy said. She grabbed one of the only mugs not packed and poured herself a cup. "Where is all your stuff going?"
"Storage," I said, not taking my eyes off Maddox's name on my phone. "It will stay there until I get back and figure out where I'm going to live since I'm letting this place go."
"What are you doing?" she asked, sliding into the stool beside me.
"Trying to decide if I should text him." I sighed. "You know, a text that leaves this open if he wanted to contact me again." I dropped my phone on the countertop. "It's stupid."
Maddy picked my phone up and slid it back into my hand. "It's not stupid." She smiled. "I'm going to go work on packing. You take as much time as you need."
I stared at the phone for several long minutes, trying to decide what to say before finally making up my mind.
Addison: I don't know what our future holds, but I know I want you in mine.
I decided to leave it there.
My gaze snapped up at the sound of something crashing to the floor. Shit. I closed my phone and rushed to help Maddy.
Flinging myself around the door frame to my bedroom, I froze, seeing Maddy on the floor, covered in all my clothes. Laughter erupted from both of us simultaneously.
We spent the day finishing everything, and I decided I wouldn't obsess about Maddox texting me back. The ball was in his court now. I wouldn't open my messages from him ever again unless he texted me.
That text that I sent Maddox never felt so real. I didn't know what my future held; I knew I wanted Maddox and Maddy in it. I just hoped Maddox would realize he wanted me in his future, too.
The following day, I waved to Maddy as she drove off from the airport terminal, and I checked my phone one last time.
Nothing.
Clicking on my message, I swiped left, deleting Maddox's messages before powering off my phone.
I couldn't let him consume my future. If he was going to move on, I had to, too, even if I wasn't sure that's what I wanted.
We both had different dreams, and they didn't coincide at this point in our lives, but who knew what our futures held?
Holding my head up high, a slow smile spread across my face. I was about to board a plane to New York City to intern for a company I'd only dreamed about working for, and I knew everything was going to be okay.
FIFTY-NINE
MADDOX
It was four a.m., and the gym was empty. Addison was gone. I'd planned to take out every ounce of my aggression on the weights but it wasn't working. I didn't want to throw weights around; I wanted to hit something, and hard.
I'd just gotten her back and now she was gone again. I'd lost her again. The tightness in my chest was a mixture of pain and sadness because I knew I'd just let the love of my life slip through my fingers again.
The gym door flung open, and my gaze flashed up as Asher strolled through in gym shorts, a t-shirt, and his black team gym bag over his shoulder. The pain shifted to anger, and without a moment's hesitation, I knew exactly what I wanted to hit when his eyes locked with mine.
"Hey, what's up, man?" Asher smirked. His gaze shifted back to his gym bag as he placed it on the ground. Anger raced through my veins as I dropped the weights to the ground and strolled toward Asher. I was pretty sure that by now, Asher knew that I was aware he'd been blackmailing Addy, yet he seemed completely confident that we were still best friends.
We weren't…
If I was giving off any vibes that I was furious, Asher didn't seem to notice, but that shouldn't have surprised me. Asher was too self-absorbed to notice anything beyond himself.
