Dare to Love by Lylah James

7

Lila

“You’re late, Mr. Coulter.”

My head snapped up at Mrs. Levi’s voice and Maddox’s name. Everyone seemed to have the same train of thought since we all looked up at the same time as Maddox walked into the classroom. Contrary to his usual swagger and smirk, he was brooding and quiet.

Except that wasn’t what caught my attention.

No, it was the fact that his beautiful face was messed up.

His left eye appeared swollen and that side of his face was heavily bruised. He had a band-aid on his eyebrow, and there was a cut on the corner of his full lips. It looked painful, and even I winced at the sight of him like this. Instead of a man bun, his curly hair was left loose, and I had a feeling he was hiding behind them.

People talked; Berkshire’s hallways were never without rumors. There was always something going on. A new break-up, a new student, a bully, someone caught cheating. There was always some kind of drama.

Yesterday, when Maddox didn’t show up at school, we heard there was a fight between Leighton and Berkshire boys. They said Maddox landed in the hospital with a slight concussion.

I had brushed off the rumors and thought it was a peaceful day – finally.

But now, seeing Maddox like this…

He didn’t spare me a glance, taking his seat at the back of the classroom. I waited for the warmth that would always accompany his burning stare, but I felt… nothing.

Glancing over my shoulder, I took a peek. Maddox stared down at his notebook, a frozen statue in time. He didn’t stare back, didn’t tease, and unlike the last few weeks, the playful Maddox disappeared. In his place was a bitter, sulking boy.

I turned away and looked at my own paper. Why did I care? I shouldn’t be bothered by his change of attitude. He was having a shitty day, so what? Everyone had bad days. Hell, I knew the exact meaning of shitty days.

When the bell rang, I didn’t move from the chair. I couldn’t bring myself to, even though I should have gotten up and walked away. Like always.

Instead, I found myself waiting.

Maddox walked past me, without a word or a fleeting look. He didn’t bump into me, didn’t pull my hair, didn’t throw me one of his annoying smirks. Nothing.

I blinked, confused at my own mixed feelings.

I didn’t care; I shouldn’t care.

Any other decent person would have ignored Maddox and moved on – probably be thankful for another peaceful day.

Me?

I found myself following him.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Maybe it was the fact that I was ready for him today. The last few weeks, Maddox had been a constant pain in my ass, and as much as I hated to admit it, I’d grown used to him being a jerk. The verbal sparring and the pranks became a part of my daily routine, and somehow, I found myself disappointed that Maddox wasn’t in the same mood.

“You’re dumb,” I muttered to myself as I followed behind Maddox, only a few steps away. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Turn back. Walk away. Now.

You see, there are two sides to Lila. The indifferent side of her and the intrigued Lila – I was currently the latter.

Something about Maddox was different today, and it intrigued me. I had always liked puzzles, and Maddox Coulter was a difficult one to solve.

Maddox stopped by his locker, and he carelessly stuffed his books in there. His irritation was apparent, and he wasn’t even trying to mask it. No wonder everyone was keeping their distance from him. The students stared, but quickly scrambled away, when he directed his scowls at them.

I should have kept my distance, too. Ignored him and walked away.

But apparently, I liked to play with fire and to push my boundaries. Maddox and I were playing tug-of-war. It was an everyday battle between us.

Stopping a mere foot from him, I leaned my shoulder against the locker next to Maddox. “Is it shark week?” I remarked with a grin.

He didn’t spare me a glance, but his lips had thinned into a hard line, his jaw tensed. Maddox’s blue eyes darkened, but he otherwise ignored me. The scowl on his face was intimidating, but it only made me want to push his buttons even more. “Did your period attack you today?”

He blew out a breath before slamming his locker shut. His knuckles were red and bruised. The wounds on Maddox only made him appear more brutal… and slightly broken.

Maybe that was why he piqued my interest.

My grandma always said I was fixer. Since I was a kid, I always picked up the stray cats and the injured birds. Our house was a tiny zoo for all my little friends.

Too bad Maddox Coulter was not a friend.

He was my nemesis, and I didn’t want to fix him, I reminded myself.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice low and hard. A shiver ran down my spine, and I stood up straighter, hiding the obvious effect he had on me and my body.

“Just wondering if you need a tampon. Or, do you already have one stuffed up your ass? Is that why you’re so grumpy?”

“For fuck’s sake,” Maddox grumbled.

“Ah. Definitely shark week.” I waited for him to snap, but he only gritted his teeth together, so hard I wondered how his jaw didn’t crack under the pressure. “It’s okay, you’ll eventually get used to all the messy hormones. If you need any advice on how to deal with it, I can make a PowerPoint for you.”

“Not in the mood for your pranks, Garcia.”

“You love my pranks.”

My stomach dipped when his chest rumbled with a low growl. “Get out of my way.”

He tried to walk past me, but I was having none of that. Could be my curiosity or my stubbornness, but I wasn’t ready for him to leave.

I sidestepped into his path. Maddox squared his wide shoulders, standing taller, and his eyes narrowed on me. “Move.” There was a warning in his voice, but I chose to ignore it.

“Are you okay?” I asked before I could stop myself.

I told myself I wasn’t worried nor did I care, but still… the question popped out before I thought it over.

Maddox leaned down toward me, bringing our faces closer and crowding into me. I fidgeted with the straps of my school bag, holding myself in place and refusing to step back. He didn’t intimidate me.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you care, Garcia.” My breath caught in my throat when our eyes made contact. He held me there, in the moment, before he flashed me a sardonic smile. “What is it? Finally decided to sit on my dick? I might make an exception for you. I’ll tell you all about my day if you let me in your pus–”

“You know, two minutes ago, I actually cared. But never mind, I take it back now. You’re still a jerk, Coulter.”

Maddox pulled back, straightening to his full height again. “Always have been, always will be. Remember that, Sweet Cheeks. Ain’t no pussy gonna tame me and definitely not yours.”

Good. Lord.

The urge to smack him was strong, and the urge to slap myself for being stupid enough to care was also strong.

I came to a very important conclusion: I preferred Maddox silent. Why did I even try to get him to talk? The moment he opened his mouth, I realized why I despised him. He was an asshole, through and through.

I shuffled through my bag and took out two very important items, shoving them in his hands. His dark eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

“Tampons and chocolate,” I explained with a fake smile. “You’re welcome. Have a good day, Maddox.”

I pushed past him, and just before I walked away, his lips twitched.

Did I just get Maddox Coulter to smile?

* * *

“Can you stop following me?”I paused and then turned on my heels quickly. Maddox caught himself in time, coming to a halt, so he wouldn't bump into me.

After our ‘conversation’ right before lunch, the rest of the day took a sudden turn. Maddox decided to follow me around; he was like a lost puppy – Riley’s words, although I only found him to be irritating, so maybe more like an annoying puppy.

I wished we could go back to ‘silent, brooding’ Maddox. That version of him was ten times better than this.

I looked up at his bruised face, making sure to harden my heart at the sight of him battered and bruised. “Stop. Following. Me.”

He shrugged, nonchalantly, and then stuffed his hands into the pockets of his beige slacks. “Can't do that. I’m having fun looking at your ass. By the way, do you mind if I warm my hands up?”

Exasperated, I let out a tiny growl from under my breath before I could stop myself. He was smiling now. As if pissing me off was his favorite pastime.

“That's sexual harassment, Coulter.”

“You looking at my dick print is sexual harassment, too, Garcia.”

My eyes widened at his words, and I felt the air being sucked out of me. “Wha-at? No…no I wasn't,” I sputtered. My gaze fleeted to his crotch before I could stop myself. Shit. Biting on my lip, I blinked and looked away – anywhere but at him.

Maddox let out a throaty chuckle, and my eyes snapped back to his. He gave me his signature smirk, his dimple popping, creating a sexy indent into his left cheek. “You were, Sweet Cheeks. You were probably calculating how thick and how long I am, too.”

My jaw snapped together, and I hissed through gritted teeth, “Shut. Up.”

“Want me to tell you?” He quirked up a mocking eyebrow. “Or, you want to check for yourself? It's a little cold today, maybe you can warm my dick up with your little hands.”

He acted as if he was reaching for my hands, but I slapped him away. In a blink, his arm snaked out, and he gripped my wrist, pulling me closer until our bodies were almost touching. My neck craned up, so I could stare into his face – he was too tall compared to my own tiny height. The top of my head barely came to his shoulders.

“You are disgusting,” I hissed, feeling my cheeks warming up under his dark, teasing eyes.

His breath feathered over my cheek; his lips way too close to my ear. “I am proudly filthy, Sweet Cheeks, and so are you. For having these dirty, dirty thoughts.”

I suddenly felt hot. Sweat beaded on my neck and between my breasts. My chest heaved with a shallow breath as my insides shuddered at the mere proximity of him.

His lips grazed my earlobe, and my body tensed. I tried to twist my arm out of his grip, but it was pointless. My other hand landed on his hard chest, and I shoved him back. “Fuck off.”

He let go of my hand and took a step back, his bruised lips quirking up on the side. “See you tomorrow, Garcia.”

I flipped him the finger and started walking away. Asshole.