Do You Dare? by Lylah James

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Lila

I watched as Pops let out a ringing laugher at something Maddox said. Grandpa said something else of his own that had Maddox shaking his head and grinning. Sure, Maddox worked for my grandparents, but only Gran had welcomed him with open arms. Pops was a little apprehensive; he always had been with any boys hanging around me.

He said he didn’t trust them, and he was right.

But Maddox and I had been friends for months now, and Pops slowly started to warm up to him. In fact, if I wasn’t mistaken, they were on the same team now.

Project: Don’t let Lila date and protect her at all costs.

It only took two weeks for me to realize my best friend had been right about Daren. Dickass-ren, as Maddox liked to call him, was indeed an asshole who was only interested in sleeping with me.

Grandpa was a hard man to win over, but I wasn’t surprised Maddox did. He was… genuine, and even Pops could see that. I was just glad that the two men in my life were finally getting along, well enough for them to share a beer and watch a football game together while discussing sports.

Oh, you know. A usual Sunday night.

Maddox had spent the day with us. Gran even dragged him to church, and he went without complaint. I never pegged Maddox as a religious person and neither was I, but I humored Gran every Sunday and let her drag me to church. Sure, I did believe in God, but if He really loved me, my parents would have still been alive. So yeah, God and I didn’t share an amicable relationship.

We had brunch together, then went over to the grocery store for inventory day. After we closed for the night, Pops invited Maddox over for dinner and football. If I had to guess, Pops was a tad lonely, missing a buddy to talk with and he was making a truce with Maddox.

“I think they’re best friends now.”

My eyebrows rose, turning to Gran as she helped me put the dishes away. “They are?”

“Your Pops doesn’t laugh like that with just anyone.” She smiled, glancing back at them. “Trust me, I’ve known him for too long time and been married to him for decades.”

Well, yeah, it was Maddox after all. He could easily win anyone over. That was my best friend, ladies and gentlemen.

The men hollered from the living room, and I was guessing it was probably a touch down for their team. I grinned, watching the two most important men in my life finally bonding. Maybe if my dad was here too…

My chest ached, and I rubbed the spot, trying to alleviate the pain. Somedays, the skin around my scars would itch and the scar itself would hurt, like I was pouring kerosene on already burning skin. The doctor said it was all in my head. The pain wasn’t physical anymore, but my brain and body were used to it, and sometimes, they liked to remind me of the pain.

I thought of the day I showed Maddox my scars. It was weeks ago, although it felt just like yesterday, the memory still fresh in my head and my skin still burning from his touch.

Maddox had brushed his fingers over the marks left on my body, touching my past, lingering over the jagged and ugly lines, tracing the dents of my soul and the rough edges of my heart.

He didn’t run away, not like Leo did after taking my virginity. I didn’t see the look of disgust or revulsion on his face. Maddox didn’t flinch.

He stayed and called me a dragon–that was Maddox’s way of telling me what I needed to know.

And when his head had descended toward mine, I thought he was going to ruin everything by kissing me that night. For a brief moment, maybe I had wanted him to, but then I felt an immense rush of relief when he didn’t.

My phone pinged with a message, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was from Riley.

Quick question. Does this make me look slutty?

She had a tight black dress on – one that molded to every curve of her body. Her boobs were practically slipping out, and she had on red lipstick. Her blond curls bounced off her shoulders, in a Marilyn Monroe style, since she cut them last week. Riley was pouting in the picture.

Slutty and cute. I texted back. He’s gonna be shooketh.

If he doesn’t fuck me tonight, I’m going to taser his dick.

I choked back on my laughter and disguised it with a fake cough before Gran could ask me what I was laughing about. Poor Riley was dickprived, or in Riley’s words, she was suffering from dick deprivation. Grayson was being a thorough gentleman and courting Riley, his words, because she doesn’t deserve anything less.

I agreed, but apparently, he was withholding sex because he thought Riley wasn’t ready yet after the fiasco with Jasper. They were doing everything else, except sex–well, a home run. Riley did say they were on third base. She spared me the explicit details except she mentioned how good Grayson was with his tongue, and she saw Jesus. Lucky her.

They had been dating for a while now, and Riley… well, she was deeply and irrevocably in love with Grayson. I didn’t doubt Grayson’s feelings for her because it was apparent in the way his eyes followed her every move, the way his gaze searched for her in a crowded place and how he always had a possessive arm around her hips. Sure, he was gentle–but it was obvious he was trying to tone down his territorial instincts. Anyone could see that.

Especially after all the testosterone went flying across the room last weekend at Colton’s party. That was… intense, to say the least. They both wanted Riley. Riley already made her choice, but Colton was having trouble accepting that.

You should just tie him to your bed and sit on him. Problem solved.

I was only half joking when I sent the text, but then… apparently, Riley didn’t get the joke. Holy shit. That is the best idea.

I quickly typed back a message. Wait! I wasn’t serious.

My phone pinged with a message a minute later. I am.Thanks, babe (;

Oh God. Grayson had no idea what he was about to walk into.

“Is that Riley?” Grandma asked. “Tell her I’m sad she didn’t come over for brunch today.”

I nodded, fighting back a giggle. Sorry, Gran. Riley was a tad busy right now. Busy convincing her boyfriend she was ready to be dicked down.

As I put the last plate away, my eyes found Maddox. He was intensely focused on the football game, a pleased smile on his lips. The indent in his left cheek, a small dimple, winked at me as he let out a laugh at something Pops said.

He looked… at home with my family. Like he belonged here, with us, not in the cold and sterile Coulter Manor, alone with his dark thoughts.

“Lila,” Gran said softly. I looked back at her, and her eyes were glassy as she watched Pops and Maddox, too. “He does a good job of hiding it, but that boy needs a family; he needs love. He’s far too young to hold such pain in his eyes.”

She patted me on the arm and walked away to join them in the living room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

He had me.

Some days, I wondered if just friends would ever be enough for us. We friend-zoned each other; well, basically, I friend-zoned him, but he eventually went along with it, which means I’ve tried to date other guys and he still fucked around with some girls, but they never lasted for more than four days. The last one only made it three days; he kicked her to the curb because she called me a bitch for accidentally cockblocking them.

It only made me roll my eyes, but I had never seen Maddox drop a girl so fast. He was pissed, although that was an understatement.

That night when I showed him my scars, we had a moment. Maddox and I had looked at each other a little too long to be just friends. That eye contact was more intimate than any words or touches would ever be. There was something unspoken between us, and in that moment, I almost thought he was going to… kiss me. It was both mixed signals and my own overthinking.

He didn’t kiss me.

I had been both relieved and… disappointed.

Although now that I thought about it, it was better this way. Just friends. He was safe and familiar. Being anything more would ruin what we had, and I wasn’t ready for that.

Our eyes met as I walked into the living room and joined him on the couch. Folding my legs under me, I leaned against his side and sipped my tea. Maddox casually looped his arm behind my shoulders, probably doing it without realizing. His fingers drummed against my biceps as he continued watching the game.

As the football game came to an end, Gran and Pops retired upstairs for the rest of the night. Maddox searched Netflix, and we settled on watching Anabelle. Maddox loved horror movies; I hated them.

“I’ll keep you safe.” He grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I popped a tiny pretzel in my mouth from the bowl of party mix chips. “Actually, I think you’re going to use this to your advantage to scare me, aren’t you?”

Maddox gave me a half-shrug, but he pressed his lips together to avoid smiling. Jerk.

Halfway through the movie, I realized Maddox was handing me the pretzels and ringolos because those were my favorites while he ate the other chips.

Yeah, it was the little things. I needed my partner in crime. I didn’t need a lover in Maddox. Friends were better than a boyfriend, right? Too much drama came with a relationship. Whatever Maddox and I had, it was safe from any unnecessary drama.

My eyes fluttered close as I fought to stay awake. Before I lost consciousness, I felt his lips brushing against my forehead.

“Sweet dreams, Lila.”

Just friends, I reminded myself.