The girls in pajamas cackled at the texts Nate had sent since Sunday and stuffed their mouths with jelly shots. "Has he always been so pathetic?" asked Kat leaning out from the circle of four on the floor.
Maddy said, "Not always. But sometimes, when it's obvious that he's the one who's wrong."
"Girl, I better not be hearing you going soft on him," said BB looking at Maddy.
"Yeah, he doesn't deserve any forgiveness. He's hurted you many enough times in the past," added Lexi.
She looked up at them, "I'm not going soft... It's just that.. I've used him for getting things."
"Like...?" asked Kat, an eyebrow rising.
Guiltily she replied, "I've got him to buy me things... like, that duffel bag and a coat that a character I love wore in a movie I love."
"Shit," said BB. "The exact same or a duplicate?"
"I don't know. All I know is that he could sue me for those things and say that I forced him to buy them or his lawyer could use it as evidence that he really really loved me and couldn't have... been the one..."
"Did he love you?" asked Lexi.
Her eyes started welling up. "I... don't know."
She looked down at her fingers, "I don't know about him, but I know that I loved him and... I think I still do." A tear slipped down her cheek and she sniffled.
"Are you crying?" asked Kat, sitting across Maddy. Maddy looked up with her eyes leaking. "Oh baby!" sighed Kat before hugging her. BB and Lexi joined from her sides and after a few seconds Lexi said, "Maddy, you don't love him. You love who you thought he was."
"But he really did love me," protested Maddy from Kat's shoulder in between sobs. "He used to buy me flowers everyday when we started dating, he'd walk me home everyday after practice and we'd have proper dates and rides where we'd just talk for hours. We were very much in love with each other!"
Lexi took a while to consider it and she said, still resting her head on Maddy's back, "Maybe he did love you. Maybe he... got what he wanted from you and assumed that meant his work was done. That you were his forever. ...Whatever the case was, he changed. He changed, Maddy, like all people do over time."
Hearing those words, her body started to shake as she violently sobbed. She did know that he changed but she didn't think it was a change to stay, so she just ignored it and walked the other way. But in that moment, with three friends hugging her from all directions and telling her the truth that she needed to accept, she couldn't run. She couldn't escape it and it tore apart her heart into a million pieces of the beautiful fabric that it used to be.
Maddy continued crying on Kat and BB got up after another minute, she couldn't bear to see someone she cared for breaking apart. She got up, opened the window and took out her vape.
Lexi got up after 5 minutes, afraid that she was violating Maddy's boundaries and that the only reason why she wasn't telling her off was because she didn't have the energy to. Lexi didn't want to give Maddy another reason to hate her.
Kat sat there patiently, having a few tears leave her eyelids despite being happy that she was her cat's Chosen One. When Maddy's sobs reduced, Kat stroked her back to calm her down like a baby and when she pulled away and wiped her tears, Kat bent to be face-to-face with her longtime bestie. "Are you okay?" she asked with her voice as soft as a feather.
She sniffled, "Yeah. .... Thanks for being here."
"No problem."
"I'm sorry for soaking your pajamas wet," she said chuckling.
"It's fine. I'll ask Lexi for another one." They smiled at each other softly.
BB came up to the room just then to check on Maddy and on seeing Maddy, she said, "Hey."
Maddy got up and said, "Hey," walking over to her. She hugged BB.
BB hugged back and said, "I'm sorry I didn't stay. I-I'm not good with feelings."
"It's okay. Nobody's perfect," she said pulling back. They smiled as they took each other's hands and walked down the stairs with Kat following behind them.
They got to the living room and saw Lexi and Suze sitting in front of the TV watching Seinfeld. They turned their back to the TV and Maddy asked Suze if Kat could get another pair of pajamas. Suze immediately got up, said yes and took Kat to her room. Maddy sat on the couch next to Lexi and said, "Thanks for that. Someone needed to tell me that."
Lexi nodded, "You're welcome." A silence settled over them till she asked, "Are you mad at me?"
"What? No! I can't," she assured Lexi. They smiled and Maddy rested on Lexi's shoulder to reassure her. When she felt Lexi tense, she said, "Don't worry, it's only till Kat comes. Plus, you deserve a little punishment for making me cry so much." Lexi and BB chuckled.
Kat finally came out and they laughed at how Suze's largest shirt was form-fitting for Kat and how Suze had bright red booty shorts. The ladies assured Kat that she looked "so sexy!" and "hot" after she dramatically pouted. They drank and danced and played and enjoyed the night.
When they were nearing the end of the evening's sobriety, Maddy saw that she got a message on Signal. "Fuck," she said, catching everyone's attention. Everyone except BB crowded around her and Suze asked, "What happened sweetie pie?"
"Nate texted me.
hey where are you?
are you on the way?
are you still mad at me babe?
Cassie told me that you're very sick
Do you want me to come there?"
"When did he send the last two texts?" asked BB from a chair
"Just now."
"Just reply, 'No don't. I'm vomiting everywhere and sneezing so much. Mom's here with me'."
Maddy obeyed blindly. "Done."
"Now delete the app."
"Deleted!"
Everybody clapped for her, even Maddy. And they continued partying.
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AN: Hey guys! I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please vote on it. Next chapter comes Saturday!
Till then,
Perse
YOU ARE READING
Maddy and Me
Romance"I really do love you. It didn't start in a good place, I admit, but these feelings I've grown for you are very much real!" said Maddy, crying. "And how am I supposed to know if that's true? This entire thing could just be in my head! Maybe you foun...
