Sugar Punch

Chapter 23

"Hey." One guy says to me as I sit down. "Do you remember me?" He asks.

I look at him and then Maddox, nervous. "Um... I-I don't really..." Who was he?

"Why would he remember you?" Maddox rolled his eyes and dug into his food.

"Because I'm the handsome one." The other guy scoffed, leaning forward and grinning at me. "I'm Mad's cousin, Aiden, I was the one who drove you to the hospital with Mads."

The hospital? Was he there that day also? I didn't remember anything from then, it almost felt like a dream when I saw Maddox that day, I didn't recognise anyone else, but now that I think about it... there was someone else there.

So, this is Maddox's cousin.

They looked... nothing alike. "O-Oh." I smiled awkwardly. "Thank you..."

What do I say in this situation? I wish nobody saw me in that state, not only was it humiliating, but it made me feel more like a loser than I already was.

"Pretty intense day, glad you're doing alright now, you had us worried for a second there." He said, making me smile for some reason, once I see Maddox shift beside me.

"I'm Mads trainer, and good friend, Jordan." The guy, 'Jordan' said, leaning forward with his hand out in front of me.

I shake his hand, nervously as I leaned forward, putting my plate beside me.

"N-Nice to meet you." I said, before sitting back down.

This was so awkward... they must have so many questions as to why I was inside the great Maddox Zane's house... a geeky, skinny and beat up kid, but they didn't say anything, if anything, they were being nice.

"So" Aiden clears his throat, gaining my attention. "You're taking over Chris's place...that sucks man, why don't you just let him crash here, Mads?"

I eat quietly as Maddox leans forward and puts his plate on the coffee table in front of us, already eaten his breakfast.

"You're both fucking, aren't you?" He suddenly said, as I choked on a piece of bacon.

Oh my god, what did he just say? I literally cannot breathe from how random, and sudden he came out with it, like it was so casual.

"Shit." Maddox hissed out, patting my back as I cough out. "Are you ok?"

I nod my head as Maddox hands me a glass of water, which I drink greedily as it helps my sore throat from feeling like it was burning, from the piece of bacon that went down the wrong hole.

Maddox glared at his cousin, with his hand on my back as Aiden shrugs out. "What?"

"It's not like it's a secret." Jordan laughs out, as Aiden nods his head, agreeing. "So, what, you're both keeping it low key or what is this?"

I didn't know where to look or what to say, I felt my face get hot as I felt all eyes in the room suddenly on me, the air felt thick until Maddox sighed beside me.

"Stop teasing him or leave..." He says, sitting back, his eyes filled with amusement once I look at him.

"You're welcome to stay if you want Theo, I just figured you'd like your own space once you start university." He said to me, looking at me as I swallowed hard.

I didn't know what he was trying to say, he was the one who helped me find a place to crash, but now it was almost like he wanted me to stay... which felt weird.

Maddox made it perfectly clear that whatever we were was new, and he didn't want to label it... so what was happening right now?

Even so, it was tempting, his apartment was high end, and I felt comfortable here, but with the money my dad gave me, it was enough to find a place of my own, and I was desperate to not depend on anyone...