when you walked in | D.S. Whitlock

Chapter IX | can't afford another broken nose

My stomach twisted, clearing my throat, I sat up. "Oh, nothing much," I lied, my voice coming out squeakier than usual. Of course, Maddie caught onto it.

"You expect me to believe that?" she said, both her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

My fingers fidgeted with the hems of my shirt. "Really... nothing happened," I told her.

Maddie's eyebrows raised and she rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that bullshit, spill."

I grumbled. I was not up to explaining all this to her, especially with those two sitting right next to us. What if they heard? God, Nick would never quit teasing me about it after he's heard it.

"Okay," I sighed, trying to sink into the couch. I wanted to slip in between the cracks and never emerge ever again. I cleared my throat, "Last night... I got drunk."

Maddie gasped so loud, I'm actually sure the entire continent of Asia heard her.

I gave her a pained look and she dropped her voice to a low whisper, alarmingly looking at me. "Oh my God, you're joking—" she hissed, ignoring Jace and Nick's weird looks.

"I'm not—but that's like besides the fact." I dropped my voice lower and she leaned into me. "I may have... tried to kiss Dax?" I said in a squeak.

I had to physically grab onto Maddie's wrists to keep her from jumping up and down. Instead she started to bounce excitedly, squealing. What was she so excited about?

Maybe at the fact that you could've-should've-would've kissed Jason's brother?

"I did not sleep with him!" I quickly told her in a hushed yell, making Nick shoot me a look. I may have said that way too loudly.

"We didn't even manage to kiss because— I don't know, I think he stopped me— Oh gosh, Maddie!" I cried, cradling my face.

Maddie smacked my arm excitedly. "Bullshit. There's no way he stop you? You're like so kissable. But you slept with him—" She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a dangerously low whisper. "Did you guys... touch each other?"

I pushed her away, a disgusted look on my face. "God, Maddie, no! I— I mean, I don't know... I was drunk, I told you!" I rubbed my temple, frustrated. I wasn't mad that I could've slept with him but I definitely hoped I didn't.

He's a good kisser and he's like, hot and everything but I wouldn't want to sleep with that guy. I haven't even gone on a date with him yet. Okay, now I wanna question why I even kissed him in the first place.

No, Tal this is bad! Very very bad.

"Are you even listening to me—? Stop daydreaming about him!" Maddie said, waving her hands in front of my face. "He had you all night last night and he didn't even kiss you? That's like... boring, but okay."

"Hey, it's good that he was sensible enough to know that he shouldn't be going around kissing people," I snapped, giving her a side eye. "You should be glad he didn't!"

Madds rolled her eyes. "Tal, I love you and respect you so much— but don't you think it's about time you start trying to find that one person you wanna spend all your time with—?"

Before I could respond, a loud crash echoed from the kitchen. My head turned to fast I thought I'd snapped it. My heart leapt to my throat the same time I leapt to my feet.

"What the—"

All four of us scrambled to the kitchen, the sound of glass shattering and muffled grunts filled the air as we all rounded the corner. I prayed that whatever it was that broke was not my mother's vintage vase my grandmother bought.