Haunted

Rootless Tree

The Singer: i've been thinking about you all day

The Singer: i could use you inside me

The Singer: come see me tonight?

Maddox thought for a few seconds and tried to decide what to write back.

Maddox: love u

Maddox: i've got a few things i'd like to have inside u

Maddox: hope u can handle it

He smirked as he sent the messages and then clicked over to reply to Eli. Maddox just wrote the first thing that came to mind and sent it before he rushed to get dressed.

The Singer: somehow i thought you'd be more excited

Maddox frowned and looked up to see what was wrong with what he'd said. His heart stopped when he read his last message.

Maddox: alright i guess

He'd meant to send that to Eli which meant that he'd sent the other messages to Eli instead.

"Fuck," Maddox groaned. There was no way to get them back. It wouldn't have been such a huge deal except that he and Eli had never said they loved each other. They'd also never texted each other like that but Maddox didn't see any reason why they couldn't start.

Eli: omg...dax?

Maddox cringed and called him right away. He knew he didn't really have a lot of options for what to say so he was going to have to tell the truth.

"Maddox?"

"Yeah-"

"I don't even know what to think right now," Eli interrupted.

"I'm so sorry, Eli," Maddox sighed. "I meant to send those to someone else," he felt like crying as he admitted that.

"Oh my god," Eli gasped.

"I mean, I would definitely text you like that too if you wanted me to," Maddox said but then regretted it immediately.

"Of course I want you to," Eli's voice was very quiet. "I had no idea you were texting other people that way."

"Just one person," Maddox insisted. "I'm not like, texting a ton of guys or anything."

"I don't know why I thought I was the only one," Eli sniffed.

"Fuck, are you crying?" Maddox's heart dropped. "Eli, I'm so sorry, I didn't think you would think you were the only one."

"Is that why you won't be my boyfriend?" Eli asked. "You love someone else."

"I love him, but it's not like that," Maddox protested. "It's really just like a sex thing. Fuck, Eli, I'm so sorry."

"If you love him, how is it just a sex thing?"

"It's weird, I don't know. Like he loves me too and he'll do sweet stuff and take care of me like when I broke my arm and he took me to the grocery store for the first time."

"Wait, what?" Eli sounded more upset than before. "Who is it, Maddox?"

"Don't worry about it," Maddox shook his head. "Look, I guess I should have told you I just didn't know and I'm not sure how I would have told you."

"Yeah, I don't know either," Eli sighed. "But maybe you should be his boyfriend if he's so awesome and you two love each other so much."

"No, it's not like that."

"It sounds like it. I'm gonna go."

"Wait, no," Maddox pleaded. "Don't be upset, Eli, please, don't hurt yourself."