I roll my teeth over my bottom lip, nervous what his answer will be.

“Kin, you know I love you, and even though you’re a little more eccentric than others, it doesn’t matter. I want you to be happy. You deserve this job, you’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

“You mean that?” I feel tears start to well in my eyes.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Maddie,” I sigh as a small tear rolls down my cheek. “Do you realize how much this is going to change my life? How much I’ve wanted this? You’re helping a dream come true.”

“It’s no big deal and for the love of God, don’t make it one.” I know he gets uncomfortable with praise, so I’m not surprised by his pained reply.

I chuckle. “I can promise I won’t make it a big deal. How much do you want for rent?”

“You’re kidding, right? Babe, I don’t need your money.”

“I know you don’t need it but I want to give you something for letting me stay at your place and disturbing your peace.”

“Save your money for when you can rent your own place. Just watch over the apartment when I’m on the road. Get my mail. That will be more helpful than you know.”

“That seems like an uneven trade.”

“Fine.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Make me dinner and coffee. Call it even.”

“Dinner and coffee? You do realize you’re terrible at negotiations, right?”

“Only with you. Now get off the phone with me, accept the job, and break the news to your mom. Okay?”

“This is really happening?”

“It is.”

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Every time we talk on the phone.”

“Well, I do,” I say, feeling warmth spread through me.

“Love you, too, babe. Send me all the details. I’ll see you soon.”

“What do you mean you’re staying with Maddox?” my mom exclaims, tears streaming down her face.

This is going way worse than I expected.

I knew my mom wasn’t going to take the news of me moving away easily, but full-on sobbing? I’m honestly afraid she might go into cardiac arrest from the way she keeps clutching her heart on every sob that wracks her body.

“Why are you going to stay with him when you could stay here with me and your father?” She wipes her cheeks with the sleeves of her light pink cardigan, staining them with her caked-on makeup. Norma Howard takes pride in her appearance, never letting one stray hair out of place, which is quite funny given where we live. It’s rare when my mom makes it into town, but even if she sees no one, she makes sure she puts on her house shoes and pearls.

Testing my strength and patience, I say, “The job is in Chicago, Mom. If I stayed here with you and Dad, that would be one hell of a commute every day.”

“But there are felons in Chicago.”

Yup, she’s that mom.

“I know this might be hard for you to hear”—I grip her shoulder—“but, Mom, there are felons everywhere.”

“Don’t you sass me, young lady.” She stands and starts pacing. “I knew letting you hang out with that Paige boy was going to come back and bite me in the ass one day. I thought it was going to be a teen pregnancy. At least that would have kept you here.”

Okay, this conversation seems to be getting off course.

“Mom, I can’t live here for the rest of my life. I need to be able to grow and live on my own.”

“You have plenty of time to live on your own. Think about how I’m getting older.”

I pinch my brow and count to ten. “What about your second honeymoon with Dad? You two should be able to reconnect on another level.”

“With that old crotch?” She waves her hand. “That man doesn’t even remember that I have breasts.” Excuse me while I throw up in my mouth. “You and I were supposed to grow old together. We were going to start that matchmaking business for the town.”

“You wanted to, Mom. I didn’t. I want to save animals. Help those who need it the most.”

“Assisting the singles of Woodland is helping people, and we could have an animal division. Matching pets together and then throwing weddings for them. Think of the empire we could create.”

Okay, animal matchmaking and wedding planning is appealing, but I know it’s all a farce to get me to stay.

Wanting to shut the door on this conversation, I step up to my mom, take her hands in mine, and softly say, “I love you, Mom. I’m so thankful for everything you’ve done for me up until now, but it’s time I take that knowledge and apply it to the outside world. Start a new chapter. This doesn’t mean I’ll never see you again, it just means I’m growing up and it’s time you let me go.”

Her lip trembles.

Her eyes water.

And she collapses in my arms.

On a deep sigh, I pat her back and hope that this is her giving in, because I’m anxious to start packing and getting to Chicago so I can get settled before my job starts.

Chapter Three

MADDOX

“Wait, hold up?” Lincoln says, pausing the conversation. “You’re going to have a girl staying with you, in your apartment?”

I’m sitting around one of the tables in the team cafeteria with Lincoln and Jason before our game. It’s my night off, which means I put in a workout in the weight room and did some cardio. I tossed the ball, but just to keep things loose. It’s almost a daily routine for me that by now I’m a creature of habit, which means the pre-game protein balls I have in front of me are consumed with the routine as well.

“She’s not just any girl,” I say, popping a ball in my mouth and chewing. “She’s one of my best friends.”

Jason slaps the table loudly, startling us both. “Fuck, could you imagine if you two fall in love? Friends to lovers, God that makes my little romantic heart beat faster.” Did I mention Jason is obnoxious and weird?

“Not going to happen,” I say. “It’s Kinsley. Things have never been intimate with her.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” Lincoln asks, as if he’s jumping on the romantic train with Jason. Why did I know when I told them this was what they were going to say? Apparently, men and women can’t be friends without sexual tension between them. I don’t buy it.

“I don’t know, maybe a year ago?” Has it really been that long? That makes me fucking sad. “We talk every month though.”

“FaceTime?” Jason asks.

“No. She likes talking on the phone, not being able to see each other. She says it reminds her of the old days.” I smile thinking about the time I accidentally tried to FaceTime her. The panic in her voice was hilarious.

“So you haven’t seen her in a while?” Lincoln asks. What’s he getting at?

“No.” I look between the two of them. “Why the fuck are you smiling like that?”

“Oh, you’re in for a fucking whirlwind.” Jason claps his hands. “Let me ask you this, is she pretty?”

Fucking gorgeous. Always has been. A natural beauty, never concerned about makeup or getting dirty . . . the complete opposite of her mom.

“Yeah,” I answer casually.

But my response seems to say more as both Lincoln and Jason laugh even harder.

“You’re fucked, man,” Lincoln says. “Have fun banging your best friend.”

“What the hell are you talking about? You don’t even know her, why would you say that?”

“Because. I know you,” Lincoln says. “And when you see something you like, you don’t ever step away.”

“I don’t know you as well as Linc,” Jason says, “but I do know you like to fuck, and having a pretty girl in your apartment getting all snuggly and shit, yeah, you’re so fucking her.”

I roll my eyes at both of them. God, their immaturity’s incredibly irritating. I lean back in my chair and say, “You don’t know Kinsley like I do. Our relationship isn’t like that. Trust me when I say I’m not concerned.”

Not even in the slightest.

Knock, knock.

I look over at my door and then hop up off the couch. In a pair of black sweats and a black Rebels shirt, I open the door to find Kinsley standing on the other side, two big suitcases and . . . no fucking way . . .

“Ahhh, Maddox.” Before I can even ask her why she brought Clyde with her, she throws her arms around me and pulls me into a hug. “Oh my God, did you make more muscles?” Make more muscles. Only Kinsley would phrase it that way.

She pulls away and squeezes my biceps. Her green eyes wide in awe. As she takes me in, I do the exact same thing, but spend my time perusing her.