Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game(58)
I laughed. “Yeah, it would be pretty pathetic.”
Maddie smiled. “Mom and Dad had to go to check on Josh. You’ll give me a ride home, right?”
“Of course.” I glanced out at the dance floor. “Hey, you wanna dance?”
“Um, I’m not that good at it,” Maddie answered.
“That’s true. I have seen you attempt it before.”
She playfully swatted me on the arm. “Whatever.”
“Come on then,” I urged, taking her hand in mine.
We edged our way between the couples to find a place under the sparkling lights. As I pulled her to me, she wrapped her arms around my neck while my arms crisscrossed her waist. Suddenly, conversation seemed to escape me. I couldn’t help focusing on the way her ample curves fit so deliciously against me, making my dick twitch in my pants. Her Noa perfume made my head spin as well. To get my thoughts off of how much I wanted her, I just blurted one of the first questions that popped into my head.
“So who did you go to prom with?”
Maddie peered up at me in surprise. “I didn’t go.”
“You didn’t? Not even for senior prom?”
She shook her head. “I went to Homecoming with Percy from church.”
I grimaced remembering that Percy was the glasses dude that Jake bummed homework off of. He had struck gold that a girl as hot as Maddie went with him. “But why didn’t you go to prom?” I pressed.
“Nobody asked me,” she said, softly.
That was f**king mind-blowing. How someone as beautiful, kind, and cool as she was could be dateless was beyond me. Then thoughts of Jake’s feeling for Maddie crept into my mind, and white hot anger coursed through me. Of course, he hadn’t asked her. It would have been too embarrassing for him to explain why he was taking a choir girl priss. Instead, he’d gone to Prom with the most beneficial choice for his reputation and his dick—Presley. What an incredible douche bag! Any painful feelings of loss escaped me in that moment, and if Jake hadn’t been dead, I would’ve wanted to kill him myself for being such a prick.
At the flush creeping on Maddie’s cheeks, I realized I must’ve embarrassed her. “Maddie, I can’t believe no one asked you. There’s too many jerks out there who don’t know what an awesome girl you are.”
She stared in shock at me for a minute before she finally smiled shyly. “Thanks Noah.”
“You’re welcome.”
We swayed in silence for a few minutes. When I glanced down at her, Maddie was biting her lip like she wanted to say something. Finally, she drew a ragged breath. “There was somebody I really wanted to go with, but he didn’t ask me.”
“Who?” I questioned, my heartbeat accelerating in my chest.
“No, it’s silly.”
“Tell me.”
Her dark eyes stared into mine. “Jake,” she whispered.
My heart shuddered to a stop before restarting. I fought to catch my breath as the voice of reason echoed through my mind. Tell her, Noah. Tell her about the ring and the song lyrics. But I couldn’t—my mouth felt cemented together.
A nervous laugh escaped Maddie’s lips. “Yeah, it’s stupid, I know. I mean, we were just good friends and all. Plus, I wouldn’t have been too much fun at the after prom parties.”
Dammit, you coward! Tell her! the voice screamed in my mind. I drew in a ragged breath. There was no turning back now. I had to tell her the truth. “Maddie, there’s something I need to tell you—”
“All right all you single ladies, move to the center of the floor. Maggie’s gonna throw the bouquet!” the DJ’s booming voice echoed over the sound system.
“Come on, Maddie. Let’s go try for it!” my cousin, Isabella, shouted, grabbing Maddie by the elbow and dragging her away.
I rolled my eyes up toward the glittering lights. Dammit! Just when I was about to come clean, a freakin’ bouquet toss stops me.
With all my mom’s family and friends, there were quite a few single ladies itching to grab a symbolic nod towards matrimony. The band leader gave a drum roll as Mom turned around. Then on the count of three, she hoisted the large bouquet over her shoulder.
Total chaos ensued as there was a mad dash. Snatching and grabbing women even knocked two of my cousins to the floor. With them down, the bouquet sailed easily into Maddie’s open arms.
Even though we weren’t officially together, I couldn’t help muttering, “Oh shit!” under my breath.
Alex glanced over at me and laughed. “You’re in for it now, cuz!” he joked. Although I hadn’t said a word about how I felt about Maddie, I knew he could see right through me. But at the same time there was something else I wasn’t telling him and that was about Jake and Maddie. He’d probably think I was a giant tool for not coming clean with her.
My thoughts were interrupted when a chair was brought to the center of the dance floor. Mom sat down as Greg knelt down before her. With a sly grin, he dipped his head halfway under her billowing dress and slipped her garter off with his teeth. All his friends, my uncles, and male cousins hooted and hollered. I, on the other hand, threw up a little in my mouth. Greg took it from his teeth and swung it triumphantly above his head before tossing it into the eager crowd.
Even though I was a single guy, I sure as hell wasn’t going to mow out people to win my mother’s garter. It was way too creepy. Thankfully, Greg’s best man ended up getting it. He twirled it around his finger, winked at Greg, and then drunkenly leered at Maddie. I dragged her away before he could insist on dancing with her as was sometimes customary.