He was just getting ready to ask me something when I felt big, strong arms pick me up from behind. "Hey sweetheart, you ok?" I smiled because I knew who it was before I even looked behind me. "I'm fine munchkin, thanks." I found it a little awkward that Maddox didn't let go of me and kept giving Jason these weird looks. "So Jason, what was it you wanted to ask me?" I could tell Jason was trying not to laugh for some reason but he just shrugged his shoulders and said he would see me later.

Once Jason walked away Maddox finally let go of me. "What are you doing the rest of the day, sweetheart?"

"I have another cla.s.s and then I was going to apply for a job. Why?"

"I'm having a party later and I wanted to see if you wanted to come over?"

"Oh thanks Maddox, but I have a lot going on. Maybe some other time?"

He scrunched his eyebrows together and folded his muscled, tattooed arms in front of him. I noticed he started to shift his weight from foot to foot as well and he started to act really uncomfortable. "Uh yeah sure. Sounds good."

I felt bad because he seemed really disappointed. Don't get me wrong; I really wanted to go hang out with him but I had a lot going on today. Plus, I wanted to try to keep my distance from Maddox because I wanted to get over this "crush." I knew that there was no way he would ever feel the same way about me. Deep down, I knew that n.o.body was going to feel that way about me.

When my last cla.s.s ended I went to the library and applied for a job. I was so relieved to see that Ashlynn worked there too. At least I would know a familiar face if I got the job. Ashlynn told me to not worry about it because it wasn't like people were standing outside the doorways waiting to get a job at the library.

The head librarian came out and took me into the back for my interview. Her name was Meredith Bee. I honestly thought that if there pictures in the dictionary hers would be by the definition of a librarian. She was wearing a red and black plaid skirt with a black sweater. Her brown hair was in a bun and reading gla.s.ses were falling off the edge of her nose.

She asked me all sorts of questions, but after she found that I loved to read her eyes sparkled. I added that I needed a part-time job, but I would work here anyway because I loved to read. She interrupted me and said, "You're hired! When can you start?" I told her that I could start as soon as possible and she told me to start the next day.

For the rest of the day I organized my room and put everything in its rightful place. I stacked all of my books on the shelves and put my paintings up on the walls. It seemed like this day was doing a complete one-eighty.

Even though I was exhausted I decided to take my shower that night. Hopefully, I wouldn't get the same results as this morning. I was relieved when I turned on the shower and hot water came pouring down over me. I stood in the shower for a while because my muscles were hurting from moving around all of my furniture.

I was too tired to blow-dry my hair so I just toweled it and climbed up on my bed and pulled up my comfy blanket. It only took a couple of minutes before my eyes closed and after I fell asleep I dreamed about dark brown eyes, tattoos, and piercings.

Chapter 3.

For the next three weeks I went to my cla.s.ses and worked at my new job as a librarian's a.s.sistant. I also got to know Ashlynn a lot more. She told me that she had had the biggest crush on Jason ever since freshman year of college. She was roommates with Jade and the second she'd laid eyes on Jason, that was it. She wanted to take things to the next level but it didn't seem to be in the cards for her and him. She'd figured she would just be his friend instead. She was also scared to start something because she and Jade were best friends.

Jade told her to just go for it, but Jade and Ashlynn were complete opposites. Jade was more of a wild child and did what she wanted when she wanted. Ashlynn was more reserved, like me. I asked her if she ever regretted not telling Jason and she said, "I would rather be in his life as a friend, than not in his life at all." It seemed like a rational decision, but all I could think about were the what ifs.

I also hung out with Maddox a lot. Of course we flirted, but that was like breathing to him. He couldn't help it.

During one of our many conversations I found out that Maddox worked at a local tattoo shop to make extra cash. Music and hanging out with his friends were among his favorite things to do. But tattooing was his pa.s.sion. He also told me that he'd gotten a full ride to play baseball and that he was double majoring in business and marketing. His ultimate dream was to own a chain of tattoo shops and maybe some clubs in Las Vegas. I wasn't surprised in the least when Maddox told me that.

He only lived two hours away from school and was really close with his family. He was the baby and had two older sisters, Sadie and Callie. Oh, and I can't forget his love, Rufus the Saint Bernard. Maddox's parents, Todd and Sharon, were high school sweethearts and he said that he really respected his parents and loved them even more because they just wanted their kids to be happy in life.

To live with no regrets.

The way he talked about his family was enlightening but it also saddened me. In that moment I was jealous of Maddox because I couldn't say things like that about my family. h.e.l.l, I didn't even know who my dad was.

I told him very few details of my childhood, just that I wanted to be an author and before I left this earth I wanted to leave my thumbprint on the world and make a difference somehow. No matter how big or small.

Sarah and I were also becoming fast friends. She told me that she and Maddox tried the whole dating thing in middle school but it was just way too weird. It wasn't until high school that Gabe came into the picture. He moved to Maryland from Arizona and became good friends with Maddox.

Sarah was always cheering Maddox on during the baseball games and after they would go get ice cream. One day after a baseball game Gabe had walked up to her and said, "I'm kind of jealous of Maddox right now because I don't have a beautiful girl cheering me on. Feel like changing that for me beautiful?"

She told me how they were just supposed to have fun senior year but things changed. They both made mistakes and decided to break up halfway through their senior year. Gabe was supposed to be going to college back in Arizona, but he said he couldn't live with the regret of not choosing Sarah. He ended up surprising her on moving in day at University of Maryland and the romance rekindled. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sarah told me that Jade loved being single and was having fun with the guys. It was going to take a very important person for Jade to settle down. She also informed me that Ashlynn had a secret crush on Jason, which I was not supposed to repeat to anybody. Too bad I already knew that little bit of information.

I also found out from Sarah that Maddox was a major player. Not only was he an amazeb.a.l.l.s baseball player, but he could also get any girl into his bed. He had s.e.x with girls; he never befriended them, until me. She told me that he had a girlfriend named Taylor in high school and that they were pretty serious. However, that all changed the night of the senior prom when Maddox walked in on her having s.e.x with one of the guys on the baseball team. She'd broken his heart and he decided he was no longer going to date girls. He couldn't manage putting his heart on the line again just to get it broken in half.

Sarah and I had decided to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks. We were in a journalism cla.s.s together and had an a.s.signment due at the end of the week. After getting my Green Tea Frappuccino and Sarah's Vanilla Bean Frappuccino we decided to sit at the tables and boot up our laptops. I was just getting ready to ask Sarah a question, when she interrupted me. "Can I ask you something Iz?"

"Yeah Sarah, you can ask me anything. Although I might not answer it."

"Is there something going on between you and Maddox?"

I took a sip of my delicious creamy beverage before saying, "I wish there was, but no can do. Why do you ask?"

"It's just I have never seen Maddox look at other girls the way that he looks at you. He never even looked at Taylor like that and they dated throughout high school."

Even hearing her name made my stomach tighten in knots. I couldn't believe that someone had treated Maddox like that. "Yeah, he looks at me like I'm one of the guys, not a girl," I said.

She just gave me a look and said, "Please tell me that you are kidding right now Izzy. Sweetie, the way he looks at you, it's like you are the exception. His exception." I really found that hard to believe so I just shrugged it off.

After a few seconds looking at me she shrugged her shoulders and we got to work on our project.

I was at the library. My sanctuary. I couldn't believe I actually got paid to read books. Ok, technically I get paid to put books away. However, after I finish putting all the books back on the shelves in their proper place, I can read.

I had just clocked out and was getting ready to leave but then I remembered I had to write a paper. I got situated and then decided to check my emails. Among those emails was one from Patty. My stomach instantly tightened and my palms became really sweaty.

Miss Clark, This is a reminder that this following week is the last week before the $5,000 is due. Please follow the instructions that I have attached below.

Sincerely,

Patricia A. Alexander

Financial Aid Office

University of Maryland

I knew this day was coming. I still had to buy books so I had maybe $500 and there was no way I could get another extension.

Well on to Plan B. Whatever that was.

I could feel the tears coming so I grabbed my bag, logged off my computer, and made my way out of the library. I was just getting ready to push the doors open when Maddox started to walk in with a couple of his buddies.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw me. "Hey guys, I'll catch you later." I felt like a complete moron just standing there looking so helpless.

Maddox pulled my chin up so I would look into his eyes. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" With just those simple words the flood gates opened and I began to cry. He pulled me into his arms, rubbed my back and soothed me. I was starting to calm down and began to open my mouth but Maddox cut me off. "I have an idea. We are going to grab a cup of that horrible coffee, go to your room, and talk about this." With that he took my hand in his and pulled me out of the library.

After Maddox paid for the coffees and m.u.f.fins, we trudged back to my room. We both sat on my bed and there was complete silence for a couple of minutes. I needed a breather and he needed to eat so he scarfed down the m.u.f.fins and took half a tuna sandwich out of my mini fridge.

"Alright, start spilling," he said while taking a bite out of the sandwich. I thought I had calmed down but the tears just ran down my face as I explained the whole predicament to him. "I just don't know what I'm going to do. I owe $5,000 to room and board and I have $500 to my name. It's due by the end of this week. I mean, I knew this was coming so I decided to look at apartments off campus but I don't make enough money for that. And now I'm going to have to move back home and figure something out because I can't live with Cynthia."

Maddox knew my relationship with Cynthia was different but I didn't want to tell him everything that had happened in my life. Some things I had to keep to myself because I couldn't endure seeing the look of pity in people's eyes.

I finally finished ranting and raving and went to the bathroom to wipe my eyes. I grabbed a few more tissues before coming back to my room. After closing the door I turned around and froze.

I couldn't believe it, I was such an idiot! I'd just ugly cried in front of Maddox and didn't even bother to look at was he was wearing. He was in his baseball uniform. My mouth fell open and, I swear to all of you, I drooled.

"You like what you see, sweetheart?" he said with a smirk.

Dammit, he caught me.

I heard him chuckling and then he swallowed the bite he was chewing. He stood up and started grabbing things and putting them in bags. "Alright, I have an idea. Move in with me."

I looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about? I can't move in with you Maddox; that's crazy!"

"Isabelle. I live by myself and have an extra bedroom that I use for storage; it's not that big of a deal. Look, you can live with me as long as you need. Rent free. Save your money for something more important."

"Madd, I'm going to pay rent or at least the groceries, I'm not a mooch." He looked at me like I had four heads and said, "Sweetheart, it would be cheaper to pay rent, because you know how much I eat. But you aren't going to pay for that either. I make enough money to pay for the rent and live comfortably. So pack up your s.h.i.t and let's go roomie!"

I was relieved that I would have a place to stay. As a bonus, I found out that Sarah and Gabe lived right down the hall from us. It was Tuesday night though, and I didn't want to move in right this moment. Maddox looked a little disappointed but we agreed that I would move in Friday after both our cla.s.ses were over. Maddox decided to stay over so we could work on our homework together and I got Chinese for the both of us. While we ate we watched some trashy reality television. Eating Chinese food to me is like eating Thanksgiving dinner; it just makes me extremely tired. At some point I fell asleep in Maddox's arms.

I opened my eyes a while later to Maddox pulling back my covers and putting me to bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go home. Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

He kissed me on the forehead and turned off the lights before leaving the room. Yeah, I was in trouble.

The next morning I was relieved that Sarah and I had our journalism cla.s.s so I could tell her about everything that was going on. I walked into cla.s.s and saw that Sarah was there with two big cups of coffee. Thankfully, she lived off campus so she could stop at Starbucks on her way to our 8 a.m. cla.s.s.

"Good morning Iz. You look like you had a good night last night."

I needed a sip of my vanilla latte and smiled because yeah, I did have a good night. No scratch that, it was amazing.

"Alright spill Iz. What's with the grin on your face?"

"Well, Maddox came over..."

"And what happened?"

I explained everything from the room and board to Maddox offering to let me stay at his place. I spun my cup looking down at it and then looked up at Sarah. Her mouth was wide open and she hadn't blinked yet.

I snapped my fingers in front of her face to try and get her attention. "Sarah?"

She blinked her eyes a few times. "I never thought it was possible."

"What was possible?"

"Maddox finding love."

"Sarah, what are you talking about. We're friends, that's all it is."

"Izzy, honey. You really don't understand. I grew up with Maddox and I thought Taylor had ripped his heart out for good. He was completely different before he met you. He loves you. The question is, do you love him?"

"I don't know. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's gorgeous and really sweet but... "

Did I love him? Yeah, I guess I did. I think what Sarah meant to ask was, "Are you in love with him?" I don't know. I looked up and Sarah was smiling so sweetly at me. I swear she heard all of my inner thoughts.

She took a sip of her coffee and thankfully, changed the subject. "What did you think about the a.s.signment?"

I answered her but my mind wasn't in it. I had more important things on my mind like the beautiful man I was going to live with and who I just realized I might be in love with.

I am so royally f.u.c.ked!

I became more and more nervous the closer it came to Friday. This was the exact opposite of how Maddox was feeling. He couldn't wait for me to move in with him and begged me all Wednesday and Thursday to change the date. I decided to stand my ground because I had some things to think about.

I moved into Maddox's apartment on Friday after cla.s.ses.

When you walked into his apartment there was a kitchen and island to your left with a breakfast bar. To the right was the living room with an L-shaped couch, along with a plasma screen TV. Straight across the living room was a hall leading to the bedrooms. Halfway to the bedrooms was a bathroom to the right and at the end of the hall two bedrooms faced each other.

Basically, Maddox's apartment screamed, "Bachelor Pad!"

After putting everything in its rightful place I put on some old sweats and grabbed a good book, looking forward to a relaxing night.

"Knock! Knock!" Maddox said while coming into my room. He stopped and just stared at me. I looked up from my book and, oh my Buddha.

Maddox was wearing dark jeans with a red shirt and tennis shoes. His tattoos were on display for all the girls to ogle over but for just a short while I was the only girl ogling.