Please Believe Me

Chapter 10 - Madison

I stare at Maxon with surprise and confusion. I don't understand what he's doing here. I saw him with the blonde not too long ago. Did they get in a fight already? Is that why he's so angry?

Isaiah looks over to who I'm staring at and immediately grins. "Hey, Blake, how you been man? Haven't seen you in a while."

He goes up to him and gives him one of those man hugs. Maxon doesn't bother to return it but it doesn't faze Isaiah.

He goes on. "Dude, have you met Vanessa's friend, Madison? I can see why she was hiding her, she's a gem." He shoots me a wink but I ignore it. My gaze remains steady on Maxon who's staring back at me. His muscles bulge and his jaw ticks. He looks wound and ready 
to pounce at any moment.

Like one of those bodyguards protecting their boss.

Then another thought occurs to me, could it be possible that seeing me with Isaiah triggered this? Does he feel some sort of obligation to—protect me? Because I'm friends with his best friend's little sister?

It's too much of a coincidence that the moment Isaiah kissed me, he approached us. That has to be it.

"And a great dancer," Isaiah adds, reminding me that he's been speaking about me.

"Is she now?" He asks between gritted teeth.

If possible, his gaze becomes sharper and I suddenly feel like hiding.

"Then you won't mind if I dance with her for a few minutes?"

I swallow. Definitely feels obligated. There is no other explanation. I try to reassure Maxon that I'm okay and don't need protection but only manage to get out his name, "Maxon—"

"Not at all. As long as Madison promises to dance with me in the future?"

What the hell? Isaiah just gave me up that fast? I mean I also don't really know the guy but still.

"I—" I glance at Maxon, who is waiting to see what I will answer, I meet Isaiah's gaze feeling some sort of resignation. "yes if I ever see you in the future, I will dance with you."

His face lights up so bright like a kid just promised candy land heaven. "I will take your word for it and believe me, you will be seeing more of me in the future." He shoots me one last wink before nodding to Maxon. "Blake." Then, he's swallowed up by the crowd, leaving me alone with a silently brooding Maxon.

I stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. He just ran off my dance partner so I could dance with him, but he's making no move to touch me.

I shudder at the thought. At being so close to him. In his arms.

"Would you like to have a drink first?" Maxon asks in a surprisingly soft voice, taking a completely different tone with me than he did with Isaiah.

Our eyes lock and my breath hitches a bit. I expected to see anger in his eyes but there was nothing. As if none of that had just happened. If it weren't for my racing heart I wouldn't have believed that even occurred. He's concealing his feelings that well.

"Oh, um, sure." I stutter and fight the urge to blush. He can probably notice how much of a nervous wreck I am, which is why he offered the drink in the first place. I just have so many emotions going through my mind and being alone with him isn't helping. I must've been jet lagged before because if he's intimidating in my presence alone, it's tenfold in front of others.

He rests a hand lightly on my lower back as he leads me to the bar which definitely isn't helping my case here. I try not to focus on how big his hands are, how warm. Nope. Don't focus on that, Madison. You are stronger than this.