Love Again ✔

1. Blinded By Love

Rose: In loving Jaxon, I've learned to hate myself. And I don't know how to live with that. I've lost my way.

Maddox: Whatever she wants, whatever she needs, whatever it takes... I will make her happy again.

Read the prologue if you haven't. It's short but really important.

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Rose (Ella):

"Hold on, I didn't even catch your... name." I sigh as the handsome man, with jet black hair and muscles that should worry me, runs away quicker than I can get my words out. Taking a deep breath, I turn around and walk towards my friends.

"You took forever." Bianca whines as she fixes her black hair into a tight ponytail and I roll my eyes at her impatience.

"Don't worry, we have time." Cassandra, my best friend, scowls at her before flashing me a grin. "Who was that? He's hot."

"I don't know." I shrug as I get in the car.

"Are you both living under a rock?" Mina fowns beside me. "He's the captain of our football team. The whole school basically worships him."

"That makes sense." Cassandra mumbles. "He definitely has the body for football."

I laugh along with the other girls, because his body can obviously do some damage on the field, before Cass starts the car. The rest of the conversation dies as we make our way to the mall.

I wonder what he wanted to talk to me about though.

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"Hey girls," Cass starts, looking at Mina and Bianca as we walk inside the tall building. "Elle and I are gonna shop for some things real quick and we'll meet you by the food court in an hour, yeah?"

Bianca glares not so subtly and crosses her arms across her chest. "And why can't we come along?"

"You know how shy Elle is with her lingerie shopping." She giggles and I elbow her in the stomach.

"More lingerie for your mysterious boyfriend?" Mina raises her eyebrows at me and I blush.

"I don't have a boyfriend. I just enjoy buying lingerie." I mumble out half a truth and half a lie. The truth is, I most certainly do not have a boyfriend, but with the amount of lingerie I've been buying lately I understand why they think so.

"Yeah, right." Bianca snorts before linking her arm with Mina and walking away.

I sigh once Cass and I are alone. "You couldn't just come up with a lie?"

Cass rolls her warm hazel brown eyes. "I'm sure they both know what a Victoria's secret shopping bag contains, Elle. Besides, it's none of their business anyway. They're just jealous because I love you more."

"I'd be worried if you didn't." I laugh as we head to our destination. "We've been friends since the third grade."

"Best friends." She corrects and I grin at her.

"Jax said he's taking you out to dinner tonight." She beams and my heart instantly skips a beat at the mention of the man I love.

"Yes, he texted me to see if I was free tonight, later than we usually meet but it's all good. I was thinking about wearing the red dress you made me buy last week. Knowing your brother, he's taking me to another fancy restaurant." I whine jokingly.

Sure, having fancy dinners isn't usually the kind of date I'd prefer, but seeing Jaxon in a dashing suit makes it all worth it.

"Have you thought about when you're going to tell him? I heard him talking on the phone this morning." She sighs sadly. "He's leaving soon. I didn't catch the when exactly, but it sounded soon."