Love Again ✔

22. Too Good

Maddox:

"Maddox, for the hundredth time, I swear I'm okay now." Rose places her hand softly on top of my clenched fist, her fingers slowly tracing my busted knuckles and I hug her to my chest even tighter.

The sight of her unable to breathe and shaking in fear is engraved into my brain. I'll never be able to get rid of that image. It scared me near to death when she couldn't breathe and I know she's okay now but I can't calm down just yet.

"Can I please clean your hand?" She asks quietly, and I shake my head, my arms locking behind her to trap her body against mine. She sighs and looks down, her fingers playing with a loose thread on the front of my shirt before she looks up at me with sadness. "I'm sorry, Maddox."

"For what?" I frown in confusion because she has nothing to be sorry for, but she shrugs sadly.

"I know you're worried about me. I know I scared you earlier with the panic attack." She mumbles, looking ashamed of herself and I feel anger fill me all the way again. "It was a bad one, but those are rare, I swear. It shouldn't happen again any time soon. I mean, it just happened because he touched me and I hated it, but---"

"Please stop talking." I interrupt her because I don't think I have it in me to hear this right now. "You have nothing to apologize for. It wasn't your fault, and it's nothing to be ashamed of, Rose."

"But I know you're still worried about me." She points out as she scoots a little closer over my lap. "I'm sorry for making you worry so much."

"If I hear you say you're sorry one more time, I'm bending you over my fucking knee, baby." I promise, dead serious and she blushes adorably before nodding her head in understanding. "I love you. All of you. Every tiny little part of you. You get that?"

She nods again before dropping a quick kiss to my lips and I take a deep breath after that, letting my eyes shut for a moment. "Can I take care of your hand now? You have a game next week. You can't play if your hand is not perfect."

"Don't worry about it, Angel. I'll ice it later and Tyler will do the rest. He's really good with patching up small injuries." I say and she grins at me.

"Had a lot of practice in high school, the both of you?" She looks like she's about to wink at me like the dork she is, and I sigh in relief, only now believing that she is truly okay.

"Yeah, we used to get in all kinds of trouble." I mumble, my arms still tightening around her small figure. I can't believe her fucking ex decided to show up and confess his undying love to her. He's a fucking idiot and an asshole for not respecting her wish when she told him she didn't want to see him. And touching her was way too fucking far.

"Maddox, stop." Rose's surprisingly stern voice grabs my attention and I blink twice before focusing on her. "First of all, you're gonna break my ribcage if you don't stop squeezing me so tightly. Second of all, just let it go. Trust me, I'm mad too, but what's done is done and he's gone now, for good."

I sigh, resting my forehead against her shoulder. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Just please calm down. I love you." She moves her small hands across my shoulders soothingly before moving them through my hair and I fucking purr because that feels too good. "Tell me what I can do to make you feel better."

"Come home with me this weekend." The words escape my mouth faster than I think them through and when her hands freeze in my hair I almost curse myself as I lift my head to catch her eyes.

"What?" She asks.

"Worst fucking timing ever, I know." I shake my head because I'm an idiot. "But my mother's birthday is next weekend. We have a party every year. Not a big one, just my parents, my sisters, their husbands and children, and Tyler and I will be there. I want you to come with me, baby."