Secrets and Stolen Kisses

05

m a d e l y n

"Well, isn't someone happy," my brother teased me, bumping into me as I poured some cereal into my bowl. I wasn't even mad I almost spilled everything all over the counter because of him.

It's because I got a "good morning, girlfriend <3" text from Nate when I woke up.

"I guess I woke up on the right side of the bed today," I shrugged. "Aren't you glad I'm happy and not annoying you?"

"Guess so," he passed me the milk from the fridge as he took a protein shake.

"Whatcha up to today?" I asked, sticking a spoonful of sugary cereal into my mouth.

He sat beside me. "Gonna work out with Nate later and probably just chill in my room. He's coming over at like two. Why? Did you wanna do something?"

I shook my head. "I'm just gonna go shopping with Alexia after we have lunch. I should be back by four."

"You should get mom's birthday gift," he reminded me. "We don't want a repeat of last year."

"Stop reminding me," I rolled my eyes. "Besides, I had my gift on the twenty fifth, didn't I?"

"Yeah, thanks to me," he bragged.

We both knew he was never gonna let that go the moment I asked him to pick up the gift from the store last year.

~~~

"Stop staring at your phone like that. You're making it obvious that you're seeing someone."

My eyes snapped up from my phone screen, and they met Alexia's. I was just sitting on one of the benches in the store while she waited for the pair of shoes she wanted to try on from the back.

"You're going crazy, Xia," I laughed. "I don't have a boyfriend."

She gasped, "A girlfriend?"

"No, not a girlfriend either."

"Then why are you smiling at your phone like you're in the fifth grade and Zac Efron told you he loves you?" she raised her eyebrow.

"I just saw a meme," I lied. I was staring at the picture Nate just sent me. He was at the gym with my brother earlier and decided that after showering would be the perfect time to send me the goofiest picture before an incredibly surprising shirtless photo.

She sat beside me. "Maddie, I'm not stupid. If you don't wanna tell me who your boyfriend is, just tell me you don't want to. You don't have to lie about it."

"Whatever," I conceded. "Believe what you wanna believe."

"Well, speaking of boyfriends, you know who doesn't have one? Andrea Zyler," she changed the topic. "I heard that she broke up with Nathan yesterday. Can you believe it?"

I crossed my legs and put my phone in my bag. "Actually, somewhat. Except it was him that broke up with her, not the other way around."

"Seriously?" Alexia sputtered. "But he was the one who asked her out at the party. Is he really that much of a player to lead her on like that?"

"Of course not!" I defended Nate quickly, a little too quickly, to be honest.

"Whoa, okay."

"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly. "I mean, you got it all wrong. He wasn't trying to play her at all. He's just really protective over his little brother, and you wouldn't believe the way she talked to that pure soul yesterday."

Her eyes widened. "You were there when he broke up with her?"

"I was outside, telling the other people that the party was over," I corrected her. "I wasn't there, per se, but Nate did tell me what happened."