II. Body Of Iron (Unedited) ❌️ ORIGINAL

Twenty - Surprise!

Emmi's POV:

School had been really nice without Claire around. Too bad it was only for a few more days. But, I'd make those few days that were Claire free worth every minute. My skin was also purple and red free, so I wasn't getting any weird looks anymore in the halls. It felt nice not to be stared at in a judgmental way. Everyone had forgotten about the rumors that Claire spread and it was refreshing not to be on the end of any drama, even if it was fake, for at least a little bit.

Maddox had wanted to take me out on a date, but with rehearsal every night, it was hard to find time to ourselves besides on a weekend. And those were going to be taken up by one on one self-defense lessons in my garage. I wasn't complaining with starting them, I'd get to see Maddox without a shirt on more. Maybe I wouldn't be as weird about it if I saw it more often.

As I was getting ready to do a scene with Sean, Gigi grabbed me with an excited grin. I raised a brow and Ms. Sommers did a different scene with just Sean in it. "What is it, Gigi?"

"Put this on and you'll find out." Gigi handed me the dress I wore on my first date with Maddox for my birthday dinner and I looked even more confused. "Just put it on. Ms. Sommers said it was fine to miss today. You've been working so hard and deserve a night off."

"Wait...did you set this up?"

"We kind of all helped..." Nikki tucked her hair behind her ear as all my friends came out from behind the couch in the girls dressing room. Olivia was among them and blushed softly.

"What did you do? Where am I going?" I asked as my stomach filled with butterflies. Olivia came over and handed me a single ticket to a musical I had been wanting to see since it came to town. "A Royal Knight Love? How did Maddox get tickets? They have been sold out for a while."

"He had been watching ticket sales since before Christmas." Olivia confessed.

"How the hell did he manage to afford them?"

Cassie and Lilly giggled, "He's been doing third shifts on weekends at Congo. It's like every other weekend, but he makes pretty good money."

My heart swelled with love for him even more. I couldn't believe the lengths he was going just to give me what he thought was the world. "When did he start doing that?"

"After football ended, so not too long. I'd say since the beginning of November. I know he picked up more work during winter break." Jamie mentioned.

"How did you guys know all of this?" I choked.

Nikki lowered her gaze nervously before she got the courage to speak up. "We kind of all saw him leave one night during winter break when we had a sleepover. He didn't want to wake you, but he told us he'd be back before seven. We were worried he was doing something stupid, but he assured us he was going to his job at Congo in the warehouse. He does six to eight hours at night on the weekends, since he's not eighteen yet."

Tears filled my eyes and I wiped my eyes with a smile on my face. "I can't believe he is doing that. But it makes sense as to why he's tired a lot on the weekends when we hang out. I know he says he's not, but I can tell."

Olivia smiled and rested her hand on my shoulder, "I can. Emmi, he loves you so much. He wants to show you what it feels like to he loved. The only way he knows how to do that is to take you out on amazing dates and showering you with gifts that remind him of you. That's his love language."

I was speechless. I was filled with so many emotions I felt like I was going to erupt like a volcano. I fanned my face, knowing tears were forming out of joy and I smiled through my blubbering. "We've only been officially together for like a month and a half. I don't deserve him."

"You do, Em. Now go get dressed. He's waiting for you in the lobby of the auditorium. Go have fun and enjoy it." Nikki hugged me, kissed me on the cheek and shooed me to the bathroom. I would have been fine dressing there, but I was glad I wasn't. I knew I could trust Olivia, but I had no idea what Claire had put in there before she was escorted off the premises a little over a week ago.

After I changed clothes and walked out into the large dressing room, my friends fussed over my hair and makeup, as they always did when going out somewhere with Maddox. I giggled and batted them off, "Stop it. It's fine." I played with the necklace Maddox gave me at state in October and Jamie came out from behind the couch with my favorite pair of heels hanging off her fingers. They were the same ones I wore with the dress the first time, but black.

"Now it's fine." She smiled. "Go. Have fun."

I thanked them all, grabbed my things and headed to the lobby. When I got out there, I noticed Maddox in a nice suit, better than the one he wore for the trial. He looked nervous, but not the "I fucked up" kind. It was the "Holy shit, I'm picking up the girl of my dreams for a date" kind. My heart thumped so loud and I felt my lower stomach tighten the instant I saw him in what he was in. Well, that's a new turn on for me. I thought. I wiped my clammy hands on my dress as I approached him sitting on one of the benches. I cleared my throat softly and he looked up with love and happiness in his dark blue eyes. "You clean up nice." I blushed.

Maddox stood up and tried to not look flustered as he ran his hand through his dark locks, "Thanks. You look beautiful, Butterfly."

"Thanks." I smiled.

We have never been this nervous around each other with dates, ever. But the one time I remembered being super nervous and noticing Maddox being as nervous as I was, was my birthday date. It was our first official date and it was a pretty fancy one at that. All the other dates we've been on haven't been as fancy. They've been super casual. But now, I think this one tops the cake.

"Um...you ready, Butterfly?" He asked, holding out his arm.

I nodded with a hard blush and linked arms with him. My hand rested on the crease of his elbow and I felt like a modern day princess with her arm candy prince by her side. Oh God, please don't have a fantasy about that now. I groaned, knowing my mind would betray me and make it intimate. I had been having a lot of those thoughts and fantasies lately, which was fine but they came at the worst times.

We got to his Jeep and I put my things in the back seat before getting in the front. Like the gentleman he was, he closed my door and got in on his side. I tried to hide my uncomfortableness, but Maddox saw right through it. "You okay over there?" He chuckled as he took off.

"Great. Fantastic. Amazing." I gritted my teeth as I crossed my legs to keep myself at bay.

"Are you turned on right now?" I stayed quiet, not wanting to admit to him or myself that I got turned on so easily lately. "You are! From one to ten, how bad is it?"

I cringed in my seat, embarrassed to tell him the truth, "Eleven..." I squeaked.

Maddox stopped at a stop light and turned to me in shock, "Shit, Em. If it's that bad--"

"No!" I cut him off. "I want to go see this musical with you. I have wanted to see it since it came to town and I will suffer through this if it means I get to spend time with you." I looked up at him from behind my lashes and over my glasses with a pleading look.

I watched him work his jaw and gulp hard, as he stared at me. His eyes darted to my lips and back up to my green eyes. I knew he wanted to devour my lips, as I did his, but the light turned green and we couldn't do anything.

He turned his attention back to the front, gripped the wheel as tight as his strength would let him and took off to where we needed to go.