His Revenge

Chapter 18 - Maddox

Maddox P.O.V

The soft, sultry sounds of an old R&B tune greet me as I enter my apartment. I stop just inside the doorway, glancing at the silver numbers on the door for confirmation that this was truly my place and hadn't barged into someone else's like a complete lunatic. Despite my key having worked and all the shit inside belonging to me, it was still better to be sure.

The lights are off, but the warm glow from the candles on my coffee table provides enough light to keep things from being completely dark. My bedroom door opens, and out steps Francesca, clad in a red robe that fell mid-thigh, showcasing her long, lean legs.

With her cherry red-painted lips turned upwards in a smile, she saunters across the hardwood floor, her high heels clacking with each step closer to me.

"Hey, baby." She says, pressing a kiss to the corner of my lips.

"What-what are you doing here?" I ask, forcing myself to meet her gaze instead of taking in the expanse of brown skin on display. "I thought you had to be at work early tomorrow."

It was nearly eleven, and considering her shift would start before dawn, she'd need all the sleep she could get.

"I switched shifts to surprise you with a nice home-cooked meal and maybe..." She leads me to the dining room table, pushes me down in a chair, and straddles my hips. "A little dessert afterward."

"Mhm."

"But since you came home so late. Maybe we can just skip to the dessert."

Her suggestive tone and the slight dip of her head

to her barely dressed form leaves little doubt in my mind the dessert she's alluding to is in the food variety sense.

When I don't respond, her smile slowly fades. She pulls back a bit as her eyes search mine. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah, yeah. It's just been a long day."

Although that wasn't a lie, it wasn't the complete truth either. My heart wasn't into it. And shockingly, neither was my dick. My feelings for her had changed. When? I couldn't be sure. But after my realization at the bridal shop, I couldn't continue this relationship when my heart desired someone else.

"Well, I know how to fix that." She says close to my ear while winding her hips.

"Wait, wait, wait." I grab her waist, stopping her from moving. "Stop."

She looks down at me, her brow etched in confusion. "Why? What's wrong?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay, what about?"

My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Fuck. I look away, down, anywhere but at her. This wasn't going to be easy. And never would be. But I couldn't keep dragging this on.

If only I'd refused to pursue a relationship all those weeks ago and kept things as they'd been strictly friends with benefits, then I wouldn't be in this situation. But in retrospect, when I'd agreed, I hadn't pictured things would end up this way. Me falling for my best friend.

"Maddox?" Francesca's voice breaks through my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted to talk."

"Oh, uh..." A knock sounds at the door, saving me from answering. "I need to get that."

She eyes me for a second before getting up and heading into my bedroom. I wait until she's inside before answering the door. Chance, Ebony's husband and a good friend of mine stood there, downing a Bud Light with his eyes closed.

Underneath his left arm is a six-pack of the very same beer he's guzzling with another hanging down by his side, except one's missing. Realizing I am there, he lowers the can from his lips and belches.

"Whew!" He exclaims nose turned up in disgust as he fans away the foul stench. "Hey, buddy!"

"Hey, uh... Chance." I scratch my cheek, eyes raking across his face. One look at him, and anyone could tell he's wasted off his fucking face. The ruddiness of his cheeks, glassy eyes, and inability to keep still more than gave it away. "What are y-"

"Have a drink with me!" He slams the case of beer against my chest and pushes past me into my apartment.

"What's uh..." I close the door and follow him to my couch. "What's the occasion?"

He throws his hands up and proudly announces, "I'm going to be a father!"

I scoff, set the beers on the table, and join him on the couch. "Yeah, right."

With the copious amounts of alcohol flooding his system, I had a little difficulty believing his words. This had to be a prank. Or maybe he was just trying to get a rise out of me.

"It's true." He insists with a broad grin. "Ebony told me as soon as I came home."

"For real?"

He nods and finishes off the rest of his beer.

I chuckle and pull him in for a quick hug. "Well, shit. Congratulations! But why aren't you celebrating this joyous occasion with your wife?"

"One of her employees had a family emergency, so she's filling in for them." He pulls another beer free, cracks it open, and passes it to me before taking one for himself. "And since I didn't want to celebrate alone, I thought I would do it with you." With a doopy grin, he knocks his bottle against mine.

"Thank you for keeping me in mind. But uh...this seems a little excessive. No?" I lift the case of beer, giving the empty bottles a shake.

"Excessive, how?"

I stare at him incredulously, wondering if he's serious or not. It takes me all of two seconds to realize he is. "I've never seen you drink this much. Not even at your wedding. I mean... Are you freaking out or..."

"No, I'm celebrating, man!" He beams, but in a blink of an eye, his expression turns serious. "You know Ebony and I have always wanted a family, but those dreams took a backseat while we got the restaurant up and running. And now that it's doing alright... Well, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. I just thought there might be another reason."

"Like what?" He slurs, eyes fluttering open and closed as he slouches further down.

I shrug one shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe because you're under tremendous stress from the public and your captain to find Sienna Davenport."

He snorts. "This is nothing. I've dealt with high-profile cases before a-"

"Yeah, but not like this one. Everyone's watching this case. Not just your higher-ups but the public as well. And that can't be easy, man."

Sienna's celebrity status meant any and everyone would weigh in on this case. And heaven forbid if anything went wrong, Chance would be the first to reap the repercussions.

"No, it's not. But it's all part of the job." His voice grows quiet toward the end as his eyes finally fall shut.

"Chance?" I call, but he doesn't even so much as stir.

Francesca returns at that moment wearing way more than she went in with. "Is he asleep?" She asks.

"Yep." I carefully take the beer from his hand, grab mine off the table, and bring them into the kitchen.

Francesca follows me with the rest of the six-pack in tow. "Do you have your phone?"

"My phone? Yeah." I glance at her over my shoulder while pouring the drinks down the sink. "Why?"

"Shouldn't we call Ebony and let her know he's alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do it."