What Deceit Looks Like | ✓

09: cassidy

My eyes blink open lazily and immediately shut because of how bright it is in here. It's too damn bright. I pull the covers up over my head like it will stop the echoing going on inside my head. Wait-

I sit up throwing the covers off of me and take a second to let my head stop spinning and my stomach settle. "Where-" I start to question aloud and then I remember last night with Maddox. "Oh fuck," I swear looking over beside me only to find that side of the bed wasn't even touched. The pillows are still where they originally were.

I rub my forehead slowly and reach for my phone that's on the covers next to me to find that I missed a few texts from Jupiter and Noah. There's another one from Jenny asking if I'm going to some gala this weekend, and I swipe to delete it. Jupiter wanted to know if I was up to hang out last night, and Noah was apologizing for not coming home after work telling me he didn't even notice I didn't come home either.

I'm wearing one of what I'm assuming is Maddox's t-shirts that are long enough to be a dress on m and a pair of his shorts that have been rolled many times at the waist. But if Maddox didn't sleep in here then where did he sleep? I wander out into the living room to find a blanket folded up on the couch telling me that he slept out here instead of his own bed. He didn't have to do that at all.

From my hand, my phone starts to vibrate and this time I look at the caller id before answering, it's Maddox. "Hey," I say softly letting a smile form on my face.

"Hey there," He chimes back, "I didn't wake you up did I?"

"Nope," I reply walking back into the bedroom to find that he had left a glass of water and some Tylenol on the bedside table for me. "I woke up a few minutes ago and just found the water you left me."

Maddox laughs, "I'm sorry I had to go into work early, I didn't want to wake you and I guessed that you would need it."

He's right, I do need it. "Thank you. I'm sorry about last night, I didn't-I shouldn't have drank as much as I did."

"I'm not sorry. For a while there I kinda thought I was going crazy because I had no idea what you were thinking. I know it wasn't much but it was nice to get some clarity on that," I feel my cheeks flush at the reminder of our elevator kiss.

"I know I'm all over the place, I promise it'll get better," I say but I don't believe myself when I say it because the truth is that it only gets harder from here. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing because as much as I'd like to tell Noah and Jupiter, or hell even myself, that it's just for a con... I could never do that to Maddox.

"Don't worry about it Cassidy, I'll never force you to do anything you don't want to do." He responds and I sit down on the bed feeling my stomach clench. "Do you regret it?"

There's vulnerability to the question and it tugs at my heart, "No, I don't regret kissing you. Thank you again for letting me stay here. I appreciate it, Maddox."

On his end of the line, I can hear someone else speaking before his hurried response, "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Can I call you later?"

"Yeah, of course." The line clicks dead and I run my hand over the comforter feeling the softness of it.

This is such a mess. I pop the ibuprofen in my mouth and take a drink from the glass Maddox left for me and the coolness of the water tastes good going down my throat.

I'm normally the one doing this for Noah; taking care of him and constantly being the one that cares for him all the time. And that's after being together for seven years?

I shake the thought out of my head, not ready to go there yet. I get up walking back into the main living area and stand there for a moment just kind of looking around to get more insight into what makes Maddox well Maddox.