• • •

To say I felt like shit would be an understatement.

It almost felt wrong to be shocked by her reaction because I was the one who encouraged her to get upset with me.

It's been three days, and I haven't seen her since. She was certainly right when she told me to just leave it alone, because I gave her another reason to hate me.

I finally know her honest opinion on me being here, but at what expense? Her feelings?

I wanted nothing more than to apologize to her, but I doubt she'd want to see me after the shit I pulled, forcing her to frustration in a small space. I'm such a dick while she's been nothing but nice since the moment she saw me again.

Zayn has been trying to figure out why the hell I've been so attentive to my surroundings every time we leave our apartment, so I told him what happened and it resulted in him slapping me and calling me many names I would never repeat in front of my mother.

"If you don't go apologize to her right now, I will let Riley rip your dick off like she said she would." He threatened before grabbing my arm and leading me out of the apartment.

I started to panic because I didn't even know what I would say to her besides sorry, and she deserved a lot more than just "sorry."

As he was dragging me up the stares to Maddie's floor, I started to hear giggling.

"Maddie, come back here before you fall." I hear a male voice sigh from the other side of the door.

Once Zayn opened it, we were met with Brandon seeming to hold Maddie up by her waist and walking her over to their door, which left us both confused.

"Is she drunk?" Zayn spoke, walking over to them while I trail behind.

Brandon noticed our presence and sighed. "No, she just got her wisdom teeth removed."

"Can you even see the vagina when having sex with Anna?" Maddie mumbled through the gauze in her mouth, but it was enough for us to understand.

Brandon shook his head in disbelief. "Ask me one more time and I'll let you fall down those stairs."

"Can you e-" Maddie started again but Brandon cut her off.

"Stop talking before your rip open your stitches. Let's go." He walked his loopy, giggling sister into their apartment

After the door closed, I sighed. "Another day, I guess."

"You got lucky." Zayn glared, walking past me to god knows where.

The next day was the same, just me sitting in my room, trying to muster up the courage to go apologize to Maddie before Zayn could drag me by my hair.

He was over at Riley's, which was a little weird considering the amount of times he had gone over there in the past couple of days.

I finally brought myself to my feet, allowing them to take me two floors up to Madison's apartment. I stood in front of her door, knocking lightly until it opened a minute later to reveal just the woman I came to see.

In sweatpants, a baggy t-shirt, and her all tied up, she still took my breath away.

Her eyes squinted through her glasses as she held an ice pack to her face, looking confused.

"Hey." I breathed anxiously. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. What are you doing here?" She asked, exhaustion all over her face. Now I felt even worse for bothering her, seeing how tired she was.

"Actually, it can wait. Sorry to bother you...again." I apologized before taking a step away from the door.

"You're not bothering me. You can come in." She invited, standing up straight.

I stopped walking and tilted my head. "Are you sure? If you're tired, I can come back another day."

"It's fine, I promise. I just woke up so obviously I'm gonna look like I just got attacked by a moose." She chuckled, wincing soon after.

Hesitantly, I enter her apartment and watch as she closed the door with her free hand.

"What's up?"

I opened my mouth to speak, my eyes remaining on her as she sat down on the couch recliner in front of me, gesturing for me to sit as well.

I remove my hands from my hoodie pockets and sit down on the opposite side of the couch, pinching at my rings.

"I just wanted to apologize for the other day. I shouldn't have pressured you into talking to me, and I deserved everything that you said to me." I started off slowly, her attentive eyes making me nervous.

"You did deserve it." She said in a humorous tone, making me smile. At least she was joking about it. "But it's fine. You were right anyways. If I had just been honest from the beginning, we wouldn't have been in that situation."

"I'm still really sorry. The last thing I wanted was to upset you even more." I frowned.

"It's okay." She smiled lightly. "As much as I would love to keep talking about this, I really need to shower."

"Right. I guess I'll go then." I replied, standing up at the same time she did.

"If you want, we can get coffee once I'm able to and talk more?" She suggested, and I had to fight the grin on my face.

This is progress.

"I'd love that." I answered, hiding my excitement. "I hope you feel better."

"Thank you."

Zayn was proud of me for finally talking to her, and the day after, Maddie actually invited everyone to her apartment - at least that's what I thought until we got there.

"I didn't realize the Tylenol came with company." Maddie says in amusement as she sat in the same spot as yesterday, a ceramic bowl in her hands.

"Yeah, they all followed me here. Sorry." Nick apologized, handing her the bottle of Tylenol in his hands. "Mashed potatoes again?"

"It's all I can eat. Sue me." She huffed, struggling to put the spoon into her mouth.

"What about ice cream?" Zayn asked, sitting next to her while I sat on a bar stool next to the counter.

"Too much sugar."

"You're very picky. You know that?" Nick chuckled, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and handing it to her.

She glared at him, opening the bottle and putting a pill in her mouth. I refrained from laughing from when she tried washing it down with the water, but some of the water spilled out of her mouth.

"Whore." She curses at I'm assuming the water.

"You got all four taken out?" Riley asked as Nick went to grab paper towels.

"Yeah. Fucking sucks." She muttered, thanking Nick and wiping her neck after closing the lid on the water and setting it in the cup holder.

"So what, you're gonna sit on the couch all week watching movies?" Zayn retorted, pointing to the movie that was paused on the tv.

"That's the plan." She confirms. "Anna is coming over tomorrow though. I promised Brandon I'd keep an eye on her since her due date is coming up."

"Who's Anna?" I finally spoke up.

"The girl he knocked up." Riley snickered, sitting between Zayn and Maddie.

"Would you stop calling her that? She's actually really sweet." Maddie defended, hitting her friend on the shoulder lightly.

"Why do you have to watch her? Isn't that his job?" Zayn asked.

"He's going to New York for work next weekend so he's been busy. And it's not like I actually have to watch her. I just have to make sure she's comfortable and everything." She explained, mixing around her mashed potatoes with a look of disgust.

"How long is she staying?" Riley asked this time.

"Around two weeks. I don't mind her staying, though. I need company."

"What about us?" Nick pouted.

"No. I'm sick of you people." She answered jokingly, feigning a disgusted scoff.

"I want my Tylenol back." Nick held his hand out, but Maddie slapped it out of the way.

"Suck my dick." She flipped him off. She's Italian, alright.

"Careful because I might actually do it." Nick warned, which made her grimace. The entire argument was hilarious, and we all just watched them bicker.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Very much, that's why I almost accepted." He winked.

"Lovely. Let me drop my pants for you." She said sarcastically, looking at the tv again and pausing the movie.

She was watching her favorite movie, which was Fast Five. She told me her favorite thing about those movies was Paul Walker, and I don't blame her.

"Is there anything else you need before we leave?" He asked, ending their "fight."

"No, thank you." She smiled, bringing her knees to her chest and setting her bowl aside.

"Alright. Text me if you do. Love you." He kissed the top of her head before beginning to watch out, Zayn and I following behind after I smiled at her.

"Riley, can you stay back? I need to talk to you." She spoke as her friend stood up to walk out as well.

While the rest of us left, Riley stayed. I wonder what they were going to talk about.

• • •

"What's up?" Riley asked in confusion after sitting back down.

I turned slightly so I was facing her, concern on my face. "Are you and Louis okay?"

Her face dropped at the mention of him, and that gave me my answer. "I don't know, honestly. He's been...distant."

"Distant?" I asked, wanting her to elaborate.

"Whenever I ask to hang out, he says he's busy, or when he even sees me, he would just turn around and walk away from me looking sad." She explained with a sigh. "The other day, I tried to confront him and he just apologized, but when he kissed me, he looked uncomfortable. I don't know what to do, Maddie. Everything was fine last week."

I mirrored her frown, feeling a little upset about Louis' behavior towards Riley. Was he cheating on her?

"What the hell." I murmured to myself. I felt the need to get up and have a talk with him myself to see what's going on. I was the one who set them up, so to think that it isn't working out between them was a bit upsetting. I wasn't going to forge them together or anything, but I wanted to know what changed with Louis that he's been avoiding Riley.

"Should I try talking to him again?" She asked in defeat.

"No. I'm gonna have a talk with him tomorrow. I'll beat his ass if I have to." I replied, not a hint of hesitation in my voice.

"Don't tell him I talked to you about this. I don't want him to be more upset with me than he already seems to be."

"I won't, don't worry." I smiled sympathetically.

"Can I be honest with you though?" She asked anxiously.

"Always. What's wrong?"

"I know you were rooting for us but...I don't think I'd be that upset if we, you know, broke up." She tells me hesitantly, which wasn't really surprising. "It's not because I don't love him, because I do. It's just...I don't think I love him the way that I should. I'm sorry."

"Riley, you don't have to apologize." I chuckled, putting my hand over her fidgeting ones so she'd stop peeling her nail polish off. "So what if I set you guys up? If you aren't happy with him, I'm not gonna be upset if you break up. It's not my relationship."

Her shoulders slumped in relief. "Really?"

"Really. I love you, and I want to see you happy. Just like I love Louis and I want him to be happy too. Just because I brought you two together, doesn't mean I'm gonna force you to stay together." I continued to reassure her, and it seemed to ease her mind because she looked a hell of a lot more relieved after this conversation.

"Thank you, Maddie."

"No need to. I'll talk to Louis tomorrow and let you know what happens. Okay?" I squeezed her hand and she smiled, nodding her head.

"Okay."

• • •