Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
I wipe my cheek. “He makes me happy. I mean, he aggravates me as much as he makes me happy,” I tease and he laughs, letting go of me. “The first clue that I liked him was when I answered his phone call after taking me to a wellness retreat in the fucking mountains without cell service.” I make a joke about it, the beating of my heart going a million miles a minute. “I’m going to do whatever I need to do to not fuck this up.”
“The good news,” I hear from behind me and turn to see Knox standing there, “is we are going to work on not fucking this up, together. I just came to make sure you were okay.”
“I told you they were fine.” Lexi comes waltzing in. “I told you to give them a minute.”
“It was two,” Knox retorts, “so I gave you double.”
He looks at me and I nod to him, silently telling him I’m okay. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I wrap my arms around his waist—one in the back, one in the front. “We should eat.” I look up at him. “He needs to eat.” Then I look at Kirby. “Thanks for having my back,” I tell him.
“Forever,” he reassures me, and I watch as Lexi walks to him and they share a look. “Let’s get these two fed.”
“Yes,” she agrees with him, “then we can ask all the questions we want.” She looks back at us. “We want to hear all about how this even started.”
“Well, he thought I wanted to suck his dick,” I reply, and Lexi’s eyes go big while Kirby’s face goes rigid, and Knox throws his head back and laughs.
“Of course you would start with that,” he says.
The tightness and nervousness about the conversation leaves the minute that the laugh escapes him. “Is that not how this thing started?” I look up at him and he looks down at me.
The lightness in his eyes and the smile on his face makes me feel like this is how it’s supposed to be. This is what love is. “I would do it again in a heartbeat if it means I’m standing here with you.” He bends to kiss my lips. “But she was also very mean to me.” I’m the one gasping out now. “Let’s eat.”
thirty-five
Knox
I feel the bed dip and the coolness from the covers being moved then placed back on me. I hear Kylie moving about the room as my eyes fly open. The room is still dark as I turn my head on the pillow. I’m in the middle of the bed on my back, my chest still warm from where her head was lying on it not too long ago. One arm is outstretched to the side, while the other one is over my head. Movement from the side has me turning my head to see her walking out of the bathroom wearing the yellow robe she wore yesterday. “Morning,” I mumble as she walks in front of the bed toward the bedroom door.
Her hair is pinned on top of her head. “Morning, did I wake you?” she asks me, coming to the side of the bed and putting one knee into it.
“What time is it?” I ask.
“A little after seven. I didn’t set the alarm because I didn’t want the noise to wake you up.” I smile at her thoughtfulness. “I’m going to go and make myself a coffee. Do you want one?”
“Yeah,” I tell her, “that would be good.” She nods as she comes onto the bed for a quick kiss before walking out of the room. I toss the blankets off me, going to the bathroom and slipping my boxers on before I walk in, wash my face, then head back out to the bed. I get back into bed, propping the pillows behind me and sitting up. My phone on the bedside table starts to ring. I reach over for it and see it’s Josephine. “Hello,” I answer in the middle of the second ring at the same time Kylie walks back into the room.
“Daddy.” Nora’s voice fills my ears. “Daddy.”
“Hey, sweetheart,” I reply, watching Kylie as she gets back into bed with both cups of coffee in her hands. She tries not to spill it as she hands me one of them and then goes to sit beside me, curling her feet under her. “Are you getting ready for school?”
“Yeah, and tonight we are coming to your house.”
“I’m picking you up after school,” I remind her. “What do you guys want to eat for dinner?”
“Macaroni and cheese,” she says, and I laugh as I take a sip of the coffee Kylie made me, draping my arm over her legs, “in the oven.”
“Okay, I can do that,” I agree. “Have a good day at school. I love you. Now, let me speak to your brother.”