Get it together, Knightly.
Five deep breaths, two flexes of my jaw, and I head back in.
Nova’s in the front now, trying to herd people like cattle. She’s got that deceptively polite smile on. Tight and professional, which means she’s this close to losing it. She clocks me immediately, eyes narrowing as I step onto the floor.
“Do not murder anyone,” she mutters as I pass.
“No promises,” I growl.
Then I see it, table seven, phones up like they’re filming a cooking show. One guy’s halfway to climbing onto his chair to get a better angle.
I make my way over, ignoring the woman trying to touch my arm as I pass.
“Hey,” I snarl. “You filming something?”
The guy grins like he’s spotted Bigfoot in the wild. “Dude, yeah, my followers are eating this up. Can I get you saying something to the camera?”
“You can get your phone off my line.”
He laughs, thinks I’m joking. “Come on, man. You used to be on camera all the time, don’t pretend you’re shy now.”
Something in me snaps.
I lean closer. “This is a restaurant. Not a theme park. Not a meet and greet. Not your personal content farm.”
His smile falters.
“Put the phone away or get the hell out.”
He blinks, caught off guard. “Whoa. Okay. Chill.”
“I’m not going to chill. You’re filming my team without consent, invading the space we built with your bullshit. You want a selfie? Go stand in front of the damn chalkboard menulike everyone else. You want a show? Go home and stream old games.”
I can feel eyes on me now. Phones turning, murmurs rippling. Doesn’t matter. I’ve already gone too far to walk it back.
Nico appears at my side like she’s been teleported in.
“Everything okay over here?”
The guy raises his hands. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“She’s going to walk you out now,” I say, stepping back.
Nico raises a brow at me as she starts ushering him toward the door. “Let’s take a breather, sir. I’m happy to comp your coffee.”
“Wow,” I hear him mutter, “Knox Knightly’s a real asshole in person.”
Good. Let them post that.
I turn back toward the kitchen, the fire still burning in my chest, but now it’s tinged with shame. Gracie’s watching me through the pass. Wes looks like he wants to sink into the floor.
Even Nova glances back over her shoulder with that expression I haven’t seen from her in years.What the hell was that?
And honestly? I don’t know.
I just know I miss the quiet. I miss Josie.
And I’m starting to wonder if the second the spotlight found its way back in… I lost both.
