Charlie gotout of the truck and slammed the door shut. Knox, being the gentleman he was, insisted on walking her up the stairs to her apartment. The pouring rain made it hard to see, and she struggled to enter her door’s key code. When she opened it, she hesitated, wanting to fling herself into his arms and ask for a do-over. But she resisted the urge and dashed inside, closing the door firmly behind her. The sound of his footsteps, descending the stairs, confirmed he wouldn’t be trying to win her back tonight. He was done.
She plopped down on the couch and wrapped herself in a fleece blanket. Though she needed to change out of her costume and hang it up, she couldn’t make herself move. The tears kept coming until her entire body was heaving with sobs.
How could Knox have treated her this way? He’d dug in deep, attacking her where it would hurt the most. She should have been furious, but all she could feel was a crushing sense of regret.
Even if his words stung, they were justified. After Thanksgiving, she’d intended to talk to her mother, to tell her that inviting Randolph to the buffet had been an underhanded trick. But she’d lost her nerve. And then, after her mother had made yet another snide comment about Knox parking his truck in the driveway, Charlie hadn’t defended her decision to have him sleep over. Instead, she’d started spending the night at his place to escape judgment.
Charlie Fraser, you’re nothing but a coward.
That wasn’t the worst of it. After promising to support Knox tonight, her ugly confrontation with Lila had attracted Evan’s attention and gotten them kicked out of the gala.
If she hadn’t lost her shit, they could have survived the night without incident. Once they were back at Knox’s place, they could have ranted about Evan together. Called him horrible names, invoked curses upon him, and then tumbled into bed, grateful to have each other.
Instead, she’d ruined everything.
Twenty-Five
Knox wokeon Sunday with a killer headache. As he sat up in bed, exhaustion crested over him like a wave. He grabbed his phone, hoping no one had texted him during the wee hours of the night. Right now, he couldn’t deal with anyone—not even Charlie. Fortunately, his phone didn’t display any notifications.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d sunk to this level of misery.
Oh, wait. He could. Five years ago, he’d gone through this exact scenario when he’d woken at Logan’s place, the morning after Lila dumped him. At least this time, he’d resisted the urge to drown his sorrows in booze. Nothing worse than battling a hangoveranda mountain of regret.
And right now, he was deeply regretting last night’s fiasco. Given that he’d abandoned his station two hours early, he probably wouldn’t get paid. Despite his joy at seeing Zack and Norah again, the night had ended on such a sour note that he hadn’t gotten the closure he’d hoped for. If anything, his argument with Charlie had made him feel even more pathetic about the way he’d fled from Vancouver with his tail between his legs.
Worse yet, he’d taken out his anger on her. Though she should have eased up last night, he could have told her—gently—that he was done talking aboutThe Hidden Forestuntil he was emotionally ready to discuss it. Instead, he’d struck her where she was most vulnerable.
He wanted to call her and apologize for his behavior. To tell her how much she meant to him. But before he talked to her, he needed to figure out his own shit. Even if she’d pushed him to the breaking point, she’d been right. He’d never be able to put his past behind him if he didn’t tell his side of the story. To do so, he’d have to step out of the shadows and expose himself. The backlash could be terrible, but it was better than letting the resentment fester inside him.
Clearly, he wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep. He took a quick shower and made a pot of coffee. As he was downing his second cup, his phone buzzed with a text.
He read the message twice, unsure if he was being punked.
Lila: Knox, it’s Lila. Any chance you’re free this morning? I’d like to get together.
How the fuck had she known how to reach him? After leaving Vancouver, he’d erased all traces of Mac Iverson, including his phone number. He’d only shared the new one with the few people he could still trust, like Logan.
Knox: How’d you get this number?
Lila: I tracked down the woman running the gala and asked for it. BTW, she was pissed at you.
Knox couldn’t help but chuckle at her honesty.I’m pretty sure her boss would like my head on a platter. He should be thankful I wasn’t publicly arrested.
Lila: True. It wouldn’t have been a good look. Anyway, can you meet with me?
Knox: Sure. But only you. No Evan.
Lila: He’s still asleep. Let’s meet in the gazebo outside the Grand Duke. 30 minutes?
Knox: I’ll see you there.
The timing was tight, but if he hurried, he could make it. He drove downtown, parked his truck in a public lot, and dashed over to the Grand Duke, wincing as the wind off the ocean buffeted him in the face. Last night’s rain had given way to a sunny, chilly morning, the blue sky overhead dotted with fluffy white clouds.
The wooden gazebo sat amid a neatly manicured garden off to one side of the hotel. Lila was already seated on one of the benches, bundled in a black woolen coat and wearing sunglasses, black gloves, and a fur hat. Knox was about to suggest they take their conversation somewhere warmer, like Alma’s Beanery, but she was probably trying to avoid being recognized.
As he sat beside her, he caught a whiff of her signature scent. A light, floral fragrance with a hint of jasmine, the same one she’d worn when they were together. Despite his unease at meeting with her, the familiarity made him smile. “Good morning, Lila.”
“Hi, Knox. Thanks for coming.” Her voice was as soft and melodious as ever, all the rough edges smoothed out.
