“Well, I’ve got an old friend I’m having dinner with.” She nods to the back where Jen has buried herself in a dark corner like aspider.
“Crap.” Knox tips his head back as if he’s had enough of his little sister’s drama. God knowsIhave.
“So, you’re friends, are you?” I can’t help it. I’ve never been one to keep my mouth shut when an injustice pops up my way. “Exchanging recipes, relationship tips, stuff like that?” I glare at her a moment, daring her to say yes. I’m thinking she’s the one that needs to watch her back where I’m concerned. It turns out, I’m the one that cares about Knox more thanshedoes.
“Yes,” she says it loud and caustic as she takes a step in close to me. “You got a problem with that?” Her eyes blow up in size, and the rage exuding from her makes it look as if she’s gunning for a fight, so I do the only thing I can do—Istandup.
“Whoa.” Both Lawson and Knox get up at the same time and wedge themselvesbetweenus.
“Down, girl.” Lawson gives me a quick wink. “Trixie’s going through a lot too,” he says it low, but her face flinchesanyway.
“The hell I am.” She lunges for me, and Knox catches her before she gets within striking range. “You stay the hell away from my brother! You have a lot of nerve messing with his heart after what he went through. Don’t you dare deny you’re using him to make Janelle insane. I don’t care about your stupid little revenge plot. If Jen and Justin want to screw one another’s brains out for the next fifty years, that’s their business—but whatever happens to Knoxismine!”
“You’re cute,” I say from over his shoulder. “You remind me a lot of my little sister, far too mouthy and obnoxiously annoying. What are you doing here with her, anyway? Let me guess. You’d rather spend time with the girl who shit on your brother’s heart than the one that truly caresabouthim.”
She rolls her eyes and pushes herself free from Knox. “Good going, bro. You’ve found another delusional one.” She shakes her head at me. “And let me guess? Next you’ll be proclaiming your love for him. Don’t you get it? This is the rebound effect. You’re both too wounded to notice you’re bleeding out.” She looks into her brother’s eyes with those blue stones that are identical to his. “I’ll be the first to say I told you so when she breaks your heart. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.” She takes off and makes her way to the ditz’s table, and as if things couldn’t get any worse, Justin strides right by, gives Knox the finger, andjoinsthem.
“Oh my God.” It’s as if all my nightmares are morphing into one. But I’ll admit, a tiny part of me is relieved that they’re still together. If Justin and Jen broke up, she might want Knox back. They had two years under the bridge, and Trixie is right—we’re essentially a flash in the pan at thispoint.
My heart wrenches as he looks over at me with that sad smile as if he’s just read my patheticthoughts.
“Come here.” Knox pulls me out to the dance floor and joins his hipstomine.
“Are you in the mood to be doused withDietCoke?”
He grimaces. “It did do wonders formyhair.”
I belt out a laugh. It seems all I ever do with Knox is laugh these days, and I love it. This would technically be laughing in the face of adversity, and I lovethattoo.
“And since we haven’t eaten yet, I think we should grab all the enchiladas we can. I’m a sucker for all that cheesygoodness.”
“Youarea flexible vegan,” he points out, and I meltinside.
“You know what I love best about you?” I dot my lips to his. “You really listen to me when I speak. I can’t believe yourememberthat.”
Knox pulls back, holding me there in his muscular arms, and it doesn’t feel awkward. It doesn’t at all feel like revenge. It just feelsright.
“You know what I love best about you?” His gaze rides over my features, bumping over the landscape of my face so proficiently it might as well be tactile. “The fact you just inadvertently told me youloveme.”
My mouth falls open, and just as I’m about to protest the idea, my insides heat to life. “I do love you.” I give a little shrug. “That’s crazy,Iknow.”
He shakes his head, his expression growing sober by the second. “It’s not crazy because I love you too. I loved you that day at the mixer while I was chasing you down, trying to warn you of everything that was about to topple in your world, and yet deep down, it felt like I was trying to warn myself too.” His eyes squeeze tight. “But I’m so damn glad things turned out beautifully thatnight.”
“What?” I give his chest a light swat. “They turned to shit, remember? It led us into a hotbed of insanity, and we almost committed a doublefelony.”
“I meant what I said. It turned out beautiful. If they hadn’t stepped out of our lives, we never would have found our way to each other. And here we are, together.” He bows his head, his eyes still fixed to mine. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. This past month has beenbeautiful.”
“Beautiful,” I repeat. Knox comes in and presses his lips to mine in a series of easy kisses, beautiful kisses, kisses that say I love you,Ido.
“Break up the party,” a female voice chirps to our left, and I fully expect to find Jen the Menace, but it’s a far more volatile menace—Trixie.
“What?” we say in unison, and Knox gives my ribs a quick squeeze as if to acknowledgethefact.
“It looks like your little ex slut has just upped the ante.” Trixie scowls my way as if she’s talkingaboutme.
“Look”—Knox tightens his embrace—“we’re busy, Trix. Let’s do this some other time. I’ll call you in themorning.”
She glances back to the table where the two nitwits sit with their heads stitched together. “I think we should probably talk now”—she glares at me a moment—“alone.”
