“No. Atticus and Felix are?—”
“Wait, Atticus…as in Atticus Hoffman?” I interrupt.
“Yes,” she says brightly. “I should have guessed you knew him. He’s friends with Betty.”
“I don’t know him,” I correct her. “But I know of him. His work is stunning. I didn’t realize he and Betty knew each other.”
“Oh, yeah. Apparently, they’ve known each other for years. She’s offered him a spot at the studio. She didn’t tell you?” Tori’s expression turns worried, like she thinks I’ll be upset, but I’m not. Atticus is a genius, and it’s a major boon for the studio if he’s going to be working out of it.
“She didn’t mention it, but truthfully, I was dealing with some stuff back in Rapid City, so I’m a little out of the loop. That’s amazing, though. Is he in town already?”
“No, he and Felix—they’re twins too—are incredibly close. Felix is a sculptor, and he’s working on a piece. He won’t leave Cali until it’s done, and Att won’t leave without him. Att found them a house with a studio space for Felix, so they’ll be here once he’s finished whatever it is he’s working on.”
We chat amiably for the next half an hour, until Nero asks Knight to help him move something he can’t lift in the roof garden, and the guys head for the stairs that lead to the roof.
“I can see it now,” Tori says the moment they’re gone.
“See what?” I ask, not sure I want to know the answer.
“I wasn’t sure how you’d fit, but I see it now.”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “Knight is just so…sure, and I…” I trail off, struggling to put what I’m feeling into words.
“Knight wouldn’t have come for you on a whim. If he says he’s sure, then he’s sure, and it’s pretty obvious that even if you’re worried, you’re sure too. The way you look at each other—it’s beautiful. I’m sorry that I was so shocked when you got here. Knight and I are close, and I guess I just figured he’d tell me if he’d met the woman he wanted to marry.”
“I think he was a little scared to tell you,” I say with a wry smile.
“He was?”
“Yeah, I think so. He squeezed my hand so tight before we came into the shop that I thought he was going to break my fingers. And if it’s any consolation, I had no idea he had feelings for me before he knocked on my door. But since the moment he stepped into my apartment, he’s been taking care of me, and I’ve never had a man treat me like that before.”
Tori’s face softens into a smile. “He’s a good man.”
Sighing, I nod. “Yeah, I think he is.”
“But you’re still worried?” she surmises.
“It’s…fast, and my last relationship was…toxic. I let myself get so wrapped up in who he wanted me to be that I stopped caring about what I wanted. Right now, I’m not sure if I’m the best judge of character. I’ve made this huge life decision because I’ve allowed how sure Knight is about us to act like a Band-Aid for how unsure I am. I know he treats me well. I know he’s a good man. But at the end of the day, we barely know each other.”The more I talk, the more I start to question all these insanely large life choices I’ve made in the last week. Knight is incredibly persuasive, great in bed, and just a beautiful, caring person, but are they good enough reasons to get married?
I’m dragged from my questioning thoughts by the sound of male voices seconds before the door to the roof opens and Knight and Nero reappear. The moment I lay eyes on Knight, a sense of peace settles over me, making me question why I have so many questions about our relationship in the first place.
That’s what he does to me. He…settles me. I don’t know if it’s because a part of me knows he’ll take care of me, or because having him claim me so boldly and so permanently makes me feel like we’re an us—exactly the way he says we are.
We hang out with Tori and Nero for another thirty minutes, but despite trying to stay present, my mind keeps wandering. After we say goodbye, Knight takes my hand and holds it tightly as he leads us out of the store and across the street to his car. In what’s become our usual routine, he waits for me to climb into the seat, then leans over me and carefully straps me into the seat belt. Running his knuckles over my nipple, he smooths the strap to ensure it’s not twisted before pressing a soft kiss to my lips and closing me in the car.
Neither of us speaks as he runs through the routine he does before he starts the car, then the sound of the engine surrounds us, and I rest my head back against the seat and watch the small-town scenery turn into the rugged green trees and fields as we start to ascend the mountain.
After living in Las Vegas, then Rapid City, I’m still in awe of just how beautiful Rockhead Point is. Despite the town being busy with shops and tourists, it still feels unsullied by modernity, and less than ten minutes after leaving the bakery, we’re surrounded in three directions with the kind ofnothingness that is inspiring. My fingers itch with the urge to draw, but I don’t even know where my sketchbooks are.
Since reconnecting with Abel, I’ve felt zero desire to create anything, until now.
“Have you opened any of my boxes that you had shipped from Rapid City?” I ask Knight.
“No. But if you want to, we can unpack them when we get home. We still need to order some furniture too, though.”
“I don’t really want to unpack. I just wanted my sketch pad and pens.”
“I’ll find them,” he assures me, his expression stern, like I’ve given him a mission, not simply mentioned something I want.
