Jesse poked at a chicken strip.“I wasn’t feeling bad.”
“No, but you were…” Knox paused, searching for the right word.
“Edgy,” Jesse supplied, his dark eyes meeting Knox’s.
Knox picked up his patty melt and took a bite.It, too, warmed up well in the air fryer.“Yeah.Me, too.”
“I noticed.Scared me a little.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.”Knox reached for the beer he’d decided to have with his dinner.“I crossed a line.”
“You didn’t.Came close,” Jesse admitted.“But you didn’t cross it.And I understand.”
Knox washed down his sandwich with a swig of beer.“I’m glad you do, because I don’t.”
“You like her.”
His beer empty, Knox went to the fridge for another.“That’s not news.”
“No, I mean youlikeher.You like her like I like her.Like you like me.”
“I love you,” Knox reminded him.
“Yeah.”Jesse nodded, dark eyes watchful.“I know.”
Knox sighed and put the second beer back.There was a knot under his heart that was making it hard to breathe.“I know what you want, Jess.”
“You want it, too.”
He did.God, he did.But… “Complicated, remember?”
Jesse nodded.“I remember.I also remember what Lou said tonight.”
“Life is complicated,” Knox murmured and sat back down.“She’s not wrong.”
“She also said to figure out what’s important, then go for it.”
“It’s not that simple,” Knox protested.
“I know.”Putting down his chicken strip, Jesse grasped Knox’s hand with greasy fingers.“I know it’s not.But is it important?”
Knox stared at down their hands, thought of the longing he felt whenever he saw Chloe, whenever he thought of her.“Yeah.”
Jesse’s mouth, so pretty, so expressive, curved upward.“Then I guess we gotta find our balls, and go for it.”
Chapter Seven
Chloe arched her back to ease the ache between her shoulder blades and checked the clock.The fading light told her it was late afternoon, and the clock confirmed it.Mondays always flew by, her one true day off of the week, and it seemed she never got as much work done as she hoped.But she’d managed enough, and after a quick break, would set up to take pictures of the pieces she’d finished.With any luck she’d be able to get them listed in her online shop before she went to bed, and could allow herself to sleep in a bit tomorrow.
Tuesdays were her long days, eleven to close, and getting a couple of extra hours of sleep meant the difference between a long day and a long, miserable day.
Rising from her worktable, she went to the kitchen for a drink.She’d lost track of time, and her water bottle had been empty for hours, so she filled a glass and drained it standing at the sink, then filled it again and sipped more slowly.She was contemplating what to do for dinner—scrambled eggs, the fiscally responsible yet boring choice, or takeout Chinese, the thing she really wanted to eat but shouldn’t spend money on—when her phone buzzed.
She picked it up, saw Gwen was calling, and swiped to answer.“H’lo.”
