I gasped. “No!”
Kaiden nodded. “Oh, yes. That was quite the day. But somehow, I don’t think you have to worry about that this time.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
Kaiden raised his eyebrow at me, looking amused. “Because you’re here.”
The butterflies returned with a vengeance.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You do.” Kaiden chuckled. “He’s interested in you, and looks to me like you’re interested in him. You two keep looking at each other all lovey-dovey, standing too close to be platonic.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, biting the inside of my cheek.
“Just promise that you’ll take care of him. He’s had a rough go of things with his nana and his degree. There’s more happening with his dad that he doesn’t want us to know about, but I know Duke knows.” Kaiden turned to face me fully. “Promise that you’ll still be there when the dust settles. He needs to have someone who will stay.”
Just then, the lights flicked back on with a loud sound, and the hollering from the other players grew louder until Knox and Duke emerged, arms slung around each other’s shoulders.
Knox was smiling with Duke, and it wasn’t just a normal smile. It was a wide grin that stretched across his face, making his eyes shine with happiness.
I smiled, despite knowing how dangerous it would be to be caught with a smile like that on my face by Knox’s friends.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Kaiden chuckled before he stood and offered me a hand.
My smile turned guilty, and I accepted his help to my feet. “Yeah. I think you can.”
Kaiden grinned, matching Knox and Duke’s perfectly. He tightened his grip on my hand and dragged me back to the group.
“Last round, then nacho break?” Kaiden asked the group as Tucker slammed into him with their own chaotic embrace.
“Oh, so eager to go back out after you and Lucy went and got yourselves killed?” Duke jabbed his finger in Kaiden’s chest. “You two cost us the round!”
Knox stepped to my side and nudged me, affection lacing his words. “How are you holding up?”
I laced my fingers into his, grateful when I felt him squeeze my hand. “I’m good.” This time, it sounded as honest as it felt. “Really good, actually. Your friends are great.”
The smile Knox sent me was enough to melt me from the inside out. I leaned into his side.
“They are. That’s how I knew you would get along.”
12
KNOX
The smile Lucy had on his face made this entire day worth it.
While I loved my friends dearly, they were a lot to handle on a good day. But dragging Lucy out here, away from the stresses of his life, gave him the opportunity to embrace the fun and chaos of my found family.
“You brought him to meet your family,” Maisie hummed as we reset for our last round of laser tag.
It was 1-to-1, and this round would decide the winning team. According to our longstanding rules, losers bought lunch for the group. Given that my dad was nipping at my heels about Nana’s house, I needed every spare penny to keep the house away from his money-hungry hands.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
But I did. These guys were my family, even if not by blood, and I knew they would take care of Lucy, even if that care meant teasing and poking him like they did to each other. It was how we’d always shown affection.
Maisie rolled her eyes. “I’ve never seen you fall for someone so fast, Knox. We’re happy for you, though. If he’s the one for you, then we’re here to support you all the way.”
