“I’ll stop, but…” He holds up his hand and reaches for mine and squeezes it, “just wanted you to know.”
“Thank you, Viktor,” I tell him and swallow down the lump in my throat. “No one has ever said that to me before.”
His eyes show the shock he must feel, but he doesn’t make me feel like I’ve missed out, he just smiles. “Go pose for your pictures.” He motions toward the front of the venue.
I kiss his cheek before walking away from him and looking down, blinking away the tears. I stand with Lexi as we welcome everyone to the event, and I’m trying my best to remain calm, but the nerves in my stomach are making it hard to even breathe at this point.
“I’ll be right back,” Lexi says, walking to her uncle, Kirby following her, and I am about to tell him to get back here when the door opens and Knox steps in.
His eyes land on mine before I can make a run for it and rush away from the door. “Hey,” he says, looking around, “this is—” He nods.
“Yeah,” I sigh, putting my hand on my stomach. The flutters are for a whole different reason now that I see him standing here, wearing a black suit that looks like it was made for him. Chances are it was, but whatever. “It’s?—”
“You okay?” he asks me, and I shake my head. I have no idea why I’m actually telling him the truth. Everyone has asked me how I’m doing tonight, and I’ve lied to each and every one of them. “What’s wrong?”
I look over at him, my voice going lower to make sure no one else but him can hear. “I’m just nervous.” I fight the way my nose stings and my eyes get so dry they burn. “This is a big deal, and I don’t want to let Lexi down.”
“Kylie,” he says my name softly, “this place is packed, and every single seat has been sold. You did this. You should be proud.” I swallow the lump. “It’s going to be so successful that people will be champing at the bit to buy a ticket for next year.” I smile at his words, forgetting the fact I don’t really like him. Well, I liked him for about thirty minutes, then I immediately stopped liking him again. “You are going to smash it.” His words of support are words I didn’t know I needed, especially from him. He was the last person I wanted to hear these words from, yet it gave me a push.
I take a big inhale and smile at him. “That’s the first time you haven’t ruined the night by speaking to me,” I tell him, and he chuckles.
“Hey, man,” Kirby says, coming to us, “about time you showed up.”
“Yeah, sorry, the sitter was late,” he explains and looks at me one more time before looking at Kirby. “Sorry.”
“Jaxon and Ariella saved you a seat.” He points to the table off to the side.
“Got it,” he says, nodding and walking away.
“Okay, it’s time,” Kirby says, and I shake my head. “You got this.” He puts his arm around my shoulders and walks with me to the stage at the front. Lexi is there waiting with the microphone. “Here she is.”
“I hate you,” I mumble to both of them as Lexi walks up the steps and then reaches for my hand and pulls me up.
“If I can get everyone’s attention,” she announces and everyone stops talking as her voice fills the room. I look over at her father, who is filming this whole thing, and I almost burst out laughing. “On behalf of the Make The Choice Foundation, I want to thank you all for coming to our first ever event,” she says, and the room erupts in cheers. “It’s a foundation near and dear to my heart, and I’m hoping with the proceeds from tonight, we’ll be able to help even more families start a new chapter.” She hands me the mic and I shake my head, making everyone laugh. “You’ll be fine, it’s all my family anyway.”
I grab it from her, putting it to my mouth. “I’m really not good at public speaking. That was supposed to be Lexi’s part.” I motion with my head to her. “But like Lexi, I want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to come and celebrate with us.” The cheers start again and my heart speeds up. “Believe it or not, everyone in this room has been around someone who has suffered domestic abuse.” The room goes eerily quiet. “Whether it was verbal, mental, or physical abuse, the effects can be long lasting,” I tell them. "Regardless of who inflicts the abuse, a spouse or a parent, no one should be living in terror and walking on eggshells around their family. No one should be living in fear because of the person who is supposed to love and cherish them. Right now, I ask that you look to the person beside you, look at those all around this room. Sadly, you don’t know what people are going through within the four walls of their own home. The person next to you, the person across the table from you could be fighting to live. Fighting to survive each day.” I look over at Lexi. “Some of the best of us have suffered in silence; it’s time to speak up.” I smile at her as she slips her hand in mine. “It’s time to make the choice.”
I swallow the lump and hand her back the microphone. As I look down at my feet and then look up again at everyone, who are now on their feet, the roar of clapping fills the room, and Lexi lets go of my hand to clap too. My eyes somehow find Knox’s in the crowd of people as he smiles big, and I can hear his voice clear as day saying, “Told you, you would smash it.”
eleven
Knox
She finds my eyes in the middle of the crowd as I clap my hands. “That speech, how do I follow that up?” Lexi says, but my eyes are on Kylie as she looks at her and shakes her head. “We are going to have our first course served and then come back with you later for some auction prizes.”
I sit back down and take the black linen napkin and put it over my leg as I listen to the conversations around me. My mind spins as the words she just said replay in my head over and over again. Is it possible she’s been through an abusive relationship? Has she escaped something like she was alluding to?
“What are you going to bid on?” Ariella leans over Jaxon, who leans back in the chair, and asks me and I shrug.
“No idea,” I tell her. “Want to come with me and go check things out?”
“Dude.” He pushes me away. “Get your own girl.”
I laugh at him, putting my napkin back on the table. “Relax, she’s not really my type,” I assure him, looking at Ariella standing up and snorting. “No offense.”
She laughs. “Oh, trust me. Me and you”—she uses her finger to point to each of us—“would never happen.”
I put my hand to my chest. “I’m hurt.”
