“Very smooth,” Emma says, crossing her arms and sending me a judgmental glare.
“How am I getting the blame? You just accused us of banging behind the shed.”
“It’s all about timing, little bro,” she says, patting my back.
I bow my head, watching Emery disappear into the house. If she thinks she can outrun the tension building between us, she’s crazy. If Emma hadn’t interrupted, I’d be one step closer to cracking that hard exterior wide open. “Yeah, but your timing still sucks.”
Emma winks at me. “That’s for dropping by unexpectedly two weeks ago while Milo was with his dad.”
I flip her off and trail after Emery, my pulse still thrumming from what almost happened. The kiss in the bar is starting to haunt me because now all I can think about is doing it again. Bad enough that I might jeopardize this entire deal just to feel her lips on mine one more time.
CHAPTER 17
EMERY
“You don’t have to help with the dishes, dear,” Knox’s mom says, handing me another plate to dry off.
“I don’t mind,” I say, wishing I would take the same approach to my own sink full of dishes at home. Although I am hoping that Eve will do them, as far as her free stay and weekend entertainment. And she has had plenty of five-star entertainment for the weekend. Trust me.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when Knox said he was bringing a girl home,” Crystal says, quickly rinsing off a cup and handing it to me. “Actually, I don’t think he’s ever brought anyone home.”
“Really?” I ask, gripping the dish in my hand a little too tight.
“Yes,” she smiles, turning off the faucet and drying her hands. “The fact that he brought you over is a big deal. He must really like you.”
I grind my teeth together, but try to keep my face relaxed. She has no clue how wrong she is. This is all an act.
“I really like him too,” I say. The words come out easierthan I expect because they’re not a lie anymore—not really. The man has single-handedly shut down the whole “I hate Knox Cooke’s existence” club. Even my sister, the self-proclaimed president of the club, has resigned.
But even with that reasoning, I know there’s more to this annoying warm feeling buzzing under my skin every time I see him.
Crystal’s eyes soften as she turns toward me. “Good. He deserves someone who won’t give up on him. I know he isn’t perfect, but he has a big heart. He just hasn’t always known how to share it.”
I consider her words carefully, turning over each one in my mind. Knox does have a big heart. He did, too, when we were kids. Heartbreak seems to drown out the good memories between us, but there was a reason it hurt so much when he pushed me away. I fell in love with the way he was soft behind closed doors and was always there for me in a way that I needed after my parents exiled me for the summer. It was easy to think about how much I hated him for what he did. What was hard was thinking about how much I loved him.
“I’m going to go find him,” I say, drying off my hands and carefully setting the towel on the counter. “Thank you for having me.”
“You’re always welcome here,” she says, opening her arms. I stare at them blankly, feeling frozen. “I’m a hugger. I hope that’s okay.”
“Yeah, it is,” I say, accepting the gesture. I can’t ignore the way my heart pounds as she pulls me in close. I can’t remember the last time my own parents hugged me, and it sends a jolt of unwarranted pain to my heart.
Once I pull away from Crystal, I make my way back through the hallway. Eve left a while ago, wanting to head back to my place to pack up her things. She has to hit the road early tomorrow morning and wants to get some rest. And shewas exhausted from chasing around her new friend all night. I wasn’t Milo’s favorite for long.
I hear mumbled voices at the end of the hall, and I pause, not sure if I should interrupt. The closer I get, I realize Knox and his dad are having a conversation that I probably shouldn’t eavesdrop on, but then I hear my name, and I can’t pull myself away.
“Emery seems like she’s good for you,” Knox’s dad says, his voice low but firm. “Good for a lot of things.”
“Yeah,” Knox says before pausing, making me hold my breath. “She’s different.”
Different. What the hell was that supposed to mean? I crane my neck, trying to get my ear closer to the door.
His dad chuckles softly. “I hate to break it to you, son, but you’re screwed. You can play it cool all you want, but you’ve got it bad. You barely took your eyes off her all night.”
“Dad,” Knox groans, but he stops short of saying anything else. It makes my body go tense. Either he is a really good actor or—no, he is just a great actor.
“Don’t try to deny it,” his dad says with a soft tone. “Just shut your mouth and try not to screw it up. I’m already seeing a big shift in the way people look at you. Maybe we can make them forget about all that drama after all. A man in love is good for business.”
That last line makes me cringe, and it’s almost enough to make me interrupt, but I keep listening. I want to hear Knox’s response. I haven’t heard him talk about the incident, and I’ve been too much of a chicken to ask. All I know about are the tiny tidbits that Marie fed me a few weeks ago.
