I curse under my breath and slowly sit up—my entire body creaks in protest.
Smiling bravely, I bite the inside of my cheek and roll down the window. “We have to stop meeting like this,” I joke, hoping it will distract from the awkward vibe I’m surely putting off.
But panic ensues when Knox doesn’t so much as crack a smile. “What’s going on?”
“Right,” I swallow hard. “Do you mind if I get out of the truck first?” He nods before taking a few steps back, giving me room to open the door.
“How long have you been back?” he asks, filling in the silence that I’m doing a terrible job of letting simmer between us.
“I came straight here from New York,” I say breathlessly. “I had to see you.”
Knox raises both brows before crossing his arms. “Really?”
“Yes,” I answer, hope bubbling up in my chest. “I wanted to tell you this in person because it’s important and I’vegotten a little too comfortable with my avoidant detachment style, but I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“Okay,” he says, confusion weighing down the corners of his mouth.
I open my mouth, but before I have the chance, more gibberish that has nothing to do with why I’m here, Knox interrupts me. “Listen, Emery. I told you how I feel, and I’ve given you space to think. I know it was a lot for you to hear, but I’m not going to apologize for coming on too strong. Although I understand why you need to take this next step without me.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, cutting him off.
His lips fall open, searching my face for something he comes up empty-handed for. “Aren’t you here to tell me you’re selling the building?”
“No,” I say, wrinkling my forehead. “I came here to tell you I’m staying and I—wait, where did you hear that?”
“I was at Marie’s coffee shop this morning, and one of the older ladies was talking about the sale,” he says, shoving his hands into his front pockets. “I was upset you didn’t tell me, but I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Now his body language makes more sense. “Knox Cooke,” I say with a playful smile. “You should know better than to believe in rumors.”
He looks up at me, and a glimmer of excitement shines behind his eyes. “You’re not selling?” he asks, bouncing on the heels of his feet.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not sure why I entertained the idea in the first place, because…” And then the words get caught in my throat.
“Because what, Bambi?” he asks, looking at me with enough intensity to send me off the deep end.
I bite the inside of my cheek and lean against Knox’s truck. Suddenly, the urge to talk about anything else comes over me. “Thank you for letting me borrow your truck. Imade sure I filled it up,” I say, leaving out the fact that it was full before sitting here for half an hour. I’m sure that’s not the case anymore.
“No more stalling,” he says with a somehow serious yet half-cocked smirk. “I know I’ve been letting you off the hook, but not anymore. I need—” he pauses, taking a step closer. “I need you to tell me how you feel. No more bullshit half answers or maybes.”
My pulse hammers—no, it thunders—inside my chest. I inhale sharply, trying to keep my voice steady, and then it all seems to snap into place when I let my eyes rest on his. Two floating orbs of dark and light blue, twisting into a calm sea, make me feel steady even on the worst of days. He makes me feel everything I’ve been searching for and more.
“I’m here because I’m an idiot for not telling you that I love you too,” I begin. His mouth parts in protest, but I cut him off. “I know I’ve called you an idiot hundreds of times even before this summer, but now it’s my turn to take that title.”
I take another calming breath and continue. “I shouldn’t have walked away, Knox. I thought space was the one thing I needed to make a clear decision based on what I want and nothing else. But then I realized that I wasn’t letting myself want the things I’ve been craving the most.”
“And that is?” Knox asks, tilting his head to the right. Warm light caresses the side of his face where my hands itch to touch.
I bite my bottom lip, contemplating how to get to the one place I’ve been edging toward all summer.
“You.” It’s a single, but honest answer. There’s no need to complicate my feelings anymore. “I’m tired of telling myself that I can’t want you. That I can’t want a future with you or this town. I’m still wrestling with the insecurities I’ve had since I was a teenager, and I’m tired. This whole summer, you’ve shown me that you’re the kind of man that I candepend on, and all I’ve done is push you away. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“Good,” he smiles. Knox steps forward and hovers his hands above my hips, using his eyes to ask for permission. I nod with a shy smile, and he grabs my waist eagerly before pulling me in. I rest both palms against his broad chest.
“I don’t want space, Knox. I just want you. I love you.”
CHAPTER 27
KNOX
