Henry stiffens beside me, but he quickly forces a smile. “Hey, Knox.”
Knox’s attention shifts to me, turning with a smirk. “Hey, I’m Knox.”
“We’ve met.”
“I know. I just wanted to see how you’d react,” he boasts. “I’ll give you one more chance to pick the right brother. He may be charming, but I know how to have a good time.”
I flush, caught off guard by his teasing, but Henry brushes it off with a roll of his eyes.
“What do you want, Knox?” Henry asks.
I glance to my right, and I feel my heart skip a beat at the playful smile planted on Henry’s lips. Heat surges deep in my gut, and my spine sits straighter.
Knox crosses his arms, leaning against the side of Henry’s car. “I’m heading out to this brewery outside of town in a bit for Trivia. You guys should come. It’s a blast. And, bonus, I’m undefeated.”
Henry shakes his head. “I don’t think so. We’ve had a long day.”
Knox waves off the excuse. “Come on, Henry. You knowyou’ll have more fun with me than sitting at home brooding. And Emma, I hear you’re a librarian. We’d be unstoppable.”
I glance at Henry, unsure how to respond. His jaw tightens, but then he looks at me, his eyes searching for an answer. I give him a slight head nod to let him know I’ll support whatever he decides.
“Okay,” he finally answers after a long pause, surprising both Knox and me. “But only for one round.”
Knox beams. “That’s the spirit! I need to take a shower, and I’ll be ready to head out. It starts at eight, but I’ll text you when I’m getting ready to leave.” He claps Henry on the back before sauntering off toward the house.
“Trivia, huh?” I question, turning to Henry with a small smirk.
“You don’t have to go,” he says, reaching behind his neck. “I just have a hard time saying no to Knox. He’s a pain in my ass.”
“No, I’ll go,” I answer way too quickly. I wasn’t ready for our interaction to be over yet. And I desperately needed to know what he was about to say.
“Okay,” he says with a smile. “Let’s head home, and I’ll tell you when to be ready.”
I give him a polite nod, and we both turn away from the thick tension between us. I walk toward my car, my chest light with a mix of nerves and anticipation.
This night was far from over.
CHAPTER 15
The drive home is a blur of thoughts and emotions, with Henry’s almost-confession replaying in my mind—his voice, the way he said my name, the unspoken words hanging between us. I turn the dial of my radio, trying to drown out the feeling of being out of control—a feeling I usually loathe, but tonight, it felt different.
By the time I step into my apartment, I’m buzzing. There’s only one person who can help me sort through this chaos, and thankfully, she picks up the FaceTime call on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey! Do you have a few minutes? I need help picking out an outfit.”
I barrel through my bedroom door and almost trip over the pile of dirty clothes in the middle of my room. I really need to do the laundry.
“Oh. My. God. Do you have a date? Please tell me you have a date.”
I roll my eyes with a playful smile before propping up my phone on my dresser. “No. I’m going to this trivia night thing with Henry and his brother.”
Before Wren can answer, I hear a creak above me and confirm Henry is in his apartment.
“Two men at once? Not really my thing, but I’m here for it.”
“Wren,” I groan, pulling a top from the pile and tossing it onto the growing stack of rejects.
