“Aye, I suppose I am if it means saving those delicate fingers,” I reply, letting the teasing tone slip in, though there’s a hint of seriousness beneath it.
She quirks her head, considering it for a second. “I assume these lessons come at a cost?”
“I think having dinner with me would cover it.”
Did I just say that? The words are barely out of my mouth, but there they are, hanging in the air between us, bold and reckless and completely unplanned.
I asked her out in exchange for teaching her knife safety. Romantic. What the hell am I doing?
She’s not a fling. She deserves more than flirtation wrapped in sarcasm. She deserves patience. Clarity.
I get the sense she’s definitely not looking for someone to complicate things, especially not someone with a tangled past. It’s the perfect reason to stay far, far away from whatever this is.
But then again…she did ask if I was offering.
“Very bold assumption that I’d want to have dinner with you,” she teases, but I catch the slight tremor in her voice. “But, um, just so I’m clear, is that a real offer? Dinner?”
The question gives me a chance to backpedal and pretend I didn’t mean it, or perhaps to retreat before things get messy. But I don’t hesitate. Not for a second.
I step closer, letting the space between us shrink, because the distance feels all wrong now.
“Juliette, I’d really like it if you’d have dinner with me sometime.”
She looks at me, really looks at me. I swear the whole world stills. She blinks, just once, her breath catching ever so slightly, and that’s when I know for a fact she feels it, too. That moment when everything stops being a question and just becomes what it is.
There’s no retreat, no laughter to deflect. She doesn’t pull back, doesn’t break eye contact. For a moment, I want to stay there and try to decipher every flicker of emotion crossing her face.
“I’d like that, too,” she finally says, her voice softer than before. “But I need to think about it, if that’s okay?”
“Of course that’s okay, lass.”
She gives a subtle nod, her gaze lingering just a moment longer. I think we’re both on the same page, even if we don’t know exactly what the story is yet.
“I just want to make sure it’s a good idea,” she adds.
I always joke about Callan being the foolish flirt, but it looks like I’ve taken the crown. I’m not the type to jump into my feelings. Hell, I barely likeacknowledgingI have them most days. For the past two years, I’ve kept my head down, handled my shit, and didn’t complicate things. That’s been the whole playbook.
But then Lucy went and said that throwaway comment that landed harder than it should’ve.
When do you get to be just Knox?
Never.
It might’ve been a little reckless to ask her out, but that wasn’t my intention. Either way, I’m going to chase this feeling with Juliettecarefullyfrom now on.
I let out a breath. “I get it. And…sorry if I made things awkward. Here’s the deal, though. If you want to take me up on the offer, reach out whenever. If you’re just after the lesson, no worries. I’m happy to give that to you. No charge.” I flash her a wink, though it’s more for show than anything else.
Her melodic laughter rings out. When her eyes light up, that spark flickering back, I can’t fight the grin that spreads across my face.
“You’ve got a deal.”
It’s latewhen I get home, and I’m just about to sink into the couch cushions. The house is still. Silent. Everything’s in its place, just how I like it.
But then, a high-pitched screech slices through the air, followed by a blur of gray darting past the window outside. Ifreeze, the calm moment instantly shattered by the chaos. A little pulse of irritation rises in me because Ilikemy peace.
I should ignore it. Whatever it is can figure itself out, but I find myself moving toward the front door, too curious to let it go. I ease the door open just enough to see what’s happening on the other side.
In an instant, a small creature races past me, and before I can fully process what’s happening, it’s inside.
