“Sorry that took a while.” He lowers himself into the chair beside me, vinyl squeaking under his weight. “Grandpa’s awake. They’re keeping him overnight for observation.”
Relief unfurls through me. “That’s good news.”
“Yeah.” His voice is rougher now, like it’s been sanded down. “He’s in pain but still himself. Told the nurse their coffee tasted like burnt regret.”
Laughter spills from my lips. “That’s kinda funny.”
Knox huffs a small smile, then goes quiet, hand resting on his thigh. I reach over, threading my fingers through his, and his hand closes around mine right away, firm.
“You okay?” I ask.
He nods, eyes on speckled laminate flooring beneath his shoes. “Just tired. Seeing him like that…” He cuts himself off, jaw tightening. “Maybe incidents like these hit different when it’s someone who used to seem unbreakable.”
I lean closer until my shoulder brushes his, the hush between us filling the space where words would only get in the way.
After a moment, Knox nudges my shoulder. “Told him about you. Mom and Grandma, too.”
Eyes wide, I ask, “What did you tell them?”
“Everything. How we met. Stripe and Shadow. That Millie, who Grandma and Grandpa know well, came home early, which led to you moving in. I even told them about our no-real-life rule. No last names. No strings. Just summer. And how that agreement’s grown somewhat…complicated.”
My pulse skips. “Complicated how?”
He tilts his head, that half-smile curving his mouth. “Complicated as in you’re not just the hot girl next door anymore.”
His words hang there, crackling the air between us.
“So…” A shaky laugh slips out. “What am I?”
His mouth curves, eyes molten as his hand tightens around mine. “Someone who feels a lot less like ‘just summer’…and a lot more like all seasons.”
Butterflies swirl low in my belly as the hum of waiting-room chatter fades beneath what we’restillnot saying aloud.
“Better be careful,” I murmur. “You’re drifting awfully close to breaching our no-feelings contract.”
Knox leans in, breath brushing my lips, a low rumble meant only for me. “Are you going to sue me, Cami?”
My lips part, but I don’t trust what might come out. So, instead, I draw a slow breath, fingers tightening around his like I can hold this moment still.
“Actually,” I manage, mouth tilting at the corner, “we could settle out of court…”
A nurse passes by, the moment thinning but never breaking.
Several beats pass before Knox glances toward the hallway, then back to me. “C’mon, Bubble Girl. They’re excited to meet you.”
“Wait.” My heart stumbles. “Now?”
He nods, lips twitching into that almost-smile. “Mom insisted. Said she wants to thank the woman who drove all this way with me.”
Somewhere between panic and excitement, my stomach dips. “Knox?—”
He squeezes my hand, his thumb tracing slow circles against my skin. “You’ll be fine. I told you on the drive up, they’re going to love you.”
I swallow hard. “Yeah, well, you’re biased.”
“True.” He gets to his feet. “But I’m also right.”
The look he gives me as he tugs me off the seat makes it hard to breathe.
