Page 107 of Knot Only For One Night

It’s not a lie, but it’s not the whole truth either. The Outlaws threatened her, and we’ve yet to see them since the brawl, meaning they are using the two brain cells they have to plan something.

Something that could impact Esper.

She nods, a light blush on her cheeks before she walks into her class. They won’t have a chance to touch her if we’re constantly around.

That’s the plan we're working with until we come up with something better. Her safety isn't something any of us takes lightly. Including Ace. So we have a meeting tonight, after she goes to sleep.

I turn towards my own class, and I wonder how she’d feel if I installed a tracker in her phone.

Better yet, make an anklet or something.

I walk into Photography 101 early with Professor Wilde. He’s a younger professor with thick glasses and messy dark hair.

He’s on his computer, his glasses lit by the blue screen as I walk up to his desk. We’re not close, but his admiration, his love for photography has me wondering something.

“Professor, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” he says, turning away from his computer, staring at me with his hands clasped.

“It’s not about the class,” I clarify and he nods encouragingly.

There are so many people I could go to—my parents, Prez—but I feel like I need an outsider’s opinion.

Someone who truly loves what they do.

“How did you know what to do with your life?”

He laughs. Like a full belly laugh. I scoff a bit, rolling my eyes. Okay, okay, yeah, it was a loaded question. But it’s a valid one.

“What makes you think I know?”

“What?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I do what I love. That's it.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.” I nod, and he waits for me to ask something else but… I think I have my answer.

I’ll just do what I love, and I guess the rest will come…

“Hmm, well… Thanks, Professor.”

“Anytime, Neven. Now, do you have the shots I assigned for homework? I’d love to see them now.”

CHAPTER 36

SOREN

“You know we have a washer and dryer in our units, right?” I groan as I throw the truck into park at the WPC Laundromat.

“But I can get mine done so much faster here,” Esper says as she whips open the door and slides out of the truck. Sunshine is on full blast as the door opens, the tint no longer shielding me from being blinded.

The white brick building and the black benches outside of it remind me of when my little stalker waited me out, day after day.

How I wasted so much damn time by avoiding her.

I’ll spend the rest of our lives making it up to her.