Captured Love (The Crestwood University #3)

27. Knox

27

KNOX

T he soft sound of Selene’s fingers tapping against the dashboard draws my attention to her briefly before I turn my eyes back to the road. She seems to be intently focused on the landscape out of the window versus anything else. I’m not sure if it’s nerves about meeting my family or something else entirely.

“You’re not second-guessing this, are you?” I ask. I keep my tone light so as not to freak her out.

“Um…no, I’m not second-guessing. Just… thinking.”

I accept that answer instead of pushing for more. The last thing I want is to make her feel cornered, especially when she’s walking into a situation that is as overwhelming as this. It’s only a couple of more minutes before I’m putting my car into park as Willow is walking down the stairs with her phone in hand and a small bag in the other.

“There she is,” I say.

Selene looks up, and the second her eyes land on Willow, she looks back at me with her mouth open wide. “Wait… is that Willow?”

I frown, glancing between the two of them. “Yeah? Why?”

Willow notices us then, shoving her phone into her pocket and heading toward the car. The moment she opens the door and spots Selene, her mouth falls open. “What the hell?”

“Oh shit, I forgot you two met each other…” I can’t remember where it was.

Willow slides into the backseat, still staring at Selene. “Hiking. Hailey, Jade, and Isla were there too.” She pauses for a split second before a smirk appears. “This weekend just got a whole lot more interesting.”

“You could say that again,” Selene mumbles. “Knox didn’t say anything besides that his sister was coming with us.”

“And he mentioned that he was bringing a friend home with us, but I thought it was one of his teammates.” Willow’s eyebrows shoot up as she puts on her seatbelt, and then she bursts out laughing. “You’ve been hanging out with my brother to the point where he invited you to Mamita’s birthday party and you didn’t even know? Oh, this is too good.”

“I didn’t exactly think it was relevant,” I mutter, putting the car back into drive and starting the journey to home.

“Not relevant?” Willow says. “Oh, Selene, you’re in for a treat. This guy is a disaster.”

“I’m sitting right here,” I point out, but it doesn’t matter because they’re already ignoring me.

“Big brother, this was a mistake on your part because I have so many stories that I can tell.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Selene turn in her seat to face Willow. “Oh, do tell. I'm always up for some good Knox stories.”

“Oh my fucking—” I start, but I’m quickly cut off.

“Do you hear something? Maybe it’s just the wind,” Willow says. When I meet her gaze in the rearview mirror, she sticks out her tongue and I return the sentiment by giving her a one finger salute.

Selene giggles, a sound that somehow manages to ease some of the tension in my shoulders over how this whole car ride is going so far. “I think it was just the wind,” she agrees.

I let out a heavy sigh, resigning myself to my fate. “All right, you two, get it out of your system now. Just remember, Willow, I've got plenty of dirt on you too.”

Willow scoffs. “Please, I'm an angel compared to you.”

“An angel? Really? So that time you got caught sneaking out?—”

“Okay, okay!” Willow cuts in. “Let's not get carried away. I'm just saying, Selene, if you want to know anything about Knox, I'm your girl.”

I glance at Selene has her gaze darts between us. “I might just take you up on that.”

I groan, focusing on the road ahead. “I'm starting to think this was a terrible idea.”

“Too late now,” Willow sing-songs from the back seat. “You're stuck with us.”

The rest of the drive passes in a blur filled with Willow's embarrassing stories and Selene's laughter. I try to interject in an effort to defend myself, but it's a losing battle. By the time we pull up to the house, I'm seriously questioning my life choices.

“Home sweet home,” Willow declares as she hops out of the car. “Ready for the chaos, Selene?”

Selene glances at me. I can see her nervousness before she covers it with a grin. “As ready as I'll ever be.”

“Wills, can you give Selene and me a moment?”

Willow raises an eyebrow, glancing between us with a knowing smirk. “Sure thing. I'll just be inside, waiting to embarrass you further.” She grabs her bag and heads for the front door, leaving Selene and me alone in the car.

I turn to face Selene “Hey, you doing okay? I know this is a lot.”

She takes a deep breath and throws a small smile my way. “Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little nervous, I guess. Meeting the family is kind of a big deal.”

I reach out and take her hand in mine. It’s done to soothe her nerves, but it helps me as well. This is the first time I’ve brought anyone home since Tessa. “You've got nothing to worry about. They're going to love you.” I pause, a grin tugging at my lips. “Well, maybe not as much as Willow seems to.”

Selene laughs, squeezing my hand. “I can handle Willow. It's your grandmother and mom I'm worried about impressing.”

“Trust me, just be yourself and they’ll adore you.” I lean in and press a soft kiss to her cheek. “You ready?”

She nods. “Let's do this.”

We climb out of the car, and I grab our bags from the trunk. The sound of music and laughter grows louder as we walk toward my front door. I can feel Selene's hand tighten in mine as we climb the porch steps.

Before I can knock, the door swings open, revealing my mom's beaming face. “Knox! Finally!” She pulls me into a tight hug before turning her attention to Selene. “And you must be Selene! We've heard so much about you.”

Selene throws me a surprised look before smiling at my mom. “It's so nice to meet you, Dr. Sanchez. Thank you for having me.”

“You’re welcome,” Mom waves us inside. “Come in, come in! Just about everyone is here.”

The first thing I notice is the smell of Mamita's cooking filling the air. It feels so much like home that I’m taken back by how much I actually missed this.

In the kitchen, we find Mamita watching the last of the cooking . Mom walks over to her, taps her on the shoulder and points at us. As soon as her eyes meet mine, her face lights up. “Mijo! There you are!” She pulls me down for a kiss on the cheek before turning to Selene. “And who is this beautiful girl?”

“Mamita, this is Selene. Selene, this is the birthday girl herself.”

Selene extends her hand, but Mamita pulls her into a warm embrace. “Welcome. We're so happy to have you here.”

Selene returns the hug. “Thank you so much. It's wonderful to meet you. Happy birthday!”

Mamita pulls back, patting Selene's cheek affectionately. “Thank you. Now, let me get a good look at you.” She studies Selene appraisingly, then nods in approval. “Beautiful and polite. Knox, you've done well.”

I feel my cheeks warm at the praise. “Thanks, Mamita. I think so too.”

Selene blushes, her eyes meeting mine briefly before she looks away.

“Now, you two go get settled,” Mamita commands. “Dinner will be ready soon, and then the real party begins!” She shoos us out of the kitchen.

Since I need to bring our bags upstairs, I decide to give Selene a quick tour of the house and show her where she’ll be sleeping for the night. The stairwell leading up is packed with framed photos, several of them featuring a much younger me with different hockey teams. Selene pauses to look at a few.

“You were such a cute kid,” she teases, pointing at a photo of me missing my two front teeth.

“Were?” I pretend to be offended.

“Cute isn’t exactly how I would describe you now. Handsome and hot are what come to mind first.”

“Excellent save.”

She rolls her eyes but smiles as she moves on to the next set of pictures. “Your family is really tight knit, huh? It must have been nice, moving around together like that.”

“It was,” I say. “Hockey gave me a constant, something to hold onto no matter where we ended up. And we had to rely on each other more because of the constant moving.”

We continue the tour, and I show her the office where my dad keeps his military memorabilia, then the sunroom that my mom has turned into her craft space.

Finally, I open the door to the guest room. “This is where you'll be crashing.”

Selene walks in and I can see that she’s taking in the cozy space with its soft blue walls and floral bedspread. “It's perfect. Thanks, Knox.”

I set her bag down near the bed. “I'm just across the hall if you need anything.”

“Good to know.”

I'm about to say something else when Willow appears in the doorway. “There you two are! Come on, everyone's waiting to meet Selene.”

I glance at Selene, trying to figure out what she’s thinking, but she has a grin plastered on her face. “Lead the way.”

We head back downstairs where the party is in full swing. Music blares from the speakers as my younger cousins are having a dance-off in the middle of the floor. The dining room table is filled with a spread of food that would make any restaurant jealous—tamales, enchiladas, and tostadas—all of it homemade. Various family members are hanging out, balancing plates and glasses, shouting to be heard over the music. I spot my dad in the corner, deep in conversation with one of his old military buddies, and Willow is already making a beeline for the kitchen, probably to snag a soda or some dessert.

Selene slows as we reach the bottom of the stairs, her eyes wide as she takes in the scene. I can tell she's a little overwhelmed, but I’ll be there with her every step of the way.

As soon as we enter the main hallway, all eyes turn to Selene. I can feel her body grow tense beside me, so I place a reassuring hand on the small of her back. The music volume drops, giving me the opportunity to speak without having to yell.

“Everyone, this is Selene,” I announce. That’s all it takes for my family to rush over and introduce themselves. Selene is instantly surrounded by a sea of smiling faces. My aunts are the first to reach her, pulling her into tight hugs and peppering her with rapid-fire questions.

Once the introductions wind down, I guide Selene through the crowd toward the dining room. “You're doing great,” I whisper.

She returns the smile, but I can still see the nerves in her eyes. “Thanks. It's just a lot all at once. It also reminds me that I should probably call my parents.”

That makes me chuckle. “I know it’s a lot. But they already like you, I can tell.”

We reach the dining room table, and I hand Selene a plate. “Here, dig in. Mamita's tamales are legendary.”

“This all looks amazing,” she says as she starts filling her plate, and I do the same.

When we’re done, we find a spot in the living room to eat. Selene takes a bite of a tamale, and her eyes widen. “Oh my god, Knox. This is incredible.”

I grin. “Told you. Mamita's tamales are the best.”

“I'm never eating anything else ever again,” she declares, taking another huge bite.

I chuckle to myself. Seeing her enjoy my family's food, fit in with my relatives, and having this all go better than I thought is amazing. It feels right in a way I wasn't expecting.

And that’s more than I can ask for.