37. Selene
37
SELENE
I rush around Knox's house in an effort to arrange the platters of snacks that I purchased. The rich aroma of freshly baked brownies is calling my name, but I ignore it because I have a job to complete. There will be time to consume what I want later because life is all about balance and not having to constantly judge myself by the numbers on the scale.
As I step back to survey my handiwork, I can’t help but grin. The once cluttered living room has been transformed into a vibrant party space, complete with colorful balloons and a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner strung across the far wall. It's a bit over-the-top, but it’s not every day someone turns twenty-two.
Asher strolls into the living room. “Damn, Selene, you really went all out.”
“Thanks. Blaise helped me pull all of this together. In fact, he should be coming back right?—”
The front door opens, and Blaise walks in on cue.
“—now,” I finish, smiling at Blaise as he enters with an armful of extra decorations. I can also call myself psychic now.
Blaise looks around the room and nods. “This looks incredible. Knox is going to be blown away.”
I feel a flutter of excitement in my belly at the thought of Knox's reaction. I want everything to be perfect for him.
Wilder walks in from the kitchen and snags a brownie from one of the platters. “Knox better marry you after this,” he jokes.
I force a laugh, hoping it doesn't sound as nervous as I feel. The idea of Knox and I together, married, makes my heart race in a way I'm not quite ready to admit out loud. “Very funny,” I manage, busying myself with adjusting the snack platters again. For the fifth time.
A knock on the door stops this from getting even more awkward. Instead of waiting for any of the guys to answer, I rush over to the door and pull it open. A sigh of relief leaves my lips when I see it’s Levi, Hailey, Isla, and Jade standing on the other side.
Isla steps forward and pulls me into a warm hug. “We're here to help! We brought more food and alcohol. Point us in the direction of anything that still needs to be done.”
I move out of the way so they can come in. “You guys are the best. I think we're just about set, but maybe you could help me with the drinks?” I pull my phone out of pocket. “I think Willow should be here any minute too.”
“Excellent, it will be good to see her again,” Jade says.
I lead the girls to the kitchen, leaving Blaise, Wilder, Levi. and Asher in the living room.
“So,” Hailey starts as she unloads a tote full of various bottles, “how are things with you and Knox?”
“They’re amazing. I feel like I’ve finally stopped waiting for something to go wrong, if that makes sense?” I answer as I start pulling out plastic cups and an assortment of mixers from another tote Isla brought in.
“That’s great!” Jade claps her hands together. “Looks like we were wrong about him.”
I pause for a second until I realize what she is referring to. She’s thinking about when Hailey and Jade warned me about Knox before we officially met. They had been concerned that Knox's reputation would lead to heartbreak for me. Given what we went through when we had sex for the first time, they weren’t wrong, but he’s changed and grown.
We both have.
“We’re not going to jinx it by saying anything more,” Hailey adds quickly, noticing my brief hesitation. “We just want you to be happy.”
I smile at them, grateful for their support. “I am. Really.” I scan the counter for a second before I hold up a bottle of tequila. “Shots to celebrate? Before the birthday boy gets here?”
They all exchange glances and shrug in unison. “Why not?” Isla says.
I’m already grabbing a few shot glasses from the cabinet near the stove. I swear I know where more things are in this kitchen now than the occupants of this house do.
As I pour the shots, we chat about nothing in particular, and once we all have one in hand, Hailey decides to do the toast.
“To friendships and hockey,” she says, raising her shot glass. We all clink glasses, and the sharp crack of glass on glass cuts through the hum of conversation from the living room.
The tequila burns its way down my throat, leaving a warm glow in its wake. I wince and then laugh as Isla makes a face like she just bit into a lemon. “Forgot how strong that stuff is,” she says, sticking out her tongue.
We start to put together a few mixed drinks for the rest of the party when I hear another knock at the door in between someone testing out the music setup for the party. I’m convinced it’s either Willow or Knox and I’m really hoping for the former. Knox isn’t supposed to be back for another twenty to thirty minutes and I’m counting on that.
“I've got it!” I call out, rushing from the kitchen. Blaise catches my eye and gives me a thumbs up. I give him a small nod as I make my way to the door. I think he's telling me that everything is set, but I'm already focused on the door and what—or who—is on the other side.
I pull it open, and my excitement deflates just a tiny bit when I see Willow standing there alone. She’s holding a small blue gift bag that I see white tissue paper coming out of.
“Willow! Hey!” I say too enthusiastically. I’m blaming it on the tequila. Always blame it on the tequila.
“Hey, I’m so sorry I’m late. It took me longer than I thought to finish up an article I needed to get to my editor asap.”
“You’re not late at all,” I reassure her, stepping aside so she can enter. “We’re just getting started. Come in!”
Willow hesitates for a moment, and I can see her eyes scan the room. She’s looking for someone, but I’m confused as to who it could be since she knows her brother shouldn’t be here yet.
She steps in slowly, and I take the gift bag from her hand. “This is so sweet. Knox will love it.”
“He better,” she mutters, but there's a softness in her voice that makes me think she's joking. Or at least half joking.
I start to lead her toward the kitchen where the girls are mixing drinks when I feel as if she’s not right behind me anymore. I turn around and find Blaise standing in the doorway of the living room, and Willow is staring him down.
What the hell?
“Willow,” Blaise says, breaking the tension. “Good to see you.”
Her eyes flicker with something I can't quite read, but she forces a tight smile. “You too, Blaise.”
An awkward silence follows, and I’m caught looking between the two of them. I’m still confused about what could have happened. Did they have a falling out that Knox never mentioned?
I clear my throat. “Willow, do you want a drink? We just did a round of shots, but there's plenty left.”
She tears her gaze from Blaise and looks at me, her expression softening. “Sure. I'll take whatever you're making.”
With that, I turn and head back to the kitchen, but not before glancing over my shoulder to see Willow brush past Blaise without another word. He stands there for a moment longer, watching her go, before returning to the living room where the guys are now arguing about sports or something.
I quickly pour another shot of tequila and hand it to Willow. “Here. Once you take it, you’ve been initiated into the friendship and hockey circle.”
“Thanks. I can kind of do without the hockey, but I’ll stay for the friendship,” she says just before she takes the shot in one gulp. Isla and I share a look, and I know she also noticed how weird of a thing that was to say.
Willow sets the shot glass down with a bit more force than necessary, and I watch as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Everything okay?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah, fine,” she says, but her eyes are already drifting toward the hallway where she last saw Blaise. I follow her gaze and piece it together slowly. Maybe it's not something as simple as a falling out. Maybe it's something else entirely.
Jade interrupts my thoughts. “We should make a batch of something. Maybe spiked fruit punch?”
“Sounds perfect,” I say, pushing the thought of what could be happening between Blaise and Willow out of my mind for now. I’ll ask Knox later.
With all hands on deck, we easily finish the rest of the party prep in what feels like seconds. I check my phone and use my party voice to yell, “Hey! Knox should be here any second! Find a hiding place, because we won’t have much notice. I’ll answer the door since I told him I’d hang around so we could have a quiet evening here.”
Everyone starts to look around, trying to find places to hide. It’s almost comical watching a group of grown men and women try to make themselves invisible behind furniture and in doorways. I turn back to the kitchen and see that Isla is whispering something to Willow, who nods but doesn’t smile.
“Thanks for this,” Willow says to me as she starts to walk toward the living room.
“Of course.”
I watch as she enters the living room and Isla holds me back for a second. “Do you think Willow and Blaise…?” Isla starts, but I cut her off.
“They wouldn’t. Knox would kill him,” I reply. “Now you have to go hide.”
We make our way to the living room, where Willow is lingering near the doorway, clearly unsure where to go. I point her toward a corner where a tall potted plant offers some halfhearted cover. She shrugs and moves in that direction, but not before casting another quick glance at Blaise, who is crouched behind a sofa with two of the guys from the team.
My attention is drawn to the front door when I hear a knock. Knox wouldn’t knock on his own door, so who is that? I look around the room, and everyone freezes in their hiding spots. I tiptoe to the door, my heart pounding, but it’s not from fear. It’s the excitement of springing this surprise on Knox. I open the door and this time, it’s my turn to freeze in place.
“Tessa,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral. “What are you doing here?”
She glares at me and lets out a long breath. “I need to talk to Knox.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes and step outside, closing the front door behind me. “He’s not here. Is there something I can help you with?”
Tessa crosses her arms and taps her foot, clearly agitated that I’m blocking her. “It's none of your business.”
“If it has something to do with MY boyfriend, I think it’s my business. Now what can I help you with?” Was it petty of me to say that? Sure, but I could careless right now.
Tessa's eyes narrow, and for a moment I think she's going to explode. “You know that you’re such a bitch for sinking your claws into him after I told you not to.”
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The last thing I need is a scene right in front of Knox's house, especially with everyone inside. “Knox makes his own decisions, and he chose me.”
Tessa's lips curl into a smirk that is pure evil. “For now,” she says. “But we both know he's just biding his time.”
“Is that what you tell yourself?” I shoot back. “That he's just waiting for you? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like he's moved on. Just like you should have.”
She takes a step closer, and for a moment I think she's going to slap me. My body tenses, ready for whatever comes next.
Instead, Tessa stops and tilts her head, her smirk growing wider. “You really don't get it, do you? The reason I'm telling you all this is because I've been where you are. I know how it feels to think that he’s in it for the long haul.”
I’ve had enough and she’s doing nothing but wasting my time. “But you’re the one that cheated on him and broke his heart so what’s your fucking point? Other than you’re being a weirdo who has to come and see her ex-boyfriend on his birthday. Or did you already know he wasn’t here because one of your favorite pastimes is stalking him and writing details about it in your little black notebook?”
Tessa’s face drains of color, and for a split second I see something like fear in her eyes. Then she recovers and I can see the anger on her face. It all happens quickly, but it clicks immediately that she’s going to attack me. And I was already ready.
Tessa lunges, her hand aiming for my hair, but I sidestep, and her momentum carries her into the door. The thud is loud enough that I worry it might alert the people inside. She recovers quickly, turning to face me with a wild look in her eyes.
“You think you're so clever,” she spits out. “You think you have it all figured out. But you don't know shit, Selene.”
I hold my ground, not moving an inch closer to her. “Enlighten me then.”
But instead of responding, she tries to attack me again, but I see a flash out of the corner of my eye. A strong hand grabs Tessa's wrist and pulls her back. It's Knox and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look this angry.
“What the hell, Tessa?” he barks. “Are you out of your mind?”
Tessa looks up at him, and for a moment all the fight drains out of her. She almost seems small and vulnerable, but that only lasts for a minute.
“I just need to talk to you,” she says, her voice trembling slightly as she breathes heavily.
Knox doesn't let go of her wrist immediately. Instead, he looks at me, and I can see him scanning my face and body. “Are you okay?”
I give him a quick nod, but I can still see that he’s double-checking. When he sees that I'm unharmed, he turns to face Tessa and loosens his grip.
“Talk,” he says, crossing his arms.
Tessa rubs her wrist and glares at me as if all of this is my fault. “Not here. Alone.”
“No,” Knox says, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. He crosses his arms over his chest. “Anything you have to say to me, you can say right here in front of Selene.”
Tessa hesitates, her eyes flicking between Knox and me. I can almost see the gears turning in her head, trying to come up with a way to manipulate the situation to her advantage.
“Fine,” she says, her voice flat. “Happy birthday, Knox.” She pauses, as if expecting him to thank her or at least say something. When he remains silent, she continues. “I’m sorry for everything. For how it ended, for not being there when you needed me. For…for hurting you.”
Is this her play? An emotional appeal? She can’t be serious, and with me standing right here?
“Is that it?” Knox says.
“That’s it. I wanted us to get back together, but now I’m not so sure about that,” she spares a glance at me. “You know how good I am for you. How good we are together.”
Before I can react, Knox responds. “We were good together, but that was a long time ago.
And like I’ve told you, I’m leaving the past in the past. Now leave.”
Tessa's eyes widen, as if she's been slapped. “So that's it? You're just going to throw everything we had away because you've found some new toy?”
I feel a surge of anger at her calling me a toy, but I bite my tongue and wait to see what Knox will say. This is his battle now.
“You threw it away when you cheated. Don’t try to rewrite history. Now apologize to Selene for the name calling and get off my porch and out of my life. If you don’t, I’m going to the dean about your stalking habits.”
Tessa stands there, stunned into silence. I can see the wheels in her head spinning, trying to grasp at any last thread that might save her. But there's nothing left for her to hold onto. Knox has made it brutally clear where he stands.
“Selene,” Tessa starts, her voice much weaker than before. “I'm sor?—”
“Save it,” I cut her off. “Just go.”
She hesitates for a moment longer, as if she can't quite believe this is how it's ending. Then she turns on her heel and walks down the steps, not looking back. I watch her until she's out of sight, half expecting her to turn around and try to run into Knox’s arms.
When she's gone, the tension in my body releases all at once and I feel like I might collapse. Knox reaches for me and pulls me into his arms. I enjoy the hug and quick kiss that we share.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am. Thank you for handling that and happy birthday, baby. I’m sorry you had to deal with that on your special day,” I say as I put my hand on the doorknob.
“It’s nothing. I’m just happy that now I get to spend the rest of the evening with you.”
I let out a deep breath. It takes everything in me to control my face. I push open the door and step aside to let Knox in. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to?—”
“SURPRISE!”
Knox steps back in shock as the room explodes into cheers. The look on his face is priceless. Even after the altercation with Tessa, seeing him so genuinely surprised and happy almost brings a tear to my eye. I glance around the room and see Isla waving frantically from the makeshift DJ booth in the corner. She catches my eye and mouths, “Is everything okay?”
I nod subtly, not wanting to ruin the moment.
Knox turns to me, and I swear he’s still in shock. “You planned all this?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool. “With a little help from your friends.”
He pulls me into a tight hug, and I can feel his gratitude radiating through his body. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
“Let’s go have fun. We can talk later,” I turn to walk away, knowing he would follow me.
But his hand catches mine. “No, I don’t want to have whatever that,” he gestures to the door. “was sitting on our conscience all night.”
His thumb brushes lightly over the back of my hand. His gaze searches mine before he speaks again.
“Seriously, are you okay?” he asks with a low voice.
I hesitate. I could lie, wave it off, pretend it didn’t shake me as much as it did. But he’d see right through it.
So instead, I squeeze his hand back. “I will be.”
He holds my gaze for a second longer before nodding, like he’s accepting my answer even if he doesn’t fully buy it, but he doesn’t push any harder. Instead, he says, “Tessa doesn’t get to ruin anything for us.”
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly goes dry. “No, she doesn’t. But now it’s time to party.”
“Wait there’s something else I need to do.”
“What—”
Knox leans forward and gives me the biggest kiss. It’s enough to earn even more cheers and whistles from our friends. I can’t help but grin when we break apart to catch our breath. “I love you, picosita.”
“And I love you too,” I say with a smile that I don’t think will ever be wiped from my face.