Chapter 38
SLOANE
Kendall comes in a few hours after Knox left. I hear her rushing through the apartment. She slows down when she sees me sitting at the dining table, helping Xander with his math homework.
She exhales in relief. “Is everything okay?”
I know she wants to interrogate me right now about Knox, but she wisely guesses that I won’t want to talk about him in front of Xander.
My brother jumps in to fill the awkward silence as I think about how to answer her question.
“No,” he sighs. “Sloane is making me do fractions!”
I tap my finger against his worksheet. “Life is making you do fractions, little drama king. Try cooking, or doing almost anything, without understanding them.”
He starts working on his own, and I motion for Kendall to follow me to my room.
She closes the door behind her, and flops on my bed. “I’ve been worrying about you since I left LA.”
I roll my eyes. “You know that I’m not weak and helpless, right?”
She sits up onto her elbows, cocks her head to the side and really studies me.
“You’ve changed a lot since we first met.
You were so meek and scared when you first joined the team, and now you’re this confident boss-bitch.
I guess I didn’t need to grab a last minute flight to come and check on you. ”
“Oh, no, you did. Knox did come by, and I agreed to go out with him,” I tell her.
“And, what? Do you need help figuring out how to get out of it?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No. I love him. That was never the problem. I couldn’t stand around watching him hurt himself and slide down a path of pills and self-destruction.”
“Since you agreed to go out with him, does that mean you believe he’s done with all of that?” she asks.
I shrug. How could I possibly know for sure?
“I hope so. There’s only one way to find out, and I know that I don’t want to live my life without taking risks.
I’ve watched my father build a bubble around himself, trying to avoid more pain.
Pain comes with living. I’d rather suffer the ache to risk having the joy. ”
Her mouth falls open for a moment, then snaps closed.
A serious look comes over her face, and she seems to come to a decision about what to tell me.
“For what it’s worth, I do think he’s changed.
I’ve known Knox for years, and he’s always been singularly focused on hockey.
I never thought I’d see the day he willingly walked away.
I’ve heard the rumors that he planned to leave at the end of the season, but I honestly thought he’d only leave the game on a stretcher after his body gave out.
This change is because of you. You’re good for him, just be careful and make sure that he’s good for you. ”
“That’s the plan. So are you going to help me get ready for my date tomorrow night, or what?” I ask her.
“Of course I will. Sawyer will be back in town, and it’s an off day. Can she join?” Kendall asks.
I smile. “Of course she can. Tessa is in California visiting family, or I’d have her join us too.”
Kendall bumps me with her shoulder. “Look at you, name dropping. I take it things are going well at the new job?”
“I love it. I liked working with the Titans, but I feel like I’ve found my home with the Shaws. They’ve become family to me. I was supposed to go with them to California, but I didn’t have anyone to leave Xander with, and I didn’t want to take him out of school to go with me.”
“Sounds like a lucky twist of fate that you chose to stay home,” she comments.
“I guess we’ll see tomorrow.”
“He really said to be ready for a fairytale?” Sawyer asks.
I nod. “And I have no idea what that means. Am I supposed to wear a gown, or was he just trying to be romantic?”
“Hmmm,” Sawyer muses while she browses through the racks at a boutique she brought Kendall and I to. “He can certainly afford the fairytale, so I say you take it at face value. Force him to step up his game. Lord knows the man needs a challenge.”
“She’s certainly given him that,” Kendall chimes in.
If they only knew how easy I made things on him in the beginning.
They’re right though, my submissiveness only went so far.
Oddly, in giving up control, I finally gained control over my own life.
Being with Knox made me feel free for the first time in my life, and my standards grew the longer we were together.
I found my power in our relationship. The last several weeks have hurt like hell, but so do growing pains.
The important thing is that I survived and in doing so I know that I can get through anything.
I thought I already knew that, but like Tessa said, when I lost my mother, I didn’t take the time to grieve.
With her and Ford’s support, I have been able to process my feelings in ways I never got to before.
Kendall wanders off to the other side of the store to search through other racks of dresses.
The amount of choices here is disorienting for me.
I never even went to prom, so I’ve never shopped for anything more than a dress to wear to the office.
Neither of them bat an eye while shifting through yards of tulle and lace.
After a few long moments of me spinning around aimlessly, I hear Kendall gasp. “Oh my God! This is it!”
She rushes over carrying a beautiful silver dress.
I reach out to touch it, then pull my hand back.
It’s ethereal, with a corset top, transparent through the stomach, and covered in flowers and vines in the same color as the fabric.
The skirt is full, and has a transparent layer that seems to float over an opaque fabric.
The straps continue the vine theme and seem to grow organically from the dress, if there ever happened to be a silver plant.
Sawyer rushes over. “Absolutely. This will bring Hard Knox to his knees for sure.”
I give her the side eye and she shrugs. “What? I’m not cheering for his downfall or anything. I’m just relishing that he’s finally met his match. Maybe some of the other guys will follow suit.”
“Like, maybe Weston Cavanagh for example?” Kendall pushes.
There’s always been weird, fairly angry, tension between them. I haven’t dared call her out on it, but I’m all ears now that Ken has brought it up.
“Like all of them. But, I wouldn’t mind tripping West most days.” Sawyer mumbles the last part. As much as I’d like to push her for details, I know she doesn’t open up much about her personal life.
Kendall knows when not to press her cousin, and deftly changes the subject by pushing me toward the changing room. “I’m pretty sure this is your size, but you should try it on to be sure.”
I step out of the dressing room wearing the dress, and it’s even more beautiful on. I lift the skirt and twirl around slowly. “I am going to need to find some shoes, but this dress is a fantasy for sure.”
Before I can even look at the price tag, something I’m dreading doing, Sawyer whips out her black card and hands it to the salesperson.
I open my mouth, but she shakes her head. “I helped fuck up your relationship, let me at least do this to help get it back on track.”
My pride makes me want to argue, but the death glare that Kendall is giving me behind Sawyer stops me before I make a peep.
From the dress shop we get shoes, then the girls drag me off to get completely pampered. By the time we’re done I’ve had my hair done, a mani and pedi, and my makeup done professionally.
They deliver me back home, my arms full of today’s shopping. Considering I live with Kendall, I know she’s planning to stay, possibly with a bowl of popcorn, to watch him pick me up. Sawyer once again comes to the rescue.
“C’mon cousin, we’re going back to my place to drown our single girl hearts in mint chocolate chip,” she says.
Kendall pouts, but lets Sawyer lead her out of the apartment.
A few minutes after they leave, my phone buzzes. I pick it up to find a text.
Knox
Come to the window.
I pull back the curtains and look down to the street to see Knox standing in front of a white Bentley, with a chauffeur standing by to open the door to the back seat. He lifts the phone to his ear, and mine starts buzzing in my hand.
“Your chariot awaits, baby girl.”
“Where are we going?” I ask, staring down at the street.
He can probably see me easily since I’m standing in the light of the living room. “Don’t worry about it. You’re dressed perfectly for where we’re going. Remember, I promised you a fairytale, and that’s what you’re going to get.”
I shake my head, laughing. “I’ll be right down.”
I watch the city lights trail and blur as we coast down the freeway on our way through the city. We start to climb into the hills where we join a line of other luxury vehicles as we enter the estate grounds for Astor Hall, a nineteenth-century European style chateau.
There’s a banner above the large, carved, oak doors announcing the Portland Literary Society’s Annual Ever After Gala. I’ve wanted to go to this since I was a little girl, since it is the closest thing to a Cinderella style ball anywhere near me.
I turn to Knox, and put my hands on his arm. “Are we really going to the Ever After Gala?”
“Good surprise?” he asks me.
I nod my head several times. “A great one.”
The driver pulls in front of the red carpet that leads to the front door.
The door attendants are dressed as footmen from a storybook.
Others stand by to open car doors as they stop in front of the red carpet.
Even being around the world of professional athletes the last few months hasn’t prepared me to walk an actual red carpet.
When it is our turn, Knox gets out first, then holds his hand out for me. The second my silver heels touch the ground we are bombarded with flashes from cameras.
Even though I watched the press conference he gave, I still expect him to pull away from me the moment the cameras start flashing. Instead he puts his hand around my waist and pulls me closer against his side.