Chapter 25 Knox
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
KNOX
It doesn’t take long before Lottie’s brother’s house turns into full pandemonium.
Just a few minutes after our arrival, the rest of her siblings and nieces and nephews descend upon Alejandro’s house like horsemen of the apocalypse.
They bring with them chaos and destruction, but in a fun way. I love it.
As soon as Adri sees me, she wraps her arms around my shoulders in a way that shows more familiarity than my own mother has often showed me. I relax into her hold, loving how almost every member I’ve met of this family always makes me feel like part of their own.
“Knox! So happy to see you here for family dinner.” She smiles, mouthing Finally at Lottie over my shoulder. If I wasn’t supposed to see it, then Adri is definitely the least discreet person in the world.
For some reason, Lottie gives her the cold shoulder. The animosity toward Adri is obvious, but I have no idea why it’s there. Lottie hasn’t said anything…
My stomach twists as I’m reminded once again that though I have her now, I don’t really have Lottie. The walls she built between us are still up, only I have a limited pass to get over it, only allowed through at her discretion.
Before I spiral, Adri brings me back. “This is my husband Jim and my son Stephen. I have two more running around the house somewhere,” she moves and waves in the direction of a tall, bald man with a heavy build and an infectious smile on his face.
“Ah, you’re Knox?” he asks, struggling to speak from the chokehold his son has him in.
“Fucking family group chat won’t stop babbling about you.”
“Daddy. That’s a bad word!” His kid calls him out and Lottie snorts beside me.
“You’re right, buddy, sorry. Daddy is just finding it a little difficult to concentrate when you’re keeping him from having a steady flow of oxygen to his brain.
” He claws at his son’s hold and carefully manages to set him on his feet, releasing him like a hellhound to join his cousins and brothers.
“Sorry about that, man.”
“It’s all good. Nice to meet you,” I laugh, greeting him with a slap on the back. “So, you’ve heard a lot about me?” I wiggle my brows at Lottie while she watches this comfortable exchange happen in shock.
“Is that Knox I hear?” I hear Daniel’s familiar voice as he walks through the front door, open once again. “Adri told us you’d be here.”
“How?” Lottie screeches. “This wasn’t planned, and we only just got here.”
He shrugs before calling out over his shoulder to his husband. “Brandon, he’s here!”
“Oooh, let me look at him.” A horror-stricken Lottie and I watch them jog up the porch steps through the open door, their twin girls on each hand.
Meanwhile, she groans, putting her face in her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening. Someone shoot me.”
I laugh and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her into my side before placing a soft kiss on her temple in an effort to calm her down. “Why are you freaking out? I’m just meeting the rest of your family—it’s not like they’re murderers or something, is it?”
She glares at me and shakes her head. “No.”
“So?” I give her a soft kiss on the lips and whisper, “Everything is going to be okay.”
“Oh my fuc—freaking. I meant freaking god. How cute are you two?”
Lottie sighs, cheeks heating.
God, she’s adorable when she’s nervous.
“Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Fight or flight?” she whispers to herself, eyes on her feet.
“What the hell are you mumbling about?” Daniel asks her.
“I’m wondering which I should choose. I’m leaning heavily towards flight, but I swear to god I’m not opposed to fight if someone else comments on how cute we are.”
“Daniel, she’s blushing,” Brandon whispers to his husband.
“I told you.”
“I hate you all,” she groans. My grip around her waist tightens, wanting to reassure her once more.
“Ignore her; she loves the dramatics. Can I get you a drink?” Daniel asks.
“How kind of you to offer someone a drink in my house,” Alejandro snaps from behind us.
Daniel rolls his eyes and pushes past him. “Yeah, yeah. You own the damn house. We get it. C’mon, Knox. Let’s make Lottie even more uncomfortable.” He pulls me into the kitchen, leaving Lottie to deal with the aftermath of the tornado that was her family.
Which I loved.
After a few minutes of introductions—more aimed at Lottie than at me—I feel myself relax and grow even more comfortable with everyone.
With the exception of Alejandro, who seems to be more hesitant about my presence, each and every one of them has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome—and make Lottie feel uncomfortable. It’s a hoot.
“They’re just getting started. The inside jokes? The embarrassing stories from my childhood? That’s just the beginning,” she whispers nervously while downing a glass of wine before dinner.
“I understand why you’re nervous, but I gotta say I’m loving it, Pretty Girl,” I whisper back.
“Also, I would’ve killed for this. To have a family, a support system like the kind you had and currently have.
I… didn’t. Not really. Ma tried her best and things got better for a while when Walter first came into the picture, but you know how that ended.
And after art school… It became impossible to keep in touch with people.
Especially given what I do, traveling the world and all.
All of this. It’s everything I wanted and never had. ”
Years of solitude flash through my head, watching kids in school out with their families, making plans for the holidays. Meanwhile, I spent most of my childhood with my mother. And while I love her to death, I would’ve been thrilled to have had a sibling to share my childhood with.
Lottie’s face softens, smiling up at me in understanding. “I guess I’m just being a baby. In all honesty… I think I kind of like you here.”
“Good.” I grin, wanting to get lost in the chocolate swirl of her eyes, flecks of gold and green sprinkled near her pupils.
She cups my face and brings it down to meet hers, kissing me in earnest.
“Ew! Tattie is kissing her friend!” Alejandro’s oldest, Elena, cries out. “Blegh.”
The adults in the room laugh softly as the kids—with the exception of the baby—all pretend to go through various levels of physical trauma in disgust (i.e. mock throwing up, passing out, fake crying).
“Where did the nickname Tattie come from?” I ask as we take our seats at the dinner table.
“When the kids first started talking, none of them could say Auntie Lottie. What kept coming out was a combination of the two—Tattie. I think it was the first moment I truly, truly felt like an aunt. Don’t tell anyone,” she whispers conspiratorially.
“I think in terms of nicknames, I more than lucked out.” Lottie smiles proudly.
It’s clear she loves being an aunt and loves her nieces her nephews to death.
And though I agreed to this casual thing, I can’t help but wonder what she’d be like as a mother.
Before I go too deep down that road, I stop myself.
Casual. Expiration dating. Nothing more.
My heart twists. I suddenly want to hold her tight to me, never want to break my hold.
I reach out for her hand under the table, needing the contact.
Trying my best not to show how rattled I feel, I kiss her forehead.
“Beautiful.” I grin, focusing on her as if we were in our own little world at the dinner table.
“Sorry if seating is a little tight.” Bonnie’s voice calls our attention, breaking the connection between us. “We’re not used to so many people, but we’re so happy you’re here with us.”
“It’s a little tight, but I don’t mind.” I grin down at Lottie, shooting her my flirtiest smile. I’m actually loving being forced into being this close to her. Rarely do I ever get to touch her in public, so this is more than nice.
“Problem, Knox? Not enough room for you there, buddy?” Alejandro’s voice is cold, he’s daring me to complain.
“Not at all. But if I’m making things too uncomfortable for everyone, I’m happy to sit at the kids’ table.
” In unison, we all look over to the kids just in time to see Adri’s middle boy throw some Mac n’ cheese at his little brother.
With a sigh, Jim gets quickly to his feet to stop a war while Bonnie slaps her husband’s shoulder.
“Oh, don’t worry. You’re not the one making us feel uncomfortable,” Daniel tells me before glaring at his brother.
“Daniel, please.” Brandon places a hand on his husband’s shoulder.
“Alejandro doesn’t mean anything by it. Do you, Ale? We’re all so happy you’re here,” Bonnie tells me with a smile.
Alejandro forces out a “yeah.” One thing is clear: he looks anything but happy.
“So, Knox. Where are you from, originally?” Jim asks, volunteering as tribute to change the topic.
“All over the place, actually. Growing up, my mom and I moved around a lot. Eventually, we settled in a little town in New Jersey. After that, I went to art school, and haven’t really lived anywhere for more than a month or two since.”
“Wait, really?” Jim asks. “How did you manage that?”
“Well, I’m a freelance photographer—photojournalist—for a lot of travel magazines and websites.
So I basically travel the world most of the time and take pictures wherever they send me.
I’m never home, so I thought it would be pretty much a waste of money to rent my own place.
I guess, technically I live with my mother?
” I grimace. “But that’s just for legal reasons— a place to send my mail, keep some of my photo equipment, park my car when I have a trip overseas.
That kind of stuff. But when I’m in town, I just stay at an AirBnB or something.
” I don’t want her to think I’m a twenty-seven-year-old weirdo who lives with his mom.