CHAPTER TWENTY
KNOX
I don’t hate anybody. Usually. But I want to hate this guy.
I thought he was despicable the moment I saw him put his hands on Kenley.
The second I understood making Sloan cry was intentional.
The night I realized he’d already spent a solid decade making a habit of seeing them hurt.
But this, watching him play this part of charming former son-in-law, doting ex-husband (and I do mean doting, he’s already been to the kitchen twice to get something for Kenley – first, to get her extra tomatoes for her salad because he overheard her say they always go too light on those, second to get her a side of sauce when she mentioned her sandwich was dry, neither time, she asked him to), supposed super dad and simultaneously pretending we’ve become best pals over the course of one evening, all while acting entirely oblivious to the fact everyone at the table knows what a piece of shit he is, is pushing me over the edge to new levels of distaste.
He can’t possibly think we’re all going to forget, that I’m going to forget , who he really is just because he ordered half the appetizer menu for the table.
“You want another beer?” he’s asking Javier, like Javi can’t order his own fucking beverage.
“I’m good.” Kenley’s stepfather looks as annoyed as I feel.
Noticing his audience approval rating drop among the adults, he turns to his daughter, whom he’s mostly ignored since he showed up tonight, not counting the five bouquets of flowers and giant purple stuffed cat he practically thrust at her in the restaurant parking lot, after claiming he was unable to take them all with him inside the theater to give her directly after her performance.
Though I’m not entirely convinced he didn’t make an extra stop somewhere on the way here after he noticed everyone else give her flowers after the show, myself included.
“Did you try the roasted bruschetta bites?” He places one onto her plate before she has a chance to answer. “They’re really good.”
She uses her fork to push it aside. “No, thanks.” She’s been stretched out, rubbing her belly for the last few minutes, clearly way past full after gobbling up several mozzarella sticks before eating nearly all of her ravioli.
“Just try it. Come on. For me.” He tries to look endearing, but the nudge has an underlying mix of force and guilt driving it home that’s making even me uncomfortable, sitting across the table from her.
“She won’t like it,” I cut in when I notice Sloan start poking at it again with her fork, clearly weighing out the pros and cons of appeasing him.
“Sure, she will.” He laughs. “Besides, it’s good for her to try new stuff. Right, Sloan? One bite, that’s Ma’s deal, right?”
“She doesn’t need to try what she already knows she doesn’t like.
” I reach across the table and take the bite-sized piece of bread with roasted tomato topping from her plate, dropping it on my own.
“She hates chunks of cooked tomato with the skin still on it. Besides, she’s not even hungry anymore. ”
Kenley, who’s been busy chatting with her mom, picks up on our conversation and tunes in. “What’s going on?”
“I just wanted Sloan to take a bite of something,” her ex explains. “Maybe you can fill Knox in on our practice of trying new foods.”
She snorts. “We did that with her when she was little and transitioning away from toddler foods. I quit making her do that years ago.” She shakes her head at the absurdity. “Plus, she’s clearly full. She left two raviolis on her plate. She never leaves raviolis on her plate.”
Just then the server comes by. “Can I clear these for you?”
“Yes, please.” The first plate I hand her, is the one with roasted bruschetta leftovers.
KENLEY
It surprises no one, (except maybe Knox who isn’t familiar with Ebeneezer’s tactics) when our bill is mysteriously paid before we even finish eating.
While I made it a point a while back to stop saying ‘thank you’ to him for things he pretends are above and beyond generous, but really are just barely putting a dent in the debt he owes me, I graciously verbalize my appreciation for dinner along with everyone else as we head outside and prepare to say our goodbyes.
Sloan wastes no time in joining her grandparents for the drive home.
In part, because it gives her a fast escape, Javier never being much for dawdling when he’s ready to go, but mostly because Javier has a sweet tooth, and part of the reason he doesn’t dawdle when it’s time to go, is because he’s already thinking about going somewhere else for ice cream.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” Ebeneezer says, catching my elbow as I start for my truck. Knox slows down instantly as well, drawing a glare from my ex. “Alone. Parent to parent.”
I nod to Knox, letting him know it’s alright. “I’ll just be a minute.”
Knox holds my gaze a moment longer, but finally retreats, disappearing in the row of vehicles behind us.
“What’s up?” I cross my arms, settling in front of him. I’m willing to let him speak, but I’m not about to take on any of his bullshit tonight.
“I don’t like how close Sloan is getting to your boyfriend.
He’s disrespecting my role as her father, and I’m not comfortable with it.
” He points his finger at me, attempting to loom over me with his tall, broad frame, the way he always does when he’s trying to use his size to intimidate people. “Do something about it.”
“You do something about it,” I scoff. “You don’t like her having another father figure in her life, maybe try being one yourself. I’m not about to interfere with a relationship that’s finally healing some of the scars you left her with.”
I spin on the ball of my foot, preparing to stalk off when I feel my ex move in closer. I expect him to say something. To grab me by the arm and stop me. But he does neither.
Instead, I hear him call out in a sneer, “Thanks for respecting our privacy!”
I look up to see Knox, stepping out of the shadows that kept him concealed just feet from where we stood.
He chuckles, hardly bothered by my ex’s outburst. “We don’t have that kind of trust, man.” He hooks his arm around me as soon as I’m close enough. “Ready to go home?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
He waves at Ebeneezer, who doesn’t respond except to get in his car and slam the door shut.
“So, that was fun,” Knox muses.
“I’m glad you think so.” I laugh, but it’s more relief than anything. “Part of me was worried, you’d start to think I was exaggerating about what a jackass he is.”
He frowns. “Seriously?” He slows me to a stop when we reach the tailgate, turning me all the way toward him so we’re face to face, not side by side. “This wasn’t my first encounter with the man, remember?”
“Yeah.” I twist my mouth back and forth.
“You’d be surprised how easy it is to forget some of those unflattering encounters though.
” I shrug. “I’ve seen it happen with people all the time.
Hell, even I spent years going back and forth about whether or not I was making things out to be way worse than they really were. ”
“Even if I hadn’t seen firsthand the shit he’s capable of,” he says, very slowly and intentionally, like he wants to make sure I’m listening to every word, “your word would have been enough. He couldn’t have swayed me to believe in him over you. Ever.”
I lean into him, resting my forehead on his chest, while his arms encircle me. After a moment, I look up. “Thank you.”
He bends down to kiss me. Several times. For several long minutes.
Neither of us needs more words after that.
The drive home stays quiet, Knox at the wheel, me watching him in a silent state of contented bliss.
Our hands are entangled, resting on the center console, and my eyes can’t help but keep coming back to them.
The way they fit. The way they seem to belong to one another.
Maybe he really will take a redeye Saturday night and come home to me, to us , on Sunday.
Despite their stop for ice cream, (God, I know that man well), my parents and Sloan beat us home. She comes hopping down the steps, wet hair wrapped in a towel and dressed in her pajamas, when she hears us come in.
“Can we watch a movie? I’m totally wired from the show, and I want to hang out since Knox is leaving tomorrow.”
I look to Knox, who nods. That works for me. “You all go ahead and pick something. I want to shower off really quick too.”
“You’re gonna wanna make it extra quick,” Sloan quips. “I don’t think I left you much hot water.”
“I expected as much.” I shower after her often enough to know I have maybe three minutes to lather everything up and rinse, before the water runs cold.
But that’s fine. Three minutes is all I want to waste on getting clean anyway.
Time is precious tonight, and I’d rather not spend more on my own than necessary.
When I come back down, Knox and Sloan are camped out on the sofa, blankets are sprawled out, drinks are on the table, and Sloan even busted out the popcorn maker from the looks of things.
“We couldn’t decide,” Sloan informs me as I wedge myself into the middle between them. “We narrowed it down to two we really like, but you’re the tiebreaker.”
“I get to choose?” I like getting to choose. With two people, one of them being the mom and the other the kid, that doesn’t usually happen. As the mom, you kind of get in the habit of defaulting to the kid. At least in terms of entertainment. Obviously not all areas of life.
After careful consideration between the options, one action-adventure-fantasy sort and one comedy, I go with the former.
It winds up being three hours long, as every epic fantasy should be, and we’re all half-asleep by the time the credits are scrolling by.
“You take care of sleeping beauty and I clean up?” Knox offers, reaching for the remote to turn off the television.
“That works.” I place a kiss on his lips before we move too far apart again. “Meet you in bed after?”
He smiles, kissing me back. “Deal.”
It takes several tries, but I finally manage to wake Sloan enough to get her up the stairs and to her room.
She’s already drifting off again as I’m tucking her in.
“Did you see Knox’s face while I was dancing?” she mumbles, eyes closed as she pulls the blanket up to her chin.
“I did.”
She smiles. “That was my favorite part of tonight.”
My heart lurches in my chest. I bend down to kiss her cheek. “Mine too.”
I doubt she’s awake enough to hear me when I leave the room, turn off the light and pull the door to a crack but it never stops me from whispering ‘I love you’ before I go.
Knox is just coming up the stairs when I come out of her room.
I open my mouth, suddenly compelled to say a million things. Maybe take back a few I said yesterday. Or amend them at the very least, but he stops me before I can get a word out.
“It’s just bedtime,” he says softly. “We’re just getting ready for bed. Like any other night.”
He gestures for me to lead the way into the bathroom where we both floss and brush our teeth before I leave him to finish up alone, having been mostly ready for bed since before the movie even started.
A few minutes later, we’re under the covers, my head on his chest, listening to his heart, wondering if tonight will be the last time I hear it while I fall asleep.