Chapter 13 #2
“Patrick, you don’t get to make me feel like I was the reason you cheated.
I deserve better than that and now I know it more than ever,” I say, my voice trailing off.
“Listen, we were never really right for each other. You only liked me because I did everything to fit into your life, and when I finally wanted to do something for myself, you showed your true colors. I really hope that you find what you’re looking for, but it’s not me anymore. ”
He goes quiet and the pit in my stomach slowly starts to fade away. I turn around to face Knox and I find him still standing there with an encouraging smile.
“So that’s it then?”
“That’s it,” I reply, ending the call before he can respond. My thumb trembles over the screen, but once I finally delete his number, I let out a strangled breath of relief.
When I look up, Knox cautiously walks across the porch. His gaze is warm and sweet. It’s the complete opposite of the devil I encountered inside the bar.
“Everything good with your friend?” he asks, but I know he heard everything. He knows that wasn’t just an old friend, yet he doesn’t press for more information.
“Yeah,” I respond, still using the railing to support my weight. “Is that offer for burgers still on the table?”
“Of course,” he smiles, tucking his thumbs into his jeans, “but first I have a surprise.”
“Another surprise?” I groan, slumping my shoulders forward.
“Yep,” he says with a glint in his eyes. “I think you’re really going to like this one. Come with me.”
I grab his hand with zero hesitation, feeling grateful for the distraction. I don’t mind the way the crowd parts for him as he pulls me toward the makeshift stage sitting in the corner. My stomach dips when I realize what he’s doing.
“Knox,” I whisper, pulling his arm back. “There’s no way. You’re not going to—”
“Oh yes, Bambi,” he cuts in, turning to me with a huge goofy grin on his face. He tugs me a few more feet until we’re right in front of the karaoke sign-up sheet, and lucky for me, it looks like he’s the first brave soul to sign up.
“You can’t be serious,” I say, anchoring my feet in place.
“Relax,” he says, ghosting a hand over my cheek, but pulling away before it can make contact. “We’re not doing a duet. I’m going to serenade you. You look like you need a laugh, and I need to remind this town that I’m more than just a pretty face.”
He waggles his brows, and I snort out a laugh before covering my mouth in shock. “I didn’t know you could make that sound, Bambi. Now I’m convinced this is my best idea yet.”
A few minutes later, when Knox’s name is called, he bounds onto the stage with the confidence of someone who’s sold out a show at Madison Square Garden.
The cheers from the crowd seem only to boost his confidence, making him send me a cute wink before pulling the mic to his lips.
I clock each and every one of the death glares I get from scornful women.
The opening notes to the ’90s classic I Touch Myself by the Divinyls fill the room, and the cheers get louder if that’s even possible.
My jaw drops. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I say under my breath. I smile so wide my cheeks start to ache, and he hasn’t even finished the first verse.
Knox yells out the lyrics with zero shame, gyrating his hips with a certain gusto that should be studied. And then there’s the cheesy grin painted on his lips that shows he doesn’t give a shit what anybody thinks. Especially because every wink, air kiss, and cheesy hip roll is aimed straight at me.
And the crowd eats it up.
I can’t help the laughter that keeps bubbling out of me. My stomach starts to hurt from giggling so hard that I don’t care when Knox belts out the chorus while pointing straight at me.
Chaotic whoops and hollers drown my ears to the point I can barely hear his voice above the music.
By the time the final note hits, he’s panting, and his curly blond hair is sticking to his forehead.
He dramatically bows to his adoring fans and throws his hat at me like he’s a rock star, and I’m his salacious groupie.
I catch the hat with both hands and nod to him as the room erupts with applause.
My face feels flushed when he jumps off the stage and makes his way straight to me.
“How’d I do?” he asks, leaning in close so I can hear him. His hand reaches out to my waist for balance, causing me to stumble and place my own hands on his shoulders.
“G-good,” I say, fumbling my words. I want to shoot myself in the foot when my eyes flicker to his lips. He reacts instantly.
His eyes darken, and my core tightens. “If I didn’t know any better, Bambi, I’d say you look like you want to kiss me right now.”
I swallow hard for the millionth time tonight—surprised I have any saliva to spare at this point. His words from earlier float through my mind. “You don’t know any better.”
His easy grin turns slow and almost predatory. “Maybe not, but I’d like to think I’m getting good at reading you. It doesn’t hurt that I can feel how fast your heart is pumping.”
I blink slowly—tongue tied yet again. “I believe I was promised burgers, not a psychoanalysis,” I recover.
Knox doesn’t pull away. Instead, his heated glare stays trained on my own. He leans back slightly, but only to trace the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip. Chills crawl up my back and my lungs forget how to expand.
“You’re right,” he says, dousing cold water on whatever spell he’s cast on me. Although his voice is pitched lower than normal. It could be the song he just belted or something else. “Let’s go.”
My legs wobble as I step away. I feel his hat in my hand and almost forget that I’m holding it. I toss it at him like we’re playing an intense game of hot potato. “I need to go tell Marie I’m leaving. She’s probably pissed at me for ditching her.”
“I’m not so sure,” he says with a stupid grin on his face. “Looks like she’s taking all her anger out on Beau right now.”
I follow his eyes to another dark corner of the bar and furrow my brow when I see Marie in a heated conversation with Knox’s friend. She looks pissed. “Is that Beau?”
“Sure is.” He smiles. “He was right when he said she hated him.”
“I should go over there and break it up,” I say, getting ready to push through the crowd, but before I can get too far, he grabs my elbow.
“Let them sort it out, Bambi. Who knows. Maybe they’ll end up hate fucking by the end of the night.”
I rear my head back and give him a disappointed glare, but decide to leave it alone for now. Marie is a big girl and if anyone should be worried, it’s Beau.
“Okay,” I sigh, “let’s go.”
He laughs under his breath and falls into step beside me as we push through the crowd. My cheeks still feel like they’re on fire and my stomach is an endless pile of knots. But for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel an enormous weight bearing down on my chest.
I feel light. I feel happy.