Chapter 27
KNOX
Imove my hands to grasp both sides of her face. “You do?” I smile, feeling my soul hum to life again.
When I heard that rumor in the coffee shop earlier today, it gutted me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go after her or sit with my feelings. Thankfully, Henry talked me down because if I had gone to New York, we wouldn’t be here now.
“Yes,” she breathes, tears beading in the corners of her eyes.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that. Well, say it again,” I admit, thinking back to the first time she told me that eight years ago.
Her laugh gurgles up between a quiet sob. Her entire body is shaking, but I barely notice because I’m keeping us both rock solid. “I meant it then, and I mean it now.”
Unable to hold back, I let my laughter mix with hers. But it feels like more than that. It feels like the first real breath I’ve taken in years. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, Bambi? Because I meant what I said. I’m not letting you go again.”
She nods, letting her arms drape around my body and pulling me flush against her. “That’s good because I’m done fighting you. Us. I’m ready to stop pretending that loving you is a mistake.”
“I’m pretty sure you said something similar when you swore you hated me at the beginning of the summer,” I chuckle, remembering that even though the scowl had disappeared, there was always bright, burning passion behind those vibrant green pupils.
She laughs again, causing one of the tears to trickle down her face. I catch it with my thumb and swipe it across her cheek.
“I’m baring my soul here and you still want to make jokes.”
“That’s our thing, baby,” I smirk, my eyes dipping to her mouth.
“That’s your thing,” she murmurs, fighting the smile cresting on her lips. “I can’t believe I almost took Eve’s advice.”
“And what was that?” I ask, quirking one brow.
Her lips curl into a nervous grin. “She wanted me to do the scene from the movie, Say Anything. She’s a sucker for that kind of thing.”
I peek around her, looking into the cab of the truck. “I don’t see a boom box, Bambi.”
She closes her eyes, blinking away more stray tears. I catch every single one. “I was pressed for time, so I was going to use a mini speaker.”
I scoff with a smile flaring on my face. “You can’t take shortcuts when it comes to romantic gestures.”
“Oh, please,” she smiles, leaning into my touch, “we both know you would’ve ate it up.”
She’s right. “Show me.”
“What?” she asks, the humor slipping from her face. It’s replaced with a red and fiery blush painted all over her cheeks.
“I want to see what you were going to do. Let’s pretend like this never happened. I’m going to go up to my place, and you do your thing.”
I take one big step before she grabs my forearm with a pleading look. “Come on, Knox. This is silly.”
“Wow!” I exclaim. “You think our love is silly?”
She giggles, dropping her hold. “God, you ruin everything.”
“That’s right, Bambi. And later I’m going to ruin you…after you woo me with a cheesy display of affection.”
Emery’s cheeks flare up more, which makes me want to skip the theatrics and throw her over my shoulder. Then again, we have the rest of our lives to make up for lost time. “Fine. If that’s what you want, then let’s do this. But you’re staying down here.”
“So bossy,” I hum, crossing my arms. “I like it when you tell me what to do.”
“Good,” she smiles, “get used to it.”
Excitement gathers in my chest, and a feeling close to contentment settles there. I take a few steps back, giving her time to get set up. Amusement vibrates through me as she holds the tiny blue speaker over her head.
I’m not sure what I’m expecting to hear, but it is not the song I used to make her smile that night at the Rustic Inn.
I Touch Myself plays softly through the speakers, causing an uncontrollable smile to take over. A similar smile lights up her face, making my heart thump against my ribcage.
“I think this might be our song,” I grin, stepping close and taking the speaker from her hands. I set the device down on the hood of the truck and grab both of Emery’s hands before pulling her into me.
“I don’t think it’s a song you can slow dance to,” she mumbles with her face smushed into my chest. She fits so perfectly there.
“And what would you suggest we do to it?” I ask with a cocky smile. A pink blush tickles her neck, making my hands curl tighter around her. She pulls her head back and stares deeply into my eyes.
“You’re insufferable,” she whispers. Her words are firm, but her eyes tell a different story.
“Yeah,” I grin, lowering my forehead to hers, “but you love me anyway.”
Her lips twitch. “Unfortunately for me, yeah. I really do.”
I grin wide before letting my mouth find hers.
She willingly accepts the kiss, slowly molding her lips to mine.
Unlike the others before, this kiss is slow and deliberate.
Before long I deepen the embrace while pressing her against the cold metal of the truck.
I swallow the gasp that slips from the back of her throat.
When she pulls back, I have to physically restrain the groan by pressing my mouth into the crevice of her neck.
Emery sighs, clutching the fabric of my T-shirt. “You know this isn’t going to be easy, right?” she asks, searching my eyes for answers.
I pull back and inch my hands up to her cheeks. I softly trace my thumb across the wetness of her bottom lip. “Nothing worth having is ever easy.”
Her face lights up. “That was so incredibly cheesy.”
“Yeah, but you liked it,” I smirk. “Hopefully enough to kiss me again.”
She rolls her eyes, making me press my hardening length against her. Her lips form an “O” before the heat takes over, and a playful smile lands there instead.
“I want you to kiss me again,” she says. I don’t hesitate before ducking my head to hers, but before our lips can touch, she blocks me, firmly placing her pointer finger between us. “But not there.”
A devilish smile heats up my face as I tip my chin toward her. “Then tell me where, Bambi,” I say, smoothing my hands down her sides. I still can’t believe she’s all mine.
She licks her lips before letting her hands rest on the peaks of my shoulders, and then she presses down. I immediately obey, desperate to get down on my knees for her. The gravel digs into my jeans, but I don’t notice. My focus is completely on her.
Emery tilts her head back. “Maybe we should go inside,” she murmurs unconvincingly.
I squeeze the back of her thighs and stare into her eyes. “Not a chance, Bambi. I want this entire town to hear you screaming my name.”
Sunlight cuts through the blinds in my bedroom, pulling me from my slumber. Usually, I hate this part of the morning, but it’s hard to hate anything when Emery’s head is nestled contentedly on my chest.
I lay still, taking it all in. I never thought we’d get to this moment, but I’m grateful for everything that led to it.
“You know it’s creepy to watch someone when they’re sleeping.”
Adoration assaults my face as she peeks up from her sleepy daze. She always looks beautiful, but there’s something serene about the way her lashes flutter open. I get to see a whole new shade to her eyes, and I think it might be my favorite shade yet.
“It’s a good thing you’re awake then.” I smile, bringing my hand up to her cheek and angling her face just right to plant a soft kiss on her lips.
Her forehead wrinkles. “I can’t believe you just kissed me. I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.”
I roll my eyes, letting her wiggle out of my arms so she can face me. She rests her head on my bicep and waits patiently for my rebuttal.
“You think that’s going to stop me?” I tease, sneaking my head into the crevice of her neck. “I’ve had my mouth in much dirtier places.”
Tiny goosebumps pop up on her arms as I trace my fingers over her skin. I inch my head back and admire the shy smile on her face. Her cheeks flush a soft pink color, even though I can tell she’s trying hard to fight it.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Emery warns, letting her head fall back on the pillow. Tendrils of black and blonde hair splay across my pillowcase like a work of art.
“Like what, Bambi?” I ask innocently, brushing her bangs back from her forehead.
“Like you’re never letting me leave this bed again.”
“That’s because I’m not,” I say, hoisting my body over hers and trapping her between my arms. “Is that a problem?”
“Maybe,” she replies innocently, playfully rolling her eyes and letting her fingers dance across the covers, “but I could be convinced otherwise.”
I take that as my invitation to strike, but right before I can press my lips against hers, my phone rings. I lay my head on her chest and groan.
“You don’t have to answer it,” she says, grabbing my face with both her hands.
“Let me see who it is,” I sigh, rolling over to the other side of the bed. When I pick up my phone and see the screen, I frown.
“When’s the last time you talked to him?” Emery asks, grabbing my hand. When she curls her fingers between mine, something stirs inside me.
“The night we had dinner there. I’ve been avoiding his calls,” I say, watching the call go to voicemail like all the others. “Does that make me a jerk?”
“I don’t know if I’m the right person to ask,” she says, lying back on her forearms with a solemn straight line across her lips. “I haven’t spoken to my parents in months.”
“Really?” I ask, setting my phone down.
“Yeah,” she breathes out, letting her eyes settle distantly across the room.
“The only reason I still talked to them was because Patrick encouraged me to. He was really big about family and didn’t understand why I wasn’t close to mine.
Eve cut them off a long time ago, and Eli is still under their thumb because of school, but once that’s over, I doubt he’ll talk to them either. ”
“May I ask why?” I question, treading carefully. Emery doesn’t talk about her parents much, but I can feel the animosity there. I felt it when we were teens, too.