Chapter 34 #2
“I need to talk to him first,” I sigh, throwing on my pants. “He’s just shocked, that’s all. He’ll calm down once I explain how I feel about you. At least I hope,” I chuckle, running a hand through my hair.
“I’m not finding this funny at all,” she says, putting her hands on her hips. “Miles is out of line. It’s not his business who I sleep with.”
“He’s hurt,” I say quietly, feeling the familiar pang of guilt wanting to weave its way in. “He just found out his best friend is sleeping with his sister. He knows my past with women. I betrayed his trust, and he’s worried I’ll break your heart.”
“He should know that you would never do that.”
“Why?” I laugh. “All I’ve ever done is push people away. I fuck and leave. It’s all I knew before you. It’s all I wanted until now.”
The worry in her eyes has me pulling her to me.
“I’ll talk to him and explain. We’ve gone through so much to get where we are that not even Miles is going to keep me from you. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
Kissing the top of her head, I head to the door and stop.
“There aren’t any guns in the pool house, are there?” I turn in the doorway and arch my eyebrow at her.
“That’s not funny,” she says, crossing her arms.
“Just trying to lighten the mood,” I chuckle uneasily, walking out the door and toward God knows what that’s waiting for me.
When I reach the guesthouse, I turn the knob and walk in, shutting the door behind me. Miles’s fist slams into my jaw the second I turn around, knocking me back a step.
“Motherfucker,” I growl, bending over slightly and moving my jaw, feeling my lip split a bit from the contact. The taste of iron hits my tongue as I swipe a little blood away.
Standing to full height, I stare at him hard, both of us refusing to back down from the other.
“I probably deserved that,” I say quietly. “That’s your one free shot, though. Come at me again, and I’m going to hit back.”
“How long?” I see the hurt in his eyes, and I sigh heavily at the guilt.
“About two weeks after I moved in.” I move past him and grab some ice from the freezer, throwing it in a hand towel and applying it to my throbbing jaw as I take a seat on the couch.
“You’ve been lying to me this whole fucking time?”
“We needed time to figure some things out before we told anyone. We planned on telling you this week when you came over for dinner.”
“Out of all the girls you have at your doorstep, why the fuck did you have to mess with my sister? You know damn well she’s only going to get hurt when you move on to the next one.
Savi gets too attached. Her heart isn’t made for flings or whatever the hell this is,” he says, waving his arm around the room.
“And you know that, Knox. Fuck!” He yells, pacing and running his hands through his hair in frustration. “I fucking trusted you like a brother.”
“I love her, Miles,” I say quietly, causing him to stop.
“What did you say?”
“I said I love her. I’ve been in love with her for years if you want the full truth.”
“I don’t understand?” He says, shaking his head in confusion. “You both have always hated each other. If you loved her, why didn’t you say something a long time ago?”
“I was scared,” I shrug. “Petrified, actually,” I chuckle, then wince when pain shoots through my jaw.
“You know some of my past. I didn’t exactly grow up in a house full of love.
I felt I didn’t deserve her. Hell, I still don’t ninety-nine percent of the time,” I scoff.
“Pushing her away and making her hate me made it easier to keep her at a distance. I knew if I let her in, I wouldn’t have the strength to walk away.
I…” I swallow past the lump in my throat.
A small part of me will always believe I’m a selfish bastard for taking something so good in this world.
“I didn’t want my dark past to taint her beautiful soul. ”
“Jesus,” he mutters, taking a seat across from me on one of the plush chairs.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I won’t apologize for loving your sister.
I’m all in, Miles. I’m planning on asking your dad at the ball coming up for his blessing to marry her.
She’s become my entire world and gave me back a piece of myself that I had lost a long time ago.
I will do everything in my power to make her happy and to keep her safe.
I really hope I have your blessing on this because you’ve always been a brother to me, and I need you by my side at our wedding. ”
“Fuck,” he murmurs, running a hand over his scruff. “This is really real.”
“It’s very real,” I say without hesitation.
He studies me long and hard, and for once, I let him see what I’ve tried so hard to hide. A smile plays on his lips, and relief floods my body, knowing he believes me.
“Then, I would be honored to have you as a brother-in-law. Your family, Knox, always have been. Just don’t fucking hurt her,” he warns. “I would hate to have to kill my best friend.”
“Hurting her is not going to be a problem. You have my word on that.” I stand up with him and slap his back in a hug.
“Sorry about hitting you,” he says, grinning way too wide to feel the tiniest bit sorry.
“No, you’re not,” I laugh. “You should have played hockey with that right hook. It’s been a while since I felt a good one.” I rub the soreness along my jaw and know it’s going to be tender for a few days.
“It was all that boxing we did to the bag growing up. All the moves you taught me backfired on you.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, throwing the ice pack on the counter. “I’m starting to regret teaching you my secrets.”
We walk back out and into the main house, where Savi is at the stove flipping pancakes. She turns when she hears us.
Dropping the spatula on the counter, she storms over with worry in her eyes.
“You fucking hit him!” She gives Miles daggers as her hand gently touches my busted lip and sore jaw.
“I’m fine. He got his one punch in and was smart enough not to do any more.”
“Didn’t want to hurt you. You have a game coming up, and it would only hurt my bets I have on you winning,” he grins, popping a piece of pancake in his mouth.
“I will never understand men,” she fumes, walking back over and aggressively flipping the last pancake before slapping it on the pile already cooling on the counter.
Miles meets my eye, and I nod toward Savi, knowing he owes her an apology.
Coming up behind her, he pulls her into a bear hug. I see her stiffen before she finally relaxes into him.
“I’m sorry I flew off the handle like that. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he says softly.
“You called me dumb,” she mutters, clearly still pissed at him.
“You’re not dumb. I didn’t mean it and shouldn’t have said it.
I was just in shock. The last thing I expected was for Knox to be in your bed this morning.
I had a hunch after last night’s dinner, so I came over to talk to you.
I still believed I was seeing things that weren’t there, so it just surprised me, is all. ”
“Just for the record and to make this crystal clear…no one has ever worn my jersey in bed until Savi. She’s the first and will be the last.”
She smiles at me, and I give her an encouraging wink.
“Noted,” Miles says, watching his sister look at me. “You really love him, don’t you, Sav,” he says softly, studying the look in her eyes that clearly shows her love for me right now.
She turns and looks up at her brother. “I really do.” Her smile lights up the room, and my heart swells at the sight. “He makes me so happy.” She turns to me, and I hold out my hand until her body fits perfectly against me, where it’s always belonged.
“I’m going to have to get used to this,” Miles chuckles. “It’s weird seeing you so lovey-dovey when I’m used to claws and teeth.”
“You are going to have to get used to it because all I want to do is be near her now that I know she feels the same way.” I kiss her neck, and she hugs me tighter.
“I’ve officially entered the Twilight Zone,” he mutters, going to the fridge and grabbing the orange juice.
“Before you go off the rails again, when you find out, I need to tell you something else,” Savi says, causing Miles to moan.
“Fuck. Please don’t tell me you’re pregnant too. I don’t think I can handle another surprise this morning.”
“I’m not pregnant. At least I don’t think I am,” she giggles, and Miles shoots me a warning look.
“Don’t look at me, man,” I laugh, holding up my hands. “She has me by the balls, and what Savi wants, she gets. I mean, I do want to marry her, so if it happens sooner than planned, then it happens.”
Savi looks up at me like she can’t believe I said it that easily. A lot of things come easier now that I know I’m going to be doing them with her by my side.
Kissing her forehead, I get the plates down from the cabinet while she turns back to Miles.
“For fuck’s sake,” he mutters. “How about using a fucking condom? There’s a start to not having an unplanned baby.”
“I think we both know that having sex with someone you love is completely mind-altering, and once you go without that little piece of rubber, your life changes, and there is no going back.” I grin, clearly having fun messing with him now that we are back on good terms.
“Stop right there,” he says, holding his hands over his ears like he’s in pain.
Savi laughs, shaking her head. “Being pregnant is not what I was going to tell you. What I was going to say is that Olivia and my other sisters-in-law know a little bit about Knox and me. It came out during one of our girl chats.”
“Olivia knows? And she didn’t tell me?” Miles frowns as he removes his hands from his ears.
“Please don’t be mad at her,” Savi says quickly, placing her hand on his arm.
“I asked them all not to tell just yet. All my life, you guys have been up in my business. I get that you were just protecting me and wanting to keep me safe, but I wanted to figure this out on my own. I didn’t want you guys interfering until Knox and I knew where we stood with one another. ”
“I get it,” he sighs. “I’m not happy about it, but I get it.”
“She didn’t keep much from you. Just that I had feelings for Knox, and I wanted to see if a relationship would work. It was my business to tell, so they agreed to wait until I was ready to let you all know.”
“Does Travis, Jake, or Ryder know?”
“No, just you. We thought you could break the news to them and smooth things over. After you hit Knox, I’m thinking that’s a good idea.”
I chuckle as I take a bite of my pancake.
“I’m not giving away anymore free hits, and since I need all my brothers-in-law not to want to murder me, I agree with Savi.
It’s probably best that I’m not there when you tell them.
It needs to sink in for a bit, and their wives can calm them down before I see them again. ”
“After the initial shock and slight need to punch you at first, they’ll be fine once I explain how much you love our sister and are committed to her. No murder will be necessary. Now if you fuck up,” he grins, “that’s a whole other story.”
“Good. It’s settled then,” Savi smiles and takes a seat on the barstool next to me.
Feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I devour the pancakes in front of me. I leave the day after tomorrow for an away game and want to get a little shopping done before our afternoon practice today.
Now that I have Miles’s blessing, I can breathe a little easier. Her parents have always loved me, so asking them should go much more smoothly.
Savi is right about one thing. I’m not patient about certain things. Once I decide I want something, I don’t stop until I get it.
Savannah Stone is my goal, and I’m going to make it happen sooner rather than later.