Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ryan
M aybe someday what?
We walk back to the restaurant side by side, hand in hand. When we reach the entrance, he drops my hand, opening the door for me to enter ahead of him. We take our seats at the opposite ends of the table where our food is waiting for us.
Everything feels different.
It’s impossible not to notice the four sets of eyes bouncing between the two of us.
But nobody says a word. They carry on with their conversations while I eat my salad, as if Knox didn’t just tell me he wanted me.
That he wanted the world to know I was his.
As if the sweet kiss we just shared didn’t shift something inside me.
I’m not sure why I told him about my dad.
Nobody outside of our immediate family knows the truth.
We’ve always lied and said there were tall red-haired women way back on my mother’s side.
But since we shook hands in that cafe, before everything went haywire, I’ve known I could trust Knox. I’ve felt it in my bones.
When I heard footsteps outside, I didn’t need to look up to know it was him. The air shifts whenever he’s near.
He didn’t press me about why I was outside. Didn’t say a word. He just sat with me. And then... he listened. He didn’t try to fix things or make me feel better. He listened to my family’s deep, dark secret, and he still wants me.
Me.
How is that even possible?
Yes, I heard his confession in the cafe, but his anger at seeing Rob’s name on my phone ruined it.
But I heard him tonight.
If I had my way, you’d be mine and the entire world would know? Maybe someday...
We eat and make small talk. When dinner is over and we’re headed to the cars, Jenn pushes the boys to a different SUV. “Boys, you’re taking the kids. The girls are taking this car.” She kisses Jay on the cheek. “We’ll see you in an hour or so.”
When the kids are with us, we have to take several vehicles. Usually, the kids go with the moms, but apparently not tonight.
“Ryan, you’re coming with us,” Marie says, placing her hands on my shoulders, guiding me to the open SUV door.
I open my mouth to reply but falter when dark eyes the color of whiskey meet mine. He does that thing where he tilts his head to the side like a puppy dog and I forget my name for a split second, only coming to my senses when Marie whispers, “Come on, googly eyes. Get your butt in the car.”
Breaking our connection, I do as I’m told. The girls all turn to look at me, but Kristin holds her hand up. “As is customary, no questions, no discussion until there is a glass of wine in each of our hands. Agreed?”
“What?” I ask.
“Agreed,” the other ladies concur in unison.
Marie smiles a Cheshire grin before filling me in. “We get together and drink wine when we need girl-talk or one of us needs to confide in the others. We wait until we’re all together, with wine in hand, before we talk. We’re like a little coven. You could say this is your welcome party.”
“My welcome party?”
“Yes, horse girl. We have a feeling you’re gonna be a part of our lives long after this tour is over.”
My head is swimming, my heart is bursting. Their inclusion means the world to me, but I’m confused as hell. I start to ask, but Jennifer shushes me. “Wine first.”
The rest of the short ride to the hotel is quiet. Kristen links her arm through mine guiding the four of us to the hotel bar. It’s not as private as usual, but when the guys aren’t around, we don’t have to hide from prying eyes nearly as much.
Someone ordered, the server has corked, and emptied the entire bottle, into our glasses that we lift in unison when Jennifer says, “To Ryan and Knox.”
Marie and Kristen repeat the words back to her as they clink their glasses together.
You could knock me over with a feather .
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask as they tap their glasses against mine before taking their first sips of pinot noir.
“We aren’t blind,” Kristen comments before Marie adds, “And we know Knox better than almost anyone.”
“Okay?”
“Well, there’s something there.”
Panic sets in. I’m not sure what they think they know, but this isn’t good. Not at all.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do.” Kristen winks.
“I’m here to do a job. It would be incredibly unprofessional to start something with him.”
“Sweetheart, this isn’t corporate America,” Marie says matter-of-factly. “Lines are always crossed in the music world.”
“It would ruin the legitimacy of the article,” I protest.
“There are ways around that. Just keep things quiet until after it goes to print.”
“I’m so confused? What is it you think you know?”
“We know Knox.” Kristen takes a sip of her wine. “We see the way he looks at you. The way his mood changes when you’re around. We saw how disgusted he was the other night when Ari had her hands all over him. I was standing nearby, and he made it crystal clear he wasn’t interested in her.”
“Really?”
“Really. After you both went missing at dinner tonight, we knew our suspicions were correct. We should start a damn private investigation firm.”
“Yes! We could use a little side hustle to keep ourselves entertained once our run in New York is over. The guys are gonna get on our nerves real quick. ”
“You guys, it’s really not what?—”
“Don’t. We’ve let you into our coven. Don’t shut us out,” Kristen says, resting her hand on mine. “Now, let’s start from the beginning.”
Surprisingly, I do just that. I begin with the first day I arrived, right up to the moment we left the restaurant. I kept what happened on the bus vague, not giving away his secret and they didn’t push for more.
They listened. They offered insight. They didn’t judge. But they did tell me that my story did nothing but confirm their theory.
Knox has it bad for me.