Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
Ryan
Ryan
I miss your porch swing.
Knox
Being a dad is the scariest thing I think I’ll ever do.
S itting in my chair, with two heavy black curtains on either side of me, it’s strange to reconcile the sweat-drenched rock star on the stage with the man who cried in my arms two days ago.
When he came home from meeting with Mia and Sawyer, I was where I spent most of my downtime this past week, on his porch swing.
He joined me but was silent, his emotions radiating from him.
Not knowing what to say, I straddled him, wrapped my arms around his neck and held him.
He clung to me as though I were his human flotation device.
He didn’t sob, but the warmth of his tears on my neck broke my heart.
I wanted to heal all the parts of him that were hurting.
Instead, I held him, and he held me until he was ready to talk.
As he recapped his visit with Sawyer and Mia, his varied and plentiful emotions overwhelmed him.
He was happy, sad, angry, frustrated, scared, proud.
Every emotion flashed across his features and thickened his voice.
Yesterday, Angus drove us to the airport.
I sat in the backseat next to Sawyer’s car seat with my earbuds in to give the brothers privacy.
After the short drive, it was as though the boulders weighing him down had crumbled to the ground.
He’s been smiling ever since. Happier than I’ve ever seen him.
That joy is evident in his performance tonight.
Much to everyone’s surprise, he started the show wearing a black fedora ala Frank Sinatra.
When the band started playing “New York, New York” it made me misty for my grandfather.
It’s not a typical Hollow Knocks song, but the guys added their own edge to it, making it absolutely rock.
After the song was over Knox addressed the crowd and melted my heart.
“Hello, New York! Welcome to night one at the legendary Madison Square Garden! We thought we’d kick things off with a little thank you to this city that has treated us so well over the years.
” The crowd goes crazy. He waits to continue until after they’ve quieted.
“We’d also like to dedicate tonight’s show to the great Richard Jameson.
May he forever rest in peace with the love of his life. ”
As if I wasn’t head over heels for this man, he sealed my fate with that dedication.
His new zest for life isn’t only evident on stage. He’s no longer keeping his distance from me, instead holding my hand or touching me in some way. He even kissed me in front of everyone, including the film crew, before taking his place on stage with his best friends.
I’m having the time of my life watching not only Knox, but the entire band of men I now consider friends.
Family even. Marie, Kristen, and Jenn are in the crowd tonight, not wanting to miss a moment.
Knox asked me to stay here, so I did. His eyes have met mine several times over the last hour, and every time they do, I fall even harder.
A tap on my shoulder interrupts the trance his voice has me under. Standing to see who it is, my heart drops to my stomach.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Rob opens his arms wide and says something, but with my ear protection on I can’t hear him. I pull them off, leaving them around my neck as I take a step away from him rather than toward his open arms.
“Why are you here, Rob?”
A sinister smile lights his eyes. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“We aren’t friends. I told you to lose my number.”
“Women never mean what they say.”
“I was pretty clear.”
As he speaks, he gets closer. “I had to see for myself.”
“See what?” I ask, but I know why he’s here.
To fuck with Knox .
“If the rumors are true. You can’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for the likes of the degenerate on that stage.”
“He’s more of a man than you could ever be.”
Stepping into my space, he reaches around me, grabbing my ass to press me against him so I feel his dick against my center.
“Fuck you!” I push at his shoulder, but he isn’t budging.
Please God, do not let Knox look over here right now.
Yelling into his ear, desperate to get him out of Knox’s line of sight, I ask if we can go somewhere else to catch up. He doesn’t reply. He looks over my shoulder with a look of pure evil I’ve never seen before. My earlier assumption was correct. He’s here for one reason and one reason only.
Pushing on his chest, I try again. “I’ll talk to you, but you need to get your hands off me and we need to go somewhere else.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”