Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Knox tossed the armload of junk into the Dumpster, the very last of the debris that had cluttered the yard. As it landed on top of the stuff inside with a metal clang, a surge of triumph swept over him, and he couldn’t help but grin.
He brushed his hands on his jeans as he turned to survey the yard.
All the hours of sweat and blood were finally paying off, and it looked like a completely different house than it had six months ago.
Now that everything was cleaned up, he could really start to focus on the new house.
They were only a few weeks from breaking ground, and he was both excited and nervous.
The grass desperately needed to be mowed, but that could wait until the weekend.
The afternoon sun beat down, warming his shoulders and causing a bead of sweat to trickle down his back.
Driven by the feeling of accomplishment at finally getting the land cleared, he headed to the backyard and began to gather all the sticks and branches that cluttered the ground near the tree line.
A sound from within the woods drew his attention, and his ears perked up. For a moment, he remained completely still, just listening. There was a rustle of leaves, the snap of twigs from inside the cluster of trees. He headed that way, drawn by curiosity and something far more intense.
A sense of déjà vu hit him as he stepped beneath the shadowed canopy.
He had spent years of his childhood playing in these woods.
Everleigh, Vivi, and he had treated it like a world of their own.
Everleigh would sneak away from her house when her parents were gone and meet them in the clearing that was exactly halfway between her house and his.
His feet carried him forward, and he moved as silently as possible over the moss and leaves that littered the ground. Why was he doing this to himself? He hadn't been back here since he bought the house. Why now?
The trees thinned, revealing a wide clearing.
In the very middle stood a huge oak tree.
Their tree. He knew if he took several dozen steps to his right, he would be able to see the initials C & G etched inside a heart.
His fingers twitched at the memory. He remembered vividly the feel of the wood chipping away beneath his fingers as he carved their initials into the trunk, committing their love to memory. But it was all a lie.
He stood there for a moment, allowing the past to wash over him. Suddenly, movement caught his eye, and Everleigh stepped out from the opposite side of the tree.
Christ. Every muscle went completely rigid as he stared at her, like an apparition come to life. She was silent so long he thought he might be imagining the whole thing.
“Hey.”
Her soft voice speared through the quiet afternoon, and his heart clenched. He lifted his chin at her, not quite able to form words just yet. Why was she here?
The smile on her face wavered when he didn’t say anything. She returned her gaze to the tree and stepped a little closer so she could run her fingers over the bark. He swallowed hard as he watched her caress the tree, wishing it was him she was touching.
The feel of her soft skin, her gentle curves, was etched on his memory. Having her this close was a serious strain on his control. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to scream at her or push her up against the tree and kiss her until he couldn’t remember what had driven them apart.
He shook away the thought as her fingers traveled over the heart engraved in the tree. “I’ve always loved this tree,” she said dreamily. “All this time, and it’s still standing strong.”
That was exactly the way he’d felt about Everleigh and him when they were young. He thought that, just like this tree, they could withstand any storm. He was wrong.
“Why are you here?”
Pain creased her features, but she managed to blink it away. “I just… had to get out of the house.”
He barely held back a snort. “Guess some things never change.”
She’d always wanted to escape her parents, but when it had come right down to it, she’d chosen them over him.
He didn’t blame her for wanting to appease her family.
He’d never tried to hold her back from them because he understood all too well the demands of family.
He would do anything to make sure his sister was safe.
But he’d also felt the same way about Everleigh.
She knew he would have cared for her, and she left him anyway.
She bit her lip. “Just… With everything going on, things have been a little… stressful.”
He kept his mouth shut, despite the words jamming in his throat. It wasn’t his place to comfort her, or even ask how she was dealing with everything.
“I…” Her gaze darted away before meeting his again. “I wanted to thank you. For everything.”
“Yeah?” He arched a brow her way, and bright pink bloomed over her cheeks as she fought to maintain eye contact.
Finally, she nodded. “I appreciate your help. And… I was hoping we could…” She trailed off, and he couldn’t help the tiny flicker of hope that flared to life deep in the recesses of his heart. Her throat moved as she swallowed hard. “I was hoping maybe we could still… be friends.”
A wave of anger started at his toes and swiftly began to rise. Did she seriously think she could walk back in here after all this time, after everything she’d done to him, and that he’d welcome her with open arms?
His muscles trembled as he reined in his anger. For several seconds he didn’t dare utter a word, terrified of what would come out if he did. He couldn’t fathom her audacity, and he voiced the only word he could muster. “Friends.”
She gave an abbreviated nod, her gaze darting over his shoulder before reluctantly dragging it back to his. “I… still care about you, and—”
His body flushed hot as fury raced over his nerve endings. “Did you care about me when you got rid of our baby?” Her mouth opened, but he cut her off before she could speak. “How about when you moved up north and married what's-his-face?”
Her face twisted and her teeth cut into her lower lip. “You knew about that?”
He hated himself for revealing his cards.
He shrugged, pretending it didn’t matter, though his heart felt like it was breaking all over again.
“Word gets around. Besides, it was the wedding of the season, right? Exactly what you always wanted. Money. Prestige. I never would have fit into your world. Didn’t have the right pedigree. ”
“You know that's not true,” she insisted.
“It doesn't matter anymore. You did me a favor by walking away that day.”
Tears glazed her pretty eyes, and she blinked them away. His stomach twisted into knots at the thought of hurting her. But she had done this. Had she trusted him, loved him, they might still be together today.
Finally, she turned those blue eyes back on him. “How come…” She bit her lip. “Why didn’t you marry?”
Her question tore through his heart like a knife, and he couldn’t help the huff of a laugh that fell from his lips.
“Why didn’t I marry?” He took a step closer, and her breath hitched as she tipped her head up so she could see him better. He stared at her for a second before speaking. “I thought you’d remember. I’m already married, Everleigh.”
She flinched but didn’t look away, and he forced himself to stay calm despite his limbs shaking with the effort to stay in control and not reach for her the way he wanted to.
Instead, he stretched one hand over her shoulder and settled it on the trunk of the tree.
His pinky brushed the engraving, and he briefly closed his eyes as the memory came back to him.
Everleigh dressed in a frilly white dress and saddle shoes.
The bouquet of violets Vivi had gathered for her to carry during their ceremony.
The giant smile that had lit her face when she told him she’d never want anyone else.
It didn’t matter that they were kids. What they’d had was real. Until it wasn’t.
He swallowed hard and met her gaze. “I married the love of my life by this very tree when I was twelve years old.”
“Knox.” Her voice broke, and a tear slipped down her cheek as she reached for him.
“Don't touch me.” He stepped away, putting distance between them. “No, Everleigh. I don’t want to be friends. Go back to your life and leave me alone. I never want to see you again.”
Her muffled sob met his ears as he stormed back through the woods. If his heart didn’t already hurt so badly, he could have acknowledged that leaving her behind for the second time was even harder than before.