Chapter 16
Sixteen
Hallie
I woke up slowly, knowing I was wrapped in safety in comfort before my eyes even fluttered open.
Knox’s arm felt heavy around my body, his soft, oversized Chicago Bulls t-shirt soft against my breasts.
His fingers curled around my hand, and I heard him inhale against the back of my head before he pressed a kiss to my hair.
“Morning, beautiful.”
I giggled, backing closer against his body. “I don’t feel beautiful in the mornings.”
“Bullshit.”
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you could smell my breath.”
He kissed the back of my neck. “I was just describing it, baby girl.”
I laughed harder now, twisting around to reach for something to pinch.
But he fought back, catching both of my wrists between us.
I opened my mouth for another teasing comment, but he leaned forward to kiss me before the words could come out.
God, kissing him felt so good, it almost made me sad to know this was what I’d been missing out on.
A light rapping sound forced us apart. “What was that?” I whispered, staring into his eyes for the answer.
Knox was frozen. “I think someone’s at the door.”
There was a second knock, impatient this time, and Knox sat up. “Is it one of your neighbors?” I asked.
“Maybe,” he said, smiling from one side of his mouth as he slid out from beneath the blankets. My eyes drifted to the front of his gray sweatpants. “Probably want to complain about the noise we made last night.”
I laughed, sitting up to tuck my hair behind my ears. “Next time we should—”
There was a third knock, this one with even more force behind it. “Knox, open up, man,” a familiar male voice yelled. My back stiffened. “Wanna tell me why my fucking sister’s car is out there?”
“Shit,” Knox and I said simultaneously. Why the hell was Adrian here?
My head spun with dread, and Knox scratched the back of his neck, hesitating in the doorway of his bedroom. “I don’t know what to tell him.”
I rose to my feet, the plaid boxers peeking out from beneath the Bulls t-shirt.
My clothes from last night were folded neatly on Knox’s kitchen island.
In the span of just a few seconds, I accepted the reality of Adrian knowing about my romantic involvement with his best friend.
It was the other stuff I’d much prefer to hide.
“Where’d you put the, um…?”
Knox didn’t need much context to understand what I meant. “It’s all in here,” he said, nodding over my shoulder at the butt plug on the bathroom sink through the doorway. Another knock echoed through the apartment, and Knox spun in a full circle. “What do I do? How do I explain why you’re here?”
I shook my head, pushing past him through the bedroom door. There wasn’t any time to come up with an excuse, so why bother? I walked to the front door with determined steps, unlocking it and yanking it open.
Adrian stood there, mouth agape, looking me up and down. He took in my appearance—the mussed up hair, Knox’s clothes—and from the look on his face, he came to the proper conclusion.
And he covered his eyes. “Tell me this is a delusion.”
“Morning, big brother,” I said, grabbing him by the arm to tug him into the apartment. I glanced over at Knox, who stood behind the kitchen island with his fingers interlocked behind his head. It was probably smart to put an obstacle between him and Adrian, who looked like he was ready to attack.
“What. The. Fuck.” My brother glanced from Knox back to me. “Since when has this been a thing?”
“It’s… pretty fresh,” I answered. I could admit that this had only just begun the previous night, but that wasn’t exactly true, was it?
Adrian shook his head at Knox. “Why did you keep this from me?”
Knox rested his hands on the counter in front of him. “I just needed to be sure,” he said, stealing a quick, subtle glance in my direction, “that it meant something.”
Adrian’s brows furrowed as he ran his hands down the front of the plaid button-up that gaped open over his Clash t-shirt. “Meant something,” he repeated, like he doubted it. “My best friend and my sister.”
I took a step forward. “We—”
“My best friend and my sister are fucking,” Adrian said, louder this time, as he raked his hair back with one hand. “I can’t even process this right now.”
“I planned on telling you about it pretty soon,” Knox said, tucking his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.
I sucked on my bottom lip at the sight of the sharp V of muscle above his waistband, letting it distract me for a few seconds until Knox spoke again.
“Truth is, I’ve sort of had feelings for Hallie for a while, and she only recently reciprocated. ”
Knox nodded toward me, and I nodded at Adrian to confirm it.
“And I know I don’t even deserve her,” Knox continued, “which is why I can give you my word that I’ll never take it for granted how lucky I am to be with her.”
Adrian was quiet for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of us as he slowly accepted this new development. He rested his hands on his hips, shaking his head again as he glanced down at the floor. And then he lifted his eyes again, narrowing them at me.
“Don’t you dare fucking hurt him.”
A surprised laugh burst from somewhere deep within me before I could stop it. Over on the other side of the room, Knox pressed his lips together, fighting his own smile. “Wow,” I said, widening my eyes. “You’re not going to ask him not to hurt me?”
Adrian was still scowling, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes that told me this was going to blow over pretty quickly. “Yeah, no. I know the both of you pretty well, and I can guarantee he’s the one whose heartbreak I’m going to be nursing when this inevitably blows up.”
“Gee, thanks for your support,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.
Adrian mimicked my pose, eyeing Knox now. “You know what you’re getting into, right? My sister is fuckin’ nuts.”
“I’m aware,” Knox said, shooting me a teasing smile from one side of his mouth. And then he lifted his chin at Adrian. “Does this mean we have your blessing, though?”
“I guess. I don’t really like it, but…” He stopped to inhale, rolling his eyes like he hated what he was about to say. “At least I know you’ll keep her safe.”
His reluctant affection made something ache in my chest. I made my way over to my brother to give him a side hug—which he barely accepted, patting my shoulder until I let go. “Yeah, yeah. I care about you and whatnot. Anyway, I didn’t come here for this awkward confrontation.”
I pulled back. “Yeah, why are you here?”
Knox glanced at the time on his microwave. “It’s a little early for you, isn’t it? What are you doing in this part of the city?”
Adrian took a deep breath, tucking his hands in the back pockets of his jeans like he was bracing himself. “I came here to discuss something with you,” he said, looking at Knox. “It’s kind of serious.”
It wasn’t often Adrian got serious, so his words immediately change the tone in the room. Knox came around the side of the island, motioning toward his little kitchen table. “Wanna sit?”
As the two of them sat down, I held onto the back of one of the wooden chairs. “Is this private, or can I stay?”
Adrian nodded at the chair. “It’s fine if you stay. Just don’t tell Mom what I’m up to.”
I pulled out the chair and sat down. “Oh, this is serious,” I said, raising both eyebrows.
Adrian folded his arms on the table and licked his lips. His normal joking edge was replaced with an almost palpable nervous energy. He sighed again before looking up at Knox. “I think I’m ready to finally bite the bullet and do it.”
“Do what?”
“Get my own place. My own bar.” As anxious as he was, there was confidence behind the words he spoke. “I found a building, too, over by UIC. Lots of competition there, but I think that’ll actually be a good thing.”
Knox nodded, his eyebrows pulling together. “College students do like to barhop,” he said, rubbing his beard. “So you’re really going for this?”
“I am. At least, I want to.” Adrian laid his palms flat on the table. “I’ve built up a savings, as you know. Enough to get me started. But the bank needs someone with better credit history.”
I looked across the table at Knox, who leaned on his elbows. “A co-signer. You mean.”
Adrian gave him a slow nod. “Yeah. But hear me out for a second before you say anything else. I’ve never been more confident about anything in my life.
This bar, this business—it’s been my dream for a decade now, and I finally have a chance to bring it to fruition.
I don’t need any money, but I know you’ve got a strong credit history, and they won’t hesitate to give me the—”
“Okay,” Knox said, lifting one shoulder in a casual shrug.
Adrian blinked. “Okay? You’ll do it?”
Knox nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do it. I believe in you, man. You’d do the same for me, if the roles were reversed.”
My brother leaned back in his chair in utter disbelief, like he was stunned Knox agreed so easily. He probably expected to have to persuade him a little more, but it was already settled. “I don’t know how to even thank you for that.”
Knox’s mouth widened with an easy smile. “Name a drink after me.”
“Deal.” The two of them laughed, and I anxiously ran my fingers over the hem of the soft boxer shorts Knox had given me to wear.
I took in the scene before me—my brother’s look of relief, and Knox’s confident stature as he leaned onto the table.
A flicker of an idea presented itself to me, and I spoke before it faded away.
“Have you thought about having a business partner?” I asked, and they both turned to me.
Adrian shifted, reaching up to scratch his cheek. “He’s already got a solid job,” he said, nodding at Knox, “and I’m not about to try to drag him away from that.”
“I didn’t mean him,” I said. Across from me, the corners of Knox’s mouth twitched upward like he already knew where this was going. “I have a marketing degree, you know. I could make sure you have a successful launch.”
“Yeah?” Adrian raised an eyebrow at me. “And what about your job?”
“I quit my job before I moved back here,” I said, surprised at how easily it was to come clean.
The truth was somehow less scary than living a lie, and now that I had an opportunity that might make me feel like I had a purpose again, I didn’t want to lie anymore.
“Don’t tell Mom. But anyway, that means I’m free to help you build this business from the ground up. ”
“Hallie…”
“I promise you won’t regret it.”
A quiet laugh slipped out of Adrian’s mouth. “We’ll murder each other before the doors even open.”
“Knox could be our mediator,” I joked, nodding across the table at him. And then I reached for my brother’s arm, giving him a little squeeze. “If you wanted this to be your thing, I understand. This has always been your dream, not mine. But if you want my help… I’m here.”
My brother lowered his hands to his lap and folded them. “Fine. It’d probably be stupid not to accept your help. But if this implodes, I’m blaming you.”
I leapt from my chair to give my brother another hug, one that he accepted more readily than the last. With his arms draped over my back, he muttered, “God. I’m going to try to pretend you’re not wearing my best friend’s boxers right now.”
The three of us laughed, and I felt a sliver of hope that my life in Chicago was actually headed in the right direction.
The ground under my feet felt solid for the first time in months, like I wasn’t just drifting aimlessly.
I glanced between Adrian and Knox, my brother’s reluctant grin and Knox’s quiet, steady gaze, and realized this messy, unexpected thing might actually be the start of something real.
The bar.
This… whatever I was starting with Knox.
Finally, I could picture a life that didn’t make waking up every morning feel like agony.
Adrian gave his knees the ol’ Midwestern slap that signified the end of a visit, pushing back his chair. “Wow. This had been a productive conversation,” he said, the three of us standing up. He eyed the Chicago Bulls t-shirt and shook his head. “This is all a lot to process.”
Knox slapped him on the back as he walked him to the door. “Just focus on the bar. Congrats on finally making getting the courage to do this.”
Adrian nodded, pulling the front door open. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch when I get my ducks in a row. And Hallie?”
“Yes?” I rested a hand on my hip.
He opened his mouth to say something, deciding at the last second to bite his tongue.
Whatever remark he’d been about to say, he’d decided it wasn’t worth it.
His face softened, and he inhaled through his nose.
With a quick glance at Knox, he curled his hand around the doorknob and said, “I’m just really glad you moved back. That’s all.”
It was the most openly affectionate he’d ever said. He nodded goodbye to both of us before slipping out the door and disappearing down the hall. Knox closed the door behind him, scratching his beard.
“Wow.” It was all he said, but I nodded in agreement anyway.
What else was there to say? His arms wrapped around my body and pulled me in tight.
I leaned against his bare chest, breathing in his scent.
Even after everything—the sex, the sweating, and the long night together—he still smelled good.
I closed my eyes, letting his musk wrap around me and comfort me.
No more than twelve hours ago, this man had confessed he was in love with me. It was a dark, obsessive love, but it was love nonetheless. In the heat of the moment, my response had only been to show him I wasn’t afraid.
I had yet to say the words back.
Snuggling into his chest, I finally let myself voice my feelings. “I love you, Knox,” I whispered.
His chest rose with a deep inhale. He cradled my head against his body, lowering his mouth to kiss the top of my head. “You’re demented.”
I huffed out a little laugh against his warm skin and tilted my head back to look into his eyes. “What does that make you?” I asked, turning his earlier taunt back on him. He smirked at the irony, bending forward to kiss my forehead.
He knew exactly what he was. And I recognized it, too, deciding to move closer instead of running away. There was a monster inside of Knox that only I could tame.
Because I carried one of my own.