Chapter 36

KNOX

Bound to happen,right?

Oh, shit, I mean you and I talking… not the other thing going on… with Mac's father.

Damn. I'm off to a rough start here.

I know this isn't the best time to give a wave and say hello and all that.

I just need a minute to myself before this whole thing starts.

The truth is - I'm not even sure Mac wants a funeral like this for his father. I'm not sure if Mac's father himself wants this either. Hey, maybe Mac is doing this as a way to blow off some steam.

So, as you may have figured out - I'm the goalie for the Puckford Pirates.

But right now I'm just a good friend supporting Mac at the funeral for his father.

I'm currently sitting in the back seat of a black car, alone.

I'm looking down because everywhere I look there are gravestones.

Yeah, cemeteries irk me a little. I can admit that.

It's a reminder of the end. And we all face the same end.

Morbid, no? And you thought you were getting some sexy, flirty college goalie, huh?

I take a breath and run my hand through my hair.

What I need now is to find my game face and just be there for Mac.

He needs us, even if he won't admit it. Even if he won't ask for it.

He's tried to push all of us away. I get that. I'm not mad at him for it. Mac is a tough guy. A stubborn guy. This thing with his father has been lingering for a long time. Longer than I can imagine.

The back passenger door opens and I look up at Villi.

"You jerking off or something?" Villi asks with that rattlesnake face of his.

"Yup," I say. "Funerals turn me on."

"Sick fuck," he says. "Let's go."

I climb out of the back seat of the car.

"Hey, Villi, you know I wasn't…"

"I don't care what you were doing, Knox," he says. "Stop talking."

Villi walks away from me to go be with Vera.

Of course this is the next logical part of this thing. Watching everyone find their person of interest…

Villi slides a hand around Vera's waist and pulls her close.

Vera places her head against Villi's shoulder.

She's crying.

We're all feeling it.

Standing there in a cemetery with a large, black casket in front of us.

White flowers on top of the casket.

Knowing that Mac's father is inside that casket…

I look away.

I see Gabriel with Ruby.

Ruby looks nervous. Vulnerable.

A rarity for her.

She is obviously freaking out about being at a funeral.

Gabriel basically holds her.

There's Mac and Violet too.

They're basically center stage.

Mac is dressed in a nice suit, standing there, hands folded in front of him.

Violet standing right next to him. She's wearing sunglasses. She looks uneasy.

Oh, and then we have this situation with Jax and Mila.

I don't even know what is really going on… but holy hell…

Jax is one side of the funeral. Mila is on the other side.

I'm just going to leave it at that.

There are others there at the funeral too. There's actually a large group of people hanging around. Don't forget, Mac's father owned a business. He had employees. Vendors. Suppliers. All that stuff. Everyone is here to pay their respects.

So I stand there alone.

Everyone is quiet.

There's the occasional muffled sob.

Mac is like a statue as he stares at the casket.

I'm holding myself steady, forcing my mind to stay in a game-like state.

I'm so focused that I don't realize someone has stepped up next to me.

When I realize I'm now not alone, I almost let out a scream.

My brain instantly envisions that someone has risen from the dead as a brain-hungry zombie and they're going to attack me.

Of course none of that is true.

I turn my head and there's Willow.

Ward's sister.

Kind of nerdy. Kind of pretty.

Her hair is messy. She's wearing big, bug-like, black sunglasses.

Her thin lips curl down into a small frown.

Her chin quivers. Her lips start to shake.

She's feeling the same way I feel about being here.

I'm not sure I've really spoken to Willow before.

But here she is, standing next to me.

I have no idea what I'm doing or why I'm doing it… but I reach with my right hand and take Willow's left hand.

I interlock my fingers with hers.

We're holding hands.

Two strangers at a funeral.

But, hey, you know what… it's nice not to feel alone right now.