Chapter 12

KNOX

I lookat my phone again.

My place. Please don’t ask a million questions. Just show up. Okay?

Now I have the excuse of all excuses here.

I’m with someone. I can’t be your wingman anymore, okay? The last time we did this things got a little steamy between us. Which I’m perfectly cool with. It’s just…

Yet I can’t help but wonder if someone wrong is with Willow.

What if she has some guy and he’s being a big creep and she needs help?

This is just like the first time where I’m wearing a blanket of guilt when I don’t want to.

Hey, you know how that ended up… right…?

It’s not that I don’t want to think about Willow and I having wild sex again… it’s just that I probably shouldn’t be thinking about it.

Believe me, Adele and I aren’t getting married and setting off into the sunset to buy a house and have kids.

We’re just hanging out together. Figuring things out.

That’s all.

I do everything I can in my head to justify hooking up with Willow again on my walk to her dorm.

I’m not sure if she wants me to knock, kick down the door, or what.

So I text her that I’m outside her door.

She quickly opens the door for me.

She looks left to right as though this is something taboo, then she grabs my shirt and pulls me into her dorm.

Oh… damn… baby…

“Shut the door,” she says.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I shut the door. “You’re acting weird.”

“Yeah, maybe I am, Knox.”

“Okay…” I look around. “Where’s your date?”

“Huh?”

“Do you have some guy tied up in here? Or did you finally snap and kill someone? You know what, don’t tell me that. I can’t be part of moving a body. Let’s just shake hands and I’ll leave.”

I start to turn and Willow lunges at me.

She grabs my arm. “Knox… please…”

She looks scared.

“Hey,” I say. “What is it? Is someone here?”

She shakes her head.

I don’t believe her for a second.

I break away from her and run toward her bedroom door.

Without hesitation I kick the door open and jump inside.

“Hey, asshole!” I call out in a deep voice.

There’s nobody in Willow’s room.

The closet!

I run there and open the door.

“Knox, stop,” Willow says. “Nobody is here.”

I reach into the closet and move some clothes around.

I notice a clothes basket on the floor.

Right on top… some very neon colored panties.

A couple thongs. Some with laced edges.

I want them all in my mouth.

I turn around. “What the hell is this?”

“What?”

“Why did you text me, Willow?”

“I wanted to talk to you. This was the easiest way to get you here.”

I curl my lip. “You fucked with my head to get me here? Are you serious? I haven’t talked to you in… what… a month or two? Not since the night we’re not allowed to talk about. Which, by the way, I kept my end of the deal. I haven’t said a word to anyone.”

“I know,” she says. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

I step closer to her. “You can’t text me like that, Willow. Making me think something is wrong. Things are… it’s different now. Okay?”

“Different,” she says. “That’s for sure.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re with someone now, right?”

“Sort of,” I say. “There’s someone. It’s not… or maybe it is…” I shake my head. “Why are you asking me this? Is this a hookup? Did you text me to come over here thinking I would show up and fuck you?”

Willow swallows hard.

I look away and rub my forehead. “Not cool, Willow. You’re the one who set the rules between us. I followed them. Now you’re fucking with me.”

“I’m not fucking with you, Knox,” she says. “Can we just sit down for a second?”

“On your bed?”

“Yes.”

I look at her bed.

Willow sits down. She gently pats the spot next to her.

There’s something about Willow…

She’s this temptation for me.

I should not be here. I should not have myself in this situation.

“Knox, please,” she whispers.

I finally sit down. Next to her. On her bed.

We’re looking at each other.

“That night,” she says.

“The one we’re not supposed to talk about.”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to break the rule.”

“No choice.”

“We don’t need to talk about that night, Willow. What happened… it happened. I had a great time. I think you did too. We can make this moment something else… right now…”

Ah, fuck, I’m only human.

Go on, hate me all you want…

I inch closer to Willow.

I reach with my right hand and touch her face.

“What are you doing to me?” I whisper. “We shouldn’t be here like this.”

“I know,” she says. “But it’s too late. Sort of. I mean, yes, it is too late.”

“Too late…? For what? For me to stand up and walk out?”

I smirk at her and inch even closer.

I look at it this way - if I’m going to jump off the cliff… might as well just run right for the edge and go.

In other words, I move in for the kiss.

The kissmeaning the first kiss between us which will certainly end up with us naked in her bed.

Yeah, it’ll fuck some things up in my life for a minute, but… oh well.

“Knox,” Willow says, her breath tickling my lips.

“It’s okay, baby,” I whisper. “I’m making the move.”

I feel Willow place her left hand to my chest.

She gives a slight push.

I pause.

Her eyes meet mine again.

And then…?

“Knox, I’m pregnant.”