18. Knox

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Knox

Thanksgiving has never been my favorite time of the year.

While everyone just fucking loves gorging on food and spending time with family, my memories revolving this holiday are anything but pleasant.

Pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce were replaced with squash truffles and elderberry compote. Time with friends and family was spent mingling with other high society fucks. My parents even went on a vacation to Sicily once with my brothers…and coincidentally forgot to invite me.

It’s enough to say that Thanksgiving means absolutely nothing to me. The last few years have been spent eating Chinese takeout and watching my favorite horror movie in peace. A peace that I never once resented.

A peace that has officially been ruined.

Technically, it isn’t Thanksgiving yet, just the day before, but Elton’s hosting a Friendsgiving and invited me. I was going to scoff and tell him to go fuck himself and his turkey, but since I’m apparently trying this whole “nice” thing, I decided why not? What’s the worst that can happen? I show up, hate every minute of it, and end up leaving early?

Although, it was a pain in the ass going to the grocery store last minute today because Elton insisted I needed to bring something. He told me to make something, but fuck that. His ass is getting store-bought stuffing that seemed decent enough.

From the parking lot, I ring up to the penthouse, and a second later, the elevator doors open. As I enter and the elevator jolts to life, I wonder who else he invited. I’m not exactly great with other people, mostly in the sense that I don’t like most people, but if this is some kind of big drunken bash, I’m going to bail the first chance I get.

And when the elevator doors open to Elton’s penthouse, I know that I’ll be counting down the seconds until I can escape.

I have no idea who these people are. They seem to be a mix of his college friends and people I faintly recognize from XO, but they’re already too loud and obnoxious for my taste. There’s holiday music playing in the background—Christmas, to be specific—and I wonder if Elton’s just purposefully ignoring the fact that it’s too soon for that shit. And when I see him, I nearly make a run for the elevator.

Is that a pilgrim flamingo on his damn sweater?

“Knox!” he cheers, his cheeks rosy and his smile wide as he approaches me. It looks like he wants to hug me, and I’m not about that, so I take a sharp step back. He doesn’t seem to mind and claps me on the shoulder instead. “So glad you could make it.” Looking down at the plastic container in my hand, he frowns. “Hey, I thought I said homemade food.”

“And I think it’s hilarious you thought I would listen,” I quip, shoving the stuffing into his hand. I glance around, noting that everyone has a drink. “Where’s the damn bar?”

He laughs as if I’m hilarious, throwing his arm over my shoulder, and I scowl the entire time as he leads me to the kitchen. He’s set up an area with all the drinks arranged neatly, little Thanksgiving cocktail glasses in front of them. The food is here too, all prepared minus a turkey, with equally cringey holiday plates stacked and ready to be filled up.

“We’re just waiting for the turkey to be done before we eat,” he tells me, then gestures at the makeshift bar. “What can I get you?”

“Vodka soda,” I nearly snap. Again, he ignores my tone and fixes my drink for me, going as far as to put a little turkey straw in it. “How festive.” I take a sip, admitting to myself that he can make a damn good drink, and grumble my way through a conversation in the spirit of the holiday. “So, who are all these people?”

“Most of them are from my master’s program,” he says as he leads me out of the kitchen and toward the living room. “They’re pretty cool. The only people you’d know are the XO crew.”

True to his word, almost everyone who works at XO is here. Most of them are nameless shot girls and extras I barely recognize, but I do spot the main clique by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Rhys and Everest are here—as predicted—and they’re talking to each other in hushed whispers, unsurprisingly ignoring everyone else in favor of revolving around each other. Skylar is sitting on Cassius’s lap, the petite bartender drinking from the pilgrim-themed glass his best friend holds up for him. Even Butch is here, sulking behind them, looking like a protective parent, though he’s only around thirty-five and definitely not warm and fuzzy enough to get laid.

“You should go talk to them.”

I snort at Elton’s ridiculous suggestion and raise an eyebrow at him. “What the fuck makes you think I want to do that?”

He sighs. “Look, I know you probably want to leave right this minute?—”

“Wow, how could you tell?”

“—but I think it’d be nice to get to know your coworkers more,” he finishes on a scowl, his hand on my back practically shoving me forward. “Go mingle.”

I narrow my eyes. “Is that a fucking order?”

“Consider it foreplay,” he states matter-a-factly. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he steps just close enough to be considered decent. “Talk to them for at least five minutes, and I’ll blow you in the bathroom.”

Now that catches my attention. “Better get those dick-sucking lips ready, sweetheart,” I tease, rolling up my imaginary sleeves at the challenge. “Meet me in the bathroom in five minutes.”

He snorts as I walk away, and I march with a purpose toward the XO crew. When I stand in front of them, nobody acknowledges my presence, and I have to clear my throat for at least Cassius to finally realize I’m here.

“Knox?” he questions, confused. “What are you doing here?”

Since Elton and I are on the down-low, I shrug and lie my way through it. “Elton invited the entire club. Thought I’d stop by.”

Skylar’s brow furrows as he snuggles into Cassius’s chest, looking almost embarrassed. “What? To tell us how ridiculous we look in our sweaters?”

Well, he’s the one that said it, not me. But seriously, who would wear matching Thanksgiving sweaters with a bedazzled XO on the front surrounded by turkeys. No doubt custom made specifically for this event.

Biting my tongue, I decide to play nice. “They’re cool.”

I bristle at the fact that Everest looks at me, but doesn’t say a thing. I guess we’re still fighting, or whatever the fuck it is we’re doing, because he just leans into Rhys’s side. His boyfriend, however, doesn’t share the same silent treatment. “Seriously. What are you doing here? Didn’t have anything better to do?”

“Didn’t you?” I snap right back, immediately regretting it, but he makes it too easy. “Didn’t realize I’d face the firing squad.”

“Hey, can we just be nice?” Everest finally speaks, frowning at Rhys. “It is the holidays.”

This calls off his guard dog, who practically pouts as he turns away from me. When no one says anything else, I take a seat across from them, chewing on the inside of my cheek as I try to be part of a conversation I obviously don’t belong in.

“So, what’s everyone doing for the holidays?” Everest asks, trying to break the tension I brought.

Skylar smiles at him, playing with Cassius’s golden chain. “Bob, Cass, and I are having our own little Thanksgiving! Well, after I go to Bob’s friend’s party.”

Cassius flinches at the mention of Skylar’s current boyfriend. I want to scoff, but hold it in. Even I—someone who’s not a part of their group—can tell that Cassius is head-over-heels in love with his best friend, and I think Skylar is an absolute shit person for not seeing it.

But if I said that, I’d definitely ruin the mood.

“How about you, Butch?” Skylar asks him.

Butch grunts. “Busy.”

Okaaaaay.

“Rhys, Elton, and I are going to spend it with my parents.” Everest moons over his boyfriend as he looks at him. “We might even go to the beach house in the Keys.”

“Oooo, beach house?” Skylar questions, wriggling on Cassius’s lap and causing him to bite down hard on his lip. “Pray tell. Are we going to get an invite one day?”

Everest smiles as Rhys wraps his hand around the back of his neck. “Oh! I didn’t even think about that! It could be a fun vacation if Davis lets us all off… Although that might be a stretch.”

“Sounds like fun,” I say, which causes Skylar to cock his head in my direction.

“You’d be interested in going?”

I keep my poker face, but damn. I’m normally able to just let it roll off my shoulders, but something about the way Skylar so passively brushes me off, it stings for once. Damn Elton, why the hell did I agree to this in the first place? His dick-sucking lips aren’t amazing enough to be humiliated over.

“Guess not,” I bite out, getting up quickly and walking away before I can have more shit thrown my way.

Fuck them.

I head to the elevators, ready to bolt, but Elton beats me to it. He jumps in front of me, seemingly coming out of nowhere, his eyebrows pinched. “Woah, woah. Where are you going? You just got here.”

“I never wanted to come to this stupid party.” I sound like a petulant child. “I’m going home.”

“Hey, wait,” he pleads, holding on to my arm to stop me from leaving. He actually looks remorseful as he takes a step closer. “I’m sorry I pushed you to talk to them. I just thought…”

I know what he thought. Lonely fucking Knox needs some friends. The one everyone hates requires saving. Guess what, Elton? I’m fucking happy the way I am. I don’t need them to give me any sort of pity kindness.

But when I look into Elton’s dark green eyes, I don’t see any pity, and that’s the only reason I don’t shove him out of the way and get the fuck out of here.

I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “When’s the fucking turkey ready?”

“You curse a lot,” he points out, but laughs at my comment instead of biting back. “It only has a few more minutes. Stay?”

And, fuck me, because Elton somehow has the power to make me walk my ass back to the XO crew and listen to them go on and on about their plans after the holidays, plans that I’m obviously not invited to.

When dinner is finally ready, Elton gathers everyone around the kitchen, stands on one of the high tops, and clinks his glass.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here today!”

Fuck, can he be more dramatic?

“I want to say that it’s amazing being able to spend this day with new and old friends. I appreciate the time you took to make all these amazing dishes, and hope that we can all enjoy them together. Friendsgiving is more than just pigging out and getting drunk—although we’re all definitely doing that, and everyone is free to crash here tonight—but about the bonds of friendship. Without each other, where would we be?”

Everyone nods, as if they’re following along, and I have to look around, because could they be more predictable?

“Friendship is important. Knowing you’re never alone…” he trails off, smiling softly to himself as he sighs. “Well, it’s nice to know you have someone to turn to when life gets hard. So, everyone, please. Let’s raise our glasses to this event! May we forever be friends!”

Everyone raises their glasses as instructed and cheers, hooting and hollering at Elton’s sappy words.

I just scoff. You don’t need people in your corner. If you’re independent and strong, you are enough for you. People come and go, but you remain constant.

Although…for whatever fucked-up reason, I raise my glass along with them.