39. Knox

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Knox

“And then I was like, what the hell?”

“Of course you were, sweetheart,” I mumble, holding the phone between my cheek and my shoulder as I count through the bills on the table. “And then what did you do?”

“Well, I freaked out because I never oversleep, do I?” He curses, and I flinch when I hear a car honk in the background. “I swear, nobody in Miami can drive.”

“Be careful,” I warn him, a near snap to my voice. “Don’t get into a fucking wreck.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet to worry about me, baby.”

I growl under my breath. Of course I’m fucking worried. He’s driving like a maniac to make it to a meeting with Davis that doesn’t start for another hour. “Just come find me when you get here. Drive safe, sweetheart.”

“Okay! See you in a few minutes, grumpy bear!”

Rolling my eyes at the nickname, I hang up, shoving the phone into my back pocket so I can finish counting out my cash on hand for tonight. I feel a weird itch on the top of my head, so I look up to see Everest standing in front of me. It’s not unusual for him to be here before we open, since he’s Rhys’s boyfriend, but he hasn’t tried to talk to me since our falling out a few months ago. Before I realized my feelings for Elton, seeing Everest would have sent my heartbeat racing, but now it’s just a calm, steady thrumming.

“Hey,” he says, sounding hesitant, scratching the back of his neck. “You got a second to talk?”

I shrug. “Sure. I’m done for now. What’s up?”

He takes a seat beside me and rubs his hands up and down his jeans in a nervous gesture I’m far too familiar with. “So, um, I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry about how we left things.”

“It’s okay,” I say honestly. Now that I have a clearer head, I can see where Everest was coming from. It was inappropriate of me to hit on him continuously while he was in a relationship. If it were Elton, I’d want him to draw that same boundary line with whatever fucker came before me. “I get it and we’re all good now, if you’re good.”

He lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I’ve missed hanging out with you, man.”

“Same here,” I tell him genuinely. Before we were sleeping together, we were actually friends, and I do miss spending time with him. “Maybe we can go see that new movie at the end of the week? Think you can pry yourself away from your boyfriend for a night?”

“How about yours?” he throws back playfully, but then his nervous tell comes back as he clutches at his jeans. “You and Elton… You’re together?”

“Yeah,” I answer, proud as hell that I get to claim him now. “He’s awesome.”

He nods. “Oh, yeah, Elt is the best. But Knox, does he know about us?”

I freeze, sweat blossoming on the back of my neck as my heart stutters. “No.”

“Don’t you think he should?” he asks, entirely uncomfortable. “I mean, you and I used to sleep together…a lot. Won’t he be bothered by that?”

Oh, he most definitely will be bothered, which is why I’m putting off telling him. It has to be the right time. I just don’t want to start a fight when we’re still so new and still in the honeymoon phase. It’ll be better if I let a little bit of time pass and then we’ll be able to laugh about it.

Right?

“Of course he’ll be bothered,” Rhys says as he appears in front of us with a scowl on his lips. “You need to tell him, Knox, or I will.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” Everest shouts, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend. “I agree that Elton needs to know, but it can’t come from us. Can you imagine how much worse that would be?”

“Than knowing the guy he’s falling for fucked his younger brother?”

“Well, when you put it that way…”

“I’m right fucking here!” I bark out, snapping my fingers in the air. Trying to cool off and calm down, I let out a deep exhale as I stand. “Look, this is frankly neither of your business. Elton is my boyfriend and it’s our relationship. If and when I tell him, it’s between the two of us.”

“ If ? You will tell him, right?” Everest asks, worrying the inside of his cheek. “He and I just got close again, Knox, and I don’t want to keep this secret from him.”

“Yes, I’ll tell him, but when I think it’s the right time,” I say.

He nods, but doesn’t look convinced. Glancing down at his watch, he curses, jumping to his feet. “Shit, I’m going to be late for class.” He kisses Rhys quickly before turning back to me. “I know you’ll do the right thing, Knox.”

My heart twitches at his words, but I don’t have time to think them through before Rhys is up in my space, shoving me by my shoulders.

“The fuck, man?”

“Everest is a sweet guy and likes his rose-colored glasses, and I love him for it, but he doesn’t realize what’s going to happen next.”

I raise an eyebrow at his somber tone. “Uh-huh. Tell me, genius, what’s going to happen next?”

“I think you already know and that’s why you’re avoiding telling Elton the truth,” he says, voice low and threatening as he shoves me again. “You’ll tell him about Everest, and he’ll dump your ass.”

“No, he won’t,” I grit out, but it even sounds like a lie when I say it out loud.

He snickers, something cruel in his eyes. “Yes, he will, and I’ll enjoy every second of your pain, but it’s not only you who’s going to be in pain.” His hands ball into fists, probably out of so much hatred and the war to not deck me in the nose. “He’ll be devastated, you asshole. When Elton falls, he falls hard, and if you knew anything about him, you’d realize that this will break his heart.”

I swallow harshly, trying to push the truth aside, but it’s too loud to ignore now that Rhys is shoving it in my face. It’s the same truth I’ve been playing off as no big deal. The truth that scares the shit out of me.

Elton is going to break up with me when he finds out.

Rhys is a hundred percent correct because—despite what he cares to believe—I know Elton. I know that he thrives with affection and care. I know that he has the biggest heart out of anybody who has ever and will ever exist. I know that he can be intense and has his eyes on forever.

I also know that when he commits, he’s fully in, and the secret I’ve been keeping from him will break that delicate trust we’ve built between us.

But still, I tell myself it won’t.

“I love him, Rhys,” I admit painfully, hating to be vulnerable in front of this prick.

He shakes his head and snarls at me. “If you really loved him, you wouldn’t have put him in this position.”

“I—”

“There are two out of three of my favorite people!”

Rhys and I jump apart at the sound of Elton’s voice booming through the club. He rushes to us, out of breath with windswept hair, and immediately goes to me first. Holding my face in his hands, he plops a hard kiss on my lips. “Hey, my baby. Told you I’d make it in one piece.”

“Good,” I mumble, wrapping my arms around his waist, keeping him locked against me like I’m afraid he’s going to run away any second. “I missed you.”

Chuckling, he brushes his nose down my cheek. “Missed you too.” As if suddenly realizing Rhys is still here, he turns to him. “How’s it going, man? Where’s my brother?”

“Class,” Rhys answers in a clipped rush.

Elton’s brow furrows at him as he shrugs. “Right. So, on the drive here, I had a brilliant idea. A double date!”

Never in my fucking life am I going on a double date with the guy who I used to fuck and his unstable as hell boyfriend.

But if that’s what my sweetheart wants…

“That sounds like a great idea,” I tell Elton, kissing down his jaw. “Just tell me when and where.”

Elton beams at me, hugging me tightly before stepping away. “Okay, I have to get ready for my meeting with Davis, but you two figure out the details. I’m so excited!” As if he can’t help it, he smacks my lips with another kiss. “Okay, now I’m done. I really have to go.”

I tap his ass gently to get him moving. “Come find me when it’s done so I can hear all about it.”

“For sure! See you later, Rhys!”

Elton takes off, suit doing all sorts of sexy things to his body as he rushes up the stairs. I turn back to Rhys, and he just scoffs, shaking his head yet again. I snarl at him. “What?”

“You really just are the fucking worst, aren’t you?” he questions, absolutely disgusted with me. “Don’t worry, Lennox . I’ll be here for Elton when you crush his heart.”

He walks away and leaves me with those pleasant parting words that do all sorts of things to my stomach.

No. Rhys is wrong. I’m wrong. It’ll all be okay. Elton will forgive me, because doesn’t love always win out at the end? Isn’t that what literally every romantic movie teaches you?

Love wins out at the end.

Right?