Page 31 of Captured Love

He smirks. “Because I'm a dumb jock, right?”

“I didn't say that.”

“You didn't have to,” he says, but there's no edge to his voice. If anything, he sounds amused. “We can have brains and brawn, you know. It's allowed.”

“Touché,” I say, crossing my arms. “So what's the topic?”

He hesitates for a moment, as if he's not sure whether to dive into it. As he’s about to open his mouth, another voice comes out.

“There you are, man.”

I turn to see Knox standing a few feet away. The sight of him sends a jolt through me—part excitement, part dread. I’m convinced everyone in the room is holding their breath.

Or maybe it’s just me.

Knox's eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, I forget where I am. Then I remember Blaise, who is now looking between Knox and me with an expression I can't quite read.

“So much for a quiet night,” Blaise mutters under his breath, but loud enough that I can hear. He folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his chair as if he’s about to watch a show.

“Selene,” Knox says, taking a few steps closer. “Can we talk?”

Every fiber of my being is torn in different directions. Part of me wants to hear him out, to see if he can say something that will make it all better. Another part of me wants to tell him to get lost, that I'm done with his rollercoaster. And then there's the part of me that's just plain scared—scared of what he'll say, scared of what I'll feel, scared of making yet another wrong move.

“Maybe later,” I say to Knox, though I'm not sure I mean it. “I'm working right now.”

Knox looks around the nearly empty library and then back at me. “It doesn't seem too busy.”

“Still,” I say, standing a little straighter. “I need to be available.”

Knox's jaw tightens, and I can see that he wants to call me out on my obvious lie. “Fine,” he says, his voice low and controlled. “I'll wait.”

He walks around me to grab a seat at the table Blaise is sitting at. When I turn back to Blaise, he's already put his glasses back on and is flipping through a book, though it's clear he's not reading.

“I’m going to go, but…if you need anything I’ll be at the circulation desk.”

I turn on my heel and walk away quickly before either of them can say another word. My mind is racing as I make my way back to where I’m supposed to be. Why is Knox here? What does he think he's going to accomplish by ambushing me like this? Heck, was all of this just by chance? And why do I still care?

I sit down and put my head in my hands, trying to block out the swirl of thoughts and emotions. I need to get myself together and fast.

I glance over at Blaise and Knox. Blaise is pretending to work, but it's obvious he's just waiting for something to happen. Knox is staring at me, his hands clasped in front of him as if he’s doing the same.

I force myself to look away and take a deep breath. All I have to do is put my headphones back in my ears and ignore them both. Great idea.

I set up the episode I was preparing to watch again and put my earbud in. After taking a second to close my eyes and refocus my energy, I press play. If this doesn’t take my mind off Knox, nothing will.

The show bursts to life on my screen, and for a moment, it is a welcome distraction. I zero in on the storyline, the characters,the setting, because anything is better than focusing on the mess my life currently is.

Five minutes in, I'm almost relaxed. Almost.

I sense someone come up to the desk and I look up to see Knox standing there. “What?” I say, probably louder than I need to, but that’s what I get for having one earbud in.

“I just want to talk,” he says, his voice softer than I expect. “Please.”

I glance over at Blaise, who is still at his table, now tapping a pen against his book in a rhythm that's almost musical. He catches my eye and gives a small shrug.

I turn back to Knox. His face is pleading, but there's also that stubborn set to his jaw that I've come to know so well. He won't leave until he gets what he wants.

“Fine,” I say, not making any effort to come closer to him. “But keep your voice low because this is still a library.”

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