Page 7 of Quarantine Crush
Knox winks. “Oh, I plan to make him suffer for sure.”
Christian’s high school graduation is the reason Knox is here. Knox is supposed to move back home this summer, but for now, he’s wrapping up the startup of our dads’ first international office. Our dads own the company, fifty-fifty. Knox and I both have places in the company when the dads are ready to retire, but my interest has always lain elsewhere, which is why they sent Knox to get things off the ground in London these last few years. Still, Christian’s big moment isn’t something Knox would miss for anything. Our families are close–and that’s something I’m grateful for. Even if Knox himself has been distant these last couple of years, I’ve been in regular contact with the rest of his family. Especially his mom.
I lost my mother when I was ten, and it still hurts like hell. However, Gloria has become like a surrogate to me.
I laugh. “I think it's part of the bro code. You have to corrupt him. So, what’s the game plan anyway?”
The alcohol has numbed me just enough that I push past the weird fluttering in my belly and focus on my own plan. While Knox talks, I maintain eye contact, doing my best to nod along while sliding my phone out and casually queuing up FlipFlop for a video.
This is it. Now or never.
“I told my parents I’ll spend the first couple of nights here. I thought maybe we could catch up and see the city together. Do the touristy thing or hit some of our old haunts. Then, you and I can drive up to the lake house after the graduation ceremony on Saturday, and we can spend the rest of my visit with the whole family.”
I nod and offer an “uh-huh” at all the right spots, but inside, I’m freaking the fuck out.
It’s time to “nut up or shut up” as Hadley would say.
“I can’t get over this,” he says, motioning to me.
“Huh?” My brows furrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“When the hell did you grow up, Emy?”
His words catch me off-guard, and I look up, frozen like a deer in headlights at the way he’s looking at me. Not my face. My body. Specifically, my tits.
The little whores stand right up at attention too. I might have crossed my arms if I had control of my limbs. Or my heart.
“Probably around the same time you did if I had to guess,” I say, the words throaty.
He chuckles and shakes his head, his eyes lifting to mine. “That shirt makes you look fifteen though.” He pushes to his feet and heads toward the kitchen.
The words are a gut punch. Or at least a shove. I can’t tell if it’s a compliment or an insult, so I smirk, forcing myself to consider it the former.
“So my look matches your maturity level,” I shoot back.
He snorts. But it’s clear I need to stop fucking around and do this. One more weird-ass comment like that, and I’ll lose my nerve forever.
“Hey, grab me a beer while you’re in there, would ya?” I ask.
He arches a brow, looking ready to refuse, then turns toward the fridge anyway.
The moment his back is turned, I hit the button to record my FlipFlop and prop my phone on the bar. After a few seconds, the counter blinks with a number as more and more people tune into the live video.
When Knox hands me the beer, I angle my body so we’re both facing the camera. Knox is oblivious to it and simply looks at me weird, undoubtedly for the way I’m standing like we’re posing for awkward prom pictures.
“Thanks, bestie,” I say.
“No problem.”
“Hey, how long have we been best friends now?” I ask, loud enough I hope the phone picks it up clearly.
“Uh, ten years? Longer?” Knox says, scratching the back of his head. He looks confused at the math I’ve just made him do. “Hell if I know. I don’t really remember a time when you weren’t my best friend. Why?”
The words give me the last boost of confidence I need. I swoop in, closing the distance between us, and press my lips to his.
The warmth of his mouth and the surrealness of this moment make my head spin.
Holy shit, I’m doing it! I’m shooting my shot with Knox Jacobs! Hadley is going to lose her shit!
