Page 75 of Pucking Knox
He's growing. We both are.
The rooftop door opens to a fairytale. Hundreds of tiny lights create a canopy of artificial stars below the real ones, blankets, and pillows spread across the concrete like an oasis. Music plays softly.
And Knox...
He stands in the center of it all, wearing the suit from draft day, looking nervous in a way I've never seen before. No cocky enforcer facade. No perfect boyfriend act. Just him - real and vulnerable andmine.
"Miss Walters." He gives me that crooked smile that still makes my heart stutter. "Thank you for accepting my invitation."
"Mr. Thompson." I maintain our formal game even as emotion threatens to overwhelm me. "Quite the academic setting you've arranged."
"I thought..." He runs a hand through his hair. "Maybe we could study something different tonight."
"Oh?" I step closer, loving how his breath catches. "What subject did you have in mind?"
"Us." The word comes out rough. "Our past. Our future. Everything in between."
My heart pounds as he leads me to the blankets. We sit facing each other, city lights twinkling behind him like his own constellation.
"I know what you're doing," I say softly. "These past weeks. The formal act. Letting me set the pace. Working so hard to prove yourself."
"Is it working?" His voice carries a hint of that old vulnerability.
"Yes." The truth feels like freedom. "God, Knox, yes. Watching you grow, watching you choose better, watching you become exactly who I always knew you could be..."
"I'm trying." He catches my hand, thumb stroking my palm. "I won’t fail. I can be worthy of you. I know I can."
"You always have been." And I mean it. Because this Knox – the one who faces his demons instead of running, who loves without fear, who works for what matters – this is the man I always saw beneath the enforcer facade.
"Tell me something," he whispers.
I take a deep breath. "I'm not afraid anymore."
His eyes darken. "No?"
"No. I was for a long minute, but this…this is good, Mr. Thompson."
He smirks.
"I choose you," I continue. "Even knowing it might hurt again. Even knowing we'll have hard days. Even if you have no idea what forever means."
He laughs. "Baby, I know what forever means."
"Yeah?" I challenge.
"Yeah, it means your father will take years to come around. Ace will kick my ass again if I do anything––"
"I’m sorry. What?"
He laughs. "He kicked my ass that night after Murphy’s when I went home. How do you think my lip busted and my cheek bruised? That was Ace."
"Oh my God! No, I didn’t know that." I take a moment to imagine the scenario. "Okay, continue please."
He smiles. "I want all your Christmases, birthdays, spring breaks at the beach house, summers. It means that we’ll fight but I’ll get to fuck you mad."
"Knox!" I scold, turning red.
"That was a joke." He smiles. "Kind of. It means I get to fall asleep with you every night and wake up with you everymorning. And we do shit like this…all the time. I don’t want to be in the NHL without you. I don’t want to marry anyone else. I don’t want kids with anyone else. Nothing else matters if I don’t have you. Call me a lovesick puppy, but I fucking love you. I want to do life with you." He leans back. "So, yes, Kennedy. When I say forever, I meanforever."
