Page 175 of The Perfect Spiral
I turn around to see Knox standing with the hostess, Hannah, Brett, Andy, and Kyle in tow.
“Oh, shit,” I whisper to myself.
Knox spots me instantly, a smile creeping onto his face. He says something to the hostess, who turns to look at us.
“I’m going to kill him,” Wes mutters, his voice seething with anger.
Andy’s eyes meet mine, and they widen in shock. She mouths ‘Fuck’ to herself. As they approach our table, the waitress steps back, her eyes wide as she takes in Knox.
“What are you guys doing here?” Kyle asks, his eyes darting between Wes and me.
“I told them to meet us here. I didn’t think we’d have enough space in the car,” Hannah covers quickly.
I shoot her a grateful look, but Andy and Hannah return it with apologetic expressions. They hadn’t known we’d be here, or else they wouldn’t have come.
With a huff, I glance back at Wes, whose jaw is clenched in obvious irritation at Knox. Knox, on the other hand, slides into the seat next to me, a triumphant grin plastered on his face.
I roll my eyes at his childish antics and turn to face Wes, who is still staring at me. I offer him an apologetic look, which he returns with a smile.
As the rest of our group joins us, the waitress takes their drinkorders. I lean back in my seat, sinking slightly lower.
Returning with a tray of drinks and a basket of bread with butter, the waitress sets the table. I reach for a piece of bread, leaning into Knox to whisper, “You’re an asshole.”
His smirk widens at my words. “I told you I’d see you soon, baby doll,” he says, punctuating his statement with a wink.
Chapter 59
He knew? I think, my mind reeling. He planned this? He planned on crashing my date before I even left the house? I shoot him a glare and sit back in my seat, my mind already plotting his murder.
When his hand slides onto my thigh, I quickly remove it. “Touch me again and I’ll cut your hand off,” I whisper, turning my attention back to Wes, who is locked in a stare-off with Knox.
Despite my threat, Knox places his hand back on my knee, his thumb gently rubbing my skin. If I weren’t so annoyed with him, I might have enjoyed the contact. But right now, all I can think about is how he’s ruined my date with Wes.
My phone buzzes in my lap, a message from our girls’ group chat with Andy and Hannah.
“That’s not nice, baby doll. You should be thanking me,” Knox whispers in my ear, his words causing Andy, Hannah, and Wes to look up. Wes looks like he’s about to leap across the table and pummel Knox.
“You fucking knew and ruined this date for me! You are a son of a bitch!” I hiss at him, my anger barely contained.
“Where’s Ben?” I ask the group, trying to distract myself from the infuriating man next to me. I remove his hand from my knee once again.
“He had a conference call, so he stayed at the house. He said he’ll meet us later,” Kyle says, his mouth full of bread. His lack of table manners never ceases to amaze me.
Andy leans over to close his mouth, playfully tapping his nose with her finger. “Chew with your mouth closed, babe. Nobody wants to see that.”
Kyle rolls his eyes and dramatically closes his mouth, chewing slowly as he looks at her. She smiles at him, and he softens, pulling her closer to his side.
“Damn right, I get to call this beautiful girl mine,” he says, looking at Brett with a proud smile. The question of whether they’re officially a couple hangs in the air, but no one dares to ask.
As we place our food orders, I can’t help but feel sorry for the waitress. She seems nervous, especially with Knox sitting right in front of her.
I mouth an apology to Wes, who responds with a reassuring, “Don’t be, sweetheart,” before his gaze returns to Knox. The change in his demeanor is startling. These two really have it out for each other.
The tension between them is palpable, but the rest of the group seems oblivious. Wes is clearly not enjoying himself, while Knox seems to relish in riling him up.
Throughout the night, they exchange subtle jabs, causing Kyle to cast skeptical glances their way. He’s starting to pick up on the tension.
I send desperate glances to Hannah and Andy, but they’re just as clueless as I am about how to defuse the situation.
