Page 290 of The Perfect Spiral
“I literally had to fight Adam before we left to not come with us. The kid is so obsessed with you it’s crazy. He cries every timeyou leave to go back to college. I have to promise him all sorts of things just to get him to stop.”
We both dig into the food that was placed in front of us. The vegetables are so crunchy, just the way I like them.
“What can I say? I’m irresistible,” I shrug with one shoulder, feeding myself. “Plus, Mila told me he cries when I leave, and he did the other night when he thought I left. At least I know someone will miss me when I’m gone.”
I smirk down at my fishy friend lying on my plate. Poor fishy. The intricate design of the sauces was ruined due to how hungry I was at the start.
“Hey! I miss you all the time. I just didn’t vocalize it for years. But I will now. I always missed you. When you first went off to college, I used to make up excuses to go and see Wes over there just so I could bump into you.” I start to laugh loudly at him.
“Now I see where Adam gets it from!” I take a sip of my cocktail that was made for me earlier and I’m nearly finished.
Chapter 106
Nobody has approached us throughout the night because Knox had people stopping them from coming over to us. He said he wants us to be alone, and I liked that he did that. It was so thoughtful.
“Adam is a mini-me! Everyone says it. He’s very particular with people, but it’s so clear he adores you. I think he may have a little crush on you?” I nod my head, making him stop his fork mid-air.
“Mila said that too! He’s such a sweetheart. I’m sure all the girls will love him when he’s older.” We smile at the thought. He is going to be another Carter heartthrob. I mean, he’s Austin’s son, of course, he’ll have the ladies chasing him if he’s anything like his dad.
“Of course they will! He’s a Carter! All the girls love us Carter boys.” Hearing the amused tone in his voice makes me punch his arm playfully. He’s not wrong. All three of them were the heartthrobs of my high school. All the girls were falling over their feet to catch a slight glimpse of them walking down the hallways.
Me? I used to run in the other direction when I was near Knox. But I did have a crush on Mason, mainly because he was so nice to me.
“But all us Carter boys have one special lady we get to call ours.” His voice drops lowly in my ear as I sip on my drink.
“Good attempt, Carter. But I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that.” I suck the liquid up the red straw as I see the ice drop down in the glass.
“How about this then... Some days I catch myself smiling for no reason, but then I realize I’m thinking about you and your smile... You’re the only thing I think about before I go to sleep and when I wake up. It’s always been like that, Alex, since I first met you. You made yourself at home in my mind. I haven’t been able to get the thought of you out of it, and to be honest, I don’t want you to leave...
This room is full of people, and the only person I see is you. You’re the only person who has caught my attention, and now that I have yours, I intend to keep it. I fell in love with you because you’re rare, an enigma, someone with the kindest heartI know, you’re someone I have respect for. Alex, you’re my entire world. And I fall harder and harder for you each day.”
“I’ll fall for you every day of my life, Alex,” Knox confessed, his voice filled with a sincerity that made my heart flutter. “From the moment you sat next to me and flashed that radiant smile, I knew. Even at eleven years old, I knew you were the one.”
His words were a balm to my soul, soothing and comforting. I felt a lump forming in my throat, my eyes welling up with tears of joy. I fought to keep them at bay, not wanting to break the moment.
His gaze never wavered from mine, his voice steady and sure. “I never knew you felt this way, Knox,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I saw how the girls in high school chased after you, but I never understood why. Now, I do.”
“Alex, you’re the only girl I’ve ever felt this way about. No one else could ever compare to you. I was selfish in high school, keeping the other guys away from you. You were always the talk of the locker room...”
His voice trailed off, his eyes never leaving mine. “All those other girls meant nothing to me. I could be talking to any one of them, but the moment you walked into the room, my attention was gone. My eyes were drawn to you.”
He paused, his gaze softening. “I lived to see you in school. It made my day when I did. When I didn’t, I’d come over to your house just to catch a glimpse of you. Even if it was just for a second.”
“You’re so beautiful, Alex. It kills me to know that you don’t believe me. I’m the luckiest man alive to have you as my girlfriend. You have no idea.”
He kissed the side of my head, and I leaned into him, wrapping my arm around his waist. “If you keep saying things like this, Carter, I’m going to end up looking like a mess! You’re so sweet. I’m lucky too, to be able to call you my boyfriend.”
“Do you know how many glares I get on a daily basis?” I teased, but his lips remained pressed against the side of my head.
“Probably the same amount I get when I’m with you, babe!” His muffled words made me laugh. Lies. All lies.
“It’s true. I see guys checking you out all the time, so I make sure they know you’re mine and mine only. So, I get the glares too.”
I shook my head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Knox had ordered a dessert for us to share. Sharing is caring, right? To my surprise, an assortment of cakes and pies arrived, each in small slices for us to try.
My eyes widened at the sight of them, my sweet tooth practically doing a happy dance. I fed Knox a piece of chocolate cake, his favorite, and noticed a smudge of icing on his lower lip. I leaned in, kissing him and tasting the icing.
“You had some icing on your lip,” I whispered, my tongue darting out to lick the remaining icing.
