Page 70 of The Perfect Spiral
“Is that a surfboard I see?”
“You see the guy behind me? His nephew got me one just like that this morning at the Christmas fair. Does yours have your name on it, Amelia?”
Her eyes widened at the fact that I had the same surfboard. “Yes! See! There it is! I got mine at the Christmas fair too!” she beamed, flipping the small surfboard over to show me her name written in pink on the back.
“Mine says Alex and has blue writing. We can be surfboard sisters. Would that be cool?” I looked up at everyone. They were all just staring at me, entranced.
Then she hugged me, her little arms wrapping around my neck. I hugged her back.
“I’d like that!” She smiled up at me and let go. She waved at Knox, who waved back with a smile plastered on his face.
“You’re a very pretty girl! I hope you were good this year so you get lots of presents from Santa. But I’ve got to go. It was very nice to meet you, Amelia.”
I stood up and opened the car door once again. She found her parents and waved at us. I grinned at her and waved back. Knox got in, adjusting himself before we drove off.
Chapter 25
Well, that was different. I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and leaned my head back against the headrest. I could feel Knox glancing at me every now and then as he drove.
“Hey,” he said softly. I turned to face him, bending one knee and placing my leg underneath the other.
“That was cute, baby doll.” My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Cute?
“Yeah, she was cute, wasn’t she?”
“Yeah, she was, but so were you,” his eyes met mine as he placed his hand on my thigh, continuing to drive. I lifted his hand from my leg and placed it back on the gear stick.
He shot me a smirk, causing me to avert my gaze to the window. I felt his hand sneak back onto my leg.
I tried to suppress a smile, but it was futile. The truth was, histouch was comforting, and the warmth of his hand on my leg was soothing.
“Did you get a number?” I asked, not turning to look at him. I was watching the passersby outside the car window, each one wrapped up in their own world.
“Get a number? From one of the girls in the store?” I finally turned to face him. He wore a slight frown, but his eyes remained on the road. I wasn’t sure why I asked; the question just slipped out.
“No, I wasn’t interested,” he stated plainly. This prompted me to snort in disbelief and turn away from him again.
“I didn’t, Alex!” I snapped my head back around at his sharp tone. His face was etched with annoyance. “I wasn’t interested in them. They’re not my type.”
“Type? Girls are your type, Knox. Anything with two sets of lips is your type,” I laughed, which only seemed to irritate him further.
“Alex, I don’t like you thinking of me like that. I’m serious!”
“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? Knox Carter, world’s greatest womanizer. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? You had them falling all over you in there. I’m sure all five of them would’ve taken you then and there.”
He abruptly parked the car at the side of the street and turned to face me, giving me his full attention.
“Alex, please stop thinking of me like that. I’m not a womanizer, and I hate that you think of me like that. I know you’re trying to rile me up, baby doll! So stop.”
“You brought this on yourself, Carter! Sleeping around with half of this city. I’m only going by what you put out there. I’m not trying to rile you up, I’m just stating facts.
You’re in every magazine with a new girl on your arm every week, so how can I not assume you’re a womanizer when it’s plastered everywhere.
You did it all the time in high school, and you’re still doing it now. Girls are pining for your attention all the time. Don’t act like you don’t love it.
You practically eat this up everywhere you go. So don’t pull the ‘please pity me, Alex’ crap with me. I’m not stupid, I won’t fall for it!”
The silence that followed was heavy. This is what always happens between us; we always end up fighting. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, his eyes closed.
