Page 259 of The Perfect Spiral
“Chocolate?” Adam asks, raising his hands in the air.
“Chocolate,” I echo, planting a kiss on his head and setting him down. Rising from my chair, I scoot the chair across from me and Knox stands up as well.
Hand in hand with Adam, we head out the doors, with Knox holding it open for us. We make our way over to the small store in the foyer and I let Adam pick out one item.
He makes a beeline for the largest chocolate bar in the shop and picks it up.
“Something smaller, sweetie, you won’t eat all of it,” I tell him. He pouts at me and I kiss his cheek, making him put it down. I hoist him up into my arms again.
Walking around with him on my hip, he spots a Hershey’s bar and waves it in my face. I pick up some candy for Noah and Eden too, so they don’t feel left out.
I place them on the counter for the young girl to scan. She asks me, “Is he your kid? He’s adorable,” gushing over Adam on my hip.
“She’s my girlfriend,” he clarifies with her, causing the young cashier to giggle and I release a chuckle through my nose.
“Oh, I’m sorry...Well, she is one lucky girl to have both of you handsome guys!” She beams, stroking Adam’s cheek with herfinger. He’s too engrossed in trying to open the chocolate bar.
“I’m not with him. I don’t know him,” I say, pointing to Knox behind me. I hear him laugh as she eyes him up.
“She’s my baby doll,” he informs her nonchalantly.
“No, I’m not, I’m nothing to him. I don’t know him,” I thank her and take Adam with me, leaving Knox there in the shop.
“You’re not nothing to me, Alex,” he whispers in my ear, but I don’t respond and continue walking away from him.
I bump into Wes standing at the door. His navy blue suit hugs his ripped body perfectly.
“There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere, sweetheart!” Wes turns to face me. He leans in to kiss my cheek, giving me a tight hug with Adam.
“Hey, buddy! Don’t you look sharp in your suit! Got all the ladies chasing you, I see. Taking after your uncle,” he pinches Adam’s cheek, but Adam is too focused on his chocolate to notice anything right now.
Once again, I set Adam down on the tiles, letting him run to Noah and Eden to give them candy. My back is starting to ache from carrying him in heels, so I rub my hands over the tender muscle.
“Hey, Wes! Don’t you clean up well,” I tease, watching the little kids run around with each other. He chuckles lightly while sipping on his beer bottle.
“You look beautiful as always, Alex.”
I thank him, shifting my weight to ease the pressure on my feet. God, I hate these heels.
“Wes,” Knox echoes. They stare at each other, causing a bit of tension between them. I can feel it.
“How’s Lauren?” Wes smirks at him, casually sipping from hisbottle.
Wes begins to choke on his drink and I pat him lightly on the back. He swallows it down in one big gulp, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. This allows me to look at him skeptically.
What happened with him and Zara? Are they together too? His eyes meet mine, trying to read my emotion, but I keep it as neutral as possible.
Clenching his jaw, he asks, “How was the stripper last night?” He narrows his eyes at Knox, who huffs out through his nose. He’s practically breathing fire.
“Bullshit,” Wes calls him out, bobbing his head up even more at the fire-breather. “Maybe you can fill us in on the twins you had?” Knox continues to provoke him. This is going to end only one way. It’s always the same with these two.
“I think you’re talking about yourself, Carter. Threesome, was it?” Wes smiles smugly at Knox.
“Stop it. Both of you. You’re supposed to be best friends and you’ve done nothing but fight each other since the start of the year.
I don’t know what it’s about, and frankly, I don’t care. This is not the day to fight. Drop it! Now!” I stand level with both of them.
The tension between them is palpable, and I can’t help but feel caught in the middle. “What happened with Zara? Is she okay?” I ask, my voice laced with concern. Knox’s cryptic words had me on edge.
