Page 117 of Bad Wolf

“I love you, Knox. With all my heart I love you. It’s okay that you can’t say it back yet. I just want to tell you how I feel.”

His throat works, but he doesn’t reply. He just nods and places a long, soft kiss to my forehead. Then he steps away, tucking himself back into his jeans, and helps me with my clothes.

“We’re gonna need sustenance after that,” I tell him as we both get back in the car.

“Drive-through it is, but I’ll have three chicken salads while I watch you fill your face with fries. Then I’ll take you home and do all the things I promised.”

I clap excitedly. For the promise he’s making and for the food. Not at all embarrassed that I will indeed be eating enough fries for the both of us. And a big fat burger too.

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

KNOX

Life gets good.It feels like Wren and I never stop talking. We’re texting and video calling when we aren’t together and when we are, we can’t keep our hands to ourselves.

And as the days pass by, the six years we spent apart seem further and further away.

Like it hadn’t even happened almost, and yeah, I guess that could be dangerous, to forget what we both went through, but it all just feels so fucking good.

Spending time with her and with my family, it’s mending all those broken pieces I’d done such a shitty job of patching back together.

In a few days, we head into the playoffs. And as I learned last year, it’s a relentless, grueling schedule. I’ll have to be at the top of my game and at peak performance at the end of a long and arduous season. Crazy.

“I’m still buzzing off yesterdays practice. That scrimmage at the end, Ace. I still can’t get my head around that shot you took,” Casey says, as he fills Scott in on a magical play he and I put together during our last practice.

We’re leaning against Scott’s kitchen counter waiting to go for brunch. The girls are already there, but he needed help moving a new TV unit in, and it was just faster for us to help.

I pump my eyebrows. “It must be unreal being so in awe of your big bros,” I say with a grin.

I’m feeling calm and put together. Ready. Focused.

All things considered, I’m feeling pretty Zen right now. Positive. I don’t think anything could fuck with my upbeat mood and—

I take one look at Wren and my jaw sets to stone.

“What the fuck are you wearing?”

“My T-shirt?”

My eye twitches at the “my” that just flew out of Wren’s mouth.

I don’t fucking think so.“Nuh-uh, take it off. Take it off right now.”

Her footsteps still and her eyes go wide, “Take it—what are you even talking about? I don’t have anything on underneath it.”

I growl, lurching forward, and bustle her back in through the door from which she came, slamming it shut on my three brothers who are currently losing their shit over my outburst in Scotty’s living room.

So, not so Zen after all.

“Where did you get it?”

“I’d say it was pretty obvious, Knox.” She rolls her eyes when I continue to glare.

“Out of the laundry. It’s Scott’s and he said I could have it.”

The letters FDNY, blazoned across her perfect tits, rise and fall as her breathing quickens with annoyance at the obvious surge of anger that rushes through me.

Seeing her in another man’s clothes, albeit perfectly innocent, is enough to push me over the edge.

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