Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
She turns and storms out of the room. “I didn’t want to come here for this,” I tell my father, “but it had to be said.”
“Your sister and you are the best things I’ve ever done in my life, and we raised you guys to have each other’s back.”
“Dad,” I say, and he holds up his hand.
“I get it,” he tells me, “I get it.” His voice goes lower. “I just wish it was different.”
“I do too,” I admit to him. “I really do. I just can’t do it.” I take a second and then turn to walk out of the house. “I’ll call you soon.”
“I would like that. I would like that very much.”
I walk out of the house, shutting the door behind me, and head to my SUV, smiling despite everything, because I know Kylie is waiting for me at home.
forty-two
Knox
“Kylie,” I shout her name at the bottom of the steps, “let’s go or we’re going to be late!” I look up and listen for movement from my bedroom but then hear nothing. “Kylie!” I shout louder.
“Oh my goodness,” she says, walking out of my bedroom, “what is all this yelling about?”
I see her still wearing the lounge set she wears around the house. “Why aren’t you dressed?” I ask her as she stands at the railing, looking down at me, her hands outstretched beside her holding it. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I smile at her, “but we are going to be late.”
“I cancelled lunch.”
“What? Why?” I ask her.
“Knox,” she says my name, “you were going to have a meeting with your parents.” I cross my arms over my chest, and she moves to come down the steps. “I didn’t know how that meeting would go, and the last thing I wanted you to do was feel was like you had to pretend you were okay for lunch.” She stops on the step above me, putting her hands on my shoulders. “So I told them I didn’t feel good, and then Lexi went all ‘Oh my God, are you pregnant?’ and I was like ‘Are you insane?’”
I smile and put my hands on her hips. “The baby comes after we get married,” I inform her and she gasps.
“What?” I see her scared face.
“Well, I want to be married before we have a baby together.” I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her to me. “But if you want to have one before, I guess we can do that.”
“Knox,” she says my name in a whisper.
“Told my parents I’m going to marry you,” I say with a smile.
“You what?” She looks at me, her mouth hanging open in shock.
“Made it clear that this thing with us was as serious as it can be. Since I was going to marry you eventually. And after we get married, there will be children.” I hold up my hand to stop her from talking. “Our children. Part of me and part of you.”
“Knox,” she says my name again, “how was the meeting with your parents?”
“Unimportant,” I tell her and see the worry on her face. “Fine.” I give in so she won’t worry about me. “My mother thinks I should give Josephine another chance.” She looks down and avoids looking at me. “I told them that would never happen.” She looks back up at me. “That is when I told them I was going to marry you.”
“That’s a little bit much.”
“Is it?” I ask her and she shrugs. “Does it scare you when I say it?”
“The whole thing is fucking scary,” she admits to me.
“Baby,” I say, kissing her lips, “we’ll go slow, but the end of the line is us married with children.”
“How long is that line?” she questions me. I’m about to answer her when the phone rings, and I look down to see it’s Josephine. “I’m not one to say that must be a sign, but I’m also not not saying it.”
I laugh and answer it, putting it on speakerphone. “Hey,” I say.
“Dad,” Vincent’s voice comes out, “can we come to your house now?”
“Um, yeah,” I reply and I feel her go stiff in my arms. “Why?”
“I want to come to your house,” he repeats, and I can hear he is upset.
“Where are you now?” I ask him.
“We just got in the car, and we were going to go to Grandma and Granddad’s, but they called and said they were going out. I don’t want to go back to Mom’s. She has plans anyway.”
“Where is your mother?” I ask. When I look up, Kylie is shaking her head.
“Yeah,” Josephine says when she gets on the phone, “what?” Her tone is pissed and aggravated.
“Drop the kids off here,” I tell her. I don’t even ask her if she’s okay, because frankly, I couldn’t care less if her life is crumbling down around her. I’ll take the kids and look the other way.