Infinity & Always (11 page)

“You
said that you love me with all that you are and all that you have.
You never want to spend another day without me by your side and I’m
the love of your life.”

I
close my eyes forcing back the tears, I can’t cry anymore, I
don’t want him to see me break.

“I
meant every word of that, darlin’.”

Opening
my eyes, I look up at him and nod. “But not anymore,” I
whisper.

“There
you go again, the deep end,” he gives me a small smirk. “I
still mean it darlin’, more now if that’s possible. I’m
not letting you get away and I’m not letting you treat me like
I’m not important to you. When we both know, you are madly in
love with me and I’m crazy about you,” he brushes his
fingers through my hair. “Now please, stop tearing down
everything we have built together and kiss me.”

He
bends down brushing his lips against mine. I can taste the saltiness
of my own tears. Knox lifts his head and looks at me.

“Now,
I have a few things to say.”

“Okay.”

He
sits up and takes off his suit jacket and tie. He opens the top two
buttons of his shirt and climbs back beside me.

“I
have no idea who was sending me those pictures. I tried to find out
and asked for help, but no one could figure it out. I don’t
want to see any other naked woman, only you. I wish you would have
let me explain things. I wasn’t hiding it from you, I just
didn’t want to add more shit on your plate. I would never cheat
on you darlin’, ever. I promised you this a long time ago. As
for the Facebook stuff…,” he shrugs, “it’s
not anything about you or against you. I didn’t mention you on
my page because I know that’s how that asshole found you the
last time when Paige put you on hers.”

“I’m
sorry, Knox. You can have a social media page if you want. I
overreacted.”

“Yes,
you did, but I know why you did and I was actually going to delete
it, but then I had a friend request from someone with the same name
as my fiancée,” he taps the end of my nose and tilts his
head.

“It
was me, well Roger, we got drunk.”

He
pulls me close to him and we hug each other. “Okay, are we good
darlin’? Because I can’t take being away from you. I hate
when you don’t talk to me and then blow up at me when I have no
idea what the hell I’ve done.”

“Yes,
I’m so sorry for not talking to you and keeping it all inside.
I was trying to protect myself, but I don’t know, I went wrong
somewhere along the way.”

Knox
stands up and looks down at me, he reaches down and I take his hand.
Standing up beside him, he smooth’s my hair over my shoulders
and smiles at me. “I mean it beautiful, I don’t want to
let you go, but I will if I have to.”

I
nod at him, I understand where he is coming from, and I don’t
blame him. “Okay,” I answer taking a deep breath.

“Darlin’,”
he chuckles. “I’m never letting you go. I’ll just
have to beat your ass if you try to leave.” He teases.

He
squeezes me tight kissing my head. When I step back he is smiling at
me then tells me I look like shit.

“Nice
to have you back,” I comment sarcastically. He swats my ass and
tells me to go wash my face because I look like a demented ‘it’
from the movie. “And the jokes just keep coming.”

“Well
I’m here for the next three hours,” he says, wrapping his
arms around my waist.

“Hey,
you guys dressed?”

Roger
shouts from the other side of the door and Knox grunts, he still
hasn’t forgiven Roger for giving me stitches. Knox opens the
door and looks at him.

“Hey,
Knox, good seeing you again,” Roger says, strolling by him and
into the bathroom with me.

“What’s
up?” Grabbing the towel, I dry my face.

“Your
mom made lunch. Are you coming down to eat?”

“Yeah,
I’m just going to change.”

“Okay,
I see the wall of muscle finally showed up.”

He
says, motioning with his head to Knox, who is standing by the door
with his arms crossed. “Did he get bigger?” Roger asks,
smiling at me.

“Yeah,
a couple of inches.”

We
both laugh at the double meaning and Roger pulls me into a hug, “I
hope it works out babe,” he whispers.

“It
will, okay go make me a drink and I’ll be down in a sec,”
I push him out of the bathroom and walk over to my suitcase. Knox
closes the door behind Roger and walks over to sit on the bed while I
change. I throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt, Knox reaches into my
case and pulls out his hoodie.

“So
that’s where it went,” he smirks at me and I snatch it
back.

“I
needed it,” I confess, holding it to my face and inhaling his
smell.

Knox
laughs at me, shaking his head. “I’m right here darlin’,”
he says, pulling me into a hug. “Food time, I’m
starving.”

“I
don’t know how you’re not huge Knox, you eat like an
animal.”

“I
work out,” he says flexing his bicep, “Oh before I
forget, you made me a promise three years ago.”

Looking
at him I frown, he pulls out my ring from his pocket and slides it on
my finger. It’s still a little big, but I’m happy when I
feel it on my finger.

“You
promised never to take it off again darlin’.”

“Thanks,
babe, I missed wearing it.”

He
snorts at me then opens the door ushering me outside. When we reach,
the kitchen everyone is still here. Mom hugs me and asks if I’m
okay. I tell her I’m fine and she winks at me. I swear I don’t
know this woman anymore. We sit down to lunch talking about school,
work, and Roger’s new bundle of joy. His parents are teasing
him about not getting any sleep and how he will be doing midnight
runs to the store for weird food cravings.

Knox
checks his watch again for the hundredth time in the last hour. He
stands up and smiles at me.

“I
have to leave now, it was nice seeing you all again,” he says
to everyone, Mom protests telling him he just got here. “I have
to work tomorrow,” he smiles at her.

“Dad
will let you off another day.”

I
tell him, pulling my phone out of my pocket, but he stops me and
shakes his head. After his goodbyes, he gets his jacket and tie from
my room.

“Can
you drive me back to the hotel?” he asks.

I
get my mom’s car keys and walk outside to him. “What time
are you flying out at?” I ask, feeling a little sad.

“Oh
I’m not darlin’, I drove.”

“What!
Why the hell did you do that?” I ask as we get out of the car
in the hotel parking lot.

“I
needed to think some things through.” Taking my hand, we walk
through the lobby and take the elevator up to his room.

“When
did you arrive?” I ask, helping him to pack his bag.

“About
nine last night,” he says. “What time is your flight?”

“In
the morning, at five.”

“Why
the hell so early, darlin’?”

“Classes
start at ten so I figured I’d have time to get home and grab my
stuff.”

He
looks at me like I’m mad, then offers to have my bag ready at
the apartment so I don’t have to drive up the hill.

“I
don’t mind it’s only another fifteen minutes, babe,”
I answer, checking the room one last time before we leave.

“Yeah,
that way I’ll get the extra time with you in bed beside me.
Call me when you land, I’ll be waiting.”

We
stop at the truck and he throws his bag inside, “I don’t
have your new number.”

He
groans and pulls out a new phone. I raise my eyebrows at it.

“My
dad got it for me, the other is only out of service until I can find
out who is sending that shit,” he shakes his head.

“Okay,
I’ll take a look tomorrow night for you.”

“Thanks,
darlin’,” he calls me from the new number and I save it
as X so I know it’s him. “Okay, I’ll see you at
home in the morning,” he pulls me into a hug and kisses me
goodbye. I wave at him as he backs the truck out of the parking
stall. “Hey darlin’,” he calls out of the window
and waves me over.

“Yeah?”

“I
love you by the way.”

“I
love you too,” I grin at him, leaning over I kiss him again.

I
spend the rest of the night with Mom. Roger is hanging out with his
parents too. Mom and I watch some action movies and stuff our faces
with popcorn. We talk about Knox and I. I tell her about the house I
bought. She said she is proud of me and can’t wait to come
visit. By ten, I’m in bed after a long shower, I send X a quick
text.

Me: Night babe, see you in a few hours.

X: Night darlin’, keeping the bed warm.

Me: in bed already?

X: Yeah I just got home after six, I’m tired.

Me: ok night.

X: Night xx

I
walk through the airport yawning, the plane was delayed, and it’s
already seven o’clock. By the time I get to the apartment, Knox
is in the shower getting ready for work. I make coffee and knock on
the door before, I walk into the bathroom, he looks out of the shower
and smiles.

“Hey
darlin’, did you get in late?”

I
give him a quick kiss and sit on the toilet lid while he finishes.
“Yeah, delayed an hour.”

Stepping
out of the shower he flicks water at me. “You going back to
bed?” he asks, drying off. My eyes follow the towel as he rubs
it over his chest, he really is hot. “Darlin’’,”
he says, lifting my chin with his finger. “You’re
drooling,” he whispers, smirking at me.

“I’m
allowed,” I wiggle my ring at him and lean forward to kiss him.

“I
suppose,” he winks at me. Taking my hand he brings me into the
bedroom while he dresses.

“I
miss seeing you in jeans and boots.”

“Yeah,
I miss wearing them,” he answers, pulling on a black shirt and
silver tie.

“You
look kind of GQ babe, not sure if I like you going into the dungeon
like that.”

He
snakes an arm around my waist pulling me closer and his lips brush
off mine. Parting my own lips he groans sliding his tongue inside my
mouth, his kiss is slow and heart stopping. “Love you,”
he mumbles against my mouth.

“Love
you too,” I whisper, as he kisses a hot trail down my neck.

“I
have to go,” he says, pulling away from me, “Will you be
home after class?”

“I’ll
come back, I need to get a few things from Dad’s.”

He
kisses me again then leaves for work. I watch him walking across the
parking lot the same time Max arrives. They climb into the truck and
take off, grabbing my bag I head over to campus.

Knox

“So
I take it things are better?” Max says, pulling out of the
parking lot.

“They’re
on the right track.”

“I
figured, you have that stupid grin back on your face,” he
smirks at me.

I
can’t help it. I haven’t stopped smiling since I came
home last night. I talked with Max about the courtroom and what
happened. I just hope now that it’s over things will finally
get back to how they used to be.

“Do
you want to grab dinner tonight? I was thinking of heading out to the
Italian,” Max asks, tapping out a beat on the steering wheel.

“Yeah
sounds good. A guy’s night out?”

“Sure
if you want, we can call Eric and Dave,” he asks.

“Yeah,
shoot them a text, we can go after work.”

We
pull into the parking lot and find Meagan standing by her car,
looking over at Max he frowns and looks at me.

“Why
the hell is she always around?” he asks.

“No
idea bro, but maybe you should take her and get her off my back,”
I laugh, as he pulls a disgusted face.

“Fuck
you, Knox, I’m staying far away from that.”

We
both sit in the truck just pretending that we don’t see her.
Checking my watch, it’s getting close to start time.

“I’ll
get out first and call you,” Max says, hoping out of the truck.

She
says hello to him and bends down to get her purse. Shaking my head, I
grip my phone as I climb out of the truck.

“Morning
Knox,” she smiles, falling in step beside me.

“Hello,”
I nod at her and pray that Max calls me. When my phone rings, I
answer it without looking at the caller ID.

“Hi
son, how did everything go yesterday?” My dad asks.

“Hey
Dad,” I answer, slowing down my pace. Meagan slows down too and
I freak out. When we reach the elevator, a few other employees
arrive, being the gentleman that I am, I step back and let them on
then quickly turn around and walk away.

“It
was good, we talked,” I tell my dad as I hit the stairs.

“Good,
that’s good son. How did the verdict go?”

Sighing,
I laugh at little just from relief, “He got twenty years.”

“Great,
I’m glad that little shit got sent down. How’s my future
daughter doing, is she okay?”

I
smile at my dad’s words. He started calling Bailey, his
daughter last year; he seriously treats her better than Max and I.

“She’s
okay. I didn’t get to spend too much time with her, but I have
her all to myself tonight.”

I
push through the office door and find Max waiting for me shaking his
phone and lifting his hands. I mouth Dad and he nods.

“Right
Dad, I’m in the office I’ll call you on my lunch.”

Max
tells me the guys are down for dinner and asks how I got away from
Meagan. Laughing, I tell him I took the stairs. When she walks into
the room, she looks down at me and I quickly lower my head pretending
I’m busy. My phone beeps with a text, lifting it up I find a
picture of the quad, with the sun starting to fill it up and Bailey’s
eye. I laugh at her text.

I C
U xxx

I
miss my own phone, this one is old, and crap but hopefully soon Paige
can figure out what is happening. I decide to give her a call,
picking up the phone on my desk I dial her number.