Page 20 of Twilight of Embers
A niggle of guilt worked its way into my belly. I didn’t want to feel empathy for the jerk from this morning, but I found my heart aching for not only Knox but for Easton, too. “I hate that you guys went through that.”
Knox turned back, his eyes locking with mine. “It changes you, doesn’t it? Grief?”
I nodded. I’d lost track of all the impacts losing my parents had on me. Everything from my pre-med quest to never feeling like I fit in. It made me a different person than I was before. But it also meant I never missed an opportunity to be grateful for the little things. A beautiful sunrise, a boy bringing me lunch and sharing his truth. Because I knew how easily it could all be ripped away.
“It does change you. For the better and the worse all at the same time.”
His eyes held mine, not letting go. “I guess that’s true. Sometimes, I think I only see the bad.”
I traced a pattern on my jeans. “Even the worst things on the planet can still result in good. It doesn’t make the price worth it, but I think it helps to see those gifts, nonetheless.”
Knox leaned back in his chair, letting out a whoosh of breath. “You’re pretty amazing. You know that?”
My gaze flicked to his in question.
“You’ve been through so much, but you’re still here, looking for the bright spots.”
I shrugged. “I don’t want to look for the shadows. I already know they’re there.”
Knox’s expression went stormy at my words. “No more shadows.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Life is full of them.”
“Not for you. Not anymore.”
I grinned at him. “I love that you think you can just erase them.”
“Not just think. I can. I’ve got your back, Hayden.”
There was such determination in Knox’s voice, such certainty.
I shook my head, sending him a puzzled look. “Why do you care?”
He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know. I guess I just got an instant good vibe from you. I think we were meant to be friends. Don’t you?”
Friends.
I hated the disappointment that flared to life in my chest at the word. But I also understood the pull Knox was talking about. There was this tug toward the guy next to me. He felt like safety and comfort…home. It was such a bizarre thought, but I couldn’t ignore that it was present.
“Maybe we were meant to be friends.”
An affronted look swept across Knox’s face. “Maybe?”
I chuckled. “Okay, our best friendship was written in the stars.”
“That’s a little better.”
“Knox,” a deep voice called.
Sensation swept across my skin at the tenor. The tone was almost musical. I was turning before I’d given my body the command to do so, as if my entire form just had to see who the voice belonged to.
Looking up, my jaw went slack. The man who walked toward our table looked more like he should’ve been gracing the cover of GQ than walking the pathways of this tiny university. He was tall with broad shoulders and a leanly muscled frame, like that of an Olympic swimmer. His hair was jet black. Just a bit long, styled in an artfully messy way. His olive skin made the amber of his eyes glow warmer, and dark stubble dotted his jawline. As he approached, his nostrils flared, his gaze locking on me.
Knox cleared his throat. “Mad, this is Hayden. Hayden, this is one of my brothers, Maddox.”
The man stopped in front of me, and I extended a hand on instinct. “Nice to meet you.”
My voice sounded robotic and just a bit high-pitched.
