Page 18 of Twilight of Embers
I tried to muffle it as I hurried down the hall. “Are you trying to get me murdered in my sleep?” I hissed at him.
“She’s, uh…intense.”
I sighed. “I think you’re high on her list of priorities this semester.”
Knox groaned as we stepped into the stairwell. “Why are girls so weird sometimes?”
My lips twitched. “It’s a real hardship to be loved and adored, huh?”
Something passed over Knox’s expression. “She doesn’t even know me.”
My steps faltered as I really took him in. I had no doubt that Knox had girls all over campus interested in him. From the pieces I’d put together, he was a football player on top of his good looks, which only added to the appeal. But if that was all people saw in you, the attention would feel pretty damn empty.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Knox’s gaze snapped to mine. “For what?”
“Laughing about Delaney. It has to get old, that kind of attention. Maybe even feel lonely.”
Knox moved a bit closer, so near that I could feel the heat wafting off his body. “Lonely’s the exact right word.”
“I’m sorry.”
Knox’s gaze dropped to my lips. “Hayden—”
A door slammed above us, jolting us out of the moment.
Knox muttered something under his breath. He pressed a hand to the small of my back. “Come on, before your roomie hunts us down.”
I bit back a chuckle and let him guide me down the stairs. I still wore his sweatshirt, but I could feel the heat from his hand practically scalding my skin. I’d never been more aware of someone, every minute shift of his body.
When we got outside, I moved just out of touching distance. Contact with Knox was too damn dangerous.
“There are some tables over by the academic buildings that should be quiet right now,” Knox said softly, his gaze still locked on me.
“Sure. I’ve got a meeting with my advisor in a bit, so that’s perfect.”
We were quiet as we walked. The few students we passed all greeted Knox by name. And I noticed that he was kind to everyone. It didn’t matter what the person looked like or where they might fall in the social hierarchy, he smiled and answered with a hello or a question. I liked that about him. The judgment-free zone.
We reached a smaller quad where only a couple of other students were present, and Knox inclined his head toward an empty table. “This good?”
I nodded. “You didn’t have to bring me lunch. You already brought me breakfast.”
He scowled. “Breakfast that got rudely interrupted. This is an apology for Easton.”
Easton. The name fit him somehow. Equal parts prestigious and wild.
“You don’t have to apologize for someone else’s actions,” I said as I sat.
“Yes, I do. He’s got a complicated history. I swear he’s not as awful as he seems at first. It just takes him time to trust people.”
I frowned at that. It sounded like there was a story there. But the reasons behind something didn’t matter; the actions were what counted. “I’ve been calling him Mr. Grumpy Cat in my head.”
Knox barked out a laugh. “That’s kind of perfect.”
I grinned. “He has the same scowl as that damn meme.”
Knox shook his head as he pulled out two wrapped sandwiches, handing me one. “Scarily accurate. What about you? Any siblings?”
