Page 411 of Knox Academy Omnibus
As the curtain draws closed I look up at the stage, one that Slate will no longer perform on, and guilt smashes into me like a freight train. It’s because of me they are graduating early. What if this isn’t what they all want? Now I have to find a solution that will work, because I don’t want anyone giving up their dreams for me or a damn organisation they were born into. We want to make changes to avoid issues like these.
Slate brings out my roses after he gets changed, along with a bag of my clothes. I'm still in the black bodysuit, not bothering to get changed after my performance.
“Nice flowers,” Bex gushes as Slate hands them to me. Onyx grunts his disapproval, somehow knowing that they are from Baxter. I can tell by the scowl on his face. He stalks towards me and pulls me to his side.
“Keep that outfit on and I might be nice,” he whispers.
“Who says I want nice? I know what you’re capable of now.” I smirk at him and lick my lips.
“You can’t eat my sister. I will mess up that pretty face of yours if you try. I’ve only just found her.” Bex jumps around waving her fists in the air. Onyx looks at me with his brows drawn together. He can't work out if she’s serious or joking. Beats me. I hardly know her either. But between Kalen, Adrianne and now Bex, I have a lot offull-onpeople in my life.
My father invited us all to dinner. Well, him and Monty did. Which is super weird seeing them together and wondering how two friends who drifted apart ended up with the same woman – ew – but can now talk as if nothing happened.
I don’t say anything though, because if they’re happy, I’m happy.
We make our way to the pub, which turns out to be not very far from the school. It’s the exact same one where I met Sawyer for the first time. He looks at me as we exit his car and gives me a knowing smile. He must be thinking about that night too. It was somegoodbyekiss, that’s for sure.
We’re the last to walk into the pub. My family, along with the guys and Monty, Elsie, Bex, Kathryn, Mackenzie, Maggie and Adrianne take up almost the entire seating area.
Sawyer goes over to the jukebox, and I smile at him when he puts on Sam Hunt. I’m pretty sure this was the song thatwas playing when we met. I love him a little bit more for remembering.
Once everyone has drinks, we sit around the tables that they have pushed together to make one very large table, and a couple of servers take our orders.
As they hurry off to get the food, my father stands. Before he speaks, the doors to the pub open and everyone stares as Camilla and Debbie walk in. Camilla’s face lights up as she makes an entrance. I chuckle at the way she loves attention. They both take a seat at the end of the table with Kathryn and Mackenzie.
“I would like to propose a toast to my daughter. I’m so damn proud of you. I wasn’t happy about you coming here, but every time I talked to you on the phone or saw you in person, I knew how happy you were. You’ve grown up, and I couldn’t be more proud to watch you embark on a new journey here in the UK alongside your boyfriends, who I must admit I was sceptical about, especially if they were anything like my good friend Monty. Some of the trouble he got himself into reminds me a lot of young Kalen, so Amelie when he annoys you, look no further than his father because the apple never falls too far from the tree.”
“I get my good looks from my mother,” Kalen shouts from the other side of the table, where he is seated next to Maggie.
“That you do,” my father continues. “I can see the lasting friendships Amelie has made in such a short period of time, ones that will span a lifetime. So here’s to Amelie.”
Everyone raises their glasses. I’m glad it was my dad who did a quick speech. Chelsea would cry the entire time, and my brother would just pay me out.
I spoke too soon; Monty stands this time.
“I never expected all four of my sons would graduate, let’s face it, Kalen was just along for the ride.” Everyone laughs. “When Slate and Onyx came to live with Maggie and me, wedidn’t know how we could help them, they were such angry boys.”
“What do you meanwere? Onyx still hasn’t changed,” Adrianne yells out and Onyx flips her off.
“But day by day, Kalen would pester them. They wouldn’t let him in at first, but after a while I think he grew on them just enough that when he was in trouble Onyx took the fall. Maggie and I always knew it was Kalen. And we could see it from that day, the unbreakable bond between them. I’m proud of you boys, every day you surprise me with the wonderful loving men you’re becoming and I owe it all to my ex-wife, she did an amazing job raising you, and I will be thankful for the rest of my life. To my boys.”
We all drink to my guys, and idle chatter breaks out around the table as our food is served. With Sawyer on my right and my father on my left, I turn to my dad.
“You didn’t have to invite them.”
“I know, but after you left breakfast with Debbie we all sat down and had a conversation. I can’t be mad at Debbie, she gave me you, but me and your grandmother? We have a lot left to mend between us. But we’ve cleared the air for now. At least enough to be able to sit at the same table together and not rip each other's throats out.”
“Thank you. You’re my favourite dad.”
“I’m your only dad kiddo.”
“Sawyer’s your daddy too, isn’t he?” Bex calls out, followed by a cackle. I slap my hand to my forehead. I don’t know how I’m going to survive being related to her. She has no filter and doesn’t give a shit where she is, it all just comes out.
I mouth ‘shut up’ to her and she just smirks at me and shakes her head no.
“Little sister, we have a lot of lost time to make up for, and if I don’t embarrass you at least once a day, I’m never going to catch up with that loser,” she yells, pointing to Aadi.
“You’ll never catch me. I am and always will be, the superior sibling.”
