Page 55 of Knox Academy Omnibus
“Here, this will get you out of classes for the day.”
“Thanks,” I say, standing to leave.
“Wait.”
“What for?”
“Do you need to talk?”
“Talk,” I scoff. “I need more than that, sir,” I say, desperately trying to keep the boundaries that he set in place. I know I threatened him with our little encounter, but I quickly dismissed that idea. The guy is too nice to destroy that way. Besides, he really is a great teacher. He doesn’t deserve to lose his livelihood.
“How about you head back to your dorm and I will send someone to get some supplies for you?”
“Okay, Mr Knox. Thanks for the pass.”
I don’t remember much of the walk back to my room. Not until there is a knock at the door. Maybe Sawyer was serious about sending someone with supplies.
I take the few steps from my desk to the door and open it. I’m shocked that it’s Sawyer himself standing on the other side with a bag in his hand.
“Can I come in before I get busted?” I nod, stepping aside.
“I could get fired for this, but fuck it. I know my father knows about us already, so if he was going to fire me he would have done it by now.” I smile. What has come over him?
“I hate seeing you hurt, Amelie.”
I just watch as he unpacks the bag on my bed. Booze. Snacks. And a few other things.
He pours us both a drink in some coffee mugs he bought with him.
“I thought we could watch movies or talk.”
“Talking might be nice.” In hindsight, I might regret opening up, but for now I don’t care; he is risking a lot being here. “But first you owe me an explanation on why you’re here.”
Sawyer loosens his tie and throws it on my desk unbuttoning his top few buttons, before taking a seat on my bed. I take the spot beside him, careful to keep some distance between us, but I feel the pull as much as he does.
“I used to work with a guy. We would take cars that didn’t belong to us and deliver them to our boss. Whatever he asked for really. It was stupid, but I was young. I was about fourteen when we had an accident. I was driving that night, he was in the passenger seat without his belt on. The rain got heavy and I couldn’t see. The fear I felt when I lost control of that car was nothing compared to when I saw the blood...so much blood. He was dead. It was my fault and I ended up in Juvenile detention. After a while in there and lots of fights, this man came to see me and offered me a deal of a lifetime.”
“Monty,” I say instinctively and he nods.
“The rest is history,” he says. “Your turn, what’s going on with you?”
“Besides the obvious that I’m a train wreck?” I turn to face him. “I think I like Kalen more than I should.” His face drops. “Yet I can’t commit to him because I know we have a connection. And the twins may be assholes, but there is something there too. How messed up does that make me?”
“It makes you human,” he says, taking my hand in his. “What about Branson?”
“Nothing happened.” I sigh. “Just a misunderstanding.”
“Sounds like him. Kalen isn’t happy but give him a few days to calm down. We have family dinner on Sunday. Talk to him then and try to sort everything out.”
He pulls me in for a hug, but it doesn’t last very long before he pulls away.
“In the nicest way possible, I think you need a shower. You smell like you slept in mud.”
“I kind of did, but it’s a long story involving Baxter, the dark and some dogs. I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”
“Okay.”
“Pour me another drink will ya,” I say getting off the bed and heading for my bathroom. I unbutton the shirt with every step and drop it to the floor before looking back at Sawyer. He watches, but doesn’t move.
