Chapter 106

Nobody has approached us throughout the night because Knox had people stopping them from coming over to us. He said he wants us to be alone, and I liked that he did that. It was so thoughtful.

“Adam is a mini-me! Everyone says it. He’s very particular with people, but it’s so clear he adores you. I think he may have a little crush on you?” I nod my head, making him stop his fork mid-air.

“Mila said that too! He’s such a sweetheart. I’m sure all the girls will love him when he’s older.” We smile at the thought. He is going to be another Carter heartthrob. I mean, he’s Austin’s son, of course, he’ll have the ladies chasing him if he’s anything like his dad.

“Of course they will! He’s a Carter! All the girls love us Carter boys.” Hearing the amused tone in his voice makes me punch his arm playfully. He’s not wrong. All three of them were the heartthrobs of my high school. All the girls were falling over their feet to catch a slight glimpse of them walking down the hallways.

Me? I used to run in the other direction when I was near Knox. But I did have a crush on Mason, mainly because he was so nice to me.

“But all us Carter boys have one special lady we get to call ours.” His voice drops lowly in my ear as I sip on my drink.

“Good attempt, Carter. But I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that.” I suck the liquid up the red straw as I see the ice drop down in the glass.

“How about this then... Some days I catch myself smiling for no reason, but then I realize I’m thinking about you and your smile... You’re the only thing I think about before I go to sleep and when I wake up. It’s always been like that, Alex, since I first met you. You made yourself at home in my mind. I haven’t been able to get the thought of you out of it, and to be honest, I don’t want you to leave...

This room is full of people, and the only person I see is you. You’re the only person who has caught my attention, and now that I have yours, I intend to keep it. I fell in love with you because you’re rare, an enigma, someone with the kindest heart I know, you’re someone I have respect for. Alex, you’re my entire world. And I fall harder and harder for you each day.”

“I’ll fall for you every day of my life, Alex,” Knox confessed, his voice filled with a sincerity that made my heart flutter. “From the moment you sat next to me and flashed that radiant smile, I knew. Even at eleven years old, I knew you were the one.”

His words were a balm to my soul, soothing and comforting. I felt a lump forming in my throat, my eyes welling up with tears of joy. I fought to keep them at bay, not wanting to break the moment.

His gaze never wavered from mine, his voice steady and sure. “I never knew you felt this way, Knox,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I saw how the girls in high school chased after you, but I never understood why. Now, I do.”

“Alex, you’re the only girl I’ve ever felt this way about. No one else could ever compare to you. I was selfish in high school, keeping the other guys away from you. You were always the talk of the locker room...”

His voice trailed off, his eyes never leaving mine. “All those other girls meant nothing to me. I could be talking to any one of them, but the moment you walked into the room, my attention was gone. My eyes were drawn to you.”

He paused, his gaze softening. “I lived to see you in school. It made my day when I did. When I didn’t, I’d come over to your house just to catch a glimpse of you. Even if it was just for a second.”

“You’re so beautiful, Alex. It kills me to know that you don’t believe me. I’m the luckiest man alive to have you as my girlfriend. You have no idea.”

He kissed the side of my head, and I leaned into him, wrapping my arm around his waist. “If you keep saying things like this, Carter, I’m going to end up looking like a mess! You’re so sweet. I’m lucky too, to be able to call you my boyfriend.”

“Do you know how many glares I get on a daily basis?” I teased, but his lips remained pressed against the side of my head.

“Probably the same amount I get when I’m with you, babe!” His muffled words made me laugh. Lies. All lies.

“It’s true. I see guys checking you out all the time, so I make sure they know you’re mine and mine only. So, I get the glares too.”

I shook my head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Knox had ordered a dessert for us to share. Sharing is caring, right? To my surprise, an assortment of cakes and pies arrived, each in small slices for us to try.

My eyes widened at the sight of them, my sweet tooth practically doing a happy dance. I fed Knox a piece of chocolate cake, his favorite, and noticed a smudge of icing on his lower lip. I leaned in, kissing him and tasting the icing.

“You had some icing on your lip,” I whispered, my tongue darting out to lick the remaining icing.

“Thanks. I should put icing on my lips more often then. I think icing is our thing. First, it was my mom’s cupcakes, and now this cake?”

He scooped up a piece of key lime pie and fed me some. I covered my mouth, laughing at his antics. “Your mom’s cupcakes though! I would get fat from eating them... But yeah, icing can be our thing. I remember that day so well. It started off pretty good but ended so badly.”

I sighed, thinking back to that day. As strange as that kiss was for me, I liked it. But then I had to go shopping with him. I had to get ignored. I had to get food with him. I had to get ignored.

Then I just gave up. I couldn’t do it. The memory of that day weighed heavy on my heart.

“Hey, I know I didn’t stick up for you, Alex. And I should’ve. But I thought you were going to fight back. Then I saw your face when we got out of the car. Seeing you cry broke my heart in half.”

“I didn’t realize you were still sensitive after the breakup. I didn’t take that into consideration when I should’ve. I’m sorry that I didn’t stick up for you. I’ve been trying to make—”

“You don’t need to make up for it, Knox. What happened, happened. You can’t change the past, and you most certainly do not need to make it up to me,” I cut him off, his eyes focused on me, listening intently.

“Babe, I know you don’t feel like I need to, but I do. I can’t let that happen to you again. I don’t want to see you cry because of me. Ever. If you do cry because of me, I will comfort you and apologize endlessly.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his earnestness. His serious expression softened when he saw my smile. “Apologize endlessly?” I laughed, shaking my head. He was so naive about relationships. This was his first one, after all.

“Yeah? Isn’t that what boyfriends are supposed to do?” He asked, his face so innocent it was adorable. He reminded me so much of Adam.

“Kyle told me that in every fight or situation, the girl is always right, even if they’re wrong.” I laughed even harder at my brother’s advice.

After a few moments, I looked at him, biting the inside of my cheek. I stroked his face softly, and he leaned into my touch. “Knox, I’m not like normal girls. I will admit when I’m wrong. Not often, but I will... We will fight, but that’s how it goes. No relationship is perfect. But please, only apologize to me if you mean it.”

He nodded, taking a sip of his drink. He had limited himself to only one beer.

“I’ll always mean it, baby doll. I love you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek as we finish off our dessert. Knox takes care of the bill—a very large bill.

I glance up at him, guilt gnawing at me. I should at least offer to pay for half. As I reach into my clutch to try to reimburse him, he grabs my hand and pulls me out the door.

“Knox! Wait, I need to get my—”

“No! As long as we’re dating, you’re not paying for anything. I won’t let you,” he insists, flashing a smile over his shoulder as he holds the door open for me. The darkness engulfs us until the flashes of cameras begin.

They’re so frequent, it’s almost like daylight. He pulls me closer to his body as we make our way to his car. I press my hand against his abdomen, feeling the hard ripples of his abs through his shirt.

Once we reach the car, he opens the door for me. I buckle my seatbelt, watching the strangers snapping pictures of us. The door opens again, the overhead light illuminating the interior of the car.

As he slides into the driver’s seat, he takes my hand and starts the car. “Thank you for dinner, Knox. I really enjoyed it,” I say, glancing over at him. He grins back at me, leaning in for a kiss.

I meet him halfway, pressing my lips to his. As he focuses back on the road, he lifts our intertwined hands to his lips, pressing kisses to my knuckles every so often.

“You look so beautiful, babe. Every time I see you, it’s like the first time,” he says, breaking the comfortable silence in the car.

I watch the trees blur together as we speed past them, the intermittent glow of the streetlights racing across the hood of the car. The cool air conditioning sends small chills up my spine.

“Ugh, Knox! Don’t get me started like last night!” I laugh, resting my head back against the headrest.

His laughter sends a surge of warmth through me. I love the sound of his laugh—it’s like music to my ears.

“You were so cute last night, babe. Crying over Jack and Rose—”

“Stop! It’s one of the best love stories ever written. He died for her! No guy would ever do that!” I roll my eyes at him, teasing me about my emotional reaction to the movie.

“I would’ve done the same for you, baby doll,” he whispers so softly I almost miss it. My heart skips a beat at his words, and I feel his warm breath on the back of my hand.

“If it came to it, Carter, you wouldn’t have,” I tease, raising an eyebrow at him. I lean closer to him across the armrest, challenging him.

He leans in, not saying anything, just staring at me. His intense gaze sends butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

His eyes glint in the dim light, and a smile tugs at his lips. He kisses the back of my hand again, watching my reaction.

As he turns his attention back to the road, I freeze at his next words.

“If you landed in New York and said your name was Alex Carter, I definitely would have,” he says, making me swallow hard.

My stomach twists into knots. My heart pounds in my chest as his eyes lock with mine. My breath comes in short, erratic bursts as I process his words.

Alex Carter.

^The End^