Chapter 61

“Me?” I stammer, my voice barely a whisper. “No, you—what? Are you out of your mind? You need your head checked! This isn’t funny, Carter...” My mind spins, trying to piece together this unexpected revelation.

He couldn’t possibly like me. I’m just Alex, the girl who used to push his buttons and vice versa. I’m not like those girls he’s with every night. It can’t be me. It just can’t.

But he hasn’t denied it. My emotions ricochet from confusion to annoyance to nervousness at this... revelation.

“For the smartest person I know, you’re pretty slow on the uptake, baby doll. I don’t need my head checked, I’m perfectly fine. And do you see me laughing?”

His eyes lock with mine, but I sit back in the seat, gripping it tightly and breathing heavily as I process this shocking news. Knox Carter likes me. I’m the girl.

The Giants quarterback, the sexiest man alive, the guy every girl wants to be with, likes me. This guy has lost his mind.

“I’m...”

“The girl? Yeah... you’re the girl. And it’s complicated because of one thing...”

“Kyle,” I breathe out, and he confirms it with a nod of his head. He rests his head against the seat, looking up at the ceiling of the plane, lost in thought.

A silence falls between us, broken only by the faint sound of his agent talking on the phone in the distance.

As my breathing and heart rate slowly return to normal, I begin to wonder if this could all be a dream. I could wake up at any moment.

~It can’t be me. I can’t be the girl.~

“Is this a dream?” I murmur under my breath. This can’t be real. I must have made this all up in my head.

I’m not sure if he hears me, but his voice cuts through the rumbling sound of the plane engines, drawing my attention back to him.

“But you hated me—” I cut him off before he can finish.

“I’ve never, will never, and could never hate you, Alex. Ever.” His stern words stop me in my tracks.

My brain and my mouth seem to be disconnected, as if someone has switched the circuits in my body.

“Oh my god...” I breathe, still reeling from his sudden confession.

“So I’m going to take your advice right now... so here goes nothing... well, my heart, but whatever... Alex—” He turns to look at me, taking a deep breath before continuing, “Baby doll... can I... can I take you out on a date?”

He stutters it out, but the words hang in the air between us. His question reveals his nervousness, evident in his stutter and the quiver in his voice.

Why is he nervous? He should be used to this. After a moment, I realize it’s not his actions but his words that have me stunned.

Knox Carter just asked me out. Me, Alex Thompson. Out. On a date!

I’m shaking so badly, I lift my hand to see it trembling as if I’ve had too much caffeine. But I’m just so shocked and confused.

“Why me?” I ask, looking back up at him.

He licks his lips, a smile spreading across his face. He shifts in his seat, leaning on his elbow.

“How long have you...”

“Liked you? Hah! Since I first met you... when you walked into the classroom in your blue top and shorts and sat down next to me. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

You were so beautiful, I was convinced you weren’t real. You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. And I knew I was in big trouble when I found out Kyle was your brother...”

“Then why were you so rude to me all these years?” My voice is tinged with annoyance. He treated me like something disgusting stuck to his shoe, making me feel so worthless.

He runs his hands through his hair, messing it up, but he still looks good.

“When we first kissed, I knew I was a goner. My feelings for you only grew stronger over time, and I didn’t know how to deal with secretly liking you. So I thought I’d try to convince myself not to like you by being mean to you.

That didn’t work, because I always thought you looked hot as hell when you got annoyed with me. Then I just loved pushing your buttons, because I liked the way you paid attention to me...”

Ben was right. He was right about everything. Why was I so blind to it all? I’ve always been so bad at this stuff, always.

I’m so oblivious to it all, I won’t know until someone tells me they like me, which is not a regular occurrence.

“Why me? You could have any girl in the world... I don’t get it... I don’t look like... those other girls you dated?”

I wring my hands nervously, waiting for his answer. My thoughts are torn between wanting to know and not.

“I don’t want just any girl, Alex, I want you. I’ve always wanted to ask you out and tell you this, but I was so scared you’d say no.

Well, you still could say no, but, seeing you with Drew really pissed me off because you deserved more than that idiot. And then with Wes last night, well, it pushed me a little.

When I kissed you at Christmas and you kissed me back, I knew I had to try with you...”

“I dated those girls to try to get over you, and maybe to make you a little jealous. But I knew I couldn’t get over you unless I cut you out of my life, and I just couldn’t do that...”

His words wash over me, leaving me stunned. He likes me. He actually likes me. As I’m lost in my thoughts, I feel his hand on mine, a jolt of electricity pulling me back to reality.

This is real.

“If you gave Wes a chance to take you out, shouldn’t I get one too?”

I consider his question, nodding slowly. It’s only fair. I gave Wes a chance, why not him?

His eyes widen, a grin spreading across his face. “Really? I can take you out?” I can’t help but smile at his reaction to my agreement.

He springs up from his seat, the reality of my acceptance hitting him.

I’m going on a date with Knox Carter. Who would have thought? Am I crazy? Absolutely.

“Yes, but I’m not saying yes because I gave Wes a chance and think you should get one too... I’m saying yes because I think it would be... fun.”

I blush, meeting his gaze. He can’t seem to wipe the smile off his rugged face. I shift nervously in my seat. This is really happening.

“This is really happening? Wow,” he says, throwing his head back as if searching the ceiling for answers.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that? I mean, you’re... you.” I fidget with my hands in my lap, twining my fingers together. His snort of laughter draws my eyes back to his.

He smiles down at me, gently brushing my hair back from my face. “I’m the lucky one. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this, baby doll.” His lips curve into a soft smile that I can’t help but mirror.

Moments later, an announcement is made that we need to return to our seats and fasten our seat belts. As I hear the clicks of seat belts around us, I know it’s time to descend.

I know this visit is going to change everything. I can only hope it’s for the better.

We’re driven in large, tinted-window SUVs after we land. I don’t see why it’s necessary, but there are two other SUVs following us, filled with his team of professionals and some security.

I don’t know who the security team is for, but I’m praying it’s not for me. We’re driving to Knox’s place in Manhattan.

He convinced me to stay there for the visit, arguing it would be easier than constantly picking me up.

We hit traffic immediately upon entering the city, and I start flicking through my phone. Hannah and Andy keep sending me pictures the paparazzi snapped when I stepped off the plane with him.

I didn’t even notice them. He just ushered me towards the open door of the car and followed me in.

He’s sitting next to me, scanning a list of approved interview questions with a red pen in hand, occasionally marking the pages.

I watch as he tenses his jaw, frowning slightly before running a red line through the black ink. He circles the question number to indicate that it’s been approved.

There are a lot of red lines on the pages. I smirk to myself, grabbing a water bottle and pretending it’s a microphone.

“So Knox Carter, do you prefer blondes or brunettes? Do you have something against redheads? Or do you like bolder colors?”

I raise an eyebrow at him, drawing his attention with my voice and pushing the bottle to his lips, waiting for an answer.

He looks amused, a smile playing on his lips. He takes my arm and pulls me close to his body, whispering, “Neither, no, and no. I only like you, baby doll.”

With a beaming smile, he unbuckles my seat belt at a traffic light and slides me across the seat, letting me rest against his side.

He wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on my head, and continues reading the questions, clicking my seat belt back into place. We stay like this for the rest of the ride to his place.

When we finally arrive, I see a mass of people outside his building. He instructs the driver to go into the underground parking. The flashes from the paparazzi’s cameras go off simultaneously, creating one big flash.

I’m thankful he decides to shield me from them. We exit the car underground, but I can see the flashes up ahead in a small gap in the car park.

Knox does his best to shield me from them, opening the door for me to enter. Once we reach the elevator, he swipes a card and the doors close.

“They finally fixed it,” he mumbles about the elevator. Knox, his agent, PR assistant, his agent’s personal assistant, and I are all standing, waiting until we reach his floor.

The elevator dings to indicate someone else is getting on from what looks like the reception area. A young woman struts in with so much confidence I can’t help but stare.

She’s wearing a short beige skirt that clings to her like a second skin, a loosely tucked-in red top, and nude stilettos. Her hair is poker straight with caramel highlights running through her brown strands. She’s glued to her phone, weaving around people until she looks up and spots Knox.

“Knox? I knew that was your cologne,” she flirts, sauntering over to him and gently squeezing his bicep.

They always go for the arms. I mean, he does have nice arms.

“Tara,” he says, looking at the closing elevator doors. It’s quiet at first, but I glance at the reflection in the doors to see her whispering something to him, making me snap my head around to look at her.

He’s not really paying attention to her, just being polite.

“Why didn’t you call me? We should do it again sometime? Maybe we could go out to dinner?” Her eyes lock onto mine as I glance towards the double stainless steel doors that seem to hold me captive.

She appears as if she’s just stepped out of a high-end fashion magazine, while I’m clad in black skinny jeans, a thin strappy yellow top, and my white Vans. I’m clutching my khaki green bomber jacket that I’d shed in the car.

“Sorry, I’m not interested,” his tone is sharp and unexpected.

My eyes widen at his icy dismissal of her, despite her practically draping herself all over him.

She might as well sprawl out on the floor and spread her legs for him. It’s always like this when I’m out with him—someone invariably makes a move.

A girl in his league, and I feel like a vagrant in comparison. Someone who is stunning and fully aware of it.

“That’s not what you said the first time... I know you miss me... miss what we had, Knox,” her voice drops to a seductive purr.

I feel him step away from her and closer to me.

He positions himself slightly behind me and states flatly, “That was a mistake, I’ve moved on. So should you.” He doesn’t even bother to look at her, I can see him staring back at me through the reflection in the doors.

I offer him a small smile, which he returns before I drop my gaze to my feet.

“You miss me, I know you do. She can’t give you what I have. Lauren doesn’t even like you!” She bellows at him, causing others in the steel cage to wince.

She’s belittling Lauren, does she think he’s back with Lauren? Is he? Is he dating both of us? Well, you haven’t gone out on the date yet, Alex, and it’s only one date.

“I really don’t. I’m not with Lauren. I’ve never been with anyone,” those words hit me hard. I’ve never been with anyone.

He’s a playboy, always has been. He knows it. I know it. Everyone in this country knows it. And every girl in this country wants to be the one he falls for.

The one.

“You were with me... Come on, Knox—”

“Stop. I was never with you. I like someone else,” his hand rests on my back, gently nudging me out of the doors as he follows his entourage towards a red double door down the hallway.

I can hear the click-clack of her heels on the tiles as she rushes to catch up with us. He releases a sigh, opening the door for people to walk inside.

His hand is still on me, and I want to stay with him, but I also want him to do this alone. He holds the door open for me, but I stop when I hear her voice once more.

“Who? You don’t like girls, you fuck them and dump them, Knox. It’s what you do! You’re a player, and you always will be. You’ll never find someone better than me, never!!” Her voice echoes through the hallway.

“I have found someone better than you, Tara. She’s the girl I’ve wanted all along,” he guides me in and closes the door behind us, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.