Chapter 65

Our food arrives and the pasta carbonara looks delicious. It’s steaming hot and I sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. I love cheese.

Knox has a huge steak in front of him with vegetables and fries. We thank the server who has been so nice tonight.

“Hey, I know you want to keep me all to yourself, but give her a chance. You might like her?” Leaning on his elbows on the table, he looks over to me, smirking across the candles.

I’m surprised they haven’t blown out yet from the wind. It’s not too windy but because we’re up so high it’s a little more noticeable.

I send him a deadpan look and take the first bite, immediately trying to hold back a moan in my throat at how mouth-wateringly tasty this is.

“On second thoughts, you can have her. I’ll just date this carbonara. This is delicious!” Hearing his laughter bellow out into the open air, I can’t suppress a smile.

“Oh, so now I have to compete with carbonara? I don’t think that’s a fair battle... Come on, baby doll, give me some real competition.”

“Oh, you want competition, do you?” My voice is laced with a teasing amusement. He widens his eyes and speaks up.

“No... no, no. I don’t need competition actually, I’m fine with being your only contender—”

“I don’t know, Carter, there are plenty of fish out there for me,” this is too much fun for me right now. I trail my tongue across my top set of teeth, smirking at him.

“No, Alex! Not cool. I take it back, you’re the right girl for me. You’re the only girl I want and have ever wanted,” I start to laugh, making his slight frown turn into a smile.

“Oh, Carter, that was too easy, but chill. I have no intention of slutting myself up for multiple guys. That’s not my thing,” I keep eating my food and take a slice of rosemary bread to dip it in olive oil.

“Good, I don’t really want to go on a hitting spree with guys. I don’t think my agent and manager would appreciate me in the tabloids with that.”

“And me... It wouldn’t be necessary. And I would kill you. I’m not that type of girl. You may be used to those types...”

“I know you’d kill me, but I sometimes like it when you get annoyed at me. It’s sexy. Plus, I know you’re not the slutty type, I wouldn’t want you to be. I regret dating that type, if I’m honest.”

“Sexy? Huh, never been called sexy when I get angry. Usually scary or feisty. Why did you date that type? You got everyone thinking that you liked slutty bimbos that look good in certain lighting…”

His flirting game is strong tonight. It takes me back a little, nearly preparing to scold him because of Kyle. But my brother isn’t here.

“Sexy to me. I dated them because they were the complete opposite of you... You are this incredibly smart, sexy, classy, feisty, no shit taking girl. And I needed someone who was the opposite of that.

So I got around, I’m not proud of it by any means. My mom hated that she saw me like that in the tabloids. She used to call me up every weekend and scold me for not having the balls to ask you out. Your mom too—”

“What? Our moms tried to pimp you out?” I lose all control of my laughter and throw my head back against the chair. “I’m sorry, go on...” I stop the laughter but he’s smiling at me before he continues on.

“Our mothers have been conspiring for years to get us together,” he confessed, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. “I used to have these heated arguments with my mom, vehemently denying my feelings for you. But then, one night, I was drunk and I blurted out my feelings for you to her... and Eric. They said they knew, by the way I acted around you. They used to nudge me to ask you out whenever you were around the house or I was at yours.”

“But I was certain you’d reject me, so I kept dodging the question over the years. Until now... Every guy I knew had a crush on you. All of mine and Kyle’s friends, Mason’s friends, Sam’s guy friends, and even Max’s friends.”

“It used to infuriate me when they’d plot to try to kiss you or make out with you during a game of spin the bottle. But you never played.”

“Really? I would never have guessed guys had a crush on me, especially my brothers and sister’s older friends... But why now? What made you change your mind?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. I still didn’t understand what had clicked in his head. I wanted to know. I wanted to get inside that head of his. He let out a loud sigh before he answered my question.

“You really want to know?” I nodded, leaning forward on the table, giving him my undivided attention. It took him a while to talk again, as if he was debating how much he wanted to reveal.

“When I saw you in Savannah for Thanksgiving, wearing my jersey, I knew I had to make a move soon. You looked so pretty in my jersey with my name on the back. Plus, you had that sexy bedhead going on that I couldn’t resist.”

“When you changed your hair and you were newly single, I knew there would be a lot of guys after you. So I changed my tactics and decided to start being nice to you instead of being the old mean me.”

“I hated the way Brett and Tyler looked at you that day. Like you were meat to them. I was glad Max and Kyle hit them. I would’ve sent them through the wall.”

“And don’t get me started on you and Adam...” he joked, making me giggle at my boyfriend.

“My three-year-old boyfriend? Awww, you’re cute when you’re jealous—” I flirted with him, knowing I was pushing his buttons.

“Jealous? I’m not jealous of my nephew. If anything, he’d be jealous of this date with you now.”

“You’re so jealous, if not of Adam then of Brett and Tyler... or Wes?” I was treading lightly on this topic. It could go one way or another.

“I most certainly am not jealous of Wes.”

“Then why did you ruin our date?”

“I didn’t, we just happened to be in the same restaurant,” he said, taking a mouthful of his drink. I knew he was lying.

“You know there’s one thing that we both have in common, Carter, we both hate liars. And you’re a bad liar. Why did you ruin our date?” I challenged him.

“Damn, don’t look at me like that, baby doll. I didn’t... ruin your... date... we just ended up going to the same restaurant,” he said, taking sips of his drink nearly every word.

“You ruined it and you knew we were going to that restaurant. Don’t play it down, Knox. I know you too well to know everything you do is calculated. I’m not stupid,” I calmly said, not as annoyed as I was that day.

“Look, I may have been a little teeny tiny bit jealous he asked you out first. He knows how long I’ve liked you. And it wasn’t a cool move. He’s meant to be my best friend, not sneaking around behind my back asking out the girl I’ve liked for years.”

“Did you just admit you were jealous?”

“That’s all you picked up on?”

I nodded enthusiastically, meeting his blue eyes.

“Ugh, Alex! Yes, alright, I was a little jealous. Consider yourself lucky, baby doll, I’ve never been jealous before and I won’t be ever again.”

“Unless I went out with Wes again?”

“Don’t—” he clenched his jaw out of irritation. Fine, I knew I was being mean, but I couldn’t help it with him.

“Look, let’s forget about Wes and the date, and focus on our date. Let’s talk about something else, like... oh, what’s the plan for tomorrow?” he smirked, taking a sip from his drink.

Why was he smirking at me? What did I say? “What? Why are you making that face?” I asked him carefully. I didn’t like it when he smirked; he looked evil.

“You said our date...” I couldn’t stop the eye roll from being carried out and sent him a deadpan look, to which he laughed. Was he going to be childish?

“But the plan is, my agent hired a stylist who is coming over with dresses for you to wear. You can choose one and it’ll be paid for. She also hired hair and makeup for you and they’ll be at her condo at two o’clock sharp. You are expected to be showered by then—”

“Oh, am I? Demanding much? Look, I don’t want to look like a Barbie doll, so keep it all as natural as possible, please—”

“Wouldn’t have you any other way, baby doll,” he said, finishing our meals. He got me a chocolate fudge cake from my favorite bakery down the street from my house. He also had chocolate-covered strawberries and small chocolates on a plate for us to taste. I couldn’t stop grinning tonight. Everything he did was so thoughtful.