Page 117 of The Quiet After The Fall

I nod, letting her think that’s where my head was.

I’m still plugging away at the paralegal program and working at the inn. It’s not glamorous or really what I pictured for myself when I was a little kid, but at least it’s something and I got to choose it on my own. I keep telling myself that in a year, things will be different, and it gets me through every shift.

For now, though, finally breathing the fall air after hours in a stuffy classroom, I’m not thinking about the inn at all.

Gia taps my shoulder and points. I look in that direction and smile.

Knox is leaning against his Jeep in the parking lot, arms crossed, aviators on, looking like he wandered off the set of some romance movie featuring a broody heartthrob.

He hasn’t seen me yet, so I let myself check him out a little before he does.

“Oh my God,” Gia mutters. “Does he know how obnoxious it is that he’s hot while not even trying?”

“Completely,” I say. “He’s the cockiest person I’ve ever met.”

He spots me then, and the corner of his mouth lifts. He pushes off the Jeep as we get closer.

“Hey, ladies,” he croons, and Gia snorts.

“I’ve got a shift,” she says, backing toward her own car. “Try not to make me sick with how cute you two are.”

“No promises,” Knox calls after her. She gives him the finger without turning around, laughing.

He pushes his glasses onto his head. “Hungry?”

“Depends what you’re offering.”

“I was thinking Marcello’s. I know it’s been a long week.”

Warmth spreads throughout my chest. It’s the small things like this that make me love him, even when he’s being infuriating.

“You’re just trying to butter me up for later,” I say, raising my brow. He opens the door for me and I slide into the passenger seat.

“Is it working?”

“Ask me after I’ve got a garlic knot in front of me.”

He rounds the hood and gets in, pushing his aviators back on. “So,” he says, backing out of the space, “you said you wanted to talk about tomorrow?”

“I did.” I twist toward him in my seat, watching the storefronts slide by the window. “I still don’t get why your mom invited mine to her birthday dinner.”

“You’ve asked me all week and I still don’t know why either.” His hand finds mine and I run my thumb over his knuckle.

“Your mom and my mom aren’t exactly close. They haven’t been for years. And given everything—” I don’t finish. The affair is still hard for Knox to talk about. I’m sure he knows what I mean anyway.

“Maybe she wants to bury the hatchet now that Richard is out of the picture. They were close at one point. Some of that’s still in there.”

“Maybe,” I say, tapping his hand. “Or maybe your mom’s thought of more inventive things to do with a hatchet…like bury it in my mom.”

He laughs. “Come on, Thorne. People are capable of forgiveness. Look at us.”

“Who says I’ve forgiven you?” He turns, causing me to shriek for him to watch the road.

“Oh, you’ve forgiven me. Otherwise I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have let me do what I did to you last night.”

Heat spreads up my neck as a flash of Knox going down on me in the kitchen takes center stage.

“I’ve rendered you speechless,” he says, sounding so smug.