someplace safe to go.”
“I’ll sneak into Lana’s dorm. I can stay with her.”
“No, you can’t.”
I pout. “I’ll think of something.”
“Until then, you are staying here.”
“Fine,” I growl.
Cole’s smile is faint on his lips. “I have one more story I need to tell you. I know you are tired of my stories about Knight, but I promise after this one, you can get his stories directly from him.”
I roll my eyes and sit on the edge of the bed. Waiting for another Knight-is-amazing story.
“Knight is an asshole.”
My ears perk up at his words. Maybe this is a we-hate-Knight story.
“He was an asshole to my girlfriends. He never thought any of them were good enough. He teased me constantly when we were kids. He’s punched me in the face at least six times. He’s gotten drunk too many times where I had to come save his ass. He wasn’t a perfect boyfriend or husband to Abri. Even though he loved her, he kept up his guard too much. But no matter what we’ve been through, Knight has always been there for me.”
I nod. “Are you done?”
“No, that wasn’t the story. I want to tell you about the car accident.”
“The one that caused you both to end up in the hospital?”
He nods. “I didn’t know the truth about what happened until recently. It was a sunny day. But somehow, our car ended up crashing into the median on the highway at almost eighty miles an hour. It was the scariest moment of my life. Although, I’m not sure if it even makes the top five most terrifying moments for Knight.
“Somehow, we both stayed in the car when we crashed. I guess the airbags did their job. But the car caught on fire. Smoke filled the car, and I was too beat up to be able to get out.”
Cole takes a second to compose himself before continuing.
“Knight wouldn’t give up on getting us out. He broke the window, but by then, I was passed out and dead weight. Knight should have climbed out and saved himself. He could have died, the smoke was that bad, but instead of saving himself he made sure he got me free.”
I feel a tear at his words, but I won’t let his story affect me.
“Afterwards, I was thankful he saved my life, but also suspicious of what caused the accident. I couldn’t come up with anything that would have caused it. I thought maybe he had been drinking, but I hadn’t noticed.”
I blink, not understanding.
“Abri caused the accident. She messed with the breaks.”
I gasp.
Cole walks up to me and strokes my hair. “Don’t hate Knight for trying to keep you out of his messed up life. Don’t hate him for keeping secrets. It’s the only way he knows how to protect the people he loves.”
I nod, drinking in his words.
“Knight gave Abri everything to protect you. She got his money, his apartment, his company, his life. He was ready to fight for what she did to him. To us. But he wasn’t willing to risk you.”
Cole leaves, and I cry until there is nothing left but sobs. What do I do now?
My stomach rumbles, reminding me of how hungry I am. I splash water on my face in the ensuite’s sink, so I no longer look like I’m crying, and then I walk to the kitchen.
“You’re just in time. Knight fixed enchiladas,” Cole says.
I smile at Knight who gives me a knowing look. “It was the closest thing I could come up with to tacos without pissing you off by actually making your favorite food. But don’t complain if it’s bad. Cole has no food in this place.”
“Hey,” Cole says throwing a chip at Knight.
We fix our plates, and I take a bite. Damn, it’s delicious. Cole and I both moan as we eat.
“What have you been feeding her, Cole? You both look like you’ve lost weight since I last saw you,” Knight says.
Cole frowns. “Um…mainly macaroni and cheese. It’s the only thing either of us can make without burning the house down.”
“You were the one who burned the pizza, not me.”
“And you caught our last package of macaroni on fire because you forgot to add water, genius,” Cole teases.
I smile. I would love living with them if it was just like this all the time. No drama, just us teasing each other.
We all eat, listening to Cole trying to make jokes to ease the tension. Except I don’t feel a lot of tension with Knight around. He