her gaze falls over my shoulder. “Speaking of public enemy number one—here she comes. Six o’clock.”
I spin around and find Jen strutting her stuff in a tight pink dress that should be outlawed in all fifty states for all the right reasons. She looks hideous, distracting, and not in a good way. The girl she’s with comes up behind her and I gasp.
Trixie Toberman gives a curl of her fingers in lieu of a wave and offers a smile that reiterates her sentiment, you better watch your back.
“Evening.” She gifts Knox a swift smack to the back of the head. “Thanks for returning my calls.”
He scowls up at her a moment. “They were text messages, and life-threatening at that. Besides”—he shoots a quick glance my way—“I was busy.”
Holy hell was he ever busy—busier than I ever thought humanly possible. That boy has redefined the word busy in the small sum of a couple of weeks. I can’t imagine what spending a lifetime with him would feel like. Would it ever get old? The fun, the laughter, the good food, and greater sex? Something in me says I doubt it, and that something is very much Sylvia.
“Well, I’ve got an old friend I’m having dinner with.” She nods to the back where Jen has buried herself in a dark corner like a spider.
“Crap.” Knox tips his head back as if he’s had enough of his little sister’s drama. God knows I have.
“So, you’re friends, are you?” I can’t help it. I’ve never been one to keep my mouth shut when an injustice pops up my way. “Exchanging recipes, relationship tips, stuff like that?” I glare at her a moment, daring her to say yes. I’m thinking she’s the one that needs to watch her back where I’m concerned. It turns out, I’m the one that cares about Knox more than she does.
“Yes,” she says it loud and caustic as she takes a step in close to me. “You got a problem with that?” Her eyes blow up in size, and the rage exuding from her makes it look as if she’s gunning for a fight, so I do the only thing I can do—I stand up.
“Whoa.” Both Lawson and Knox get up at the same time and wedge themselves between us.
“Down, girl.” Lawson gives me a quick wink. “Trixie’s going through a lot too,” he says it low, but her face flinches anyway.
“The hell I am.” She lunges for me, and Knox catches her before she gets within striking range. “You stay the hell away from my brother! You have a lot of nerve messing with his heart after what he went through. Don’t you dare deny you’re using him to make Janelle insane. I don’t care about your stupid little revenge plot. If Jen and Justin want to screw one another’s brains out for the next fifty years, that’s their business—but whatever happens to Knox is mine!”
“You’re cute,” I say from over his shoulder. “You remind me a lot of my little sister, far too mouthy and obnoxiously annoying. What are you doing here with her, anyway? Let me guess. You’d rather spend time with the girl who crapped on your brother’s heart than the one that truly cares about him.”
She rolls her eyes and pushes herself free from Knox. “Good going, bro. You’ve found another delusional one.” She shakes her head at me. “And let me guess? Next you’ll be proclaiming your love for him. Don’t you get it? This is the rebound effect. You’re both too wounded to notice you’re bleeding out.” She looks into her brother’s eyes with those blue stones that are identical to his. “I’ll be the first to say I told you so when she breaks your heart. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.” She takes off and makes her way to the ditz’s table, and as if things couldn’t get any worse, Justin strides right by, gives Knox the finger, and joins them.
“Oh my God.” It’s as if all my nightmares are morphing into one. But I’ll admit, a tiny part of me is relieved that they’re still together. If Justin and Jen broke up, she might want Knox back. They had two years under the bridge, and Trixie is right—we’re essentially a flash in the pan at this point.
My heart wrenches as he looks over at me with that sad smile as if he’s just read my pathetic thoughts.
“Come here.” Knox pulls me out to the dance floor and joins his