Page 19 of Red Rose Cupcake

His words hit me harder than I expected. I don’t know what I thought would happen when I left—maybe that he’d just let me go, that he’d accept it was over. But seeing him here, standing in front of me, so sure of himself, so sure of what he wants—it stirs something deep inside me.

“I don’t know what you expect me to say,” I admit, feeling the frustration bubble up again. “You… you threw me off, Knox. This was supposed to be physical. We agreed on that.”

“I never agreed to anything,” he counters, his eyes flashing with intensity. “You wanted physical, sure. But I wanted more from the beginning, Rosie. I told you, this isn’t just about sex for me. It never was.”

I stare at him, my chest tightening. “Then why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”

“Because I didn’t want to scare you away,” he says, running a hand through his dark hair. “I thought if I came on too strong, you’d back off. And I couldn’t risk that. But now… now I realize I should have been honest from the start.”

I look away, the weight of his words sinking in. He’s right—I probably would’ve backed off if he’d come on too strong. But the fact that he’s standing here, admitting he was wrong, that he’swilling to fight for this… it messes with my head in ways I wasn’t prepared for.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “I don’t know if I can handle what you want from me.”

Knox takes another step closer, and this time, he reaches out, gently tipping my chin up so I’m forced to look at him. His green eyes are softer now, full of something that makes my heart ache.

“You can handle it,” he says softly. “I know you can. Because what I want isn’t complicated. I want you, Rosie. All of you.”

I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. His words are everything I’ve been afraid to admit I wanted to hear. I want this too—I want him. But the fear, the doubt… it’s still there, lurking in the background.

“I just… I don’t want to get hurt,” I say, my voice cracking.

Knox’s hand slides to the back of my neck, pulling me closer until our foreheads are almost touching. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispers. “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that to you.”

For a moment, we just stand there, breathing the same air, the weight of his promise settling between us. And as much as I want to run, as much as I want to protect myself from the possibility of heartbreak, I can’t deny the pull I feel toward him. It’s like a force greater than myself, something that I can’t control even if I tried.

“Okay,” I whisper, finally allowing myself to lean into him. “Okay.”

* * *

KNOX

The moment she says it—just that one word—I know I’ve got her. I pull her into my arms, holding her tight, like I never want to let her go. And I don’t. Not ever.

Rosie fits perfectly against me, her warmth seeping into my skin, calming the storm that’s been raging inside me since she left. She feels right. Everything about this feels right.

“Thank you,” I whisper into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You won’t regret this.”

She pulls back slightly, her eyes searching mine, and I can see the doubt still lingering there. “I hope not,” she says softly.

“You won’t,” I promise again, lifting her hand to my lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m going to prove it to you.”

Her lips curve into a small, tentative smile, and for the first time since everything blew up between us, I feel a glimmer of hope. She’s letting me in, and I’ll be damned if I mess this up again.

Before either of us can say anything else, the front door opens, and I hear a deep voice behind me.

“So, you’re the famous Knox.”

I turn around to find a tall man standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, a playful smirk on his face. He looks like an older version of Rosie, with the same rich brown skin and sharp features, and I immediately know this must be her brother.

“And you must be Marcus,” I reply, stepping forward and offering him my hand.

Marcus eyes me for a second before shaking my hand, his grip firm. “You got that right. Rosie’s told me about you.”

I glance back at Rosie, raising an eyebrow. “Has she, now?”

Rosie blushes, looking away as her brother laughs. “Don’t worry, man. She didn’t say anything bad… yet.”

Before I can respond, another voice calls out from inside the house. “Is that him?”

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