Page 39 of Knot Unwanted: Part One

Morning comes too soon, filtering through the gaps in the curtains I never quite close properly. I’ve barely slept, but my body moves on autopilot, following the routine I’ve maintained even as everything else falls apart.

The house is quiet as I pad downstairs, but I catch the faint sounds of movement from upstairs—Jax’s door opening, the creak of floorboards as someone (probably Ren) heads for the shower. Stone’s room remains silent.

Coffee first. The familiar scents fill the kitchen as I begin pulling ingredients from the fridge. Eggs, because if this is one of the random mornings where they will linger long enough to eat something, Jax will need the protein. Turkey bacon, because Ren prefers it to regular. Fresh fruit, because Stone always?—

I stop, knife hovering over a strawberry. Does she cook for them? Does she know their preferences, their little quirks? The way Jax likes his eggs just slightly runny, how Ren needs his bacon extra crispy, how Stone?—

“Morning.”

I startle, nearly dropping the knife. Jax stands in the doorway,already dressed for work in one of his crisp suits. He looks tired, shadows under his eyes that match my own.

“Morning.” I turn back to the fruit, steadying my hands. “Coffee’s ready.”

He moves to the coffeemaker, and I feel him hesitate behind me. Once, he would have pressed a kiss to my neck, wrapped his arms around my waist. Now he just reaches past me for his mug, careful not to let our bodies touch.

“Sleep well?” he asks, and there’s genuine concern in his voice that makes my chest ache.

“Fine.” The lie comes easily now. “You?”

“Yeah.” He takes a sip of coffee, leaning against the counter. “Listen, about tonight?—”

“Working late?” I interrupt, keeping my voice carefully neutral. “I know.”

Something flickers across his face—guilt? “Yeah. The Burlington thing is…” he sighs. “It’s taking a lot of time.”

I nod, sliding eggs onto plates. “That’s okay. I’ll leave your dinner in the fridge.”

“Finn—”

“It’s fine.” I manage a smile, though it feels brittle. “I understand.”

Do I? Do I understand why they’re lying? Why they’re sneaking around? Why they can’t just tell me they’ve found someone better?

Ren appears in the doorway, hair still damp from his shower, and fuck, something deep in my core flutters. My fucking dumb cock even gets a semi. Ren’s always been so devastatingly handsome. All dark energy, but with eyes so light blue they almost look white. Like something otherworldly. He looks between us, sensing the tension, before moving to get his coffee and I look away.

They’ve found someone else, Finn. It’s not like old times.

“Morning,” I offer, sliding his plate across the counter. He takes it with a nod, not quite meeting my eyes.

Fine. Whatever.

It’s out of habit that I check the fridge as I put away the ingredients. Something makes me freeze. I spot the discrepancy immediately.

There’s a missing container. Ren’s dinner from yesterday—gone. Just like Stone’s. Just like so many others this week.

“Did you eat your dinner last night?” I ask Ren, still trying to keep my voice casual.

He stiffens slightly, coffee mug halfway to his lips. “No, I…wasn’t hungry.”

The lie hangs between us, made worse by how he won’t meet my gaze. Jax shifts uncomfortably, suddenly very interested in his phone.

Fuck. Them.

Before I can press further, heavy footsteps sound from the back. Stone appears in the doorway, dressed in running clothes, face flushed and slightly out of breath. He hesitates when he sees us all gathered in the kitchen, staying near the door like he might bolt at any moment.

The woods. He’s been to the woods. To the cabin. This early?

“We need to leave in fifteen,” Jax says, breaking the tension. “You ready?”

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