Page 42 of Laws of Love
He knew well that he could have called or sent a text and asked her out, but he wanted to do so in person, and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t also wanted to see her face.
“Thank you, and yes. I’m free tomorrow night.”
“Can I pick you up at six-thirty?”
“Six-thirty works. You want to tell me where we’re going, so I know what to wear?”
Knox smiled at her. “I’d prefer it be a surprise.”
“Then, I’ll wear something similar to last weekend.”
“I did enjoy that dress.”
Aiva laughed, and he was coming to enjoy that sound the more she did it. They sat and talked for a few minutes until Finx buzzed and told her she had a client waiting. Knox rose from his seat and headed toward the door, telling her he’d see her tomorrow evening.
Once in his car, he headed toward his condo. He knew the type of date he wanted to take Aiva on the following evening, but he still needed to get things put in place. She’d enjoyed their first date, and the last thing he needed was for this one to fall short. He meant it when he said he would ruin dates for her when they weren’t with him, and this next one had to follow the trend.
When he stepped into his condo, he called Coen to ensure he could do what he was planning.
Knox was watching a movie that evening when there was a knock at his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but that had never stopped his friends from dropping by. Pausing the movie, he went to look through the peephole. He rolled his eyes when he saw Mia on the other side of the door, looking every bit as impatient as she always seemed to be.
The last thing he wanted to deal with was her, so he was intent on ignoring her, but things with Mia were never that simple, and she started banging on the door.
“I know you’re in there. Your car was in the parking lot. Open the door.”
He was not surprised that she’d surveyed the entire parking lot until she found his car. Which he knew took some effort since there were several dozen out there.
“I will cause a scene if I have to,” she said when the door didn’t immediately open at her first statement.
Knox knew she would because she caused scenes when they were far from necessary. So, believing she had to would get one even more over the top. She could cause a scene; he didn’t care. She would only receive one of his neighbors calling the police on her.
“The faster you open the door, the quicker we can handle what I came here for, and I can leave.”
Knox groaned as he pulled the door open. “What do you want, Mia?”
“Can I come in?”
“No,” he responded, and she rolled her eyes at him. “Talk, or I’m closing the door.”
She pulled some documents from her purse. “I need you to sign full ownership of the house to me. I’ve got a buyer lined up and want to get it sold immediately.”
The smile on her face said she thought he cared about her selling the house. He didn’t because he wouldn’t have agreed to let her have it if he wanted it. Knox also knew that she was only selling it because she thought it would hurt him somehow. That, and she was greedy, so the money she’d get from the sale would be a plus for her.
“No,” he responded, going to close the door, but she put her hand up to stop it.
“Excuse you? As stated in the settlement, the house is mine, and I have the right to get rid of it.”
“You do, and I don’t care what you do with it, but until we receive copies of the decree, there is nothing I need to do for you, including signing over the house until then. You keep banging on my door, and you’ll have to explain to those people you like to keep up appearances for why you were arrested for harassment.” Even if he wanted to sign it over then. He couldn’t as the signatures had to be notarized.
He closed the door in her face, locking it back, and he wondered if she would heed his warning or if she’d be her usual self and assume that shit didn’t apply to her when she didn’t want it to. However, when several seconds ticked by and she didn’t begin banging on his door again, he assumed she understood he was serious.
Before, he wouldn’t have threatened to call the police on her when she was difficult because he hadn’t wanted it to affect Yasmine. With him taking full custody, he didn’t feel the need to ignore Mia and would deal with her outbursts and episodes by calling the police. Eventually, she and law enforcement would tire of seeing each other if it came to that, and she’d learn that Knox would no longer allow her to play with him.
Aiva sat on her couch while Tara sat on the floor between her legs, braiding her little sister’s hair. She’d gotten a call from her when she was leaving the office asking if she would come pick her up because she and her mother had gotten into it, and she wanted to get away for a bit. Aiva had no problem being her little sister’s sanctuary. She’d been so several times for most of her younger siblings. However, she had told her to hold on and called Anna, Tara’s mother, to make sure it was okay for her to swing by and pick her up.
Regardless of her relationship with her father, she tried to respect the women who mothered her siblings. Picking Tara up and taking her away without Anna knowing was not how Aiva operated. The other woman hadn’t been surprised to receive the call from her and was okay with her picking her sister up but asked that she be back at least by four the following day since they were going to her maternal grandmother’s house.
“When I turn eighteen, she won’t be able to tell me what to do,” Tara stated, popping some candy into her mouth.
