Page 135 of A Smile Full of Lies
But the second he walked out of the room, I curled onto my uninjured side and bit down on a sob that wrenched my insides so hard it bruised my ribs.
Because this didn’t feel like patience. It felt like punishment. I was paying penance for my recklessness.
And the worst part?
I knew I deserved it.
Chapter
Thirty-One
NOVEMBER 16
ROS
Knox didn’t saymuch on the drive.
He kept one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped tight around mine, like if he let go, I’d disappear. The road curved through the trees until it opened up near the river, a quiet stretch of woods where time didn’t feel real. The cabin looked like something from a writer’s fantasy — weathered cedar siding, deep porch, every window glowing warm with sunlight.
It should’ve felt peaceful, but all I felt was hollow.
Knox parked and got out without a word. He carried my bag to the porch and set it inside, careful not to cross the threshold, like maybe he thought if he stepped over that line, he might not walk away.
I followed him to the steps, my arms folded against the November chill, my sweater tugged tight around me.
“This place is yours for the next three weeks,” Knox said, his voice low, tone unreadable. “You heal. You write.”
I forced a tight smile.
“And then what?”
His gaze pinned me, searing and dark.
“Then I fuck some goddamn sense into you.”
My mouth went dry.
“Knox—”
“No. You think I’m not furious?” he growled, stepping closer, towering over me on the porch. “You think I didn’t want to kill Thayer myself? I’ve wanted to kill him since the first day he ever laid a hand on you. Even more since the day he broke your fucking heart. And then I find out he murdered my family, too?—”
His voice cracked.
“I didn’t even get to put him down,” he said, quieter now. “Because you and Alyssa beat me to it. Your plan was reckless and you almost fucking died on me. I couldn’t lift a fucking finger to help you, and that gutted me even more than the knowledge that you took away any opportunity I might have had to avenge my family personally. The choices you made stripped me of every ounce of power I’ve ever had, and you can bet your sweet ass you’re going to pay your dues for those choices when the time is right, Rosalind.”
My heart skipped several beats and I swallowed hard.
“I didn’t do it to hurt you.”
“I know,” he said. “You did it to protect me because you love me, just like I love you.”
His hand slid to my face, and his thumb caressed my cheek.
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll allow you to walk away from the fallout of your choices without bearing the appropriate consequences for your actions, baby girl.”
My heart thudded.
“So this is my punishment?”
