Page 85 of King of Kings

“For what?” he asks.

“For everything. So many things that I can’t even keep track of them anymore.”

He leans down, kissing my forehead before putting his arm around my shoulder.

“That’s what you do for the people you love. You fight for them,” he says, making hope bloom in my chest.

Hope that I’ll be able to move on from these traumatic events and live a life full of love and happiness with someone who feels the same way about me.

“How did it go with your dad?” I ask him.

“We can talk about that later,” he says.

“No, please, tell me how it went,” I insist, desperate to talk about anything other than what I just went through.

“It was easier than I thought it was going to be. He laughed me off at first, until I presented him with evidence. I had the papers drawn up for the house last night. He should be getting served with them tomorrow morning,” he says.

“Finally, some good news,” Kinsley says.

“So, when are you going to break the good news to the University?” I ask.

“This week. I can’t wait,” he says, smiling.

“What news is this?” Kinsley asks.

“The University has been asking me to teach there. It’s not something I could ever have done before, but now I’ll be able to. Seems like we’ll be seeing even more of each other, Kins,” Knox says, smiling.

I don’t miss the way the color drains from Kinsley’s face. Uh oh.

“Great, that’s great,” she says, swallowing.

Knox is too busy looking at me to notice the change in his sister’s demeanor, but I notice. There’s something happening at school that she doesn't want her brother finding out.

This could be interesting.

“I think I need to lay down,” I say a few moments later.

“I think that’s probably a good idea,” Knox agrees, grabbing my empty cup and taking it to the sink.

Knox follows me downstairs and gets a shower started. I find myself cuddled up in bed next to him about twenty minutes later.

“I think you should move in,” he says, shocking the hell out of me.

“Excuse me?”

“I want you to be here all the time. It’s good for me, and it’s good for Kinsley. We love you. I want you to move in,” he says.

“Are you sure that isn’t too fast?” I ask.

“It might be. People might think we’re crazy, but I don’t give a shit. If I’ve learned anything this week, it’s that I need to start living. I was just a shell of a person until you came into my life––again,” he says, sighing.

“That might be one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me,” I say, laughing.

He pulls me closer, and eventually, we both fall to sleep together.

* * *

The next morning,I wake up to an empty bed. I can hear Knox in the bathroom on the phone.

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