Page 56 of Knock Knock

“Go do something useful,” he grumped at me.

I smiled, twirling the bag around my wrist. Karen’s green surprise went flying, so I skipped over to pick it up from the lawn. “Can’t. My bestie slash boyfriend has my truck, and you’re my ride home.”

“Oh, you’re boyfriends now?” Devon looked at me, slugging the propane tank into the back of their truck. “When’d that happen?”

“Probably when we were twelve. We’re only just catching onto it now.” I tossed the bag through the open window. “So, rimming is defin—”

He shoved me so hard I stumbled over the rotten wood from their deck and landed on my ass bone. “You’re fucking lucky my ass ain’t the one being pounded, Devon!” I rolled around, seething through my pain. “You ungrateful dick!” I stared at the cloudy sky, knowing rain was on the way. Hopefully it held off until after dinner so Karen could enjoy herself.

Shit, she’d enjoy it in the rain just as much. Probably make us all do a rain dance or some shit, and I loved to dance! Kinda loved that teenager, even if she was a dash devilish and a sprinkle angelic. She’d gotten under my skin, and now I wanted to show her a good night because… because her dad used to make her special suppers, and no one did that for her anymore!Even though she was cooking.

“I’m not ungrateful. Trust me. You saved my sorry ass too many times to count.” He held out a hand, so I took it and let him haul my broken butt up. “But you’re all comfortable with everything, and it’s pissing me off.”

“Why?”

“Because I struggled so hard!” he shouted.

“That was your own fault. And I’m pretty sure it’s half the reason you two are together, so get over it. We don’t all struggle to dip our sticks in—”

“Don’t.”

“—our Kane boy.”

“You’re fucked, Nate.” Devon sighed, handing me the hat that had knocked off my head when I fell. “It makes me jealous, alright?”

“Of what? You literally have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“Of… the time I wasted. You’ve had Xavi forever. Sure, shit is changing, and you’re fucking now. Weird. But you’ve always had him. I spent most of my life hating Maddox for no reason other than Dad told me to, and then I wanted to. I could have had him sooner.”

There was actual sadness in his eyes, but I knew he was wrong. Their relationship worked because of their feud. Itwastheir story. “It was you being half dead on his doorstep that started everything. And nothing would have started if you two were already friends and you showed up bloody. You couldn’t have had him sooner because you two needed that tense history to finally snap.” I grabbed his shoulder. “So enjoy the fuck out of how it finally worked out, and let me tell my sex stories.”

He glared at me. Nostrils flared. Lips pressed together. “One sex story.One. And if you try to tell me more than one, I’ll tie you to Gnat’s leash and wrap it around a tree.”

I beamed, fist-pumping the air and doing a celebratory high kick. “Well, I only have one so far. Let me start at theverybeginning.”

He groaned.

* * *

“It’s badass, right?”Xavi asked, lips parted in a massive smile. “Right?”

Karen, dressed in a one-piece bathing suit that sorta drooped way below her ass cheeks, ran from the shower we’d made, did a cannonball off the dock, laughed a bunch, and ran back to the shower.

“It’s so badass!” She turned the water on and let out the happiest sounding sigh. “You know how long it’s been since I was able to stand in a shower for more than thirty seconds?”

No, but tears pricked the back of my eyes at that admission and the joy on her face. Xavi turned his back on her, biting his fist to staunch the emotions. Then he ran and cannonballed into the water like Karen had, using it to buy himself a moment of muffled silence.

“Well, take all the time you want. We even got this!” I held out a little shower bag full of soaps, conditioners, and shampoos. Most of it was donated, half-empty bottles from Andrea’s friends, but whatever.

“Thanks, Nate,” she said, taking it. “I’m really… this is the best day I’ve had in forever.” She gave me a wet hug, and whatever fatherly instincts I swore I didn’t have rose up and made me desperate to jump in the ocean, too. “And thank that crybaby for me.”

“Thank him yourself. Just let him pretend he isn’t crying first.” I winked. “Take your time.” I closed the curtain, put a towel and a brush there for her, and headed down the dock to make sure Xavi wasn’t drowning in anything but his own tears.

He clung to the dock, hiding in the water. “Did she see me?”

“No,” I lied. “Just thought you were hot and needed a swim.”

“Oh, good.” He pulled himself out, sitting next to me. “She smiled, Nate. Full gap teeth and no worries.”

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