Page 67 of Meowy & Bright

I’m not sure what the heck is going on here, but I know this isn’t good.

“Let’s all calm down.” I try to step in. Knox’s father might be a jerk, but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Knox, so he’s going to be in my life one way or another.

“He can’t marry her!” Mr. Lovejoy suddenly shouts. “That would make things particularly odd.” He mumbles the last part. I think it’s only meant for himself.

“Sweetheart. Like I said. You need to head on out of here.” Grams gives me a smile so sweet it scares the hell out of me and makes me worry for Mr. Lovejoy’s safety.

“Don’t kill anyone,” I whisper to Grams before I duck the hell out of there. It might be terrible of me to leave Grams to deal with it, but I don’t want to make things worse between Knox’s father and me. I can’t believe he came all the way down here to tell me to stay away from his son. I shake my head.

Since I’m out earlier than I told Knox, I head toward his shop. I’m going to have to tell him about his father. For a moment I worry over it, but then I remind myself that Knox isn’t the same person he was all those years ago.

I know the kind of control parents can have over you. I remember thinking if I made good grades and never got in trouble, when my mom came back she might see that I was a good kid and maybe she’d love me. That she would realize I wasn’t a hard kid to raise.

It was foolish in hindsight, but at that age it’s hard to understand why your mom doesn’t love you the same as other kids’ parents loved them.

It’s a short walk to Knox’s garage. The sign on the front is turned to ‘closed,’ but when I push the door, it opens. I step inside and think it’s going to be a dirty garage, but it’s not. The front area is nice with leather chairs and TVs on the wall. Off to the side is even a coffee area and baked goods I know all too well. I can’t help but smile.

Knox thinks he’s clever, but I’m putting together that he’s the one that’s been placing a bunch of orders to Grams’ bakery. It’s sweet. I follow the sound of music, wondering what the heck he’s listening to. The song is playing low and sounds seductive. I try not to judge. I do love Taylor Swift and some Britney Spears.

I don’t make it to the door to go into the garage. Glass windows give me a clear view. My stomach drops when I see Nora practically naked and laid out on the hood of some cherry red sports car. There is no missing Knox standing in front of the car. Nora’s eyes lock with mine through the window as she slips down the hood gracefully and onto her knees right in front of him. I instantly feel sick to my stomach at the sight.

Not wanting to see another second, I turn and bolt back out the front door. I pull my phone out of my purse and text Merry, telling her I need her. Like a good friend, she doesn’t ask a bunch of questions. She only responds that she’s on her way. The questions will come later.

I rush back to Knox’s house, thankful he’d given me a damn key. I told him I didn’t need it, but Knox did his pushy sweet crap, and I caved. I’ve been caving since the second he picked me up from the airport. The man has always had a way with me. It’s why I left town all those years ago. It was the only option. I always let myself fall right into him even when I knew I shouldn’t.

How did I fall for this? Hell, he might not have been going to do anything with Nora, but why was she even there? She’s been coming on to him since I came into town. This can’t be new. He should have shut it down long ago unless he enjoys the attention or something.

Running around his house, I grab my crap as fast as I can. The fact that Knox had already unpacked all of my stuff doesn’t make it easy. The amount of my things around makes it look as though I’ve moved in already. But this isn’t my home. He’s even got Grams calling this place my home. He really is smooth. Or maybe I’m just gullible.

Unable to find my laptop, I check his office to see he has it all set up for me with a desk right next to his. I don’t know why I do it, but I click his computer, and the screen comes on. A password login comes up. I type in the same one he told me for the alarm code. It works, his emails showing on the screen.

This must be that woman’s intuition shit or something because right there is an email with my boss's name on it. I click it, a gasp leaving me when I see pictures of my boss. He’s rocking two black eyes and his nose is taped up.

Knox,

It’s done. Got her a nice severance package too. That’s on the house. This fucker had it coming.

F

I think I’m in shock when I put it all together. Knoxpaidto have the crap beat out of my boss. That really should freak me out, but a stupid smile pulls at my lips as warmth fills my chest. Irritated with myself, I click the emails down. I should leave now, but I don’t. My eyes drift over the desktop and pause when I see a folder named RED. I click it.

Hundreds or maybe thousands of pictures of me flood the screen. I scroll down, scanning through them quickly, knowing I might be running out of time. When Knox picks me up, he’s always freshly showered, so he must come home before he gets me from the bakery.

Cheaters shower before they see their wives.

I close my eyes at that thought, taking a calming breath. I’m not going to let myself cry. Not yet at least. I get it together the best I can and keep scrolling through the pictures. They go back all the way to high school.

I open a few documents to find papers I’d written in college. Nothing important, just homework and such. What is all of this and why does he have it? How the hell did he get it?

I scream like a dork when my phone goes off. I check it to see it’s a text from Merry telling me she’s here. I grab my laptop and leave his office. I toss my key onto the kitchen counter before I pull my luggage out the front door. Merry jumps out of a giant fancy SUV to open the back for me.

“What is this?” I ask as she helps me get my bags into the back.

“My new boss’s ride.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

“You got the job?”

“Yep!” she chirps happily. No one has had more jobs than Merry. She’s terrible at keeping them, but she tries her best. God love her. “Get in. Wait till you see his digs.” She slams the back door of the SUV that might actually weigh more than she does. I go around and get into the passenger seat. Merry has to practically crawl to get up into the driver’s seat. If I wasn’t so upset right now, I’d be dying with laughter about the effort it takes her to get into this monstrosity.

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