Hollow (Hollow Point #1) (9 page)

“I don’t think you’re in any danger of anyone trying to steal your food,” I groaned as I pushed my food around my plate.

“Riley, will you be coming to Tatum’s birthday party?” Greta asked as she wiped her already clean hands on her paper towel.

“Um…” I glanced to Knox, who had stopped eating and was now looking at me intently. I still hadn’t asked when it was, but she hadn’t mentioned it to me, but I could tell by the look on Knox’s face that I wasn’t welcome. “I’m hoping to be back in LA soon,” I shrugged as I took a sip of my already warm soda.

“Oh, that sounds nice,” Greta smiled. “It must be nice to always be in the sunshine and around movie stars.”

“Yeah, sure,” I replied, but my gut twisted, unsure if and when I’d ever get to go back to my mom.

ELEVEN

After dinner, I made my way back upstairs, desperate for some time away from Knox while I waited for Tatum. I fell down onto the bed, inhaling the refreshing scent of the fabric softener that still clung to the comforter.

“Feeling better?” Knox asked, and I jumped, clutching my chest as I looked up at the doorway. He was leaning against the frame with his arms folded over his muscular chest.

“Does it matter?” I quipped as I pulled the hair tie from my hair and running my fingers through the long, knotted strands.

“I asked, didn’t I?” He walked across the room slowly, and I sat up.

“I’m fine. It’s hardly the worst thing.”

“Yeah,” he replied rubbing his palm across his freshly shaven jaw. “Want to talk about it?”

My eyes snapped back to him, narrowing. “You dropped a hot noodle on my hand. It’s hardly newsworthy.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” His head cocked slightly to the side. I knew he was talking about my dad proposing to Piper, but he’d made it clear he didn’t give a damn about me, and I wasn’t about to spill my family secrets to him. 

“I’m not really up to sharing my
feelings
with you.”

“I’m just trying to be nice.”

“It’s really hard to tell.”

“You’re not exactly friendly, either, Princess.”

“Where’s Tatum?”

He shrugged. “I guess she just didn’t want to hang out with you.”

“Bullshit.”

“Is it so hard to believe not everyone wants to be around you?”

I pushed from the bed, my chest aching as I did what I learned to do best, drive people away. “Why are you wasting your time talking to me then? Go hang out with Greta and her imaginary friend,” I snapped, my eyes locked onto his as I refused to back down.

I expected an insult at the very least or even an explanation of why we had an extra place setting for someone they never expected to show up. I widened my stance, bracing for whatever was to come but he said nothing, just nodded slightly before turning and leaving, slamming the door behind him.

I sank down to the floor, wrapping my arms around my legs and I rested my forehead on top of my knees. I wanted to run from the house, but I didn’t have anywhere to go. As much as I hated Knox, he was still better than being around Piper.

***

I awoke curled in a ball on the thin, threadbare rug that lay beside Tatum’s bed. My body was stiff, and I groaned as I stretched my legs. I glanced over my shoulder to see the bright light of the moon shining through a few tree branches, causing shadows to dance across the walls whenever the wind blew.
Great. I’d slept the entire evening away, and the bed was still empty.

I pushed to my feet and tiptoed over to the door, Cringing as the floor creaked under my weight. Gingerly, I twisted the knob and glanced out into the darkened hallway. The house was silent, and I breathed a sigh of relief that Greta seemed to have gone to bed for the night, and Knox was probably out kicking puppies or whatever it was he did for fun. At least I could sneak out and go home without having to actually face them. Grabbing my bag, I slung it over my shoulder, cursing Tatum under my breath with each step.

Slowly, I placed my toes on each step, testing it for sound before letting my full weight rest on the planks. This house was old but well maintained. Still, even with a lot of upkeep, it was hard to keep the wood from protesting after years of constant strain.

When I reached the bottom, I sighed as I slipped into the dark kitchen, freezing as the sound of a voice startled me.

“No rest for the wicked,” Knox joked, but there was no humor in his voice as he sat at the table, his back to me and his head hung.

“I fell asleep.”

“I wish I were that lucky,” he mumbled before raising a glass of brown liquid to his lips and emptying the contents down his throat in one sip.

“Well if you drink enough, you’ll pass out in no time.”

“That’s the plan, Princess.”

“You… ah… never mind.”
Why would Knox want to talk to me after the way I’d treated him? Why would anyone?
I began to walk toward the front door.

“This defensive act. I get it.” I turned around to reply but his face was sullen, and even I wasn’t that cold-hearted. He grabbed an ornately carved decanter and refilled his glass before pushing from the table and grabbing a second cup from the cupboard. He sat it on the table next to his and filled it as well, gesturing for me to join him.

“It’s not an act. This is me, love it or shove it.” I sat down across from him, and he slowly looked up at me, a smirk playing on his lips as he pushed the extra glass across the table toward me. I let my bag fall from my shoulder to the floor where it landed with a soft thud.

“What’s this for?” I asked as I picked up the cup, taking a sniff and immediately regretting it. My now empty stomach turned at the strong liquor smell.

“A peace offering.” He lifted his own glass into the air as he waited for me to do the same. “Here's to being single, seeing double, and sleeping triple.” He downed the amber liquid, his glass slamming against the table before I could even process his words.

“Classy,” I muttered before drinking back my shot. A single drop fell from the corner of my lips and ran down my chin, clinging to my skin as I shuttered and sat down my glass. “That was gross.” I wiped my chin with the back of my hand, the alcohol causing my little burn to sting. “Shit!”

“That’s karma,” Knox quipped as he refilled our glasses, ignoring my glare.

“You know I’m not twenty-one, right?” I asked as he slid my glass to me.

“Neither am I,” he laughed sardonically before his smile fell. “You want to make a toast?” he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, unable to help myself and letting my curiosity get the best of me.

He shook his head before running his palm over his head. “No. The point of getting shit-faced drunk is to
not
think about what is bothering you.”

“Okay.” I ran my teeth over my lower lip as I tried to think of something to say. "Here's to you and here’s to me, may we never disagree. But…” I struggled not to smile as I felt my cheeks flame red. “If we do, fuck you,” I held up my glass. “and here’s to me!” I poured the liquid fire down my throat. When my eyes opened, Knox was smiling broadly as he sloshed liquid into both our glasses, not bothering to make sure he didn’t spill it on the table top.

“Now
that
was a beautiful toast.”

I shrugged, feeling the warmth of the alcohol churn around in my belly. My eyes narrowed as I looked him over. “This night turned out not to be half bad. Besides the fact that Tatum stood me up.”

“Can’t win ‘em all, Princess.” He held up his glass, his body swaying slightly and I laughed. “Here’s to you.”

I held up my own cup and waited for him to continue. “May your future be bright, your mind be quick, and your heart be soft.”

I struggled to smile before I downed my drink hoping I could ingest enough to not even remember back to yesterday.

“When do you leave?” I asked as I spun the glass between my fingers leaving wet circles as the bottom slid against the wood.

“A few weeks. It’s not definite.” He didn’t look up from his drink, and I could tell he was worried, but I didn’t know if it was uncertainty about where he was headed or who he was leaving behind.

“They’ll be fine without you.” I didn’t realize how my words sounded until I’d spoken them. “I mean, they will be okay. You gotta do what is best for you, ya’ know?” I was rambling, the alcohol making my brain work slower. 

He nodded but didn’t say anything. Pushing to my feet, I grabbed the bottle and poured us another round, sloshing liquor all over the place before holding up my glass.

“Here’s to Knox! May your journey be full of adventure,” I smiled but Knox shoved his chair back from the table, and stood, disappearing through the dining room and out of the back door.

“Shit,” I whispered as I looked around, uncertain as to what to do next. I should let him go. I had no idea what was going on with him, but instead, I hurried across the dining room in my bare feet, stubbing my toe on a table leg before stumbling to the back door. I pulled it open to see Knox silhouetted by the moon, standing on the top porch step. I tiptoed out beside him, and he didn’t glance down, but he shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets.

“There used to be horses,” he said, but I wasn’t certain if he was speaking to me or thinking out loud so I didn’t respond. “The fence used to circle the entire property but over the years it had broken down in a few places, and the land was divided up and sold. That was before I lived here.”

“Why did she divide up the land?” I looked out over the field ahead. In the distance, you could see a line of trees.

“Lot of work to maintain on her own.” Knox shrugged before he pulled his hand from his pocket and wrapped his fingers around my wrist. “Come on,” he stepped down, and I had no choice but to follow along with him.

“Where are we going?”

“Do you always ask this many questions?” He smiled down at me as his hand slid from my wrist and he intertwined our fingers.

“I’d like to know if you are dragging me out into this field to murder me.”

“Why would I drag you to the middle of the field when all of the knives are in the kitchen we just left?” he asked as if it wasn’t incredibly creepy, if not logical.

“That’s a good point,” I muttered as the grass slipped between my toes and my soles sank into the soft earth with each step.

As we made our way further from the house, an old wooden building began to come into view behind an overgrown tree that seemed out of place in the vast field.

“What’s this?” I asked as Knox stepped through the doorway and I hesitated, still unsure if I could trust him.

He groaned as he flipped a switch and the inside became illuminated. My eyes widened as I slipped inside and looked at the tiny strings of twinkling Christmas lights that hung on the walls giving the cramped but clean space a magical feel.

“This is where I would go to get away from… everything… before I had my shop,” he explained as my hand slid from his and I ventured further into the small space. There was a love seat and a stack of books on the floor. I grabbed the top book from the pile and flipped it over in my hand.

“
The Art of War
?” I raised an eyebrow as I glanced over my shoulder at him. His lip curved up in a smile.

“You were expecting something else?”

“No,” I sat the book back down, impressed. “I didn’t think you even knew how to read,” I deadpanned and he laughed loudly. My eyes danced over the walls that held miscellaneous items propped on nails. At first glance, it looked to be completely random. I stepped closer, inspecting some of the collection. “What’s all of this?”

He shrugged, his gaze dipping down to the floor between us as if he was embarrassed. “Just some things.”

“Some things,” I repeated as I ran the tip of my finger over a fork that sat on a shelf at eye level. “Oh, my God. You have a dinglehopper,” I joked, but when I looked back at him, my smile faded.

He stepped forward and pulled the fork from the shelf it rested on. He turned the utensil over in his hand. “Not everyone was born with a silver spoon, Princess.”

“Or a decorator, apparently.” This time, he did laugh as he placed the fork back on the wall.

“The extra place setting, That was for Greta’s husband.”

“Did he leave for milk one day and not come back?”

“Vietnam, actually. He was declared missing in action four months after he deployed. She refuses to let go because he promised her he’d come back and he
never
broke his promises.” It suddenly made sense why he was not wanting to leave Greta for whatever trip he’d been planning.

“And she’s been waiting for him all of these years? Never remarried? That’s so sad.”

He shrugged as he sank down on the arm of the small couch. “I think it’s kind of beautiful. Could you imagine trusting someone so implicitly and loving them that much?”

“No,” I answered honestly.

He gave me a half smile before shaking his head. “Me either.”

“You know, you aren’t half bad when I’m drunk.”

“That’s just because you don’t know me.” His voice trailed off, and I’d be lying if I weren't hoping he’d add the word
yet
to the end of that sentence.              

***

I awoke in Tatum’s bed, still on top of the covers. The smell of bacon turned my stomach, and even the little slivers of light that broke through the tree branches made me squint.

I pushed from the bed, rubbing my stiff neck before slipping trudging downstairs.  Knox was at the stove, and he smiled when he glanced over his shoulder.

“You look like shit, Princess.”

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. I was so dehydrated.

“Glass of water is on the table for you.” He motioned to my seat that I’d occupied the night before when we were drinking.  “Here’s some hangover food. Dippy eggs.” He sat a plate in front of me with eggs and bacon.