Taking Chances (Blackrock Book 2) (27 page)

“No
sorry,” I tell him, lying through my teeth but I, in no way
want to be involved in this argument.

Nodding
he gets up to leave. “Okay, the DJ should be here soon for you
kids. Us old folks are heading inside.” I smile as he walks
away leaving me slightly annoyed. The DJ walks in on cue, earning a
cheer from the crowd as the main lights dim and disco lights flash
through their color cycle.

“Who
want’s to dance?” Paige asks, looking at us all saying no
which makes her pout.

Max
kisses her. “In a while, after a few more.” He waves his
beer bottle.

“I’ll go.”
Climbing off Knox, I make my way over to the bar doing my best not to
stop or be stopped along the way. Walking back with two glasses and
two bottles however, makes the last person I want to stop do just
that.

“Here let me help.”
He takes the glasses from me.

“I
thought you weren’t going to make it?” I ask stopping a
few feet away from Knox.

“I
couldn’t miss it and I wanted to see you again.” Brad
smiles.

“Well now you did.” I
try to take back the drinks but he moves his body.

“Bailey,
I wanted you to know I still love you and if you want to come back
here you can and I will do what I can for you.”

I
balk at him. “Seriously Brad? Are you insane? I love my life
now, away from here and I love my boyfriend, so no thanks.”

His
shoulders sag as he looks at me with his sad face I used to fall for,
but not anymore. “I miss you, Bailey.” His words don’t
soothe me they grate on me.

“Yeah
well Bard, we both have moved on.”

Putting
the drinks on the table beside him, he grabs my elbows. “Bailey,
please. I love you and I never stopped. Please, we can still be
together,” he begs.

“No
you can’t.” I hear a deep version of my boyfriend’s
voice. Turning I see it is in fact him with his jaw clenched and
fists balled by his sides. He is staring at Brad, daring him to say
or do anything else.

“Sorry
Brad, but like I said we are done.”

Knox
lifts the glasses, still giving Brad a menacing stare. “Like
she said pal, done, Now take your sorry ass somewhere else.”
Knox motions with his head for me to walk away first following
behind.

I
can feel his anger waft off of him as I reach the table and roll my
eyes at Paige. Knox puts our drinks down then sits and smiles like
everything is all right.

“You
know I am happy I came along.” He nods at me before drinking
his beer.

“Me
too, babe,” I grumble back at him sitting in the chair beside
him.

“I bet you are darlin’,
I bet you are.” Not wanting to turn this night into a stupid
fight, I pinch his side making him jump and dribble beer down his
chin.

Turning
he raises an eyebrow. “It’s like that, darlin’?”
Biting my bottom lip, I nod then try to run but he has me before I
even get my ass up off the chair. “Come over here.” He
pulls me onto his lap and, as I squirm he leans close to my ear.
“Darlin’, keep doing that and I will have to take you to
behind the bushes.”

I
laugh at him, settling down to kiss him, not caring who is in the
room or who is even looking because he is mine and I am his. “Lets
dance,” I whisper, but it may have been louder because as soon
as the words leave my mouth Paige jumps up.

“Yes!
Now let’s go.” She drags Max off his chair and we follow
them out onto the makeshift wooden dance floor with its scuffmarks
and scratches.

The four of us, dance easily
together while Knox and Max play a little twin switch up as I twirl
back into the arms of Max, I smile. “Hey bro.”

He
smiles at me. “Sis.” I slide down his body and move back
up a hairs breath away from him.

“Hey
less of that.” Knox pulls me back laughing, while Paige dances
with me, and Max behind her making a sandwich out of us.

We
dance for a while to the continuous array of pop and dance music
until the DJ slows it down.

Knox
wraps his arms around me, holding me dangerously close so I can feel
his eagerness to get me home. Leaning my cheek against his I smile.
“So you never told me what this surprise is,” he murmurs.

Closing
my arms tighter around his neck, I kiss just below his ear. “I’ve
decided to come live with you for the summer.”

He
immediately springs back looking into my eyes, Searching my face.
“Seriously?” His voice is a breathless whisper sounding
of shock and disbelief.

“Yes
babe, just you and me for the summer.”

His
expression changes from shocked to, what I can only describe as glee
before his face cracks into a huge mega watt smile. Picking me up
easily by the waist, he spins me around. “Damn darlin’, I
love you.”

Laughing
I wrap my legs around his waist while he moves my dress so it still
covers me. “I love you too, babe.” His mouth crashes
against mine in a frantic kiss portraying all his happiness.

“Dang
cuz, you get engaged or something?” Pulling back from Knox, I
unlock my legs allowing him to lift me off of him and plant my feet
on the floor.

“No,
we didn’t. We just love each other, no biggie.” I smile
at her while Knox nods his head.

She
looks between us. “Yeah okay, I’ll believe you, but
thousands wouldn’t because that looked way more than a simple
declaration of love.” She wags her finger at us prompting Knox
to speak up.

“There is nothing simple
about our love, Cara,” he says which only makes her swoon and
rest her head against his arm.

“Dang,
I love you now,” she responds and he puts his arm around her.

“Sorry, but there is only
enough love in me for Bailey.” He squeezes her before letting
her go, which makes her pout and me laugh.

“Don’t
worry, Cara, you will find it someday.” I smile at her as Knox
kisses my temple.

Paige
and Max stop dancing and look at us. “What was that bro? Trying
out for Dirty Dancing?”

Knox
laughs shaking his head. “No Max, Bailey just agreed to move in
the apartment.”

Paige
claps and Max rolls his eyes. “She pretty much lives there.”
Knox punches his shoulder playfully.

“Okay
lets get one more drink then quit this place,” I say needing to
go home and get naked with my man. We get another round and sit back
at our table when my eyes land on Brad talking with a very familiar
raven-haired evil witch. My breath catches when I see him kiss her
and I know it is her. Knox grips my arm as I slowly rise like a mist
rising from an underground steam pipe. I pull my hand out of his
grip. My breathing coming in sharp shallow gasps I can faintly hear
Knox asking what is going on, but his voice just blurs behind the
blood rushing through my ears.

I
take a step towards them and another, my gaze fixed on her head. With
nothing but determination in my head and hatred in my heart, I propel
me forward until I am side lined by a bear hug so tight I can’t
do anything to stop the momentum of it and find myself outside on the
grass with a heavy body on top of me and one shoe missing.

“Get
the fuck off me!” I shout at the person responsible for
thwarting my well-deserved punch in the face plan.

“Hey
get the fuck…” I hear Knox and then a weight has been
lifted off my body.

Turning
I see Corey. “Why? Why the hell did you do that?” I shout
springing to my feet; one higher than the other until Paige drops my
shoe for me.

“Bailey,
come on. She is not worth it and it’s your cousin’s
place.”

Taking
a step toward him I poke his chest. “If you ever stop me from
beating the living shit out of her again, I will come after you
Corey. I swear I will,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Yeah?
Fine then, Bailey. If need to hit someone, hit me!” he shouts
back, arms wide his nose tipping mine until Knox pulls him back.

“Give
it a rest,” he tells Corey then turns to me. “Darlin’,
what was that about?”

Shaking
my head I take a deep breath. “Emily, she is here with Brad.”

Knox
moves closer. “Okay, lets go.”

I
nod. “I need to say bye to Cara.” Storming past them, I
walk back inside with a trio of people following me all the way to
Cara. “Hey cuz, I’m out this place Just got too crowded.”

She
frowns at me while I hug her and then I nod behind me. Her gaze
flitting all around until, she too gasps. “What the fuck? Who
invited that bitch?” She marches over and looks to be in a
heated argument with both Brad and Emily who decide to walk over in
my direction.

I
feel body heat surrounding me. “If any of you touch me,”
I warn without looking at them.

“Bailey,”
she huffs at me in her high-pitched squawk. “I think we should
bury the past, don’t you?”

My
teeth grate just standing in front of her. “Like I buried my
best friend?”

She
raises and eyebrow at me. “Summer was troubled, we all know
that. It had nothing to do with me or my blog; that was some harmless
teasing.” As the words flow out of her evil mouth my vision
blurs with anger.

“You
and your fucking brother caused her to kill herself.”

She
tsk’s me, rolling her eyes and flipping her hair off her
shoulder. “Get over it already. She is dead, move on.”

And
just like that, I snap launching my fist straight into her nose
making her stumble backward crying looking at the blood in her hands.
My arm reaches back again only to be stopped by a much larger,
stronger hand holding me in place with my fist raised and my face
full of hatred.

“You’re
a psycho bitch!” she shouts before spitting blood all over my
dress.

“And
you’re a lying scheming piece of trash.” With that I pull
my arm away from Knox and walk right by her to the exit. Passing my
mom on the way,

“Bailey,
what did you do?” she shouts after me but I ignore her and keep
walking, just walk down the street until I stop at the Anderson
house. Punching in the gate code I walk up to the porch and sit on
the steps, hanging my head as the tears finally come.

Not
tears of hurt or pain but tears of anger and rage and pure hatred for
the shit my friend went through. I feel Knox’s arm around me
holding me, while I trespass, and cry like a baby into my hands. “I’m
sorry,” I whisper.

“No need to say sorry,
darlin’. You now just need to move on, okay?” I nod
knowing he is right, knowing that hitting Emily while satisfying
won’t bring my friend back. Lifting my head I turn to him.

“Okay,
now you can call me a trouble maker.” We both laugh while he
wipes my tears. He hauls me up off the ground and we walk back down
the drive. By the time we get home, I am exhausted. Paige makes hot
chocolate while I wash my face and throw on Knox’s t-shirt and
some pajama shorts.

Walking
into the kitchen, I frown at the three pairs of eyes looking warily
at me. “Sorry guys.”

Max
claps. “Hell no! That was awesome sis!” Knox rolls his
eyes at him and Paige smiles.

“Yeah
it was,” she whispers handing me my mug.

After
an hour of reliving the whole night, we venture to bed. Knox just
watches me lying there while he rests his head on his hand.

“What
you thinking about?”

Glancing
at him, I frown. “About how stupid I was.”

His
free hand rests on my stomach as his thumb draws small circles. “Awe,
don’t be too hard on yourself, darlin’. We all do stupid
stuff.”

“Yeah, only I go that one
step further. Why did I come back here, Knox? I knew in my gut not to
do it but I did anyway.”

Leaning
down, he kisses me. “That is my fault; I pushed you. I thought
getting away from Blackrock and the dead flowers would be a nice
change.” I nod knowing he is right, that he was only looking
out for me, trying to give me some time away from the stresses those
damn flowers bring.

“I’m
sorry, babe. I made a total ass of myself and my family and you.”

He
runs his finger from my temple to my jaw turning my face to his.
“Bailey, I am with you all the way. If you felt the need to get
that out of your system then so be it. Could you have done it another
way? Maybe, but you didn’t so it’s done now; no point
worrying about.”

“I
love you, Knox Porter.” Shaking my head at him, I smile.

“And
I love you too, Bailey Mortensen. Even more now, that I’ll have
you every night for three months. Maybe longer.” He winks just
as I pull him down to meet my lips.

“Okay,
definitely longer,” he murmurs against my mouth deepening the
kiss.

By
the time I wake up, the sun is already blazing into my window. My
memories of last night bring a smile to my face. Knox making love to
me so tenderly at first then we went a little crazy playing around
until we were at it again, only to finally fall asleep sated. Then
during the early hours I woke to Knox’s hands exploring my body
while he whispered to me softly and pressing his hardness against my
leg. Both of us were like frenzied animals; grabbing, touching,
exploring every inch every tender spot on each other making love
again like it would be our last time.

Climbing
out of bed, I pull on my yoga pants and a tank top. Making my way to
the kitchen, I find Knox on his way back up to me with breakfast.

“Hey beautiful, I was
trying to surprise you.” He kisses me.

“It’s okay, we can
stay here.” We sit at the table enjoying the quiet until the
kitchen door bounces off the wall, making both of us jump.

“Bailey
Grace Mortensen,” my mother hisses through her teeth at me.
“Get up now young lady. You and I need to talk.” I glance
at Knox who looks frightened before squeezing my knee under the
table. I get up from the chair to meet my mothers wrath.

“We
will be back in an hour, Knox. I apologize for my outburst.” He
waves it off as I get marched out of the house to her car. “Where
are we going?” I ask as she pulls out of the driveway, taking
me to my aunt and uncle to apologize to them and Cara for ruining her
party, but Cara rolls her eyes at it.