Page 14 of One Last Thing Before You Go

Oh, god. Twenty-seven. Seven years younger than me. I try to control my facial expressions, trying not to reveal the horror I feel at the fact that I slept with someone his age.

And how fantastic it was.

Jesus.

“Is that a problem?” He chuckles as I hold my face in my hands. “And you are not not young. Plus, I’m hardly a kid. I do my taxes all by myself and everything. I could do the shit out of your taxes, too, if you want.” He grins, and I can’t help the way I smile back.

“Crap,” I whisper, my chest expanding.

I stare into his hopeful eyes for a moment, considering. I could go out for dinner with him. I really could. And then I could grow to like him and get attached and then he’ll leave because he’ll want things I can never give him.

Like I said: no, thanks.

“I think you and I had a fantastic night—I won’t deny it,” I start, trying to keep my voice as gentle and level as possible. “But we can’t do this. This is complicated for a lot of reasons, and I don’t do complicated. That okay?”

He sighs, resigned. “Fine. I understand. Or I guess I’ll try to.” And with that, he gently pushes me aside and finally manages to open the door.

“Holy…”

I try to look around him, but his broad shoulders block most of the doorway. When he finally takes a step into the apartment, I realize what we’re really in for.

“Oh my god,” I breathe.

What the hell was Walter up to?

CHAPTER SIX

LOTTIE

“Holy shit. This place looks like something straight out of Hoarders,” Knox breathes, taking in the unexpected mess that is Walter’s apartment.

“Except that instead of having a creepy collection of old school porcelain Madame Alexander dolls or something, it’s just old books stacked high on every available surface,” I add.

“The hell are Alexander dolls? Like Ken dolls?”

“Madame Alexander dolls. And trust me—you don’t want to know.” I shiver dramatically at the thought of the irksome porcelain dolls. “Just count your blessings that it’s not something worse.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that confidently. We’ve barely walked into the apartment. Who knows whether the old man has something else hidden in one of his closets.”

I snort. “Walter wouldn’t.” But I do a mental double-take because I had never seen that man with a hair out of place, a shirt untucked, a piece of paper thrown on his desk. Walter was the picture of neatness, and this apartment… most definitely is not.

I laugh to myself.

“What? What is it?” Knox looks at me with a curious smile on his face.

“Nothing,” I shake my head. “It’s just, you think you know someone. And then… Well.

This.” I sweep my hand in the air before dropping it. “And you.”

“Me?”

“You.” I nod, with a small laugh. “I didn’t know you existed. This is like some movie.”

He laughs once. “That was exactly my first thought.”

I giggle at the absolute ridiculousness of the situation. “For real, though. A family member dies and suddenly this whole other secret family shows up, and all the things you believed to be true… aren’t. It’s insane.”

“Is that what Walter was to you? Family?” he asks, quietly. All humor has been stripped away from his expression, replaced by a gravity I’m sure is rarely seen worn on Knox.