Page 122 of Last First Date

I didn’t want to tell him Knox had sent me home with no explanation. “I just had a little free time,” I said, smiling. “And I thought I would pop over here and bother you.”

I sat by his side, holding his hand in mine. His grip was still strong despite his frail appearance, and it gave me hope that he would get better soon, stronger and back to his old self.

After spending an hour with Richard, I walked out of the hospital feeling strangely at peace. I was sure Richard would be okay. But it was evident he would not be coming back to work. As much as I was going to miss him, I knew it was for the best. I wanted him strong enough to take those trips with his wife.

Once home, I felt the exhaustion catching up with me. I hadn’t been sleeping well with all of the Knox stuff going on. I decided to unwind and rest. I sank into a chair in the living room, curling my fingers around a book that had been lying on the table for weeks, untouched.

As I flipped through the pages, my phone buzzed with an incoming message from Knox. When I opened it, it was very basic. “Check your email.”

I frowned, finding that just a little cryptic. I assumed he was taking back his offer to take time off. It was going to be another email with a long list of tasks. Now that it looked like Richard was going to make a full recovery, Knox was back to his usual self.

It could wait. I would go to work tomorrow and deal with his laundry list of tasks. I wasn’t going to allow Knox to disrupt my evening. Tonight, it was just me, my book, and the comforting silence of the house that surrounded me. I wasn’t going to look at my phone or social media. I placed the phone down on the table out of sight and out of mind, picked up my book, and began to read. The story was a murder mystery, a genre I enjoyed. Predicting the killer before the author revealed them was my favorite pastime.

After a leisurely evening, I went to bed thinking about Knox and everything Marcy had told me. I felt like I was at war with what I thought I knew about Knox and what Benjamin said. Every part of me was saying I needed to protect my heart, but there was that romantic side of me that said I needed to give him a chance. I wanted to trust the little voice that said he was a good man.

52

KNOX

The door to my office closed with a soft click, leaving me in a silence that felt deafening. Waverly had just walked out. I didn’t know why I told her to leave. Maybe so I didn’t have to see her and be reminded of my guilt. I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I also didn’t want to be reminded she might not be around much longer.

I knew how many phone calls I had been fielding since we got back from New York and could only imagine some especially eager people would have found a way to track her down. She had to be getting inundated with offers. Everyone knew she was associated with me, and since they didn’t have her contact information, they were calling me. It wasn’t right not to tell her. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her to her face. She would be thrilled and that would be hard for me to swallow. She’d be all too happy to leave me and chase her modeling career.

Instead of telling her, I forwarded her the email with a very lucrative job offer to model full-time for the lingerie company. She could make her own decision.

It wasn’t easy for me to accept she would be leaving. The thought of her departure left a void that I wasn’t sure could be filled. I understood that she needed time to consider the offers that had come her way, but that didn’t make it any less disheartening.

The aftermath of the fashion show had been a whirlwind. Waverly had caught the attention of the fashion world. They were eager to collaborate with her on a body-positivity campaign. The offers were pouring in. Waverly, young and talented, had become the center of attention in the fashion world. I knew the feeling. When I first made my debut in the modeling world. I had been the it guy. Every designer and fashion house in the world wanted me to wear their clothes. It was a heady experience. I wouldn’t have been able to say no if I was her. The money being offered would take care of her for a long time.

Waverly’s success was bittersweet. On one hand, I was immensely proud of her and what she had achieved. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss.

I went back to work, trying to keep up with the avalanche of work coming in. My phone ringing pulled my focus. I reached for it without checking the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Knox,” the director’s voice came through. I inwardly groaned and gave her my attention. “I’ve been trying to reach Waverly. Any chance she’s had a change of heart about our offer?”

I sighed, realizing that the relentless pursuit of Waverly for the campaign wasn’t going to let up. They were some serious stalkers. “She’s considering her options,” I replied carefully. “It’s a big decision for her, and she needs some time. I’ve forwarded your email to her. She can decide what to do next.”

There was a brief pause on the other end before the director spoke again. “You know, Knox, this campaign could be a game-changer for her. She’s young, beautiful, and the message of body positivity is something the industry needs. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

I couldn’t argue with that. The offer was undeniably tempting, and it was evident that Waverly’s talent had not gone unnoticed. “I understand,” I said, trying to mask the conflict in my voice. “I’ll make sure she gets the message.”

After ending the call, I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. The whole situation was taking a toll on me, and the fact that Waverly was being bombarded with tempting opportunities only added to the complexity of our professional relationship. We were not in a good place professionally or personally. She had no reason to stay. Not for me and not for the job. Why would she want to work for an asshole that made bets about getting her into bed? Not that I did, but that was what she believed.

I had made the mistake of checking social media. She was being talked about. A lot. Men were drawn to her beauty and were vying for her attention. She had no less than a thousand date requests. The usual scumbags were trying to buy her. I couldn’t deny that jealousy gnawed at me, a feeling I tried to suppress but couldn’t quite shake off.

My phone rang again, and I glanced down to see another call from an unknown number. I didn’t have the energy to take another call about Waverly. I dismissed the call and dropped my phone back onto the desk.

I had always been in control. When it came to work, relationships, and life in general, I made things happen. Yet this situation with Waverly was spiraling, fast, and there was nothing I could do about it. No matter how much I wanted to intervene, to persuade her not to leave, it wasn’t up to me. If she wanted to stay, fine, but it had to be her choice. I didn’t want her to resent me.

The day had been relentless, the weight of responsibilities pulling me in all directions. As the clock ticked toward the end of the workday, I made the decision to leave the office early.

I drove straight to the hospital. My grandmother was sitting in the chair, her head lolled to the side and her eyes closed.

My grandfather looked at me and smiled. “Shh. She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago.”

She jerked awake. “Oh goodness. I didn’t realize I dozed off.”