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I roll my eyes and open my mouth. Knox fakes a few practice throws and then decides on his aim. The grape hits me right in the back of the throat and I cough to keep from choking.
Knox throws his arms in the air. “He shoots, he scores! Mouth open, Nell. I need more practice so we can teach Layla how to do it.”
Knox and I are sitting on the floor in the kitchen, tossing cheese puffs into each other’s mouths and laughing without a care in the world when the lights by the bar flip on.
“Busted,” I whisper, jumping up and brushing the crumbs off my fingers before I offer Knox my hand to help him up.
“Did you eat all the Christmas trees?” Maya grumbles to Knox as she scrubs her eyes.
“Nope. Amy said I couldn’t have them all.”
“Good. Give them to me.”
Knox accepts my hand, but I don’t actually do any helping. He regains his height and digs a hand into the cabinet. “All of them?”
“Yes. That’s what I want.”
He pulls the entire box out of the cabinet and puts it on the table between us and her.
Maya grabs the box and tucks it under her arm before turning and walking away. The lights shut off again, and I can’t contain the giggles, until I realize Knox looks even more haggard than he did before. He’s not having fun anymore. He’s sinking again, and I’m too tired to deal with his avoidance any more tonight.
“I’m going to go to bed.” I cover my mouth with the sleeve of my sweater to hide the yawn. “You should, too. You can’t stay awake forever.”
Knox’s door is shut and locked when I wake up late in the afternoon. He must be out doing something for the club. I head down in time for lunch made by Maya, but I feel too awkward to sit in a room full of burly bikers while I eat. I take my food back up to my room and bury myself in planning for the next part of my life.
“Hey, Nell,” Layla says, running to catch up with me in the hallway. “My boyfriend is going to drive me home from school today. Do you want to ride with us?”
“Your boyfriend?” This is the first I’ve heard of him.
“Yeah.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Just wait till you see him. He’s like panty-droppingly hot.”
I don’t know about that, but if she says so. “He’s old enough to drive?”
“He’s sixteen. That’s only a year older than me.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
Layla rolls her eyes. “You’re such a loser. Are you coming with us or not?”
“Yes, but only because I hate the bus.”
I dig my thumbs into my temples. I have to focus on starting this new bank account, but the screen keeps going blurry. These memories insist on being relived today.
"Knox, come get me," Layla whispers. She's sniffling and crying, hiding in a corner in her room. I can hear her. I knew she would be upset after what Dad said at dinner, so I'm sitting outside her bedroom door eavesdropping. "Please. I don't care where you take me. I just don't want to be here anymore."
I crack the door open and whisper, "Me too. I wanna go."
"Nell, no." She sighs and looks down at her phone. "Nell wants to go."
"That's fine," Knox says. "Do you want me to pick you up out front or down the street?”
"Down the street. I don't want Dad to see your truck."
"Shit, Lay. You're sneaking out with Nell?" He blows out air and makes the speaker crackle. "After everything that went down this weekend, you want to do that?"
"Yes! My dad is wrong! I'll be eighteen in a year and a half. It won't matter what he says then."
"It matters now. Nell is only fifteen, Lay. I mean, it's like kidnapping."
