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Each exhalation flowed into the next as I climbed higher and higher on waves of pleasure. The ache built inside me until I was consumed by an explosive orgasm that left me trembling with ecstasy. I knew without a doubt that this man, this incredible, loving man, was my other half, my soulmate.
Afterward, exhausted but blissfully content, we lay entwined in each other’s arms, our hearts still racing from the intensity of what we’d just shared. As sleep began to claim us both, I pressed a tender kiss to Knox’s chest, whispering a quiet “I love you” before drifting off into a peaceful slumber.
The next morning, the sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow over Knox’s sleeping form. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, his strong arms wrapped around me. I hated to leave, but work beckoned, and I knew I couldn’t stay in bed all day, no matter how much I wanted to.
I carefully disentangled myself from Knox’s embrace, trying not to wake him. He stirred slightly, grumbling something unintelligible, before turning over and burrowing deeper into the pillows. Smiling at the sight, I tiptoed across the room, gathering my clothes for the day.
I stepped into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind me. Turning on the shower, I let the water heat up as I thought about the road that lay ahead for Knox and me. The thought of the upcoming Ghost Parker tour sent a thrill of excitement through me, but also a pang of worry. Could I really trust Knox to remain faithful while he was surrounded by temptation? Would our love be strong enough to hold us together?
Shaking off my doubts, I reminded myself of Celia’s advice: to trust in our love and the bond we shared. Knox had shown me time and time again that he was committed to us, and I needed to believe in him, in us.
With that resolve, I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade over my body like a soothing balm. As the droplets washed away the remnants of our passionate night, I resolved to face whatever challenges came our way without cowering.
After all, if the past few months had taught me anything, it was that life was full of surprises, both good and bad. And together, Knox and I would navigate these uncharted waters, hand in hand, our love serving as a beacon to guide us through the storm.
Chapter 28
Knox
Slowly,Iopenedmyeyes, blinking against the morning light that filtered through the curtains. I was disappointed that Summer was not snug in my arms, but then I heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom and realized that Summer was taking a shower to get ready for work.
It’d been less than a week that I’d been living at her place, but waking up with her by my side had become a necessary part of my life so quickly and effortlessly. I was leaving on tour soon, and the feeling was strangely bittersweet. Normally, I couldn’t wait to get back on the road, but this time I was reluctant because I’d be leaving her behind. I knew she had reservations about me going, and I didn’t blame her. I’d just have to work hard to prove my commitment.
As I lay there musing, I heard the distinct chime of a new text notification. I glanced over at Summer’s phone charging on the nightstand. A few more cheerful pings went off in rapid succession, making the messages somehow seem more urgent. Curious, I glanced at the phone and was momentarily stunned to see they were coming from Ghost.
Why would Ghost be texting Summer? I didn’t even know that they ever talked at all, let alone texted with each other this early in the morning. It seemed odd.
I slid over to her side of the bed and the phone lit up again with a new text.
Ghost:He doesn’t suspect a thing.
My blood ran cold. The words hit a nerve. They were secretive and suspicious. The screen went blank, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. What did it mean? Why would Ghost be texting my girlfriend?
The phone lit up again. I could only see a portion of the text from the preview window, but I saw enough.
Ghost:Meet me for lunch at
My thoughts spiraled. My mind raced with questions and doubts as I sat there, staring at Summer’s phone. Was she really cheating on me with Ghost? I couldn’t believe it. He was my best friend, someone I trusted with everything. He would never do that to me. And Summer was the love of my life. What we had was real. We were happy.
My eyes remained fixed on the lifeless screen, but I wasn’t focused on it. I was remembering that day. The day Aila died.
I’d been living at my grandparent’s cottage for four months. When Granda passed away, Nan decided to move closer to her daughter, my Aunt Mary, leaving the cottage empty for nearly three years. When Nan heard I was to be married, she offered the cottage to me and Aila, only expecting a pittance for rent.
Before the wedding, my friend, Hugh, moved in with me to help pay rent, since there were two bedrooms and I needed any extra cash I could get. I was working extra shifts at the sheet metal factory and playing some gigs at the local pubs at night to save as much money as I could. The wedding was proving to be more expensive than I bargained for, and I’d already blown a sizeable portion of my meager savings on Aila’s engagement ring. I didn’t want to start my new married life swimming in piles of debt. I even figured Hugh might stay on after Aila and I married, at least until a bairn was on the way and we needed the room.
Aila still lived with her parents while we were engaged, but she spent a lot of time at the cottage, even when I was at work. When I first moved in, she helped me clean it up and paint the inside. She set up a sewing machine on a small table in the corner and was constantly making things for the cottage: curtains, pillows, placemats, potholders, and table runners. It was beginning to look like a cozy home.
She also worked on her wedding binder at the cottage. After she’d leave, sometimes I’d leaf through it to get some idea of what she was planning for our wedding. She asked for my input occasionally, but I wasn’t too picky with all the little details. As long as she was happy, I was satisfied.
It was a good thing that Aila and Hugh got along so well. Hugh didn’t mind that Aila spent so much of her free time at the cottage. Of course, he was living there for cheap, but he was also my best mate, so he kept an eye out for her when I wasn’t around. I played guitar for a local band and we worked a lot of late nights, especially on the weekend. Aila still had a midnight curfew, so she was always long gone before I got home on those nights, but at least I knew she wasn’t at the cottage alone.
I don’t remember what I was looking for when I went digging through her purse that day. It was nothing significant. The exact moment I found the note was seared into my brain, but everything that came before was fuzzy.
The note was on a small piece of paper, very innocuous-looking, except that it was ripped in half. If it hadn’t been torn, it never would have gotten a second glance from me.
The rip didn’t do much to disguise the hand-printed words:
You can’t go through with it. We need to talk.
