Screw My Childhood Sweetheart—His Alpha Brother Marked Me First!

Chapter 28 I turned to face him , one hand still clutching my locker door . " You're like part jungle cat or something . " His brow arched in question . " Too damn quiet . " He chuckled . " I'm secretly a ninja . " " Somehow , I wouldn't be surprised . " Knox had that superhero vibe , as if he could save the whole world single - handedly . He moved in a little closer . " You okay ? " I nodded , shoving a few more books in my pack . " All good . " Just lonely as hell . Knox took the backpack out of my hands before I could put it on . " I've got it . " He gave a chin lift to Jack and Cass .

" See you guys at home . " " Bye , Senna , " Cass called as Jack pulled her in the other direction . " See you tomorrow . " I closed my locker and spun the dial , following Knox as he started to walk towards the exit . " So you guys all live together ? " Knox glanced down at me , a flash of apprehension flitting across his expression . It was the first time I'd seen him anything less than completely confident and in control . " Not in the same house , but on the same property . I'm sure people have filled your head with all sorts of stuff .

" He opened the door for me , and I stepped through . " I've heard some , but I'd rather hear it from you . " He gave a tight nod as we started towards his truck . " It probably sounds weird from the outside , but for us , it's anything but . " " What is it for you ? " I asked . " It's family. It's having a community always at your back . If one of us is hurting , everyone will do anything in their power to help . " The corner , of his mouth kicked up . " It's fun too . There's always someone to hang with . Snowball fights and sledding in the winter .

Lake parties and epic barbeques in the summer . " " It sounds amazing . " The words were out before I could stop them . All I could think about as Knox was describing his life was the empty house I'd be returning to . The mother who couldn't stand the sight of me . The father who didn't bother to come home . " Really ? " 16:59 Screw My Childhood Sweetheart - His Alpha Brother Marked Me First ! 24.1 % Chapter 28 I swallowed against the burn in my throat as I nodded . " Really . I think it would be incredible to grow up surrounded by all of that .

" Knox beeped the locks and opened my door for me . " That's not what you had growing up ? " I shook my head . " It was just me and my sister and our parents . Extended family wasn't a big thing . " Both sets of grandparents had already passed . My dad had a sister , but we never saw her and I didn't think they were especially close . She hadn't even bothered to come to Lacey's funeral . Knox shut my door and rounded the vehicle , climbing in . " I can't imagine not having a million people running around at all times . " I wondered if a million people would make me feel less lonely .

Or would I simply feel alone in a crowded room ? I thought the key was to be surrounded by people who truly knew you , ones who saw and understood . I wasn't sure I'd ever had that from anyone other than Lacey . She saw things about me sometimes even before I did . Knox started his truck . " Don't we have to wait for River and Caspian ? " Knox shook his head . " They had a meeting and got a ride with Ridge . " Knox's cell phone rang , and he pulled it out of his pocket . " Hey , Dad . " While the greeting was casual , Knox's demeanor was anything but .

His shoulders pulled tight and his spine stiffened . " Of course . I'm just taking Senna home , and then I'll be there . " He glanced at the clock on the dash . " Fifteen minutes . " A muscle in his jaw ticked . " I know . I'll hurry . " He tapped a button on the screen and dropped the phone into the cup holder . " If you're late for something , I can walk . " " No , he can wait a few minutes . It's not the end of the world , even though he acts like it . " I was quiet for a moment as Knox backed out of the parking lot . " Tough grader ? " Knox's grip on the wheel tightened .

" He expects the best . From himself . From those who work for him . " " From you . " It wasn't a question , but Knox nodded . " Nothing I do is ever quite good enough . He's always looking for the next achievement or learning experience . " " That's a lot to carry . " " I can handle it , but it's exhausting sometimes . " I tried to imagine the opposite of what my current experience was . What if my dad was home every day , asking for test results and wanting to know why I wasn't captain of a sports team ?

I wasn't sure which was worse , being crushed under pressure or being left completely alone . 16:59 Screw My Childhood Sweetheart - His Alpha Brother Marked Me First ! 24.4 % Chapter 28 Something about the image that came to life in my mind , one of Knox's dad scowling at him in disapproval , had me moving without thought . I reached over and squeezed his leg just below the knee . " Your dad doesn't get to decide what's worthy . He doesn't get to choose your life for you . " Knox's deep blue eyes locked with mine , holding me hostage for a moment . " I wish it was that simple .

" I walked up the path to my house but paused at the steps , turning back . I found Knox's stare locked on me , and my heart rattled in my chest . There was so much in that stare , an intensity that pinned me to the spot mixed with what almost looked like yearning , as if it were killing him to pull away . How bad were things with Knox's dad for him to be this desperate to stay ? I lifted my hand . It wasn't a wave exactly , more like an acknowledgment that I saw him . Sometimes simply bearing witness to what someone else was going through was the greatest gift we could give .

Knoz lifted his hand too . We both just stayed like that for a few beats , letting all the things unsaid pass between us . Slowly , he lowered his hand and pulled away from the curb . That tugging sensation in my chest was back , but I forced myself to turn around and walk up the steps . My phone buzzed with a notification , and I pulled it out to see- (0 ) Sara Lili Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland's breathtaking cold.