CHAPTER 054: Hop In
“You can’t possibly be serious,” I say. “You want to leave me on this bed all alone?”
I expect him to laugh in that dark way of his, saying gotcha.
But I see it in his eyes.
He actually means it.
There’s no teasing glint, no trace of smugness or mischief. Just this unreadable flatness–like he’s trying to keep something buried under control.
I grip his hand. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Sloane, listen-”
“No, you listen. I’ve obeyed you all evening while you bossed me around like some war general. Now it’s my turn.” I yank his hand, firmer this time. “Get on the fucking bed, Knox.”
That gets me a smile from him.
“Feisty,” he says. “That was stimulating. Do it again.”
“I’m not playing.” I keep my hand locked around his, not budging. “Don’t turn this into a joke.”
His smile lingers, but something changes behind it–something quieter, more fragile. Not weak, no. Knox doesn’t do weak. But… afraid?
Is that what this is? Fear?
I step toward him and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest.
“What is it, Knox?”
“What is what?”
“You look kinda… frightened.”
He breathes in, deep and slow. But I can hear it. The tension behind every breath. The pulse beneath my cheek, too fast to be steady.
“Do I?” he murmurs.
“Stop hiding things from me. It’s starting to get annoying.”
Silence.
His breathing fills the space between us. So does the pounding in his chest.
“I haven’t slept beside anyone in years,” he finally says.
I squeeze him tighter. “Well, we’ll start now. Stop being such a big baby.”
A pause. “Things can get… weird.”
I pull back to look at him, raising a brow. “A lot weirder than you already are? Knox, whatever it is, I can handle it. If it comes
to it, I can help too. Bad dreams? Scared of the dark? Scared of monsters?”
“Don’t turn me into a project,” he says, voice low, “like you did with Finn.”
I open my mouth. Shut it. There’s no fast, witty comeback for that one. No clever defense.
Instead, I step back and pull at his hand again, heading for the bed.
“I promise I won’t turn you into a project,” I say. “But I will take that promise back if you don’t lie beside me on this bed.”
He lets me guide him toward the edge of the bed, but before I can pull him down with me, he halts.
“Not yet. Let me get ready.”
I nod, watching as he walks to his closet. There’s the soft shuffle of hangers, the rustle of fabric; and then he returns- naked, of course. He’s carrying a small pile of clothes in one hand.
God.
Every time I see him bare, I forget how to breathe. The tattoos, the cut of his body, the ink across his ribs that curves j enough to make me ache. Each line looks like it was earned not just etched There’s a story behind all of them, certainly. Someday, I’ll ask him.
Successfully unlocked!
He pulls something from the pile and tosses it at me. A soft black T–shirt.
“Can’t have you sleeping naked.”
“Why not?” I ask, smirking.
1/3
CHAPTER 054: Hop In
But he’s already walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.
I pull the shirt over my head and slide under the covers. His scent is already embedded in the sheets–warm, musky, clean.
I glance around the room. Every part of me wants to snoop, to find some clue about this man I still know so little about. But I fight the urge.
Instead, I grab my phone.
One message from Finn.
‘Where are you?‘
I hesitate before typing. ‘Something came up. I’ll see you in the morning!
The shower turns on in the bathroom.
Another message lights up. ‘You left?‘
Yeah. Had to take care of something.‘
A second passes.
‘Take care of my brother, you mean. You’re with him right now, aren’t you?‘
I don’t answer. Finn always manages to make everything about his brother. He must realize I’m getting pissed off, because another message comes in.
‘Sorry. That came out wrong. I just wish you were here, that’s all.
I exhale. Type fast.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow before you get discharged. And by the way–I know you threw yourself down those stairs to get me
to come. Nice work, asshole. And cameras in my room? You’re really becoming a psychopath.
A pause.
‘I did it because I miss you.‘
I lock the phone. Set it on the bed beside me.
The water in the bathroom stops.
Another ping lights up the screen. I glance down.
‘Goodnight, Sloane. No matter how much you hurt me, I still love you.‘
I stare at the message for a while, exhaling through my nose, before setting the phone on the nightstand.
Finn.
What the hell am I going to do about him?
I’ve known him for quite a while. He’s been in my corner for things even I forgot I went through. Through college bullshit, missed birthdays, post–college breakdowns, dumb ideas–he was always there. And no matter how twisted things have gotten lately, some part of me still cares about him. Maybe not the way he wants me to, the way that involves leaving his brother. Maybe not even in a healthy way. But it’s there. Embedded in the history we built together, like permanent ink beneath skin.
But I can’t pretend anymore.
Not after the closet.
Not after the cameras.
He’s not just spiraling–he’s detonating. And if I let him keep unraveling, if I look the other way, it’ll be me holding the thread when he finally falls apart for good.
And I can’t trust Knox to help.
He hates Finn.
And I don’t blame him. I really don’t.
Dating one brother while the other–who’s my friend–is actively crashing through his own life like a one–man wrecking ball because of that relationship? It’s a logistical nightmare. An emotional one too. I mean, who the hell lives like this? I’m not even sure which one of them I’m more worried about at this point–Finn, who’s ready to do anything to get me back, ‘nox, who was this close to breaking his brother’s arm in the hospital because of me.
Finn might be a walking red flag right now, but he’s not a villain. He’s just… broken. In a way that’s familiar. In a way I used to think I could fix.
But he’s also manipulative. Reckless. Selfish when he’s hurting. He weaponizes emotion in the way only someone who knows all your soft spots can. And worse, he’s clever about it. That’s the real danger–Finn’s never needed fists to ruin something. He uses guilt. Uses love. Uses history.
CHAPTER 054: Hop In
And if I don’t do something soon–if I let him keep operating on whatever deranged logic is fueling him–1 won’t just lose
him.
He’ll lose himself.
And I can’t let that happen.
Not in good conscience.
Not when I still remember the boy who used to sleep on my dorm room floor just to make sure I didn’t cry alone after a panic attack.
But I also can’t let him destroy the only thing that’s made me feel grounded in a long time. I can’t leave Finn alone to his devices.
Finn and his “devices” have never led to anything but trouble.
And now that he’s pulling stunts that involve hospital beds and security violations, I can’t afford to hope he’ll magically change course.
He won’t.
Not unless someone forces him to.
And that someone might have to be me.
The bathroom door creaks open.
Knox steps out, now dressed in a black shirt and loose grey pajama pants. His hair is damp.
“You’re still awake?” he asks.
“You thought I was gonna sleep and let you sneak off somewhere?” I pat the space beside me. “Hop in.”
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