Taking Chances (Blackrock Book 2) (33 page)

“He
is one of those people who just has to read it once and he knows it,”
I say to Knox’s defense, which earns me a beautiful smile and
kiss.

“Thanks darlin’.”
He winks.

After
dinner I watch the sky darken as the sun sinks below the horizon.
Knox brings out a blanket, wrapping me up like a present and sitting
beside me.

“I’d
prefer if you were in here too.” Chuckling he pulls the blanket
wrapping us both as I lie down on his shoulder. We watch the sunset
and closing my eyes I doze off while Knox sings. His voice washes
over me soothing every ache and pain in my body; however my mind
still holds the fear that Ben will be there when I close my eyes. I
can feel the rumble of Knox’s voice through his chest as I
begin to wake up. I can hear him and his dad talking about me, and
what happened. I don’t want to hear it so I move to signal I am
awake.

“Hey
beautiful.”

“Hi,”
I whisper back as I sit up looking around at the darkness. “What
time is it?” I ask now that I can’t wear my watch.

“Just
after nine.” I nod then stand making my way to the restroom.
“Need help?” Knox calls over his shoulder but I just wave
him off.

In
the restroom I look at my face in the mirror and sigh; it looks
dreadful. The swelling is taking its sweet time going down. When I
make it back out Knox is alone standing at the edge of the patio
watching the ocean. Slipping my arm around his waist he pulls me
close.

“Want to take a walk?”
I nod and he grabs the blanket then takes off his boots and socks. He
kneels down, removing my shoes and we step onto the sand. Walking
down the quiet beach at night is relaxing and peaceful. I can hear
the whisper of the ocean as the small waves roll onshore and the
smell of salt in the air tickles my nose. Half way down the beach
away from the houses, we stop and Knox spreads the blanket down on
the sand. He smiles as I sit with his help. Pulling something out of
his pocket he hands me a box.

“What’s
this?” I ask rubbing my thumb over the velvet.

“Open
it.” He smiles at me, resting his arm over his knee. I wedge
the box between my knees and open it with my good hand.

“Knox,”
I gasp as I see a new locket inside. Leaning over I kiss him. “Thanks
babe, you didn’t have to.”

Rolling
his eyes he takes the locket putting it around my neck. “I did
have to.” He kisses my neck and my shoulder and back up my neck
to just below my ear eliciting a moan from me. “Don’t do
that,” he whispers against my neck as he continues kisses me.

“Why?”
I say breathlessly.

“Because
you’re turning me on.” I let myself fall back against his
chest sighing as he wraps his arms around me pulling me down. We
watch the stars twinkle like tiny spot- lights nestled in the black
velvet of the sky.

“It’s
nice here” I whisper, afraid to speak any louder for fear of
breaking the spell.

Knox
rubs my arm. “Yeah it is.” He sounds like he misses
living here and I don’t blame him because it is beautiful; the
ocean and the stars, how much more romantic can you get?

We
arrive back at the apartment by midnight, both of us yawning as we
climb into bed, our bodies are programmed to find each other, and we
settle into our sleeping positions with my back against his chest and
his arms around me.

“Knox?”

“Um-hum.”

I
kiss his hand. “Thank you for the new locket.” He just
gives me a little squeeze in response. “Hey did you call me
baby?” I ask and he chuckles.

“Yeah
and I reserve the right to call you baby in times of stress or
extreme duress.” His voice, heavy with sleep rumbles through
me.

“Okay
then,” I whisper back to him. “Night.”

“Night
baby.” He kisses my head and his breathing steadies.

Knox

I
wake to Bailey moaning in her sleep, fighting off an invisible
attacker. Only I know he is not invisible anymore; he has a face, an
evil face that I wish I could take care of but I can’t. All I
can do is be here for her, which seems like I am doing nothing at
all. I watch as she wakes up sweating and breathing hard before she
turns. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. I can hear her
breathing hard and then the tears start; she is trying to cry
quietly, and my heart breaks for her. Pulling her close to me I can
feel her hot tears land on my chest as her body heaves. I have to
squeeze my own eyes shut to stop the flow of tears.

“Darlin.”
My voice is thick and I have to swallow a few times before I can
speak again. “Darlin’, I have you. You’re safe now,
I promise.” Holding her close to me making promises I don’t
know I can keep just kills me.

“I
know,” she whispers against my chest before rolling on her
back. Climbing out of bed I grab a new t-shirt for her and help take
off the sweat soaked one. She keeps her eyes closed but her face
shows all her emotions; one after another the last one being defeat.
She looks tired and defeated and my blood boils to see someone so
beautiful giving up. “Hey look at me.” My voice comes out
harsher than I intended but she raises her head opening her eye. “We
are going to get through this, Bailey. Don’t you dare give up
on me; you are stronger than you know.” She just nods and hangs
her head again and I just want to shake her to pull her out of this
hole she is falling into. “Baby, please don’t give up.”

I
watch as she raises her head again looking at me, her face a mask now
but I can see the love behind the sadness in her eye. “If you
keep calling me baby I might get used to it.”

Nodding,
I smile. “That’s okay, darlin’. Either way I love
you.”

“I
know and I love you too.”

We
climb back into bed and I watch as she falls back asleep but I can’t
and I don’t want to. Every fiber of my being is screaming for
me to protect her and keep her safe. My heart, is so lost to this
girl, I am not my own man anymore. She is everything to me and I
intend to prove it to her, to let her know that she is all I want in
this world.

2 weeks later

For
the past two weeks I have moped around the apartment and now I am
bored. My eye is getting better and I don’t have to wear that
giant gauze anymore. My ribs are better, still tender but at least I
can now dress myself. The only thing left is the bruises and my
broken wrist and hand. Knox is at class so I slip on my shorts and
tank and grab one of his baseball caps, making my way through campus
to the quad and sit at my favorite table to wait for him. Taking out
my phone, I mess around while I am waiting. Within minutes a flood of
students surround me. Lowering my sunglasses I look around for him
while I get stares from most people who walk by me.

Me:
babe where are you?

Knox:
having lunch you need me home?

Me:
no, where are you eating?

Knox:
Café on campus.

I
walk over to the café and look around but can’t see him.
I do see Eric so I make my way to him.

“Hey
Eric, is Knox with you?”

His
eyes go wide when he sees my face and legs. “Hey yeah, he’ll
be back in a sec.” Smiling, I sit down and wait. “Damn
Bailey.” He shakes his head at me, taking in my gruesome face.
I just smirk slipping back on my hang over glasses, which cover most
of my cheek as well as my eyes. Looking around, I spot Knox talking
with some girls by the check out; my stomach rumbles and Eric laughs.

“You
hungry?” he pushes his fries towards me.

“Thanks.
Are they goanna let him eat or what?” I ask still watching
Knox. Eric turns following my line of sight and whistles, making Knox
turn and I wave at him.

His
face splits into a smile as he walks over to me. “Hey darlin’,
what you doing here in disguise?”

“Thought, I’d
surprise you.” He nods and unwraps his burger offering me half.

“Na,
I’ll just get something chewable.” Standing I walk over
to the counter and get a plate of fries and ranch finding Max on my
way back. “Hey bro.” Smiling he hugs me.

“We
are over there.” I point while he orders. Making my way back, I
sit beside Knox.

“You
know I could just have gotten fries with this?”

I
shrug in answer and shove one fry at a time into the side of my mouth
wincing when the salt hits my healing cut.

“Hey fuckers,” Max
says sitting with us. “So bro are going for a ride tomorrow?
Can’t wait to get back on my baby” Knox shrugs making Max
grumble something about it being already planned.

“Where
are you guys going?” I ask Max who glares at Knox.

“The mountains.”

Smiling,
I eat my fries. “Sounds cool I’m sure you’ll have
fun.”

Knox
puts his hand on my knee and I turn to him. “Are you okay?”
Nodding, I smile my now weird half smile until my lip gets better. I
sit listening to them rib on each other and talk about finals. I am
not allowed to sit them so I have to look forward to a month of
summer school and take them then.

“Okay,
I am out catch you guys later.” I ruffle Knox’s hair
before I go.

“Bailey,”
he warns.

“Awe,
do the girls not like when you when you’re all messy?” I
tease, leaving him frowning after me. Walking across campus I bump
into Ryan; he asks about my injuries and now he too wants to beat
Ben’s ass.

“I
wish, my friend, but we can’t.”

He
hugs me. “Okay, see you later.”

Leaving
school makes me kind of sad, because I won’t see my classmates
until September and I won’t get to say goodbye to some of them
before they leave for home. When I get home I am restless. Deciding
to drive up to my dad’s, I climb into my car. Pulling into the
garage, I find that he too is here.

“Hey
dad,” I call walking into the kitchen and then through to his
office where I find him on the phone shaking his head. I wait until
he is done.

“Hi
sweetheart, what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Just
missed you that’s all,” He smiles at me and asks about my
injuries as we walk into the kitchen and I just give him my one line
answer. “Fine, getting better.” We sit at the table with
coffee.

“Bailey
you look annoyed.”

I
grimace. “Yeah dad, I don’t know what’s up with me.
Maybe I am just fed up being stuck indoors.” He counters my
argument, telling me I am the only one who has kept myself indoors
and I know he is right, but I am being stubborn and need an outlet
for my frustration.

“Don’t even think
about it, Bailey. You are forgetting that you are my daughter,”
he warns when he sees the mood I am in.

“Fine
father.” Standing up, I kiss him and go up to my room to change
into my running clothes.

“Bailey, I don’t
think you should be running. Your ribs are not fully healed.”
Now he is really in dad mode.

“I’m
just going to walk and maybe a little easy jog,” I tell him,
leaving the house and pulling my headphones on.

I
walk the first two laps to allow my lungs to expand against my ribs
then I try a little jogging, which is turning out okay, so I speed up
for the last two laps. By the time I reach my room, I am crying in
pain but I don’t let my dad know. Okay, maybe I pushed it too
far. Climbing onto my bed, I roll around until I fall asleep with
tear stained cheeks and my ribs feel broken all over. I feel a nudge
and open my eyes to find my dad frowning at me.

“Knox
has called four times.” He drops my phone on the bed. “I
told you not to run,” he scolds, walking out of my room.

I
check my phone finding a voicemail from Knox wondering where I am. I
don’t even finish listening to it but grab a shower instead.
After wards I find my dad in the kitchen eating dinner. “What
time is it?” I ask but he doesn’t answer so I pull my
phone out seeing it is well after six in the evening.

“Dad?”
Sitting down beside him, I wait.

“Bailey,
I don’t know why you are being self destructive. This is not
you and you need to stop before it goes further.” He is mad; I
made my cool calm dad mad at me.

“Sorry
dad,”

“Don’t
be sorry, just get back to being you the real you; my daughter the
happy, funny girl I used to know.”

Tears
glisten my eyes and I swipe them away. “I haven’t been
that girl for over a year now, dad.”

Tears fall down my cheeks as my
phone rings again. I silence it throwing it onto the table.

“Don’t
take it out on Knox, Bailey. That boy snuck into your hospital room
at night when your mother banned him from seeing you and he has been
taking care of you.” I just nod because I know what Knox has
done for me and would do for me, but I am so angry.

“I
am so angry, dad. Everything makes me want to scream.”

He
pulls me into a hug. “I know sweetheart, I know.”

I
shake my head at him. “No dad. I feel helpless and useless. I
am afraid to sleep and I freak out when Knox leaves me alone. I am so
pathetic and I hate it. I hate every single ounce of it. I hate that
bastard for what he has turned me into.”

My
dad just holds me as I rant and rave until I finally stop and calm
down. My phone has rung at least ten times in the last half hour.

“Sorry dad, I didn’t
mean to lay all that on you.”

He
laughs at me. “Bailey, I’m your dad. That’s what
I’m here for. Now you better go back or Knox will send a search
party for you.”

Smiling,
I nod. “Yeah I know.” I hug my dad for a long while
before I leave.

I
walk into the apartment to find one angry, pissed off six foot two
boyfriend glaring at me with his arms crossed over his chest and his
eyebrow raised.

Sighing
I take a deep breath, “I was at my dad’s.”

Shaking
his head, he storms off into the kitchen with me following like a
lamb into the lion’s den. “So I guess cell phones don’t
work all the way up at the lake?” he asks when I step through
the door.