Incinerate

Chapter 9

Knox

“COME ON, Knox. You need to get out of this house,” Jace tells me, Lexi nodding as she sits next to him on my couch.

Apparently it’s her weekend to visit, and instead of spending it alone with each other, they’ve ambushed me, wanting to go out. It doesn’t help that they’ve recruited Kale Montgomery, another one of the guys who was in the explosion with us. He got away with mostly cuts, bruises, and a few burns since he was far enough away, and his ass has been hovering over me every chance he has. I figure this is Jace’s doing since Kale only lives a few doors down. He’s probably been given the watch dog title, and I’m thankful that he works swing shift and hasn’t been able to bug me too much.

“I’m still supposed to wear my brace, guys, and I’m not going out to a club with that thing on,” I tell them, hoping they’ll drop the subject.

Jace scoffs at me. “Dude, you took it off when we went out last week. And Charlie told me the doc said you’d probably be out of it in two weeks. She also said you haven’t left the house this week except to go to your follow-up at the hospital. Man, that’s not healthy. You’re going to get cabin fever and really freak out.”

What the fuck? “When the hell did you talk to Charlie?” I ask, because I know they haven’t crossed paths at my place.

Jace and Lexi exchange glances before he answers me. “I’m thinking of putting my G.I. Bill to use and finishing my degree. I was surprised to see her when I showed up at the VA office at Austin Peay, but apparently she’s the liaison there. We got to talking and she may have mentioned you might be bummed about still being in your brace and that I should try to get you out of the house.”

Knowing that they talked about me, I want to ask more questions about him seeing her, but I don’t want to seem disinterested in his pursuing his goals. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy for Jace if he wants to finish his degree. There’s no reason to let the free education benefits go to waste. But I don’t care about that part right now.

“What do you mean she may have mentioned that? How in the hell would she know if I need to get out or not? She doesn’t even know me.”

Jace just shakes his head at me. “Despite what you might think, you’re not that hard to read, Knox. And I think Charlie’s more perceptive than you’re giving her credit for.”

“What’s the big deal? I think it’s actually kind of sweet that she’s looking out for you. She could’ve not said anything and just let you continue to mope around here all by yourself. Instead, you get to hang out with us. Consider yourself lucky. We’re pretty damn good company,” Lexi chimes in before turning to give Jace a kiss on the cheek.

“Yeah, well, if you’re going to be doing that all night, you can count me out,” I tell her, and she just grins at me. I can’t help but smile back. She’s grown on me the past few times she’s visited since I woke up in the hospital. Although I give them crap about their PDA, she isn’t an annoying, clingy, over-the-top girlfriend. She’s actually pretty chill and down to earth, and the fact that she loves sports means she’s even cooler in my book.

“Aren’t the Reds playing on national television tonight? Let’s just go to a sports bar or something.”

Lexi grins, and I know I have her. Jace once told me that she can never say no to the Cincinnati Reds, and I’m not above using her obsession to my advantage. She looks at Jace and he groans, shaking his head. “Of course my girl would want to go eat wings and drink beer rather than go out dancing. Hey, fine by me. It’s not like I can dance anyway, but I was hoping for a little bump-n-grind action. I may not be able to use my leg, but I can still shake my hips.” He gives a little demonstration in the chair, causing Lexi to giggle.

Kale looks at me in horror. “He did not just do that, did he? Can I un-see these things?”

Laughing, I just shake my head. “I’d like to tell you that you get used to them, but that’d be a lie. You just have to learn to tolerate it. Fine. I’m okay with a sports bar, but if I have to watch Jace give a lap dance, I’m putting my tab on his. Give me thirty minutes so I can get cleaned up and then we can go.”

Jace’s forehead wrinkles. “Thirty minutes? Dude, it barely takes Alexa that long to get ready, and her hair’s a lot longer than yours.”

I look down at my brace, my broken arm, and then back him. “Yeah, dude, unless your girl there wants to help wash my back in the shower, it’s going to take me a while. If she agrees, I might be able to speed things up a little.” I cock my eyebrow up at her suggestively, and I see her laugh.

“That’d cost you, Knox, and you already made it clear to me once before how you feel about paying women for their services.” Lexi winks at me, and remembering that night, I know I’ll never live it down.

Grinning, I look at Jace, and he’s just laughing at her. That’s one thing I love about these two together, not that you’ll get me to admit it to Jace. If the roles were reversed, I’d be ready to kick his ass just for joking about getting my girl naked, but there’s something so secure about their relationship that they can just joke about it. And in this moment, I realize I want that. Maybe not right now, but eventually, in the future. I thought I had it once with Megan, but when I really reflect on it, our relationship was nothing true or easy like theirs seems to be, especially after everything they’ve been through. Ours was high school love, if you can call it that. And somehow, for the first time in ten years, I actually find myself wanting more. And maybe once I’m fully healed, I’ll finally start looking for it.

“Okay, okay. I’m sure I can’t afford you or the hospital bills I’d get after Jace kicks my ass for using your ‘services.’ But if you can do one thing for me, that’d be great.”

His eyes narrow, and I want to laugh as the look on his face changes, but Lexi responds before I can say a word. “Sure, Knox. As long as it doesn’t involve anything pervy, I’m in.”

“Nothing pervy for you, I promise. I just need help getting this brace off, and I don’t keep like having either of these guys that close to me.” Kale flips me off and Lexi just laughs and complies, removing my brace and handing it to me.

Chuckling, I make my way back towards my room to get ready, thinking that maybe a night out with good friends is definitely what I need.

AFTER ABOUT an hour, we finally pull up to the sports bar. I made sure that I took more than thirty minutes to get ready, but it wasn’t just to spite Jace. I won’t admit this to Charlie, but if I take my time, I can push my shorts down just enough so I can slide them down my legs. It’s getting them back on that’s a bitch. I didn’t want to have to ask anyone here to help me put on jeans, so I pulled a pair of khaki cargo shorts out of my dresser and sat down on the bed. I hooked my feet in the top of the shorts, used a hanger to grab the belt loop, and pulled them up. It was kind of a bitch, but I was more than happy that I’d just gained back a little self-sufficiency. Not to mention I was proud of my MacGyver-like skills. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that impressive, but at least I didn’t have to have Jace dress me. Well, he did have to help me with the dark colored t-shirt I’m wearing, but I couldn’t help that. He’d refused to let Lexi help me, but she did enjoy the show.

Reaching into the glove box, Jace pulls out a box and throws it back to me. I catch it, looking at him questioningly.

“Chief asked me to give those to you next time I saw you. He also said to pass along a message.” He pauses, checking the rearview mirror to see if I’m listening.

Opening the box, I see a brand new set of dog tags, shiny, silver, and most importantly, not banged up and covered with my dried blood from an explosion like the last set. “Thanks, man,” I tell him as I slip them over my head, finally feeling a little bit like a soldier again. “What’s the message?”

“‘Stop being a pussy and get the fuck back to work, Soldier,’” Jace deadpans. “And yes, that’s a direct quote.”

Kale cracks up until I hit him on the back of the head, and I just shake mine, wishing I could follow Chief’s orders because not working is slowly going to be the death of me.

Once Jace finds a parking spot, I get out of the car and groan when I realize we’re at The Lodge, the same place where I met Charlie last weekend. Jace just shrugs when he sees the look on my face.

“It’s the best place to watch sports, and then it turns in to a club after nine. Best of both worlds, man.”

I sigh as I follow them inside. When we enter the bar, my eyes have to take a second to adjust to the dimly lit room. Following them to a high-top half table, half booth, I slide into the booth portion beside Kale. I can tell he’s already checking out the selection of women in the place, and I can’t help but follow suit. I tell myself I’m just scoping the crowd for hot chicks, but I know I’m looking for her. Part of me wants her to be here, especially after witnessing the moment between Jace and Lexi earlier, but the other half of me knows I need to not complicate things. And going after Charlie would do nothing but cause complications.

“She’s not here, Knox. Relax,” Jace says, interrupting my thoughts. I don’t even bother to respond because a cute blonde waitress sidles up to the table and begins to take our drink orders. Since I’m not driving, I decide that I’m going to let myself have a good time. I haven’t taken a pain pill since lunchtime, so I think I’m safe. We order a couple pitchers for the table, and I get a round of shots, although Lexi declines since she’s driving. Responsible. Another reason to like her. I glance around the bar one last time, disappointed when I see that Jace is right. She isn’t here.

A COUPLE of hours and a few pitchers of beer later, Lexi’s yelling at the TV, more than pissed that her team is losing pretty damn badly. Jace is just watching her like a lovesick fool, telling her that it doesn’t matter because they’re still first in their division, but she doesn’t want to hear it. The dance floor has opened up and Kale’s had a revolving door of dance partners for the past half an hour. It’s really amazing what a crew cut and some dog tags can get you.

“So Charlie seems like a nice girl. How are things going there?” Jace asks, pulling my attention away from Kale and the blonde chick who’s practically giving him a lap dance on the floor.

“Umm, yeah, she’s fine.” I know what he’s going to say, and I’m not interested. Okay, that’s a lie, but I’m not interested right now.

“Okay, admit it. How awkward was it when she showed up on your doorstep the morning after you were a total dick to her?”

I signal the waitress for another shot, even though I’m already feeling pretty buzzed. “I wasn’t a total dick to her. I may have been a bit abrupt, but I wasn’t even mean. Rude, maybe, but I wasn’t an asshole. As ass, but not an asshole.”

“You know, she said the same thing when I tried to smooth things over for you.”

Huh. That’s weird. I figured she’d hated me. Her face had grown red with humiliation when I basically told her I wasn’t interested when all she’d done was introduce herself. “She actually said that?”

He nods, and I’m surprised.

“Okay, so, yeah, things were kind of awkward the next day. It didn’t help that we had another misunderstanding. I don’t know, Jace. She’s gotten under my skin and I don’t like it. I still can’t believe Cohen’s not coming back after finals.” I shake my head, still pissed that my brother called me earlier today with news that a spot had opened up in a summer course at UT and he could get ahead if he took it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of my brother for pursuing his dream, but I have to admit that I was really looking forward to spending the summer with him. And to putting an end to this babysitter volunteering business.

Taking a sip of his beer, he watches me. “Why does it have to be a bad thing that she gets under your skin? Maybe it’s time you finally met someone who makes you feel something more than just lust.”

“Maybe, man. I know I’m over random hook-ups. But Charlie Davenport isn’t the girl I need start anything with. We’d kill each other in the first week. We’re not compatible at all.”

“If you say so.”

Before I can respond, Kale rejoins us at the table, and the conversation switches to less serious topics.

“Holy shit, that girl is smokin’,” Kale says as he takes a drink of his beer. He’s staring at the dance floor, and when I look over, my heart stops and my shorts tighten in the crotch area.

I don’t know how I missed her come in, but there’s Charlie in the middle of the bar, dancing with some guy who’s barely an inch taller than her. I can only see her profile, but then they slowly circle so that I can see her from the front, and I go completely hard. Her long brown hair hangs in loose curls down her back, and she’s wearing a fitted, tight black t-shirt that cups her breasts perfectly. She’s paired it with tight, tiny jean shorts, and I can tell that this girl works out because her toned thighs show off a slight ripple of muscle as she moves her hips back and forth to the hip-hop music that’s playing.

I can’t stop watching her, and she looks like she’s in her element, without a care in the world. Her eyes are closed, but even though they’re dancing, her back to his front, she’s leaving about a half an inch of space between them.

“Hey, isn’t that—” Jace starts to say when Kale cuts him off.

“Oh damn, I didn’t even realize who it was. That’s Charlie. I used to never see her out, but after she called her engagement off, she’s started getting out a lot more. She’s a nice girl,” Kale says absentmindedly as he checks out the girls at the table next to us.

“You know her?” I ask him, wondering how he knows her, feeling jealous that both Jace and Kale seem to get the nice, sweet side of her at all times.

“Yeah, she helped me out with all my G.I. Bill stuff when I first transferred to Ft. Campbell. You guys haven’t seen her at the boxing gym? She’s there a couple of times a week, and I like sparring with her. She’s got great technique, and it helps that she’s hot has hell. I’ve got a good thing going with one of her friends…” He trails off, looking around the room, and I’m wondering why I’ve never seen her at the gym. Obviously I haven’t been since I’ve been back, and before I always went late in the evening. We must’ve never crossed paths. Kale spots someone and gets up from the table. “Excuse me, fellas and Lexi, but I have a lady waiting for me,” he says, grinning as he heads back out to dance.

Jace and Lexi get up to join him, and Jace shoots me a look. “I’m good, man. Go ahead.”

He nods, and I can’t help but laugh as he crutches to the edge of the floor and tries to dance with Lexi. It’s more of him standing there holding himself up while she dances against him.

Turning away, I look around to find Charlie again. I spot her just in time to see the douche she’s dancing with put his hands on her hips and pull her into him as he grinds into her ass. Gritting my teeth, I start to look away when I see her push away from him, only for him to pull her back.

Before I can even think about what I’m doing, I’m downing my beer and crossing to the dance floor. Right as I’m getting to where she is, she turns around and shoves the guy, and he stumbles slightly. I have a feeling he’s had a little too much tonight, and he’s not getting that she isn’t joking. He’s about to reach for her again when I grab her arm and pull her into my chest. She wasn’t expecting it, so she smashes into me, causing a sharp pain to shoot through my ribs, but I can take it.

She looks up into my eyes and they widen with surprise when she realizes who’s grabbed her.

“Hey, babe. I thought you were going to save a dance for me?” I ask her, giving her a wink, indicating for her to play along.

Her hands fall flat on my chest and slide up until they’re wrapped around my neck. She’s taller than the girls I usually go for, and in her heels she’s only a couple of inches shorter than me. It’s just another abnormality when it comes to her, because I always enjoyed the feel of a tiny, petite body, but I’m finding that I like how she fits in my arms while she’s pressed up against me, our thighs, hips, torsos touching intimately.

“I was just biding my time until you got here, babe,” she says, making her cute, Southern drawl just a little more pronounced than normal. The guy she was dancing with backs away, mumbling something that sounds like “my bad,” and he gets swallowed up in the crowd. Her arms are still around my neck as a slow country song comes on. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pull her into me, and we slowly begin to move slowly with the music. I don’t know if she’s doing this for that douche’s benefit or because she actually wants to be close to me, but right now, I don’t care. She feels so good in my arms, and I pull her in closer, my arms squeezing just a little tighter. When she settles the side of her head against my chest, a wave of vanilla washes over me, and I can’t help but inhale, knowing I’ll never think of vanilla the same way again.

The song ends and she pulls back, looking up at me as the song ends. “Thanks, Knox. Trust me, I could’ve taken care of him, but you made it a little easier,” she tells me, smiling up at me, and I think it’s the first genuine smile I’ve gotten from her since the night she introduced herself.

“No problem, sweetheart. It’s the least I can do since you’ve seen me naked,” I tease, but her smile falters as she clenches her teeth.

“God, you’re such an ass. Can you just say ‘you’re welcome’ like a normal human being?” she asks as she stops moving and unhooks her arms from around my neck.

I catch her wrists and let her hands slide down my chest the same way she slid them up. “You’re welcome. For both rescuing you and letting you see me naked.” I grin down at her, and I can see her trying to suppress a smile. Grabbing her hand, I pull her off the dance floor back towards our table. I can see that Jace and Lexi have returned, so as soon as we get them, I make the introductions between the girls.

I’m not surprised when they start chatting like old friends. Jace and I just shake our heads at each other as they start a friendly argument over Alabama and Ohio State football. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing right now, because bringing her over here and introducing her to my best friend and his girl feels a little like relationship territory. But I push the thought out of my head, telling myself that it just makes sense since Charlie will be around for a while. There’s nothing wrong with being friendly, right? If only I could tell my dick that’s all we’re going to be.