Page 4 of Knox (Graeme #3)

Turned Him Straight

S ylvie ran out the garage door from the house and stopped short. Ian and Finn left two minutes earlier, and I was still hooking my phone to the dash of my new SUV.

I smiled when her gaze caught mine, and she smiled back before climbing into the passenger side.

“Thanks, Josh. I forgot Ian and Finn had to go to the barn party tonight, so we were riding separately.”

I didn't want to discuss the barn party. Jasper and I had planned to find a stall under the Fire banner before walking out together. It had been a stupid fantasy. We would walk out hand in hand, Wallace would write our names down together, guaranteeing we'd get married, and no one could argue.

“It’s cool. Do you like your room?”

She sat her bag between her feet and buckled in. “I do. It’s a roof. Four walls.”

“Okay.” I pressed the remote and the bay door rose behind me. “Wanna talk about that?”

She still hadn’t explained why she was here and didn’t buy some cute little house or something. They weren’t set to film anything until after Christmas, which was in two weeks, and yet, she arrived weeks ago.

“Do I want to talk about my lying, cheating assistant who stole all my stuff? No.”

“Oh, wow.”

Sylvie turned to face me then, and I concentrated on the curved path to the road.

“Ian didn’t ask. He wouldn’t, you know. Just gave me a bed, and hasn’t once said I’d worn out my welcome.”

“Don’t you get paid for the stuff we do at the playhouse?”

“I do,” she nodded. “Get paid for that and mucking stalls,” she laughed, but it was a bitter sound as she stared at her fingernails. The polish was long gone, and a couple were broken.

Now that I looked at her—really looked at her—two inches of black roots didn’t blend with the ice blonde she normally dyed her hair.

Sylvie looked younger without makeup, but she was still as old as Ian and Mom. Her eyes weren’t blue either. One was brown and one was a sort of blue-gray?

“Don’t say anything,” she sighed. “It’s just Christmas, and I’m missing home is all.”

“And you can’t go? No one would keep you from-”

“Josh, all my money is gone and the house, too. I’m hoping the next film with Ian will get me back on my feet.”

“So, you’re hiding out with us.”

“Yeah. Hoping Ian doesn’t ask why I’m still around. It’s been a while.”

I smiled. “He won’t.”

She was quiet for the rest of the ride, and I pulled into the lot, parking around back beside Ian’s SUV.

Knox Daniels, whom I hadn’t seen since senior year, waited by the back door, one foot propped on the wall. He lifted his shades and gave me half a smile when I reached him. Sylvie hurried inside, and I raised my eyebrows.

“You goin’ to the barn party tonight?” Knox asked, standing. His brown hair fell to his shoulders, those sunglasses holding the top back. His light brown gaze roamed over me before settling on my face.

“Hadn’t planned on it.” I reached for the door, ignoring the reminder that I didn't have anyone to walk out of the barn with. Ian had to go. He was Wallace's best man.

“So, could I get a ride home after?” Knox pointed at the door with his script. “I’m not going either, but my ride is.”

“Sure,” I shrugged.

Knox and I had never been friends. Considering his sister had just taken my boyfriend, I wasn’t sure we could be friends now.

I opened the door, and he entered first. Three students greeted me, nearly pushing me out the door again as they rushed me, all fussing about different things.

Knox eased between them and me. “Ladies, ladies. Let the man breathe.”

He motioned for them to back away, and they did, surprising me.

I listened to them one at a time and then made note of their schedule changes on my phone before heading towards the stage.

The final production of this play would run for one night only, the Friday before Christmas, and then the semester was over until January. Was looking forward to the break, really.

There were three main couples in the play, and Knox played the love interest opposite Lacey Mason, who just couldn’t get her shit together today. He waited for her to stop laughing and after the fourth time, Ian threw his hands up.

“That’s it. Go home. We aren’t gonna get anything done until after the barn party,” Ian sighed, rubbing his temples.

Lacey was still laughing quietly, and when she reached for Knox, he backed away, which sobered her. She cleared her throat, nodded once, and left the stage.

Ian was surrounded then, and everyone was looking at me like I was covered in goo.

“He turned him straight!” Lacey shrieked.

My heart stopped, and all the blood rushed to my toes. Of all the insults she could have flung at me, she picked that one.

Knox kept me standing while everyone stared.

“Her daddy can’t even give her away,” Knox muttered.

“Lacey, you’re old enough to know better than to discuss private negotiations.

But the truth is, Jasper couldn’t have Josh.

It’s clan business, and you need to keep your nose out of it.

Besides,” he shrugged. “Josh got the better end of the deal, anyway. The horse won’t treat him like shit, or talk bad about him behind his back.

No, that’s just you. Have fun tonight. Hope someone feels sorry enough to take you off your daddy’s hands. ”

Silence reigned as Knox and I left through the back, and Sylvie stood by the back door grinning.