Unexpected

Eight

Knox's POV;

They say there is a first time for everything - well here is mine - Not once in my life had I taken a girl on a date. I've never dressed up and taken anyone out to dinner or to a movie, never had a girlfriend, Fuck I don't think I've actually ever even asked a girl out before.
Evie's Mum and I met at a high school party. The night we met she was drunk and I was pretty wasted on who the fuck knows what but I can say it definitely wasn't alcohol. We slept together that night and that sort of led us to become whatever it was we became. I'm not
going to romanticise it - it wasn't a young love conquers all only to be overcome by some tragic event.
Truth was she became one of my best friends even if we were polar opposites in every way.
She was the popular cheerleader - tall, long blonde hair - gorgeous. She grew up with money, stability and family.
I was the guy from the wrong side of town - I forced myself to go to school as a way to stay off my Fathers radar. There was never any money - my Father did enough to make sure there was food on the table but as for anything else that was up to us to figure out for ourselves. I had tattoos and smoked cigarettes. I was every single thing her parents hated, no where near good enough for their little girl and boy did they do everything they could to make sure we knew it - then we got pregnant - and if possible her parents hated me even more.
We weren't together - there was no possible way we could ever be, but we sure were committed to giving our kid a good life - we'd planned it out - we'd share her - raise her together without being together. We loved each other even if it was only ever as friends.
This baby was my saviour, my lighthouse, my reason to clean myself up, earn a decent living. Everything was perfect - until the moment it wasn't.

I'll be the first to admit it each and every time, after she died I closed myself off, built walls so god damn high around Evie and Me - the only people granted access to our bubble was my sister and Jake.
Jake - the person I considered my brother stuck to us through everything - gave up a lot of his own freedoms to help me make sure Evie had every single thing she deserved - she may not have had her mother anymore but fuck me if she was ever going to suffer for it. Evie was my entire world.

And then she appeared - he long black hair, ivory skin, the bluest eyes and the reddest fullest lips I had ever seen, when she spoke her voice wrapped around every part of me pulling me towards her, demanding to know her, to touch her, my entire body vibrated with the need to claim her, to protect her - to make her mine. It was almost primal - the only time in my life I had felt anything like this. I knew it was stupid - I knew with everything in me this wasn't a good idea - she wasn't here long term, this was a holiday for her, but I couldn't stop - the draw was too strong, and when she packed up to leave I knew I would need to pull myself up and find a way to move on, but for now - I was going to let myself have this one thing - I was going to have her - even if it was just for a little while.

"Fuck man, you almost look like a grown up" Jake smirked at me from the doorway to my bedroom
"I can't remember you ever putting effort in for a woman before - besides the little princess out there"

I stood facing him - a million god damn years flashed through my mind. We had known each other our entire lives - wouldn't be where I was today without this guy.

"Yeah well" I shrugged

"Yeah well" Jake mimicked me "she's different right"

I nodded

"Yeah - I see it man, the way you look at her, the way she looks at you"

"Tell me this is crazy Jake - tell me I'm fucking stupid for even thinking of going into this"

"This is crazy Knox and you are so fucking stupid for going into this, but that's ok you know - it's ok for you to need and want something, someone"

"Wow - such a god damn romantic" I slapped Jake on the shoulder "You good with my girl tonight?"

"Yeah brother, we've got Elsa and Anna queued up and ready to go and pizza on the way, go out - enjoy yourself - maybe pretend to be 25 for the first time since you've actually been 25"

"Thanks Man"

"You got it, don't worry about us - I got the princess - you go get yourself a queen".